Trip 2015-16. Day 221. Russia, Baltym. Россия: Балтым

Halloween in Russia

It's a strange feeling, like being in a country I've never visited before. The bus drives through the suburbs with empty, deserted streets. The stops are not announced, everyone seems to know when it's their turn to disappear into the darkness. I had to get off at a stop called "South". My feet were freezing, so the prospect of jumping into the sun warmed me up during the whole ride. Finally, I got off into the pitch black night of the "south". It was still minus ten and the lights of the cars reflected in the icy puddles.

I followed a woman into the village. I remembered her deep, smoky, strong voice I had heard on the bus. "Aren't you afraid to walk here alone every night?" I asked. "Afraid of whom? They should be afraid of me," she replied, zigzagging between the holes in the ground. "Sometimes I come back at one in the morning." "Oh, I'm lucky you finished early today." She didn't even smile.