Springtime in Kiev, Summertime in Crimea

[Dahnlor]

Greetings, folks.  I returned from my second visit to Ukraine a few weeks ago, and it's about time I shared my trip report with all of you fine people.  I've already posted this at RUA, but I promised I'd post one here before I left, so I didn't want to disappoint you.

The next post was written on May 19, after I returned from my first weekend in Kiev.  Then we'll move on to part 2 which I felt was best split into multiple posts.  The last part really isn't relevant, but perhaps a cautionary tale about being prepared.  I apologize in advance for anything that may have been said about the Dutch.

[Dahnlor]

May 19, 2010

This is Dan from L.A. again, and this is my first thread since a brief introduction a few months ago.  While I've not made any posts in the meantime, I have certainly not been idle.  I am definitely happy to have found this forum for very useful advice.  No question that this has pointed me in appropriate directions and steered me away from serious pitfalls.

After purchasing a membership at Elena's Models and a handful of contacts that didn't go anywhere, I came into contact with Natalia, and after getting acquainted via e-mail, phone and Skype, by April I felt ready to take the plunge and arrange to meet her in person.  We decided that Kiev would be a good place to meet - I would fly there, she would take the train, and we will each have a room at the same hotel.

After learning about the attitude towards facial hair in my introduction thread, I decided that unless Natalia told me I shouldn't, I would shave before meeting.  When the subject came up, she confirmed that she thought it made me look old.  She asked how long I have had the beard and was shocked to hear that it had been 17 years.  On May 1, I reacquainted myself with the old Clean Shaven Dan, and the next time she saw me via Skype, she really liked it, much more so than I had expected, and she couldn't believe that I would have done that after having the beard for so long.

While I had the presence of mind to adhere to the "Do Not Fall In Love With A Photograph" rule, we were feeling much closer to one another rather quickly during the ensuing days, and we were more than ready for our weekend together as it approached last week.

I arrived in Kiev at 10:00 Friday morning, exhausted and bewildered after more than 24 hours straight either on a plane or at an airport waiting for one.  The shock of being in such a thoroughly foreign environment only made me even more scared. I just followed all the other people getting off the plane and did what I saw everyone else doing, and made it through customs without getting shipped off to the gulag.  I had arranged a transfer from the airport through my hotel, so thankfully there was a cabbie waiting for me holding up my name as I entered the main terminal, even though the plane was an hour late due to the departure from JFK getting backed up.

The traffic once we entered Kiev was pretty bad, 4 cars wide on 3-lane streets, and a few cars & trucks zipping down sidewalks.  Many relics of the Soviet Union were very visible, including the hammers and sickles decorating the bridge we crossed, and the enormous Great Patriotic War Memorial on top of the hill on the other side of the bridge.  With all of the delays, I didn't get to the apartment until 12:00 - just in time for check-in!

The apartment was nice, it had satellite TV, but the only English channels were CNN and BBC News.  Fortunately, the English channels were CNN and BBC News.   

I didn't manage to drag my jet-lagged self out of the room until about 7:00 that evening, by which time I was also quite hungry.  I also still only had American money on me, so after passing 3 banks looking for an ATM I finally realized that I should go inside.  Armed with hryvnias, I went to that authentic Ukrainian dining experience that is McDonald's.  I noticed that all of the men worked in the back, and all of the young ladies ran the registers up front.  After failing to say anything more understandable than "Big Mac" to the pretty girl taking my order (they say "menu" instead of "combo", I quickly learned) I resorted to just saying "Yes" to everything she asked.  Only 26 hryvnia for the Big Mac, fries and Coke.

Overwhelmed by the experience and proud of my accomplishment, I returned to my apartment to call it a day.  My T-Mobile phone didn't get any signal in the city (and I'm guessing the same is true for the rest of Ukraine), so I needed to use the phone in my hotel room to call Natalia to confirm that she was on the train and en route before I passed out in front of the TV.

