trip report

[Steve S 2]

I just got back night before last from Moscow/Chelyabinsk and am thrilled to report that Irina's interview was a success! I am a bit wiped out from jet-lag, but will post a few comments about the trip.

1. Trip to Moscow -- awful. Never book a one-hour layover at Charles De Gaulle airport. Takeoff from Atlanta was delayed due to weather. Then, I had not been given my boarding pass for Paris-Moscow, so security would not let me transfer directly to my gate even though I had my proof that my luggage was checked through to Moscow. So, I had to go through passport control and to the Airfrance ticket desk. I was sprinting the whole way and barely made my flight -- however, my luggage did not.

2. Adventures at Sheremetieva airport -- At the baggage lost and found desk, I stood for over 30 minutes while the same 4 or 5 people conducted their business. When I finally made it to the counter, I found out why. They have 4 different forms you are supposed to fill out including one in duplicate (no photocopier, naturally) in which you list the contents and price of every single item in your baggage. Fortunately, an attractive young lady (no, we did not exchange any contact information in case a certain someone reads this!) helped me complete the forms which were only partially translated in English, and showed me where to have them stamped at customs. Even though I was planning to wait 2 hours or so for my bag to arrive on the next flight, she said I should fill out all the paperwork. I contacted the travel agent so my driver would wait around for me (40 bucks talked down from 100 bucks surcharge, plus about $25 to make this phone call on my iPhone), nodded off in the baggage claim area (I was not allowed to go to the cafe and come back), and eventually I was on my way. I could go on about other adventures at this airport on the way back, but let me just say nothing seems to take place efficiently or with any sense of urgency there. However, I did eventually see the new terminal D, and it is a major improvement over SVO-1.

3. Medical exam and interview -- Irina arrived the next day, and we had the weekend to catch up and get oriented. On Monday she had the IOM exam which took most of the day with queues and shuttling around to different buildings. Tips for waiting places -- if you get to the registration place too early and it is really cold, there is a pochta right around the corner. And while waiting for the exam results, there is a cafe that serves sushi and other food, it is located directly across the major street, behind the buildling where there is a sign for an Italian cafe (whose entrance we did not spot). You have to walk to a pedestrian underpass and double back. On Tuesday, the interview. First 30-minute wait outside the embassy in bitter cold (fortunately, we arrived right at the appointed time and not early). We later heard that it was supposedly the coldest Jan 26 in Moscow for the past 60 years (15 or 20 F below?). Irina said that after she made it through the security checkpoint, she continued shivering until her interview first from the cold and then from nerves. She met with the smiling lady everyone talks about. She said it only lasted about 5 minutes, and was conducted first in Russian and then English. She was told everything was clear and she would receive the visa in a few days. Yea! By the way, DHL was not obvious to find so here are some directions for those getting ready to do this. On the same side of Novinskiy boulevard as the embassy, perhaps 2 blocks to the north, there is a ritzy shopping mall. Enter and go down to the bottom floor. All the way at the back of the mall you can find the DHL. You may have to ask someone for directions, as it is kind of hidden behind a frosted glass door.

Personal adventures from the rest of the trip I will leave off, perhaps for a later time. I am just glad she got the visa and I am back home. I miss her, too. We have not set a date for her to come here yet.

[Steve S 2]

By the way, I just discovered that my freezer failed while I was gone and all the food is spoiled. Yippee!

[eekee 182]

What is it with SVO lately? They lost my luggage too.

[baron555 934]

By the way, I just discovered that my freezer failed while I was gone and all the food is spoiled. Yippee!

Congrats.

[SMR 368]

What is it with SVO lately? They lost my luggage too.

I blame CDG. I think at least half the people I know who transferred there had their luggage come on a later flight. It almost never gets lost but it also doesn't make the flight.

Perhaps in your case the luggage was lost, which is something different. But the OP seems to have had his luggage delayed which can't possibly be the fault of SVO.

[slim 1,530]

By the way, I just discovered that my freezer failed while I was gone and all the food is spoiled. Yippee!

And so begins the trials and tribulations of being married to a Russian woman. Newton's laws apply here and for everything good that happens, something bad will happen too. However, if you're lucky, and it sounds like you were - the good will outweigh the bad!

