Great Time - No Cards
Where’s My Money?
You know by now I was expecting to tell you that I had my passport, russian visa (required to leave) and at least one or two credit cards. Unfortunately I must report that while I have gotten my US Passport, quite easily in fact, I still have no more than the cash I am carrying around with me. This feels pretty scary to me, and I have really no way to rectify it. As far as the Russian visa goes, I can get it with about two days notice, but if I ask for it now, I need to know exactly when I will leave.
Naked without a Passport
Many of you know that traveling without a passport is pretty scary, especially in a country where the police like to search every American looking person in town for proper papers. On this note I have been extremely lucky. I wear my Russian mask (look really unhappy and stare through everyone around you) and keep a low profile. I haven't been harassed yet. Officially you cannot change Dollars to Rubles without a passport, but I managed to find a few alternatives to offical money exchanges.
Holiday Weekend
I couldn't get my passport until Tuesday, since the US Consulate is closed for the weekend and the Russian holiday on Monday. However when I got there, the consulate was extremely helpful. I came in at 2pm, which is when they open for this type of business, and had a temporary passport by 5pm.
What About the Visa
Russia is different than many countries, in that you need a visa to enter and exit the country. Most places only require a visa to enter. It turns out that the Russian Foreign Affairs Office will process a visa application extremely fast, but only if the exit time requested is coming up. If you ask for a visa that is good for 2 weeks, they will probably take 1.5 weeks to get it done. I really did not want to leave without a credit card, so I was holding off requesting the exit visa, giving me some flexibility about when to leave. Of course, if a police officer stops me and I don't have a visa, I could be in REAL trouble. I really don't have any good alternatives though.
Where are the credit cards?
What is with credit card companies anyway? Their commercials make it sound like they are ready to help you whenever you have a problem. Of course if you get to Russia and manage to get your pocket picked, don't expect to see any plastic until you get home. Citibank managed to send their card via standard mail. I made it pretty clear that I needed the cards ASAP, and that I was waiting in Russia to get the card. I found this out last night, when I was starting to get a little nervous about where the card was. The woman on the phone was quite condescending when I explained how I was without means in a foreign country, and their screwup was pretty severe. She of course offered to rush them out again - doesn't help me a bit of course.
Now What?
So after pacing around in -5 degree weather last night, I decided to have the card rushed to my father. At least this way I can wire myself money through Western Union. It isn't the best alternative, but it works somewhat. Wells Fargo is no better. One person says the cards were mailed and another says the cards have not been mailed. Who knows.
My Vacation Is Not Ruined!!
Of course I am still not letting this ruin my time off. I am still having a fantastic time here. Unfortunately the spring weather turned winter on us, so I am wrapped up pretty tightly all day and night. No outdoor cafes for the last week or so. But every night I go out to some new bar or club and have a great time. I've met some nice Russian, Irish, Swedish, Dutch, British and American people.
Underground Club
Two nights ago I went to this underground bar called Dribiedov (or close to it). What a great place. After paying a modest cover, you descend a narrow staircase to an old Russian bomb shelter. There's two bars, a dancefloor, and a mob of people crammed together having a great time. The fun was flowin'. One more thing - I finally found a place to do some laundry yesterday, so tomorrow I should be smelling fresh as a rose too.
Where to now?
At this point I am not waiting for any credit cards to show up. I am planning to leave Russia as soon as I can get my papers and transit plans together. That is the real question - where am I going? I plan to be in Greece on the 25th of May. That gives me a little time, and I still want to go to Romainia. I can't take a train south through Ukraine, so if I take trains I have to go out through Lithuania. If a plane ticket to Romainia is reasonable right now, which I am sure it is not, that would be nice. Hard to say. I'll keep you informed. Otherwise, keep checking in on me. There's bound to be more drama.
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