Siberia, Russia Part 4 – Airport Follies and a Stern lecture
In this ongoing series, we cover my decision to move from San Diego to Chita, Siberia to be a professor at Chita State Technical University. Take the story aboard the flight from Dorval to Khabarovsk, Russia.
Day 3 [more]
As I lounged in my chair Aeroflot stewardess announced that there would be arriving in Khabarovsk in the next 30 minutes. Khabarovsk is located in the deep south 's Far East of Russia, bordering China. And 'home for the FarMilitary eastern Russia, and is the largest city east of Lake Baikal. I was particularly interested in how it would be difficult to find a hot shower.
Well, it was the first day of my year in Siberia. I have a phrase book, electric blanket, reisegerstjeks and had a strong brand. Of course it is never, in fact I taught a class before, but I will later.
Descended from the clouds in a storm of rain. The view was still incredible. We flew in a flatvalley surrounded by snowcapped mountains. Everything was a deep green. A couple of tents on the ground could be seen.
There was a very clear vision of the airport, as we put into play through the valley approaching from the west. Umm, are not normally exempt airport? This looks like a ghost town. The tracks look good, but there were no lights in buildings. However, there was a lack of activity on the planet. I never had backpacked from a plane at the airport, but maybe it wasThe way it was done. When in Rome …
Finishing an incredible journey, our Russian pilot, we're done with a light touch. As we taxied to the airport, I could only think that if the rest of Russia was as good as the flight would be a great year.
Blink, blink, blink … the light begins to enter the terminal! Despite the fact that not more than 50 meters from it, there gehoed was on a transport. We started a long U-turn and stopped at the gate. I could think was: "TheGods Must Be Crazy. "
"The Gods Must Be Crazy" is a funny film released in the eighties [no jokes about my age]. The first scenes of the film is biting satire of our modern way of life against the indigenous tribes in Africa. In one scene, a woman in the machine, back to the end of its road and put a letter in the mailbox. Ah, progress! Travel by plane at the airport could not be much longer.
The airport was a bit 'industrial. It isto say no effort was made to sell fast food, soft drinks, ice cream, "Khabarovsk Hard Rock Cafe" shirts or duty free crap that really do not need. Frankly it was a relief.
Russian customs has worked more or less the same way in all customs airports. She took the bags, pens bummed by foreigners to fill out forms and stand in a long line with other weary travelers. Ultimately, it was on the front of the line and tried to see how the person is eight meters up to sixit.
Unfortunately, my trip was also my first opportunity to have a Russian language. I had my passport, visa and custom forms have passed through the small window. I also tried an innocent smile, which worked about as good as a smile, the IRS agent. Everything went smoothly until the customs agent began to talk quickly and on my customs form. There is something wrong, but I have not the faintest idea what. I turned to collar a surprise and seems to interpret.
Allinternational travelers quickly learn a basic rule. "Wait here," the duty is sacred. To quickly cross the line to commit an act of war. Russian customs was no different. GLUE hard task of supporting the line and wait his turn. Customs agent then gave me a stern lecture. Until now, I can not say if he could talk about my form or the time, but the tone was completely mirrored. The discharge is the universal expression of an agent, known as the accumulated"foreigner stupid … because I have this job … I wanted to be a painter …"
Ultimately, the problem of the form has been resolved. I mean that an active role in this, I have taken, but I basically there, while the aggressive growled and stamped documents. I have not actively asking for the stamp does not explode, but that was it. COLLE pass through customs without any problems and we go out in the cold, damp air from Khabarovsk, Russia.
Bemore …