when an airplane blows an engine

I can't say it was easy getting out of Irkutsk. Why would it be?

I won't admit that I almost boo-hooed in a horrible nasty cafe next door to the Irkutsk airport.

Our flight was scheduled to leave at 12:30 (ish) on Easter Sunday. We got to the airport around 10:30. Flights out of Irkutsk have been known to leave early...or late, VERY late!

There always seems to be some drama with the luggage in Irkutsk. Who knows why - who cares.

We got on the plane, started the taxi down the runway - turned around, felt the "hunker down" for the big thrust to take off...and then it happened. POW! BOOM!

Marty looked at me and said, "oh no, that can't be good!"

It wasn't.

We then taxied back to the terminal, got off the plane and were told to wait. The terminal in Irkutsk is new - but with the new terminal also came the omission of English announcements.

We are smart enough to know what happened, so we knew we were to wait. OK, maybe not smart enough - but observant enough of everyone else who was on our flight.

So time passed; hours and hours and hours. Lunch time came and went. Then someone from the airline came up to where we were all sitting, said something, and a big group of people left.

Um, OK.

There was one English speaking guy on the flight. He was kind enough to let us know that the airline would pay for a meal at the hotel across the street. We were to go there, get something to eat (it was dinner time) and come back in an hour or so. The airline would have more information in about an hour and 1/2.

Not that we didn't believe him, but we went to the ticket desk to confirm.

So - we went to this "restaurant" at the hotel. The restaurant was full and they were not allowing anyone else to eat.

Well, OK then.

We decided to go to this "Coca Cola" cafe next to the airport. Not bad, not good. Very smokey - but they had an English menu (bonus). The food was ick, but it was food.

We were gone form the airport about 45 minutes - TOPS. Went back to the airport, went through the initial security station, and were told to 'hurry'.

Yep! They were boarding the flight. 45minutes after they told everyone to leave the airport and go get something to eat.

At the end of the day - we got to Moscow. It was all fine. Anya was such a little trooper! We were all grumpy, but she did so well on the flight!

We made a list of what she was going to do on the flight, so she methodically went through every item on her list (a few times!)...and then we got to Moscow.