We had received a phone call on Saturday evening from Iliya our Moscow translator that we needed to be in the lobby between 12:30 and 1:00 to be picked up for the train. I thought this was unusual since the train to Kirov is at 6 p.m. But I have been told by every Russian adoption friend I have to go with the flow and let them take charge. So we checked our large suitcase with the hotel and took one small carryon suitcase and two backpacks along with a duffle bag of clothes for the orphanage. We were picked up and got in the mini bus and met Jackie and Brian and then traveled to other hotels to pick up the other four families. We were then all dropped off at the train station for over four hours by ourselves. I will say it was less than wonderful! I do not understand why but will find out.
The train station was a scary place, people everywhere some sleeping in chairs but mostly people just patiently sitting. We were told that on the second floor there might be room for our large group with huge quantities of luggage. So we rode the escalator upstairs and found a table and some benches near a little cafe type place. Cafe sounds way too fancy for what it was! After a while we saw people being run off from the tables if they weren't eating anything or buying food so Don and I and few others ventured to the counter to order. They were very understanding, we pointed and a Russian lady tried to help us! Oh my was it interesting. I saw some interesting beverages that I wanted to try so I am not sure if it was a cranberry or lingonberry flavored beverage. It was a light carbonated drink with an interesting flavor. Due to the bathroom situation I lingered over it!
Eventually we had to brave the bathroom, several of us ladies needed to go. So our Russian lady friend took Fran and I to show it where it was. She was talking the whole time in Russian trying to explain it to us. We stuck our heads in the doorway and saw a cash register! She got her ticket out and pointed at it and shook her head. We guessed you didn't pay if you had a ticket but weren't certain. No one had given us our tickets so we headed back for rubles since the men had all of the rubles! We then went back and oh my is all I can say! Next trip if I go to the bathroom in the train station, which is doubtful, I will take a picture. We just walked right past the cashier since one of our travel mates thought you had to pay for toliet paper and we had our own! We walked past the sinks and in to the stalls. I didn't know what to do! The were about 4-6 inches of floor space then this big raised sink on the floor with a hole in it! We I crawled up and squatted over the whole! The smell in there was sickeningly strong! OMG was it an experience. Then on to the sinks and little pieces of dirty soap and no papertowels or hand dryer. I ran to my stuff and used wet wipes and then hand gel!
Our translator and coordinator, Andrei then arrived around 5 or 5:30 and we chatted for a bit but since most Russians are not supportive of international adoption it was pretty hush, hush. We were told we would board the train then Andrei would come to collect our train fare and in the morning we would check in to the hotel to drop off our luggage then go to the orphanage. The train was remarkable nice and uneventful. We were in first class and each couple had their own sleeping compartment. We were all in a row and it was a lot of fun for all of us.
They came and took our orders, chicken or beef, for dinner. We had the beef and Don ordered piva (beer) and I ordered bella vina (white wine). Don got a Miller and I go a Georgian chardonnay (not to great) but different. They then brought us each a plastic bag with goodies in it, instant coffee with cream & sugar already in it, cookies, chocolate, rolls, butter, cheese, sugar, orange and apple. Then came the first course of Russian bread (brown sourdough), salmon, cucumbers and tomato slices. We were hungry so it was alright. Then they brought us crocks of beef stew. It was good! They put in a movie for all of us in English on the flat screens in our cabins, the Three Burials of ? with Tommy Lee Jones. Don had watched on the Western channel but never watched the whole thing so he finally did. Luckily he had seen it before because all of us women were wondering cabins talking. The anticipation was so much! Finally we retired to bed to try and get some sleep around 11:00.
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