I had offered to arrange a ride for her through the hotel, especially after my own positive experience, but she insisted that she get a cab on her own, and she arrived at 10:00 Saturday morning.  Being too early to check into her room yet, we went to my room and hung out for a little while.  She brought some food that her mother had made for us, which were some kinds of stuffed chicken and mushrooms that I can barely describe, but proved to be quite tasty after a blast in the microwave (something I would not discover until the next day--the cold version wasn't bad but the texture wasn't quite right).

On a lark, I had baked some brownies the week before, and on another lark decided to take them with me, so I was also able to share with her something she hadn't tasted before.  I had a 2-month-late birthday present for her, as the first one was never delivered to her (that is, I had assumed it was lost or stolen after it hadn't shown up for a month and bought a replacement, but it actually arrived a couple of days before my trip), along with the only "belated birthday" card that I had been able to find with a message that would translate well, and she had a gift for me as well--a traditional Slavonic guardian amulet for my home, which included a description of all of the ingredients and their significance.  The moment I saw it, I knew exactly where I was going to hang it.

At 12:00, we went downstairs to get her checked in.  The room wasn't ready yet, so they switched her to a 1-bedroom unit like mine instead of the studio I had reserved.  Score!

Once settled in, Natalia told me about a bus tour of the cathedrals that she noticed at the rail station, so we took the subway there, bought a couple of tickets at 50 hryvnias each and rode the tiny, stuffy bus around town.  Our guide only described the rich history of Kiev and the structures we were seeing in Russian, so I relied on Natalia to confirm that the lady was talking about history and, in fact, speaking Russian.  She also needed to remind me to start taking pictures.

I have no idea what the story was behind the first cathedral/shrine/garden/museum complex we stopped at, but fully enjoyed the experience nonetheless.  When we entered the chapel, Natalia let me know not to take pictures or do anything else blasphemous, which was good to know because the inside was so beautiful I definitely would have started snapping away.  As we passed the altar she told me she will talk to God for a moment, and went on to say a prayer in her Orthodox manner.  Not sure what else to do, I gave a short, silent prayer of thanks in my more subtle Protestant manner.   We left a couple of candles in the chapel before leaving, then played around in the museum before returning to the bus.

The next and last stop was at one of the other impressive sights that had caught my eye on the ride to the hotel: a monastery (I think) complex with several gorgeous golden-domed structures.  There we were greeted by another Russian tour guide, who for another 20 hryvnias would give us a tour of the grounds.  In Russian, of course.  Natalia and I agreed that we would do just as well wandering around on our own.  We navigated many steep cobblestone paths and walked through a subterranean catacombs with many (presumably sacred) artifacts, for which Natalia needed to needed to be wearing a headscarf.  Conveniently, they had many headscarves available for purchase at the entrance for a mere 6 hryvnias.

This was on the other side of the same hill with the WW2 memorial and museum, but it was a hot day (in the upper 80s), and by the time we had finished climbing around the monastery, we were both ready to start heading back.  We caught the bus to Kreshchatyk street, then stopped at a "кафе" with a table outside and had an iced cappuccino (which she had never tried before) and a "mixed milk drink" (which was kind of like a milkshake).  From there, we walked past Independence Square, where there was a concert by some Ukrainian ska-punk band that Natalia didn't like, and continued on back to our guesthouse.  Kreshchatyk street is closed to traffic on weekends, so there was a little bit of a festival atmosphere as we strolled down the middle of the street.

We returned to our respective apartments to freshen up a bit, and I met up with Natalia again to go out for dinner as the sun was beginning to go down.  She told me that she liked my apartment much more than hers, particularly because her hot water wasn't working.  Apparently the available staff had no idea how to fix it.  Nevertheless, she was ready to go.

There happened to be a T.G.I. Friday's next door to the guesthouse, and Natalia asked me about the place.  I explained that it was a popular place in the USA, and I had even had dinner there with my dad and my brothers only a couple of weeks earlier.  But, I added, it didn't feel appropriate to fly halfway across the world to have dinner at a place I could go to anytime back home (I feel the same way about McDonald's the night before, but that was a matter of survival!).  A short walk up Kreshchatyk, she pointed out a place that served Ukrainian food, and it also had outdoor tables and English translations on the menu.  I had Ukrainian borscht and a lamb dish called "meat and potatoes" (kind of like a stew, but not exactly), both of which were not only delicious, but very filling.  I managed to finish the whole thing, but needed to explain what a "food coma" was, as I was beginning to feel one coming on.

