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

It's a weird feeling like being in the country I’ve never visited before. The bus is driving through the suburbs with empty deserted streets. The stops are not announced, everybody seems to know when it’s her turn to slip into darkness. I had to get off at the stop called “south”. My feet were freezing cold so the perspective to jump into the sun warmed me up during the whole trip. Eventually I got off into the southern pitch-black night. It was still minus ten and the cars lights reflected in iced puddles.
I followed a woman into the village. I remembered her low smoky strong voice I heard in the bus. “Aren't you afraid to walk here alone every night?” I asked. “Afraid of whom? They should be afraid of me!”, she answered, zigzagging among the holes in the ground. “Sometimes I come back at one in the morning.” “Oh, I’m lucky you’ve finished earlier today”. She didn’t even smile.