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Jon Turk
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Stuck in Petropavlovsk
- Older in Siberia 2004: Stuck in Petropavlovsk - Newer in Siberia 2004: Planets Align!
It's a beautiful spring day, sunny, about 0 Celsius, and the plane hasn't flown yet and I'm still in Petropavlovsk. Actually the snowplow in Tillichiki isn't crashed but the snowplow operator is. He's gone hunting, or he's drinking vodka, or watching TV, but he's not plowing the runway. The word on the street is that he does this on occasion. There are three flights a week to Tillichiki on three different days on three different airplanes. But it's a bother to open the airport on three different days. It's a lot of work. So when he feels like NOT working, then he shuts the airport for six days. Then he opens the airport one day and lets all three airplanes land. Today is Tuesday. If he keeps this plan going, we'll fly tomorrow. However another big storm is forecast for tonight. So we'll see. Earlier I wrote about the madness of modern Russia. Perhaps you didn't believe me. Well, the country has grown dramatically out of the ashes of the Soviet system and the economic collapse of Perestroika. But now I am face to face with a feudal lord who's fiefdom is the airport in Tillichiki and the planes will fly when he damn well is ready for them to fly.
Dated: 03/23/2004
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