Arrival (from my journal)

I am in my hotel room in Almaty, after two long flights. I have not yet managed to take a shower, but I am enjoying the freedom to stretch out and to move without all my bags. I decided to leave the big suitcase in the luggage room downstairs, once I realized I have a 3rd floor room with no elevator. The person at the door didn't help us carry bags up the flight of stairs from the car to the front door, so I didn't think I was going to get any help getting up here. The flights were uneventful, and on the second leg I had a whole row to myself, so I got to stretch out a little. The first leg was completely packed, plus I was in the row behind a very unhappy, very loud two year old, who did not fall asleep until shortly before landing. Any ungenerous thoughts I might have had were quickly silenced by the thought that could well be me in a few weeks. I felt bad for the child and her poor parents, who tried to apologize to everyone around them. I don't know if my russian skills made the arrival in Almaty any easier for my two fellow travelers (Lori and Diane, also adopting through AFTH) but we got through with only minimal questions from official looking types and Oleg was waiting outside with a sign. We walked out of this brand new airport terminal, into what was to me a very russian scene. First, it was clearly a construction site, so it was very dusty. The parking lot was filled with a mix of cars that look held together with wire and chewing gum and at least one shiny new Audi with a very tall guy in a leather jacket talking on a cell phone. In Minsk, he would have been referred to as a "new russian." I don't know about here. Oleg drives a well used SUV, so he had enough room for us and all our stuff, but just. There was a brilliant half moon shining, very few other lights, and to crown the new airport terminal, a huge 3-d diamond with flashing strobe lights inside. Go figure. It was about a 15 minute drive into the city, and remarkably familiar looking to me. Long blocks of crumbling 3 and 4 story apartment buildings, groups of older, decorated dachas behind fences, places where it was clear that old soviet slogans have been covered over with billboards advertising cars and electronics. Oleg told us that this is the former capitol and current financial capitol, but it feels pretty small. One sign this is a different place: a very large mosque in the center of the city, very lit up. OK, I'm getting cold and I want to shower and try to sleep.
9 March 2004