Lost in Ganja!

I don’t even have to leave my city in order to have travel mishaps. Not that this one was too grievous but it did cause mild frustration, fear and confusion.
On Monday I was invited to a friend’s house for her birthday. She gave me what I thought were pretty clear directions. I knew which Mashrutka to take and what landmark to get off at. After my classes I went to the bus stop and waited and waited in quite cold temperatures- which I have to remind myself really aren’t that cold- it hasn’t even gotten below freezing yet! But it was so hot that anything below 50 feels like the next ice age is descending upon us. The first Mashrutka that slowed down near the stop was so packed with people that I couldn’t even see in the windows. 15 minutes later I flagged down the next one and began the journey. I had been to my friend’s house before but the first time we walked and the second time we took different number Mashrutka. I sat near the window looking for my landmark- a school but I saw nothing that seemed to resemble such a building.
After about 15 minutes into the drive we entered a residential area around some apartment complexes and the mashrutka stopped and everyone got out. It was the end of the line and I hadn’t seen the school and I had no idea where I was now. I got out and glanced around me as my fellow passengers quickly dispersed into the night. Suddenly I was all alone and the darkness was closing in… okay that’s a little melodramatic but I was a little uneasy because it was dark and women are not supposed to be out after dark and those that are, are considered ‘bad women’ and easy prey.
After a few minutes I took an inventory of my assets and remembered that I had a cell phone. So I called my friend- but the line was busy. All the while I was thinking how was this really going to help because I honestly had no way to tell her were I was. There are hundreds of places that looked just like where I was all over Ganja.
After several attempts I gave up and started walking in the direction that the Mashrutka had disappeared in to. Too my delight I found a much larger road with some stores. However I was a big wimp and didn’t go into the stores to ask directions. First of all I didn’t really know where I was going and I hate asking for directions here because it becomes such a freak show event. So I crossed the street and waited for another mini bus to take me back into town. While I was waiting my friend called me back finally and as I suspected I couldn’t tell her definitively where I was. It is also hard to have any sort of meaningful exchange of information on the cell phones here because the connection is so bad. I basically use my phone just to text message because speaking causes too much confusion.
After everyone hanging around had had a good long stare at the lost little foreigner a bus rescued me and I headed back into town. I felt bad for ditching on my friend but I just wasn’t in the mood for parties anymore. She offered to come and pick me up in a taxi but I just thought the party was not meant to be. I was cold and tired and hungry and pissed at myself for getting lost to begin with. Usually I’m not so bad with directions.