So after enjoying an amazing stay in Ulaan Baatar with the Joshi family we decided it was time to make our way back to Russia. We left early in the morning and got to the border in about six hours. I was preparing myself to go through all the crazy Mongolian procedures correctly on my first try. As we hit the border we were stuck in a line for about forty-five minutes before we even entered the crossing area. When we got let in I immediately realized that we missed the first check point where I had to get the car checked. I got out to run back to the building to take care of the first piece of paperwork and passed a group of what looked like Mongolian actors. One guy was dressed in a fresh suit with a purple cravat. Within the group were two professional looking video cameras. As I walked by they started talking to me and laughed when they realized I didn't speak Mongolian or Russian. I got the paperwork finished and did not think anything more of the actors and went into the main building to get the rest of the work done.
When I walked in I saw the same woman that begrudgingly helped me the first time. She did not seem all that excited to have to help me again. Her demeanor quickly changed when she was approached by another Mongolian woman, who was not a customs official. Without understanding why, the customs official took our documents from me and then lead me outside with the other Mongolian woman. I thought we were heading back to the first place where I first filled out the car information, but I was led passed it to outside the border crossing gates. Outside was the same group of actors I had passed earlier. The guy in the suit and another dressed in Mongolian army fatigues. In some broken English I was told to stand behind the guy in the suit and look tough. I was given an adidas jacket and some blue tinted aviators and stood with my arms crossed behind the supposed Russian mob guy dressed in the hot suit who was apparently making a deal with the Mongolian army guy. With cameras filming from two different directions and multiple takes I had just had my first scene in a movie. We moved inside the gate and I was given a mini-van to drive the guy in the suit around in. I acted out another scene where I had to open the trunk of the jeep to a customs official and then get back in and drive off with my mob boss. Honestly, I had no idea what was going on or if I did anything correctly but it was fun. I got the card of the producer and I plan on finding this movie to see my acting skills.
When they had finished with me, the customs woman was super easy to work with. During the filming she had gone around and gotten all the stamps I needed. When a large group of Russians got into the line right before we did, she took us down the V.I.P. lane and we got through in no time. Next up the Russian border.
Here was the moment we were dreading. Since we had crossed out of Russia with our original visas we decided not to get a new one and take a gamble that they would let us back in. As we reached the first window I handed her my passport and the vehicle registration paperwork. Everything looked like it was going smoothly until she asked me about the picture on my Russian visa. This time I employed my "act like a stupid American traveler and you will most likely make it through" strategy. Like the time in Vladivostok she pointed at the picture and then pointed at me. I replied, "Uhh, what? the picture? It was there when we got the visa. Visa company (pointing at the photo), Visa Company did it." After fifteen minutes and a couple of stares at Richard's long hair in his passport photo we made it through the first check-point no problem. In the final check-point where they were supposed to check our luggage they seemed much more interested in our iPhones. After playing with them for a couple minutes we were let right though. We had made it back to Russia and were off to Chita with a stop in Ulad Ude. It takes about three hours from the border to Ulan Ude and then another ten to get to Chita.
We were a little past halfway to Ulan Ude at about 9:30 at night and were pulling over to get our last tank of gas in a city called Gusinoozersk. Pulling out of the gas station we drove about 100 meters. First gear, second, and as we shifted into third the transmission went out. We pulled onto the side of the road. Started the car, but the transmission had broken so the car was going no where. We walked back to the gas station and by using our phone to call Misha who translated for us. We had the woman at the gas station call a taxi for us. We unloaded the Niva, piled into the taxi, and got dropped off at a hotel for the night. We were warned almost every minute by everyone not to leave the Niva on the side of the road or it would be stolen. There was nothing we could do about it at the moment and we decided to figure it all out in the morning. If the car was still there...
Jack said that a new transmission would cost basically as much as the car. It seemed like the Niva was done and we would have to take a bus to Ulan Ude and then a train to Moscow. No driving it back to Chita to try and sell and get some cash back. It was crushing to get so close and then have to give up the Niva, but after everything we had gone through on this trip we knew we would continue somehow. The next morning we woke up and took a walk to see what remained, if anything, of the Niva. Low and behold it was still there with all its parts. It had survived a night, unlocked, on the side of the road. We asked the hotel attendant to call a tow truck, but the person who arrived was the owner of the hotel. He spoke a few words of English and after driving out to look at the car he called his mechanic. After taking a quick look the mechanic gave us a thumbs up signal and said he could fix it. Even better it would only cost us $150!! I was surprised and relieved and after four hours the car was fixed and we were back on the road.
