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Dec 29, 2011

the Boris diaries, now without Boris

- This driver has a problem. This driver has no vehicle to drive.

So there I was, catching a bus to Riga at 6h30 in the morning and wondering what else could possibly go wrong. Because of my visa which was not picking itself up from the Russian consulate, I couldn't take Boris to the mechanic myself. This was an absolute disaster.

Back in Riga for the third time this Summer (oh, the joy), I spent hours wandering about, waiting for the time to get back my passport. Without it, I wouldn't be driving across the border anyway. Over lunch with my guardian angel (mysteriously absent at the time of the dreaded events), I realized that the group was then spread out across three different countries. Painful.

My visit to the consulate was swift and effective. With the visa problem finally out of the way, it was time to learn about the car problem.

- This driver has an effective backup team.

Even though we already had a diagnostic from Tricky (the man can fix almost anything), the visit to the mechanic turned out to be quite long, but with the obvious advantage of having the problem solved that day. Boris was fixed, and Julian and Andi still caught the ferry. Everybody was finally in Helsinki.

- This driver, however, is left behind.

I managed to make a few phone calls, and with Indre's help (from Kaunas to Tallinn, always there) I was provided a couch to get some sleep and catch the first ferry in the morning. Reservations made in Riga, since I had to wait for so long.

One problem was solved, but this was the kind of situation that could jeopardize months of many people's work. Finland would provide a nice setting for this act to be pulled together....

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