Robbed and detained in Russia

So, let’s recap, everything I have has been stolen, I have been in 2 separate police stations and a paddy wagon and now I am not allowed back on my ship. The story continues……

After some discussion, we decide that I will go back to the ship and see what happens. There is no way I am staying in St Pete’s. We travel back and arrive at the main gate into the port around 11:30. All of my group goes back on board except my CP who stays with me to see what happens. He is still in constant contract with the ship who are trying to get the port agent out of bed to come help. We go through passport control and of course, the woman there does not speak English. We show her the police report (that says god knows what) and she points me to a chair and points Dane out the door towards the ship. So I sit, and he waits outside the little building. And I sit, and he waits. There is a man in the building that works there who is seated at the little table next to my little chair. He just sits there and stares straight ahead. Cruise ship crew members come and go, heading into or back from their night off in the city. In the time that I sit there I see one of the waiters that I know leave for his night out and return, all while I sit and wait.

Every once in a while a phone rings and the women behind the glass answers it, stares at me, speaks in Russian and hangs up. I sit. Cockroaches are running rampant around the floor and I silently debate starting to stomp on them just for something to do. I decide against it. Dane continues to sit outside and occasionally he peeks in the woman’s little window. One time when he does this she picks up the phone and makes a call. 3 minutes later 2 men arrive with a window shade and hang it up over the little window. I kid you not.

So, I continue sitting. There are no windows where I am and no clock and I have no idea what time it is or how long they plan to leave me sitting here. When the door to the ship side opens with people coming through, I yell outside to Dane who informs me that the ship is still working on getting me back on. At one time, the woman behind the glass gets a call and points at me to come around the outside of the building and talk on the phone. I tip toe around the roaches and go out into what has become a very cold night. Dane is sitting on a small wall, doing battle with his own myriad of strange bugs. I take the phone and someone in very broken English asks me some inane questions that I thought were covered in the police report. Where was I? What happened? He doesn’t understand English really at all, so the call seems pointless. I get pointed back to my small chair by the woman. Dane informs me as I pass that the ship continues to work for me and that is phone battery is rapidly depleting which would be bad as it is our only link to anyone who speaks English.

I return to my chair next to the silent staring man and sit. This is starting to feel very isolating. I am just sitting here alone, with absolutely no idea what is happening. It is a very sad and scary feeling.

A call comes in and I am waved through to speak on the phone again. This time it is a woman in broken English who wants to know who my tour guide was in St Petes and doesn’t understand the whole concept of production fixer when I try and explain it. I am sent back to my little chair. And I sit.

Suddenly 4 uniformed angry Russian men appear in the glass booth with the woman. They have a conversation that seems more like yelling at each other then exchanging pleasantries, and they stare at me. Literally stare. They yell, stop yelling and turn in unison and stare. This goes on for about 15 minutes. I am starting to freak out a little. One of the men, a short mean little bugger comes around and stands over my chair staring down at me, hands clasped behind his back and he is rocking back and forth slightly. In broken English he says “you lost your passport”. It was stolen I say. “What is this stolen, I do not know” he says. I try to explain through pantomime what stolen is and I mention that it was not just my passport but all of my money and everything. “Police report says you lost passport only, nothing about stolen, no money, passport.” Well that is incorrect I explain. I try again to explain the concept of stolen and he says “by a black man” very matter of factly. In my head I am thinking WHAT??? What the hell is going on? I must be on Punked, this is ridiculous. I did not see the person I explain. He rocks a little, stares a little and informs me “this happens in US too” Umm, ok. Yes, yes it does I agree. Whatever you say little man, just let me go! “Always by black man” he says. I simply stare. And let me mention here that is 2 days in St Pete’s I did not see one black person, so what he is going on about I have no idea.

He goes back around into the booth with all the other angry people staring at me. Dane yells to me that the port agent is on his way. Soon, another man arrives in the booth, seemingly the port agent. He looks friendly and smiles at me. Yea! A smile! He has lots of papers with him and they all exchange papers and yell at each other and stare at me and finally the nice man comes in to my small room and tells me to come with him. I am free!! He leads Dane and I to a car and drives us to the ship apologizing for all the mess. I am just so relieved to be out of there. We arrive at the next check point and are held there for a spell as the woman won’t let me on board without a passport. Everything is explained again, calls are made and I am let on the ship. The concierge, Frantz, who has been working to get me back all night is standing waiting and I literally jump into his arms! He is totally my hero tonight. We walk into the ship’s lobby and it is nearly 4am.

I am told that I will have to go into St Petes tomorrow to visit the US Consulate and get a passport. I say that I am not stepping one foot off this ship in Russia and will wait until Stockholm to visit the embassy there. Frantz says he will arrange it for me in Stockholm. I join the rest of the group who are drinking and waiting to see if I make it back and we eat French fries (freedom fries if you will), drink vodka (only thing the Russians are good for) and finally crash out around 5:30.