- 2/11/2008 10:00:00 PMMoscow Trip - Day 1We got up early on Monday morning and headed to the airport for our 10:00 flight to Atlanta, GA. The plan was relatively small and had two columns of seats - two on each side. I sat by the window and Peggy got the aisle. I was a little concerned about the flight. Not so much about flying but about rough air and getting nauseous Additionally, I knew that the pressure change from going up to 31,000 feet and coming down again would be hard on my ears. The flight itself was very smooth and I didn't get sick. I was chewing a stick of gum fairly aggressively and was swallowing a lot to help my ears pop.
We landed in Atlanta and I was thankful that I didn't get sick- but I couldn't hear anything out of my left ear. The temperature difference was significant. When we left home, the thermometer said it was -12 degrees F. Atlanta was in the mid 60's when we landed.
== 1:30 PM ==
Atlanta is a huge airport. It is an international hub and has flights going in all directions all of the time. We found out which gate we had entered at - Gate C and discovered that we needed to go to Gate E. It sound simple enough until you look at the map and realize the scope and size of the airport. You must take an underground train to get to Gate E.
So we went down to the ground floor on the largest escelator in the world and waited for the train. While we were standing there, another young man came up to us and asked, "Do you know where I pick up my baggage?".
Huh!? I was thinking two things:
1. Why are you asking me? Do I look like I might know the answer to such a question?
2. I'm glad I am not in search of my luggage. I would not know where to begin looking as the Atlanta airport is 100 times the size of the Green Bay airport.
We boarded the train. There were no seats, just poles to hang on to while you go for the ride of your life. The train starts and stops very quickly. When we got to Gate E, we looked for rest rooms and a place to get a bite to eat. There were soldiers all over the place in the airport. Some coming from a tour of duty and others heading out. In addition to the men and women in uniform, there were people from all over the world there. Every color, tribe, tongue and nation was represented. Peggy commented, "I think this is how it will be in heaven".
We went to the Arby's in the food court and got some sandwiches and sat down next to a player grand piano. It was very nice and soothing to listen to while we ate and watched the people. After we ate, we headed for our gate to sit and to wait. Hmmmm... that sounds a little like Dr. Suess!
We adjusted our watches to Eastern time. I had just gotten a new band and battery for my digital watch. Setting it was not a problem. Peggy on the other hand, was unable to set her watch. She pulled out the knob on the watch to move the hands and began to turn. The hands moved a little but no farther. So she pulled on the knob a little more and "POP" - it came off! Now she has a nice watch with a silver rod sticking out of the side. I was not going to bring my watch, but now I'm glad I did.
== 4:00 PM ==
We boarded our plane and found our seats. The flight to Moscow from Atlanta was on a Boeing 767. It has three columns of seats - two seats per row on each on the outer columns and three seats per row in the middle column. We were in the middle, which means the overhead compartments in the middle were for our seats - or so we thought. The center overhead compartments are not large enough for our carry-on suit cases so we had to walk up and down the aisles looking for open space. What a pain in the butt. You can hardly move as it is, and when you find space you must ask the person sitting right below if it is their stuff right above their head and do they mind if you move it to make room. This normally would not be an issue except for the fact that more than half of the plane is filled with people who only speak Russian!
After we got our baggage stowed, we sat down and prepared for the long flight. The stewardess came around and made sure everyone was settled in. The told us the current time in Moscow and I reset my watch time again for that. While I was operating the watch buttons, one of the spring loaded pins that hold the watch to the band popped off and my watch fell off the band. I began to wonder what else was going to happen on this trip. I was able to get the pin back in. Shortly before we took off, my ear popped and some of my hearing was restored.
== 4:20 PM ==
We took off. The 767 has a lot more power than the plane we took earlier. It rises to flight altitude much quicker. My ears quickly became plugged and I was half deaf again.
We had heard some mixed information about the meals on the flight. I was not sure what would be provided and what we might have to pay for. As it turns out, they sell alcoholic drinks and other duty-free stuff on the plane during the flight. Snacks, soda, and water are free. For today's flight, we were offered a choice of chicken and rice or cheese ravioli. I took the chicken and Peggy had the ravioli. Each meal was served with a piece of bread, a small salad, cheese and crackers and a chocolate brownie. It was very nice and quite filling.
I had thought earlier that it would be best for me to try and sleep as much as possible during the flight. We approximated that it would be around 2:00 AM central time (11:00 AM local) when we landed. This would make for a very long day. Then after we arrived, we would stay awake as long as possible so we could get to sleep later that night. This is one of those things that seems to work out on paper but in reality it doesn't happen as you expect.
Two rows behind us were three very loud men. The laughed and talked for 10 hours - the length of the flight. As bad as it was, I felt sorry for the single man in the row behind us who got the worst of it. We watched two movies: The Bee Movie and Ratatoli. I had never seen either of them before. The Bee Movie was funny but I could not pay attention to the other. I couldn't sleep either. The flight was very smooth but way too long. By the half way point, I felt like I had lost a year of my life and my butt was killing me.
I tried to rest as much as possible but there was no room to stretch out. Peggy kept encouraging me to get up and move around. Many other people walked around for much of the flight. It was an exhausting night. They gave us a small breakfast of juice and a bagel along with a small packet with some toiletries to freshen up in the morning. It was incredibly draining. I don't think I can stress that enough. When we arrived in Moscow airspace, the plane seemed to drop altitude almost as fast as it had gained it before. My ears, head and throat hurt so bad, I thought my head would explode. By the time we landed, I was nearly completely deaf because my ears would not pop.
