OCT 29, 18 .. IRKUTSK (ИРΚУТϹΚ) RUSSIAN SIBERIA .. WOW .. PINCH ME, I MUST BE DREAMING (Part 1 of 3)

Dating back to the late summer / early autumn of 2015, when I was in Ulaanbaatar for my first series of visits to Mongolia, I was invited to come up to Irkutsk, in Southeastern Russian Siberia, and speak. Word had gotten to the community in Irkutsk about me and they wanted me to come up and share my experience, strength and hope with them.

This plan was set aside because I was not able to get a visa to enter and to visit Russia. I just could not get this accomplished at the Russian Consulate in Ulaanbaatar for some several reasons.

And?

Basically, after having struck-out in Ulaanbaatar in my attempt to get my Russian Visa, I gave up all hope for getting one.

Fast forwarding a year ahead to August of 2016, when a friend ( talk about a friend of interstellar brilliance !! ) in Anchorage  calmly and very quietly asked me ..

“Cap. Do you want a visa to enter Russia?”

I said, “Yeah BUT .. BUT .. but .. !!”

My friend said ..

“Cap. Give me a yes or give me a no.”

I said, “Yes.”

On September 15th of 2016, I was granted the visa to visit Russia.

I flew to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in October of 2016, planning to visit the UAE, then proceed to Hong Kong and North to Ulaanbaatar and on to Irkutsk.

November 25, 2016, I fell in the Dubai Air Terminal, broke my left hip, returned to the United States and had hip replacement surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona.

In July of 2017, I flew to Hong Kong, flew North to Ulaanbaatar, and entered Russia in early August to visit Ulan Ude, in Southern Russian Siberia, for three days. So, I did get to use my Russian Visa big time.

In late August 2017, I purchased a train ticket to go to Irkutsk with a Mongolian friend accompanying me. Then, I developed a significant pain in my back, visited a doctor in Ulaanbaatar, and he diagnosed a possible cancerous growth in my left kidney.  I flew back to the Mayo Clinic for a checkup where they said there was no cancer, merely a cyst.  But, yet again, I had been unable to visit Irkutsk.

From March of 2018 until early August of 2018, I was slammed with some flu virus and was pretty much out of commission.

Then I gradually began to feel like I would be able to make the trip back to Asia.

I scheduled and purchased airline tickets, and did-the-deal.

Flew to Seoul, South Korea, flew on to Ulaanbaatar, and last Sunday the 28th packed up to fly up here to Irkutsk.

MONDAY, 29 October 2018

Up at 2:30am (0230 hours). Off to Chinggis Khaan Airport by taxi at 3:25am (0325 hours). Arrived at the airport at 3:45am (0345 hours).

There we are, right up at the top. Irkutsk. The first flight out of Ulaanbaatar for the day.

I waited for 1-1/2 hours.

Finally it was time to check in for my flight.

I was first in line. I paid 75,000 Mongolian Tug ($29.33) for overweight luggage (they even weighed my carry-on bags and my computer bag was heavy). My wheel chair and assistant arrived and we two  passed through security and immigration with no undue drama.

If I don’t lie down, and get some sleep, I may fall over.

To be continued tomorrow, October 30, 2018.

Smiles .. Cap

• ← OCT 29, 18 .. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
• OCT 30, 18 .. IRKUTSK (ИРΚУТϹΚ) RUSSIAN SIBERIA .. WOW .. PINCH ME, I MUST BE DREAMING (Part 2 of 3) →