Departure and Temporary Housing

Due to visa complications I depart for Moscow on Thursday, September 4 to arrive on Friday, September 5. When obtaining a Russian business visa you can only enter Russia 6 days after the visa is issued (more than 6 is OK), and then upon my arrival my temporary visa will be switched over to a permanent (1 year) visa. (If you want to come for vacation it's a bit easier of a process, also if you have a reasonable time table.)

I was being flown coach to Moscow, a direct flight from JFK to Moscow SVO, but luckily from my years of traveling to Guinea I have plenty of frequent flier miles to upgrade myself to business class for my trip there, and hopefully for my trips home over the next two years as well.


As many of you know Moscow has been the most expensive city in the world for several years. My employer will put me up in a temporary apartment for two weeks while I search for an apartment with there assistance. I've attached a link for my temporary housing (http://www.likehome.ru/apartments/flat/111) - it's common for people to rent an apartment for a few days to a few weeks rather than stay in a hotel due to the high cost of hotels in Moscow (typically upwards of $700 per night) vs. the apartment which is less than $200 per night. This should allow me to cook a few meals for myself rather than indulging in the fine local cuisine on a nightly basis.