After dinner, we walked back up Kreshchatyk to Independence square, but it was getting dark and some unsavory street denizen started waving a white pigeon at us and put the bird on my shoulder when she was taking a picture.  When I got him to take the animal back, he held out his hand for money.  Natalia immediately said "Nyet!" to him and immediately left with me, telling me not to say anything--she was clearly afraid.  While the sun had gone down, the street was well-lit and there were plenty of people about, and I even saw a couple of cops around, so I assured her that we should be safe, but she questioned whether anyone around would care enough to help if someone made trouble.

With that, we returned again to the guesthouse, and on the way diverted the subject matter of conversation to how things work in the United States.  She was fascinated and somewhat surprised as I described how the government only regulated things for the most part, and how people owned homes by getting loans from private banks and pay mortgages for *gasp* 30 years!  And so on and so forth.  Before we knew it, it was after midnight, and needed to say good night.

The next day, the weather turned for the worse, and it rained all day.  I needed to make another ATM withdrawal to make sure I could reimburse Natalia's rail and taxi expenses, and while talking about how much to take out I kept suggesting more than she thought was necessary, just in case I wanted to get her something.  She said she couldn't accept another gift, as I had already given her one.  But then thought of her mother, who has hypertension, and how she would always have to go to the Chemist to check her blood pressure.  Her mother is in her 60s and walking everywhere is getting less easy for her, so Natalia thought a home blood pressure monitor would be a great gift for her.  So after checking her out of her room, we braved the weather to hit the ATM, where I took out more than she suggested, but less than I had originally considered.

Then, at the pharmacy, Natalia spoke for a long time with the Chemist, trying to decide which one was best.  They turned out to cost more than I had withdrawn, and the only model that I had enough cash to cover had a manual squeeze bulb to inflate the cuff, and I knew that wouldn't do.  We picked out one with an automatic compressor and could work off either batteries or be plugged into an outlet, while still reasonably priced.  It was still more than the cash I had on hand, so she was concerned about having to go back to the ATM.  Not to worry, I had a credit card available, and it worked just fine.

On the way back home, we stopped by a grocery store, picked up some water and bananas (Natalia told me to stay quiet, as the guy selling them would ask for more if he noticed I was an American), and returned to my apartment, where I demonstrated my considerable skill at using the microwave oven to re-heat yesterday's leftovers.  She then received a call from the hotel administrator, after the staff apparently saw her going back to her room after checking out.  She explained how she was just visiting me, who has not checked out yet, and went on to tell the administrator about how the same staff had been unable to solve her hot water problem the day before.  After receiving her apologies, we checked the weather again, decided sightseeing was out of the question, and spent most of the rest of the day inside.  At one point, I must have fallen asleep, as she told me that I was snoring a little bit.

She had woken me up because it was beginning to get late, and if we were to have dinner before she had to leave, it needed to be soon.  After having avoided T.G.I. Friday's the night before, it occurred to me that if I was to experience authentic Ukrainian cuisine, it was only appropriate to go there tonight so that Natalia can also experience the American equivalent.  After explaining the various menu items, she wanted what I was having, fillet mignon, but she also wanted fried potatoes, instead of the mashed potatoes that the menu described as one of the sides.  I explained that it wouldn't be a problem to have them replace the mashed potatoes with fries, and didn't have to limit her choices to the dishes that said they had fries on the menu, as in America you can have your potatoes any way you want!  She was happy to get exactly what she wanted and enjoyed it very much, but the portion was too much for her to finish, so I had the last half of her fillet.

By the time we were done, it was time for Natalia to be getting to the station for her 8:20 train back home to Kherson.  Not wanting me to take the chance of getting lost or robbed on the subway, she only allowed me to carry her bag to the metro station (right next to McDonald's that saved me from starvation two nights before) and there said our farewells.

