What a wonderful world
After
we had returned from the Nalycevo
National Park to Jelizovo, we had to make a start on getting our
luggage ready
for our flight again and packing it accordingly. As yet, we had not had
any
news from the German Embassy in Moscow. Because of this, we presumed
that the
arrangements made over the phone were still valid. The next day, we
were to
pick up our new passports in Moscow – without these we would not be let
back
into Germany. But first we had to get out of Russia – and the very
first thing
was to leave Kamchatka. That evening, Lena brought us the documents
with which
we could leave Kamchatka. She asked us if we needed help from her
partner
agency in Moscow. We said we would because, although the price was not low, it would make it much
easier to have a driver and an interpreter in Moscow. We now had the
papers
with which we could leave Kamchatka. In Moscow, we had to pick up our
passports
from the German Embassy and get the necessary visas for leaving Russia.
The
following morning, Martha took us –
complete with all our luggage – to the airport. After checking in (and
paying
for our excess baggage – which was now noticeably less), our
provisional exit
permits caused some irritation at the security control point, but they
were
accepted.
On
arrival in Moscow during the early afternoon
(Moscow time), Elena and her driver were waiting for us. We loaded our
luggage
and off we went to the German Consulate. We arrived there to find
everything
locked and barred, with not a person in sight. Luckily, we found the
emergency
number of the German Embassy. The Emergency Service thought we were
expected at
the Embassy – and we were standing in front of the Consulate. So we got
back in
the car and drove to the Embassy. There the Sunday Emergency Service
was
waiting for us. We were given our new replacement passports, which were
only
valid for 10 days. After the charges had been paid, they said a
friendly
farewell to us. Was that all? During my telephone conversation, from
Jelizovo,
with the Embassy, the clerk had explained the procedure. We now had to
buy an
exit visa from the ‘Consul at Sheremetjevo’. There was something else
that he
had also tried to explain to me, but I didn’t quite understand it in
the phone
conversation. Something about the Russian
Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
But
I hadn’t thought to ask the Embassy employee when we were there.
As
we had quite a lot of time, we accepted
Elena’s offer to show us something of Moscow. The Kremlin, the Red
Square –
which was, unfortunately, closed because of the anniversary of the
city, GUM
and, of course, the Metro.
Early
in the evening, we went back to the airport,
in order to buy the exit visas. On arrival, we started to look for the
‘Consul
at Sheremetjevo’. When we finally found ‘him’, I was surprised. I had
expected
an office or a counter at which a person sat and sold exit visas – like
potatoes or apples. The ‘Consul’ was in fact an intercom, through which
one had
to say what one wanted. The time which it takes before someone answers
the
intercom can be any length. One rings the bell, nothing happens, one
rings
again and waits. Finally, when one feels like giving up, a voice
answers (in
Russian) and asks what one wants. Here, we could not possibly have
managed
without Elena’s help.
The
first thing we were told was that the
Consul had had no instructions from the Foreign Ministry,
to sell us an exit visa. In this connection, the expression
‘diplomatic note’ was mentioned. This ‘note’ had to be sent, by the
German
Embassy, to the Russian Foreign Ministry. I remembered it
vaguely. What should we do now? Using Elena’s mobile phone, I
tried to reach the German Embassy Emergency Service. At first, they
were
puzzled, but then they promised to take care of the matter. After a
further
telephone call at about 18.30 hrs, he told us that he had faxed the
note to the
Russian Foreign Ministry. With this information, we returned to the
‘Consul’.
The answer was the same – he had not received any instructions. He
brusquely
rejected our suggestion that he could call the Russian Foreign Ministry
himself.
We
felt as if we were in a Franz Kafka novel. –
the three of us stood in front of this box. Suddenly, I said – in
English –
that we wanted to fly home today. At first, I didn’t understand the
answer. In
good English (until now the
‘Consul’
had only spoken Russian), he replied ‘You don’t fly today’. He had had
his
instructions which he followed rigidly. According to these
instructions, his
higher office, the Russian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, had to give
him the
order to issue these two exit visas for Germany.
In
due course, we accepted the facts. I went to
the Aeroflot counter and changed our flight reservations. With Elena’s
help, we
found a hotel near the airport. When we checked in, there was again the
problem
of our lost passports, because we had no registration paper for Moscow.
Luckily, the matter was taken care of without the police and a
page-long
report. After putting our things in our room, we went to the
restaurant, and
then to the bar.
The
next morning, we informed our employers
that we were still in Moscow, and – unfortunately – could not be at
work until
tomorrow.
When
we phoned the German Consulate, they said
they would get to work on our problem. We should come again later.
Because of
the chaotic traffic in Moscow, we didn’t get to the Consulate until
12.30 hrs –
lunchtime. At about 13.30 hrs, they finally let us in. A second
receptionist
showed us into a waiting room. Communication with the employees was by
means of
an intercom in front of the bullet-proof glass. We waited. Then we
learned the
yesterday evening’s note was no longer valid, because of the date. Oh,
we
thought that might be the case. Then they just change the date from
3.9. to
4.9. and the matter is settled. The note was not ready and faxed to the
Russian
Foreign Ministry until 14.45 hrs. The Emergency Service of the Russian
Foreign
Ministry only works until 18 hrs on Sundays – and the note sent the
previous
day was only received after 18.30 hrs.
Our
request that they should phone the Russian
Foreign Ministry was refused, as was the request that they called the
Consul at Sheremetjevo. Of course,
such a diplomatic note has to be
paid for,
and it has to be paid for in roubles. But at least we were given the
mobile
phone number of the Consul. When we were back in the car and on our way
to the
airport, Elena tried immediately to reach the Consul by phone. He still
had not
had any instructions from the Foreign Ministry. However, the Consul on
duty
that day was prepared to call the Ministry and ask about the matter. We
should
call him back later. Afternoon traffic in Moscow is terrible. Using
back streets,
we reached the airport at about 17 hrs. To our great relief, the
diplomatic
note with the correct date had reached the Russian Ministry for Foreign
Affairs
in the meantime. Now we were able
to
see the Consul personally. He handed us the long-awaited exit visas and
wanted
100 US$ per visa. That was exactly double the price that we had been
told at
the Embassy. But it was no use trying to bargain in such a situation.
We paid,
and thanked him nicely. Seen face to face, the Consul that day was
quite a
pleasant man. His colleague the previous day had probably been ordered
to do
Sunday duty against his will.
We
said farewell to Elena, without whose help
everything would have been much more complicated.
Thus,
our stay in Kamchatka ended with an
unplanned extension in Moscow. We would like to thank everyone who
helped us
with the planning, during the trip and with solving all the problems.