Finally I found some internet (more specificly McD)! And holy **** where the hell do I begin!? The planeride was just a tini tiny bit harsh, and by the time we arrived in prague to switch planes, we were so delayed we only had 10 minutes to run to the other end of the airport to catch our plane. We just made it through security (who always hates me, and insisted on checking my shoes twice, eventhough I did not beep in the metal detector for the first time in ages!?). As soon as we were through security the staff started boarding for our plane to Samara! The flying in itself was however pleasant enough. There was a bit of turbulens on the second one, and right after we passed by Moscow we could see alot of lightening in the skies beneath us. The second flight was very long, and esspecially Clara suffered under this, and by the time we landed and were waiting to get out, she was borderline to nuts.
But anyhow, we FINALLY arrive at Samara airport at 03:30 am local time (01:30 danish time), completely mashed and very nervous. The airport in prague was like pratically all other airports I've seen. Samara airport is NOT. It is very very little (as in, even smaller than Aarhus airport, which looks likea minituare airport), and solely has the essentials, absolutely nothing fancy. Forget about Copenhagen airports luxerious modern design, they many screens, and the userfriendlyness. The arrivalhall was at the size of my last apartment, with very old green tapet on the walls, and no fancy screens, computers or new system. The luggage track was also tiny and there was only this one (but hey, they at least you can find your luggage for once!). No but anyway, we arrive and get in line at the que infront of the passport check. We it's our turn the very strick and angry looking guard makes a guesture to show that you can move ahead to the check point (our first meeting very the very authority based system here. At home you would be trust to que yourself and know when to move ahead, in Russia your are generally never trusted to think for yourself). Clara is right before me, and at the guards guesture she going to the passport checkpoint. I was a bit surprise by the fact that the guard looked so strict despite his young age - I later learned that this is far from unusual here in Russia, they all have eyes like steal (it's very much "shut up, do as we say and keep up!" over here). When Clara moved to the check point she is about half a meter from where I can see her, but it's pretty clear something is wrong when I loud hear an upset and scared clara say "WHAT??!" and the guard who hears his walkie and runs over there like there's a murder on the loose. I swear I almost got a heartattack, because what the hell do we do if we get seperated or she gets arrested, NOONE in this entirely airport expect me and her knows english! But after almost a minute (which felt
like 10 years) of struggle I see the guard comming back with Clara. Shows up we forgot to fill out the migration cards, which the guy at the checkpoint was relatively pissed 'bout. Yeah but shit happens, we fill out the migration cards (it wasn't always easy to understand the papers translation of the questions into english, but like good students we discussed and evalutated the questions). Ironically when we get back in line, the guard (who had been sending Clara mean looks since we moment
we arrived) decided to try and flirt with me.. in Russian.. just another interesting experience in my perlrow of experiences my mum would say.
Finally, close to heart attack, we get through the checkpoint without further issues. The guy who checked and stamped mine didn't exactly seem to love his job, but the job he did. We get a hold of our bagage relavtively quickly, and start to look for the people picking us up while we walk through the small airtport. When going through coustums we coun't find out whether or not we actually had anything to declare. But the two guards in costums - who are so far the only relaxed guards I've seen in Russia - just waves us through the "nothing to declare" entrance. I guess we must have looked very harmless? At this time the local time was about 4am. Our welcoming team was nowhere to be seen. After trying to look for them throughout the small airport (which was pretty much impossible because of the non-english speaking non-friendly security personal) we sit down right outside the main door, and try to relax with a cigarette or two, while we make a plan. I think it would be a gros understatement to say I went Ego Olsen on the situation. We managed to make a very structed plan B, C and probably also D before some man comes over and asks us if we're from Denmark. When we say yes he seems incredibly reliefed, and loud says "thank god!" - he is appearently our driver, Sergei. At this time its almost 04:40 am. We drive for almost an hour. We are given Russian simcrads for our phones, and are told that our mentors will call us tomorrow evening (all volunteers in ICYE Russia/
Lastoshki gets one), and until then, we just need to rest from our flight.. we are after we ask him where the hell we're actually going!? Appearantly we are on our way to my host family. They use the term family very loosly in this context. My host family shows up to be a random 27 year old Russian dude, Denis, who lives alone in his mothers apartment.