Monday morning I was up at around 6:00, had two of the three remaining bananas for breakfast with some green tea that Natalia had left for me, and a little after 7:00 the hotel staff knocked on my door to make sure I settled the remaining bill to cover both of my airport transfers.  The taxi was right on time at 8:00, and arrived at the airport to get checked in with an hour to spare before the 11:00 flight.  I was slightly concerned about the ash from the new eruption from Mount Ejijljjfijjijjj in Iceland on Sunday, but the plane just flew a bit farther south and avoided the British Isles.

The plane landed at JFK at 3:00, with just enough time to catch the 5:00 connection to L.A.  Unfortunately, the one remaining banana, which I had planned to eat while waiting for the next flight, failed to make it through customs.  My dormant cellphone suddenly sprung back to life and I took the opportunities I could to call or send text messages to Natalia and my parents to let them know I've safely returned to the USA, the Russian mafia didn't get to me and there was no need to call Interpol.

Right now I'm feeling like the luckiest guy in the world, though I am still reminding myself that while this weekend went as well as I could have hoped, it's still only our first meeting.  I plan to see her again next July in her home town, and I'm going to try to get as much time off from work as possible for that visit.



Dan

[Dahnlor]

The two months between visits consisted mostly of weekend Skype calls (the 10-hour time difference between us made our work schedules get in the way of talking to each other during the week) and e-mails, the latter being the medium through which most of our planning was done.  First I made sure I could take the last half of July off from work, then reserved the plane tickets to leave LA on the 15th to arrive in Kiev on the morning of the 17th, then return on the 26th with a 12-hour layover in Amsterdam, which was the shortest layover I could arrange.  Knowing jet lag would be a factor, I reserved a hotel room for the first night in Kiev, but the rest of the plans were up in the air for a while, mostly due to work and family issues taking precedence.

Once we had time to get into details, we decided that Crimea would be a better destination, and while I was trying to find good places to stay, she was able to find a place in Evpatoria that looked decent.  So the plan was Kiev > Kherson > Evpatoria > Kiev.

A few weeks before going, I made sure to buy a new carry-on sized suitcase and focused on getting everything I need in it.  The last time I winged it, ended up using ridiculously old and impractical luggage (stuff I had used in college), which would have been a nightmare on this trip.  I also bought a nifty travel windbreaker that proved to be completely unnecessary.  Additionally, after having bad-mouthed T-Mobile in my first TR for not working, I ultimately discovered that I never had Roaming enabled on my account.  Then, it turned out that my phone was not one of their "supported" models, so I couldn't have turned it on even if I wanted to!  I ended up buying a new phone, and got one of those new-fangled "smart phones" so it felt like I meant to do it.  At the last minute, I decided to take AvHdB's advice and brought along the old phone anyway so I could use it with a Ukrainian SIM card.  I forgot to bring the charger, though.

At the beginning of July, while still finalizing plans, Natalia learned that her kindergarten didn't have enough children enrolled for the next semester to keep her on.  That was a great disappointment, and she was not in the best of spirits for the first week or so.  Making the final arrangements for the train and accommodations helped to get her mind focused on more pleasant things.

Next:  Dahnlor goes to Kiev, again!

[Dahnlor]

The flight to Kiev was almost identical to the first trip, all the way down to the overpriced stale croissant sandwiches at the Burger King in JFK.  I took the same flights, and they had the same delays, and I landed in Kiev one hour late, just the same as last time.

I turned my phone on after landing, and it didn't seem to be getting a signal again.  After having bought a new phone and upgrading to World-Class International Roaming to avoid the problem I had the previous trip, I was feeling disappointed.  Fortunately, I had been through the customs routine at this airport before, and I had already discussed this possibility with Natalia, so I avoided panic and again safely reached the main entrance without incident.  I checked my phone again, and this time it had bars and a nice "R" to let me know that it's actually working!  And it will still cost an arm and a leg to use.

