Stranded in Russia

"If you are in needing of assisting, the border officials will be happy to give you hell" [sic]

Genuine quote from Russian border form

STRANDED IN RUSSIA

Perhaps I should have paid more attention to the British Government's official advice on travel to Russia which is:
"the FCO advises against all travel [including essential travel]" to Russia

Perhaps I should have just got a flight to China, instead of trying to go there overland.

Anyway, it now appears I'm stuck here in Russia.

* * * *

It started really well. I wandered round St Petersberg, got to know an American backpacker called Robyn quite well. She was from Phoenix, Arizona, and was quite fun to be around. She seemed quite keen for me to come to some festival they have up there in September, and offered to put me up, but I think Arizona is a bit far really. Anyway, we wandered around Moscow, and took in Red Square and the Kremlin.

* * *

But, I have run into a bit of a problem. Basically, the point of this mad dash across Asia is to get from one job in London, to another in Beijing. And I have exactly 2 weeks to do it.

Despite having booked a train ticket in advance - in writing - I'm now told that my reservation is no longer valid.

And the next train isn't for a week.

And my visa expires in 4 days.

So I'll be on the run from the visa police. No, really. (How many other countries have visa police?)

And I'll miss the first week of teaching in China, which is the entire point of this journey. Nice.

I pleaded with the train authorities in St Petersburg, but they were adament that the train was full. And the tour agent refuses to acknowledge my reservation. Great.

So I'm stranded in a country where I barely speak the language, in the middle of nowhere, missing out on the teaching which is the whole point of this journey.

But I will try to get there. Somehow. I just have to get there.

Mike


Postscript

I wrote the above whilst still in Russia, and I didn't get a chance to send it. In the end I did manage to get on the train I was planning to - despite the best efforts of my travel agent, Andrei. Andrei seemed determined that I would not get on the train, and seemed to lack basic business sense - I did tell him at one point that I would pay any price. I had to go to the central ticket office and book the ticket in a different language and a different alphabet, and despite telling me earlier it was fully booked, there were now seats available.

There are four train stations in the vicinity of the one I needed to get, and I managed to go to all of them sequentially before finally getting to the right one, in the driving rain.

I was so pleased after all the trouble I had getting there, I could have kissed the ground.

(I didn't though, obviously. I mean, I'm not the tourism minister for Estonia)