This Was Unexpected or Eyjafjallajokull

Irkutsk time as the alarm goes off: 4:50AM Sunday or US Eastern time 3:50PM Saturday.  No internet since Wednesday,  no TV,  no newspaper, but somehow we had heard there was a problem with a volcano somewhere.


All packed and ready to get back to Venice. Gala comes with the taxi at 5:20AM as planned, but the gate to the street is locked and Jim and I have to haul my luggage to the Lenin Street entrance to the university. The trip to the airport goes well, the flight if on time and its an exit row seat. Everything’s going well. Breakfast (?) is chicken and rice with ‘Nilla Wafers or similar for dessert. The flight arrives early to Moscow; 7:30AM Moscow time, 12:30PM Irkutsk time, or Venice time 11:30 Saturday night. Then the pattern shifts. After collecting luggage and a 5 minute bus trip to the terminal where Delta is, one of the baggage checking people tells me my flight is delayed. The board still says on time and the Delta counter isn’t open yet. However, a long line is waiting for it to open. I hang around the area and find a sign saying the Delta flight for today and tomorrow is cancelled due to the vulcano eruption (sic). The Delta lady at the counter gives me the local Delta phone number, but I can’t get it to work on my mobile. I call the US Sky Miles number and eventually get the last seat on the Thursday flight! Delta helps me with a room at about a 2/3 discount at the Iris Congress Hotel in Moscow. I call Jane to let her know the situation, but I forget that I am no longer on Irkutsk time and wake her at 1:40AM. After hanging around the airport terminal for a few hours, getting some more rubles, I negotiate a taxi to the hotel. He says 2500 rubles, I say nyet; he says 2000. I shake my head and say 1200. He says “1500, just for you.” Why do I think I've still been had?  OK, the Iris Congress Hotel is 25 minutes away, 8 stories and quite comfortable and modern with breakfast included.

Actually looks like this photo from trip advisor

 I’ve called Jim and hope he is not affected by the volcanic ash later this week. I call Gala and she promises to see if she can help with tours or contacts while I’m here in Moscow.
Disappointed in not getting home to see Jane.  Powerless (Surely there's a way they can make an exception for me!  Get ME back home even if they cannot get the other 20,000 people stranded at SVO out).  What to do?  Tour Moscow.  Get internet service.  Eat something other than M & M's.  All planned for the next few days.
Da svidanya,
Bill