Natalia's train was scheduled to arrive in Kiev at about the same time I finished with customs, so she was just getting on the bus to the airport when she replied to my SMS.  I waited out front, sticking out like a sore thumb, and she arrived an hour afterwards to get on the bus right back to the train station.  As we walked through the train station to get to the Metro, I was amused when I saw some sweaty guys running around with their shirts off.

We navigated the Metro to the exit right next to the Hotel Rus where I had made my reservation for that night.  The hike to the hotel entrance was much more difficult than the map made it out to be, and I was drenched with sweat and barely able to stand up when we reached the check-in counter.  Natalia needed to make a run to the market and pick up some water to get me re-hydrated.  The rest of the day was spent recovering.

Sunday morning, we had breakfast at the buffet served by the hotel.  The coffee was downright nasty, and everything that wasn't recognizable as eggs, bacon, or OJ I probably shouldn't have touched, in spite of the uncontrollable urge to try one of everything.  There as also fresh fruit, so Natalia packed as much as she could fit into her purse (she saw somebody else do the same thing) before returning to the room to get ready to go.

After checking out, we went back to the train station via the Metro.  Natalia liked the rollers on my bag so much that she kept insisting on "carrying" my luggage.  It was all I could do to pry her own bag out of her hands for a while to try to be gentleman-like.  The plan was to store our bags at the train station before catching the sights we had missed on the last visit.  When there, we went to the attendant to check the bags with, but he could not take them because he was out of tags.  We needed to wait for somebody to come and pick up their luggage before we could check ours in.  Instead, we went around the corner to the self-serve combination lockers, which were a little bit perplexing at first but I managed to figure out how they worked.  At least, I hoped I did.

The first destination was Independence Square on Kreshchatyk Street, took many photos, and picked up my new phone card as well while there.  Next, we headed to the Great Patriotic War Museum for many more photos of WWII military hardware.  Most exhibits were outside, but there was a small indoor exhibit with items from many wars, but we only paid the "look only" admission, not the "take pictures" admission, and there were very stern-looking ladies on each floor, presumably to enforce this.  Outside, there was another exhibit that required admission to see the hardware up close, and again we paid the "look only" admission, but Natalia was sneaky and got away with taking a few pictures when the attendant couldn't see her. The one thing I wanted to be sure I did was to get a picture in front of the Motherland statue, and returned triumphant.

We stopped for a beer before returning to the train station (the Ukrainian beer "Оболонь" was quite good), had a quick dinner at the train station cafeteria, and we retrieved our bags successfully.  The new SIM card worked in my old phone (yay!) but then realized that I had left the charger at home (boo!).  At 7:00 we caught the train to Nikolaev, where we would then take a bus to Kherson.  We had 2nd class tickets, and there was no air conditioning.  I spent the entire time in my boxers and flip-flops, sweating like a pig.  The same was true about every other male passenger I saw, so at least I fit in (though I probably had them all beat on the sweating part).

Next:  Hi Mom!

[Dahnlor]

We arrived in Nikolaev at about 6:00 the next morning, and from there we found the bus to Kherson, which turned out to be so small that I couldn't fit my legs in front of me in the chair.  Fortunately, it was only a one hour drive.  The bus stop in Kherson was conveniently located across the street from Natalia's apartment building, so it was a short walk to her door, where we were greeted by her mother with breakfast ready for us.  They had a bed in the living room ready for me, and after breakfast we caught up on the sleep lost to the noisy, uncomfortable train ride.

Around mid-day, after getting our rest, Natalia's cousin came by.  He had a gift for me: a DVD with a concert video for a Russian heavy metal band called Aria (Ария) and another disc with mp3s.  :hipdude:  I gave mother and cousin the gifts I had for them, then had "dinner" together with chicken, potatoes, mushrooms and salad (all very delicious), then the three of us took a walk into town and caught a bus to Lenin park.  Her cousin took all of the pictures as we strolled through the park, and eventually we came upon a small recreation area with a shooting gallery (AK-47 BB gun) and ping pong tables.  We indulged in both, but after a few minutes of table tennis, the weather suddenly took a turn for the worse.

