From: Jimsan777-AT-aol.com
Date: Sun, 25 Apr 2004 03:22:28 EDT
Subject: PUPT: #5 Dispatch from Siberia Puppet Fest


#5, April 4   departure day

Pickup was at 0700 for the scheduled 0930 flight departing for Moscow.   All 
30 outside participants loaded into two busses, laden with fur coats, bags of 
gifts (from closing night) baggage and equipment.   Only now do we discover 
that most actors were housed in another area, which appeared more like a 
dormitory than a hotel.

At airport, much consternation over “approaching storm,” lack of airplanes, 
cancelled flights, etc.   Everyone off-loaded except for our little “American”
 group, which was taken to the VIP area,   We were provide with separate 
check-in, baggage handlers, but we were told nothing for 90 minutes as we sat on 
the bus   Later, we discovered they did NOT pick up my puppet boxes, and the 
flight was changed.   Finally after a stint in the lounge resplendent with 
leather couches and chairs, the four of us were driven directly to the Iluysin 86, 
a huge wide body aircraft that held over 300 people…it was a Siberian Airlines 
airplane resembling an enlarged B707.   We were driven to the nose wheel 
well, climbed the stairs, deposited our carry on baggage and entered into the 
cavarnous fuselage.   Only a few days earlier, we were treated as “personae non 
grata” but now we received VIP treatment, or maybe they just wanted to get rid 
of us.

Our primary concern was arriving at the Domestic airport on one side of 
Moscow in time to transit the city to the International airport in time to depart 
for JFK.   But we arrived within 10 minutes of scheduled departure time, 
Aeroflot was fashionably late, and the 9 1/2 hour B767 flight to JFK was OK.   

Aeroflot is “never” on time. No information is offered.   Gate agents are 
mostly surly and customs agents demands money…cash, dollars, no receipts no 
credit cards.   Ilya translates for us in the background, a comedy of sorts.   
Arriving Moscow, they weighed my puppet boxes and decided to charge me $400 
(customs fee.)   Later my hosts bargain to $50. (Puppets were valued according to 
weight)….that day.   Cash (dollars) is king.   There are no supervisors to whom 
to appeal.   Shouting matches are common.   Waiting is interminable.   Good 
idea to have an interesting book and a chair to wait out the “discussions.”   
Ah, life in a non-competitive environment….


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