Anastasia's and my farewell party is on tonight. It Should be a great opportunity to kickback, relax and say our goodbyes. At long last I see the light at the end of the tunnel. The trips mundane preparatory tasks are finally being ticked off and the countdown is on. Just 5 days before take off.
Finally the visa has arrived and the house packing is well under way. For some reason the Russian Consulate has an amazing ability to push the issuing of visas right down to the heart stopping wire. As it is my 5th trip to Russia you would think I am used to the process. However, Russian Bureaucracy never ceases to amaze me. This time to save the apprehension we requested a 5 day turn around at the amount of $400. It is astonishing what a little cash can do. The visa arrived in 8 days. It has reminded me of one very important rule when in Russia, "money talks" no mater how long you wait, how many forms you fill out and no mater who you are. The green really does mean go.