Up until that point, the weather reminded me of Florida - hot and humid, but the sun was shining and things were generally pleasant.  When the winds suddenly gusted in, debris was flying everywhere, large branches falling out of trees, and we had to duck into the shooting gallery while the attendant closed the main door.  When the wind calmed down, we went down the street to find a bus, but before we got far the rains came in, heavily enough to have us running for cover again.  Finally, the weather eased enough for us to reach a bus stop, and we said "paka" to her cousin as we got on the bus to return home.  We spent the rest of the evening looking at photos and watching a couple of DVDs of Christmas and Women's Day shows that Natalia had participated in at the Kindergarten where she used to work.

On Tuesday, we went shopping to get ready for the trip to Crimea, and we picked up an air mattress and a few other things.  We found a couple of merchants selling suitcases, and got one that was larger than mine for 420 grivnas.  Mother remarked that the suitcase was too big when we brought it home, but since Natalia would need to pack the towels and floatables, it proved to be just the right size.  Natalia and her mother gave me a gift: a poster with a picture of Yulia Tymoshenko with a baby tiger, and it also had a 2010 calendar.  I thought it was nice, and after having some Ukrainian borscht, we sat down to talk for a bit.  That's when Natalia told me that her mother wanted me to circle the date on the calendar when I planned to become engaged to her daughter.

Now, the purpose of this trip was just to gain some quality time and know her better.  I certainly didn't plan to pop the question, nor was I anywhere near being ready to do so.  I took it all in good humor, and I told her that if I circled a date, it wouldn't be a surprise.   

After that we went out for another walk and returned to the park to pick up from where the weather went sour the day before.  We followed a path with several old Soviet monuments and memorials, and led to the Dnipro river where I was able to get a picture of a river cruise ship passing.  Then, at almost exactly the same time as the day before, the wind picked up again and it began to rain.  Fortunately, it wasn't as bad as the day before, and we were able to continue our walk, still getting a little wet, but it was OK.  We returned to the corner where we had left her cousin the day before, took a few pictures at the monument for the guy who the street was named after, and caught a bus back to the town center.  We stopped at a bar and had banana pastries with ice cream and chocolate sauce, mmm.

When we returned home, Natalia told me not to say anything or hold her hand, as she didn't want the neighbors to be asking her mother questions about me.  Once inside, we finished getting everything packed and ready for the next leg of the trip.  The train to Evpatoria would leave at 5 AM the next morning, so we needed to get to bed early, but I only managed about an hour of sleep by the time her mother woke me up at 3:45 (seconds before my alarm clock went off).  She had breakfast ready and more food to take with us.  After eating, we said our goodbyes and took a taxi to the train station.

Next:  Ah, resort life!

[Dahnlor]

We has 2nd class tickets again for Evpatoria, but since the train had all night to cool off, it wasn't so bad this time, at least at first, so I managed to get some sleep.  It took about 7 hours to reach our destination, though, and conditions were barely tolerable when we finally stepped off the train.  We were accosted by numerous taxi drivers as we walked out onto the street, and at first we fought them off, but it soon became apparent that we had no idea where we needed to go to get to the mini-resort where our room was reserved, so we relented and let a taxi take us.  The cost was 60 grivnas, while taking the bus would have been just 2, but I doubt we would have been able to find the place on our own, so it was worth it.

The place was a little bit out of town and next to an open field where you could see the ocean, so after unpacking we took the 10-minute walk to the beach.  The beach was a disappointment.  There was a small strip of sand and lots of rocks along the coastline, and Natalia was particularly unhappy that there were no concessions to sell drinks or rent umbrellas.  We swam for a little bit, but since we didn't have any sunscreen I was ready to head back before long.  She wanted to lie out for a little bit, though, so I wandered up the beach to what I thought was a shower, but instead was a cold, heartless light post.  After a little more swimming, she was ready to go.  On the way back, I carried the still-inflated air mattress back to the mini-resort, which became a struggle with only a light breeze.

Back in our room, there was more disappointment.  It had AC, but it kept turning itself off.  There was a TV and a refrigerator, but neither worked.  The light in the room kept flickering at random intervals.  On top of all that, the bathrooms were shared with other units.  As much as I tried to enjoy the rustic-ness of it all, Natalia bemoaned how "terrible" everything was.