I blame CDG. I think at least half the people I know who transferred there had their luggage come on a later flight. It almost never gets lost but it also doesn't make the flight.

When I went through CDG I hand-carried my bag. Nothing to lose!

[AKguy 1]

Gratz Steve! And your freezing fail is like my fail when I got back, well, my cats fail... fail to find the damn litter box.

So we've got 2 Chel's down, mine pending and someone else's in the wings.

[eekee 182]

I blame CDG. I think at least half the people I know who transferred there had their luggage come on a later flight. It almost never gets lost but it also doesn't make the flight.

Perhaps in your case the luggage was lost, which is something different. But the OP seems to have had his luggage delayed which can't possibly be the fault of SVO.

I went through Amsterdam. I'm not sure whose fault it was.

[ScottThuy 140]

Great news Steve!

[Steve S 2]

Great news Steve!

Thanks, Scott! I hope yours will come really soon. Thanks for all your support during the process.

[bainbridge558 0]

I just got back night before last from Moscow/Chelyabinsk and am thrilled to report that Irina's interview was a success! I am a bit wiped out from jet-lag, but will post a few comments about the trip.

1. Trip to Moscow -- awful. Never book a one-hour layover at Charles De Gaulle airport. Takeoff from Atlanta was delayed due to weather. Then, I had not been given my boarding pass for Paris-Moscow, so security would not let me transfer directly to my gate even though I had my proof that my luggage was checked through to Moscow. So, I had to go through passport control and to the Airfrance ticket desk. I was sprinting the whole way and barely made my flight -- however, my luggage did not.

2. Adventures at Sheremetieva airport -- At the baggage lost and found desk, I stood for over 30 minutes while the same 4 or 5 people conducted their business. When I finally made it to the counter, I found out why. They have 4 different forms you are supposed to fill out including one in duplicate (no photocopier, naturally) in which you list the contents and price of every single item in your baggage. Fortunately, an attractive young lady (no, we did not exchange any contact information in case a certain someone reads this!) helped me complete the forms which were only partially translated in English, and showed me where to have them stamped at customs. Even though I was planning to wait 2 hours or so for my bag to arrive on the next flight, she said I should fill out all the paperwork. I contacted the travel agent so my driver would wait around for me (40 bucks talked down from 100 bucks surcharge, plus about $25 to make this phone call on my iPhone), nodded off in the baggage claim area (I was not allowed to go to the cafe and come back), and eventually I was on my way. I could go on about other adventures at this airport on the way back, but let me just say nothing seems to take place efficiently or with any sense of urgency there. However, I did eventually see the new terminal D, and it is a major improvement over SVO-1.

3. Medical exam and interview -- Irina arrived the next day, and we had the weekend to catch up and get oriented. On Monday she had the IOM exam which took most of the day with queues and shuttling around to different buildings. Tips for waiting places -- if you get to the registration place too early and it is really cold, there is a pochta right around the corner. And while waiting for the exam results, there is a cafe that serves sushi and other food, it is located directly across the major street, behind the buildling where there is a sign for an Italian cafe (whose entrance we did not spot). You have to walk to a pedestrian underpass and double back. On Tuesday, the interview. First 30-minute wait outside the embassy in bitter cold (fortunately, we arrived right at the appointed time and not early). We later heard that it was supposedly the coldest Jan 26 in Moscow for the past 60 years (15 or 20 F below?). Irina said that after she made it through the security checkpoint, she continued shivering until her interview first from the cold and then from nerves. She met with the smiling lady everyone talks about. She said it only lasted about 5 minutes, and was conducted first in Russian and then English. She was told everything was clear and she would receive the visa in a few days. Yea! By the way, DHL was not obvious to find so here are some directions for those getting ready to do this. On the same side of Novinskiy boulevard as the embassy, perhaps 2 blocks to the north, there is a ritzy shopping mall. Enter and go down to the bottom floor. All the way at the back of the mall you can find the DHL. You may have to ask someone for directions, as it is kind of hidden behind a frosted glass door.

Personal adventures from the rest of the trip I will leave off, perhaps for a later time. I am just glad she got the visa and I am back home. I miss her, too. We have not set a date for her to come here yet.

Congrats !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!