A Blessing In Disguise

I am currently sitting in an internet cafe in Irkutsk, Russia after returning from two weeks in the Khamar-Dhaban Jungle with Great Baikal Trail (www.greatbaikaltrail.org) and I am weeks behind on my blogging and stories I would like to tell. So I am going to start from the beginning and hopefully in the next few weeks be able to catch up a bit. So here goes....back to July 28th, Ferry from Fushiki to Vladivostok:

We boarded the ferry bound for Russia just after noon yesterday. Mihoko, Yuko, Shu, Linea and Owen came to see us off. And thank goodness they did. For some unknown reason they were given special permission to board the boat with us. We found our cabin with four beds, bunk-style, and a private bathroom and shower. And we all explored the ship a little--ooing and aawing at everything 'russian'. At about 230 they called us in to do immigration in the disco hall. The Japanese immigration/customs officer had set up his desk and computer just below the disco ball on the dance floor, next to the stage. I handed over my passport and gaijin card. No problem. JP handed over his passport and the immigration officer handed it back and said his visa had expired and he would need a new stamp. I went out and alerted our entourage. The team started brainstorming and putting the pieces together. After consulting with a few crew members and the Japanese staff, we collected JPs bags, I handed him his trans-siberian ticket (worse case scenario) and Mihoko, Shu and JP ran to the car and headed to the Toyama airport--the ONLY place he would be able to file for an extension. The airport office had been warned and was waiting. In the meantime, Linea, Yuko, Matt and I sat waiting in the ferry reception lounge texting friends and waiting for updates. That was at 320. We got a call from the airport crew at just after 400 that they had completed the paperwork and were headed back. The ferry was scheduled to depart at 600. Hurray!

At about 445, the immigration officer called for JP over the loudspeaker. I went in and told them he was on the way and they said they would wait--amazing! The Japanese worker on board said he had never seen anything like this before, they never waited for anyone! And apparently the boat had finished loading all the cars early and was ready to depart EARLY!

At about 450 JP and the gang came running in! The guard had been given instructions to let them in and the front gate and they were allowed to drive right up to the boat! Three minutes later JP returned having satisfied the visa requirements! He was free to leave the country! An announcement was made in English that all visitors (ie our friends) were requested to leave.

There was a lot of crying and hugging and laughing after the stress of the afternoon and getting JP to the airport and back on time...not to mention the reality of saying good-bye. Linea and I held each other for a long time and cried. I thanked Shu profusely for his amazing driving and navigation skills. And without Mihoko and her travel agent connections, Im not sure we would have pulled it off. And Yuko remained calm and helped keep us sane through the entire thing. What an amazing team and group of friends! JP could not have gotten on the boat without them. And we would have had to leave him behind!

After our teary good-byes we ran to the top deck and yelled good-bye. We made a paper airplane and weighted it down with a safety pin. We took photos and a little after 530 we pushed off. For all the people on the boat, we were the only ones with an entourage and our friends were the only bon voyage party on the docks. Not only did many other passengers already know our story from the crying and chaos in the lobby, but now we had a good-bye party too!

As the boat turned around and left port, we lost sight of everyone, but quickly ran to the other side and resumed waving. As they all faded from view, I called Linea from one final choked up good-bye. We were both crying.

I stayed on the deck awhile texting last good-byes to friends all over Japan. Before leaving Toyama bay the dinner announcement was made and we were seated for our first Russian meal--meat and potatos, soup, cold fish, and an apple roll. JP was seated at a seperate table for an unknown reason but quickly made friends with the other foreigners seated there--a Brit, two Americans (ex-JETS), 3 Fins, and an Australian couple. Next to our table was a Ukrainian family that introduced themselves in broken Japanese that ended with the husband asking if I had a boyfriend and the wife laughingly requesting that he stand up because it was time to go. Between the three of them they had finished a bottle of vodka at dinner. Astounding!

After living in Toyama for 3 years, I have too easily and complacently adopted the common stereotypes of Russians as unapproachable, loud drunks, only tied to the used car business. But I have have no Russian friends and I have never really talked to any before, at least not in my three years in Toyama. I know my stereotypes are not fair but they are there, and I felt them all surface when I saw the ferry and realized the adventure I had just signed up for. They were reinforced when we saw big burly bare-chested Russian men loading car parts onto ALL the decks of the ferry and saw trucks parked outside the docks selling car stereos, tires and other misc. goods. I sat and had lunch with my friends and cried. What had I decided to do? This was not Japan anymore. But surviving the little setback of JP and his visa situation required asking Russian crew and staff for help and interacting with all sorts of people onboard. The end result: they were all so helpful and friendly! The pursur on board that spoke English kept walking by us all afternoon as we waited for JP to return and said, "Dont worry, be happy." And they kept telling us they would wait! In the end it all worked out and it helped me see people for people: helpful and friendly!

The two night journey ended too quickly if you ask me! We barely had time to catch up on some much needed sleep and crack open a book...oh and visit the Disco and try some Russian beer, before we arrived in Vladivostok and had to deal with customs, luggage storage, finding food, and making our train!

And now...I am going to sleep! I will continue the tales from the trans-siberian and from Siberia from another exotic location...tomorrow I board a two night train to Mongolia! My goal: see some sumo!

Love from Siberia!