I was becoming very thirsty again, so Natalia went out to get something to drink, this time returning with a 2-liter bottle of "Kvas", a popular summer drink in Ukraine and Russia.  I was eager to try something new, but unfortunately it just did not agree with me.  Instead I drank the last of our water, assuming that there will be more served at dinner.  When 7:00 rolled around, we went to the food hut and had some more Ukrainian cuisine for dinner:  some cheese-filled pasta in a butter sauce, and something in a cup that I had to ask whether it was a soup, dipping sauce, or drink.  Natalia confirmed that it was a drink.  It was very thick and had strong milk/yogurt flavor to it, and needed to buy water to wash it all down.  Fortunately, they sold water at a reasonable price (5 grivnas for a 1.5L bottle), but their cooler was also not working very well.

After dinner, we took the bus back to the train station so we could get the schedule for the electric train that we'll need to take to Simferopol on Sunday to catch the train to Kiev.  After getting that info, we got some ice cream and jumped on the last bus to take us back before they shut down at 9:00.  Once on our way, somebody told Natalia that we were on the wrong bus.  This was bus number 8, but we should have gotten on the *other* bus number 8.  Fortunately, it did eventually get to where we needed, although we were the last ones on the bus by the time we got there.

By this time, I was beginning to wonder if this was going anywhere.  After having read so much on boards like this about how forward FSUW are and how obvious it should be if they're "into" you, I wasn't seeing all of the things I had thought I should be seeing.  Then on this evening, the discussion turned back to how I had failed to have "the talk" with her mother.  Mother was still very disappointed with me, and it became clear to me that Natalia had the same expectations.  With her disappointment, my own mindset, and the exhaustion from a long, hot, crappy day, my spirits were pretty low when the day came to an end.

Next:  Don't worry, it gets better.

[Dahnlor]

The next morning, we learned that there was a better beach down the coast a little bit, so we took another path that went through some larger bushes and trees.  On the other side, we saw some umbrellas set up, a stage with a DJ playing music, a bar and an area where we could put our things in the shade.  This beach was much larger than the one we visited the previous day, and we ended up having a much better time.  After a few hours we returned for dinner, with more Ukrainian borscht, an interesting fish dish, and the beverage was a nice, refreshing fruit juice.

Natalia had asked about the problems with the refrigerator and the AC, and we were told that there are problems getting enough electricity, causing the problems we were having.  I decided to unplug the TV and my adapter for re-charging my phone, ipod and camera, and set the AC fan to "low".

Things were improving, but there was a lot on my mind.  When we took our afternoon nap (I had told her about the concept of a "siesta"), I told her about the things that were bothering me.  Combining these issues with her own expectations and fears, not to mention the language barrier, it was a touchy conversation, and both good and bad things were revealed about each other.

One of these things was the fact that I had read advice from message boards like this, which had colored many of my expectations, particularly those that were bothering me.  She wasn't too crazy about that.  I needed to reassure her that all the nice things I had done and said were genuine and not done because somebody on the Internet said I should,. like when I sent flowers, I *really* meant to send flowers, and the advice was along the lines of being sure to send 11 and not 12, and ways to have them reliably delivered.  However, there's also a lot of commentary about how FSUW are supposed to behave.

While hashing this out, I realized that I was focusing too much on a check list, and not enough on what was there.  I think it helped her, too, and even though we came close to arguing at times, most of my worries were dispelled, and things got better after that.

By this time I was already getting a bit sunburned and insisted that we find some sunscreen for me.  Fortunately, the new beach had a vendor with some SPF 16 lotion, and Natalia started applying it to me after setting down our beach towel.

While she was doing this, an older guy walked up to us and said something in Russian, and she translated, "He says that I am taking care about you like a prince."  I smiled appreciatively, and he said something else, which she translated again, "He says that you should treat me like your princess."  I told him "kanyeshna".  Later I saw the guy sitting in his chair completely naked, but still, it was a nice moment.  We returned to our room to find the AC still functioning and the refrigerator actually running.  Huzzah!

