November 9 Arrive in Moscow

This trip to Russia was unique. First off, I did not have any plans for what I was to be doing when I returned to America. Secondly, I did not have anyone meeting me at the airport. I have been to Sheremetyevo airport what seemed like 100 times. I had never arrived with two 72 pound bags and two carry-ons without anyone meeting me.

Praise the Lord all of my luggage arrived. If I would have lost a piece, which happens more often than not, it would have been hard for me to retrieve it. I navigated my way through the hoard of people who crowd the exit of customs. Then the fun began. If you have ever been the Sheremetyevo, you know that there are a lot of men in black leather coats, trying to sell you a taxi ride. Given that I needed a ride, I started talking with them.

Do these men look creepy to you?

First off, I was told that I could not make it to the center for less than $150 dollars. Knowing that this ride will cost me between 30 and 40 dollars, I knew I had some work to do. After talking to about eight men, I became really frustrated. No one wanted to take me for less than 60 bucks. Now, I had this kind of money, but there was no way that I was going to pay it. After talking to two more guys, I started to make my way to arrivals. I thought that maybe if I caught a car that was bringing someone to the airport, I could get a cheaper ride. Sure enough, as I entered the elevator, a guy approached me with a realistic price. One thousand rubles (about 37 dollars) and I was on my way. This was much better than the $150 that I had started with.