We spent the night in a new hostel in Ulan Ude. The hostel seemed like it had just opened. Everything was brand new and pristine white. The next morning we took off and made it back to our friend Misha's house in Chita. I was so happy the Niva made it all the way back. After all the doubt about whether we would make it to Mongolia and back in the Niva it was great to have a successful story. Next up we planned on taking a train to Moscow with a brief stop in Irkutsk, which is on the western side of Lake Baikal.
-- Ezra
When I walked in I saw the same woman that begrudgingly helped me the first time. She did not seem all that excited to have to help me again. Her demeanor quickly changed when she was approached by another Mongolian woman, who was not a customs official. Without understanding why, the customs official took our documents from me and then lead me outside with the other Mongolian woman. I thought we were heading back to the first place where I first filled out the car information, but I was led passed it to outside the border crossing gates. Outside was the same group of actors I had passed earlier. The guy in the suit and another dressed in Mongolian army fatigues. In some broken English I was told to stand behind the guy in the suit and look tough. I was given an adidas jacket and some blue tinted aviators and stood with my arms crossed behind the supposed Russian mob guy dressed in the hot suit who was apparently making a deal with the Mongolian army guy. With cameras filming from two different directions and multiple takes I had just had my first scene in a movie. We moved inside the gate and I was given a mini-van to drive the guy in the suit around in. I acted out another scene where I had to open the trunk of the jeep to a customs official and then get back in and drive off with my mob boss. Honestly, I had no idea what was going on or if I did anything correctly but it was fun. I got the card of the producer and I plan on finding this movie to see my acting skills.
When they had finished with me, the customs woman was super easy to work with. During the filming she had gone around and gotten all the stamps I needed. When a large group of Russians got into the line right before we did, she took us down the V.I.P. lane and we got through in no time. Next up the Russian border.
Here was the moment we were dreading. Since we had crossed out of Russia with our original visas we decided not to get a new one and take a gamble that they would let us back in. As we reached the first window I handed her my passport and the vehicle registration paperwork. Everything looked like it was going smoothly until she asked me about the picture on my Russian visa. This time I employed my "act like a stupid American traveler and you will most likely make it through" strategy. Like the time in Vladivostok she pointed at the picture and then pointed at me. I replied, "Uhh, what? the picture? It was there when we got the visa. Visa company (pointing at the photo), Visa Company did it." After fifteen minutes and a couple of stares at Richard's long hair in his passport photo we made it through the first check-point no problem. In the final check-point where they were supposed to check our luggage they seemed much more interested in our iPhones. After playing with them for a couple minutes we were let right though. We had made it back to Russia and were off to Chita with a stop in Ulad Ude. It takes about three hours from the border to Ulan Ude and then another ten to get to Chita.
We were a little past halfway to Ulan Ude at about 9:30 at night and were pulling over to get our last tank of gas in a city called Gusinoozersk. Pulling out of the gas station we drove about 100 meters. First gear, second, and as we shifted into third the transmission went out. We pulled onto the side of the road. Started the car, but the transmission had broken so the car was going no where. We walked back to the gas station and by using our phone to call Misha who translated for us. We had the woman at the gas station call a taxi for us. We unloaded the Niva, piled into the taxi, and got dropped off at a hotel for the night. We were warned almost every minute by everyone not to leave the Niva on the side of the road or it would be stolen. There was nothing we could do about it at the moment and we decided to figure it all out in the morning. If the car was still there...
Jack said that a new transmission would cost basically as much as the car. It seemed like the Niva was done and we would have to take a bus to Ulan Ude and then a train to Moscow. No driving it back to Chita to try and sell and get some cash back. It was crushing to get so close and then have to give up the Niva, but after everything we had gone through on this trip we knew we would continue somehow. The next morning we woke up and took a walk to see what remained, if anything, of the Niva. Low and behold it was still there with all its parts. It had survived a night, unlocked, on the side of the road. We asked the hotel attendant to call a tow truck, but the person who arrived was the owner of the hotel. He spoke a few words of English and after driving out to look at the car he called his mechanic. After taking a quick look the mechanic gave us a thumbs up signal and said he could fix it. Even better it would only cost us $150!! I was surprised and relieved and after four hours the car was fixed and we were back on the road.
We spent the night in a new hostel in Ulan Ude. The hostel seemed like it had just opened. Everything was brand new and pristine white. The next morning we took off and made it back to our friend Misha's house in Chita. I was so happy the Niva made it all the way back. After all the doubt about whether we would make it to Mongolia and back in the Niva it was great to have a successful story. Next up we planned on taking a train to Moscow with a brief stop in Irkutsk, which is on the western side of Lake Baikal.
-- Ezra
haha how did i JUST read about this movie debut.
ReplyDeleteand the tough body guard? nice first role