PendlehomeKZ: Oh Sh*t!

So close, so close.

I have had several “Oh sh*t!” moments in my ventures, but this one was out of a bad movie. Generally I try to put these episodes into the context of just one more of life’s adventures and move on. I had said goodbye to friends and colleagues, packed, arrived at the airport nice and early so as to navigate my way through Ukraine Airlines and passport control. Check, check, check, check, and……..oh sh*t!

I was standing at the passport window as the agent looked at me, looked at the computer, looked at my passport, me, the computer, my passport, me, my passport……this was not going well. He excused himself and came back with his supervisor. I was invited out of line into an office and informed that I was going to miss my flight. I seems I wasn’t “registered” or that my registration had expired.

Registration here is direct hold over from Soviet times. It's done but it seems no one can cogently explain why. One who is going to stay in country for longer than 90 days should register every 90 days, except when it isn't necessary. I was given several different opinions regarding how and when, and how often. To add to my confusion there apparently is a difference of official opinion as ti the if and how often between Almaty and Astana. Because registration the first time was a 2 ½ day experience of exquisite, ambivalent, indifferent, multiple visit pain, I chose to listen to a colleague who stated that, with my type of visa, once I was registered it was good for the duration of my stay. Nope. So I had an extra week in Almaty while I visited the border police and was charged with lack of registration for which the penalty is a 10 day stay in the slammer, deportation, or a fine of no less than about 166USD.

I made than cancelled multiple plane tickets and hotel reservations as I tried plan how I would catch up to the Trans-Siberian railway. It and my friend were headed across Russian without me. I appeared before the judge with two heavy weight members of the US consulate and was duly fined. I really don’t know how it would have gone had I not had the consular people there. I could very easily be examining the interior paint scheme of a Kazakh jail at this moment.

I booked a flight to Irkutsk in Central Russia and am here now in the train station waiting to board.

On departure from Almaty the second time, I made it to the international area only to have a baggage official approach me and ask for my passport. HELL no. I asked why and she accused me of trying to pack an electronic cigarette. "Uh, I don’t smoke!" She insisted it was there. I followed her back through passport control (sh*t!) and down to the bowels of the airport to the baggage screening area. There to discover that my travel oto-ophthalmoscpe was the culprit. I emptied it of batteries and headed back to…..passport control (sh*t!!!). As I was moving across the lobby to stand in line, now with about 20 minutes to boarding, I felt a touch on my shoulder, turned around and saw yet another official asking me to come with her. I about lost it. I thought, “Look all I want to do is leave this *&!#!! country, why has that become such a big damn problem?” She quietly led me to a gate where I could bypass the passport area. Heavy sigh...

We shook hands and that was that.

The extra week in KZ, while frustrating gave me a chance to travel around to areas in Almaty I had wanted to visit but hadn’t. I rented a bike and glided along tree shaded paths throughout Almaty. My friend and colleague, Zhamila, and I went for a hike in the Tien Shan one last time. I was without obligation, just not pre-occupation.

So I leave Kazakhstan enriched and blessed immeasurably. I have been privileged to see Kazakhstan at very intimate levels and have never felt unwelcome or at risk, ever. I leave content.

The Tien Shan from 1st President's Park

Glacier at the top of Shimbulak ski area

Proof that even when old and well marbled I can still climb to 3500m

I was in Red Square for all of two hours during a layover in Moscow
There was a national book fair with so many tents the the square was
for all practical purposes not visible