Next:  Things get kinda fuzzy...

[Dahnlor]

Friday morning, we finally broke out the camera and took some pictures of the beach and the place we stayed while going through our routine.  In the afternoon after dinner, we took the bus into town for some groceries.  I asked if she could find something to help with the sunburn, so she also picked up some "кефір", which I would later learn is a fermented milk drink that smells vaguely like buttermilk.

The "кефір" treatments became part of the routine for the rest of our stay over the next couple of days.  When we went to the beach on Saturday evening, it was much windier than normal, and there were actually some small waves coming on to shore (6 inches or so).  While still milder than the calmest beach in California, it was still more fun to play in the surf than the completely flat waters that were normal.

On Sunday, we said farewell to resort life and packed up for our journeys home.  We took the bus back to the train station, and bought the tickets for the electric train to Simferopol for just 8 grivnas each.  However, the lady selling the tickets was "very angry" and would not tell Natalia where to find the appropriate train.  After some waiting and asking around, she was able to find out where to go, and got on board with plenty of time to spare.

The e-train from Evpatoria to Simferopol was the most uncomfortable mass transit experience I've yet had in Ukraine.  The benches were made of hard wood and were a bit grimy, as were the frames to the windows, so my hands would stick to wherever I put them.  Having gotten on early, we sat on two of these benches that were facing each other, and placed our suitcases next to us to take up most of the rest of the space.

As the train filled up, with as many as 3 per bench, an old lady walked up to Natalia's bench and started yelling at her to move her suitcase.  She moved it enough to allow the lady to sit down, who then proceeded to complain to the ticket-taker about our luggage taking up "her" space.  The ticket lady yelled back at her that she could just move to one of the many other open seats on the train.  The old lady still griped that she wanted only to sit *here*, and gave me a dirty look for the rest of the ride until her destination, which was mercifully close.

We got to Simferopol in time to catch the train to Kiev, and this time we had 1st class tickets.  Not only did we have a cabin to ourselves, but it had air conditioning!  This was a 15-hour ride, and I would need to go to the airport immediately after we arrived, so it was great to finally travel in some comfort.  The ride was pleasant and uneventful, and we took the bus to the airport after we arrived.  The ticket counter wouldn't start checking people in to my flight until after Natalia would need to head back to the train station, so we said our goodbyes in front of the airport as she got on to the return bus.

Next:  But wait, there's more!

[Dahnlor]

The flight home proved to be its own little adventure.  Going from Kiev to Amsterdam was uneventful enough, but then there was the 12-hour layover at Amsterdam-Schiphol.  I had already checked in to all of my connections and only had carry-on luggage, so I got to avoid Dutch Customs and just head to the gate for the flight to Detroit.

I wandered around a bit, taking a while just getting a feel for the place, finding where my next departure gate will be, and seeing where I might be able to pick up some Euros.  I had 12 hours to kill, so I was in no hurry, but I noticed that as 9:00 rolled around, several of the shops started closing down.  I eventually noticed the little green kiosks for changing money, and I put a $20 into the machine and it told me that it will give me about 10.70 Euros for it.  Not only was the exchange rate rather poor, but the 3.50 Euro commission ate up a pretty big chunk.  I canceled the transaction, got my $20 back and considered my options.

The money exchange was right next to Starbucks, so I figured I'd see if they would accept my American money.  Much to my shock, with it being barely 9:30 in the evening, the Starbucks was closed.  Everything was closed.  Even the bar and the casino.  I started walking around some more in hopes of finding something, anything, that was open.  Fatigue started to set in, as did hunger and thirst (at least there were drinking fountains, which apparently don't exist in Ukraine), and I began to feel sore from walking all over this huge airport that had apparently shut down for the night.  I started mumbling to myself "I hate the Dutch, I hate the Dutch...."  This in spite of the fact that every Dutch person I had encountered by then and afterwards was perfectly polite, respectful and helpful.

I eventually happened upon a lounge with lots of interesting-looking furniture set up around TVs and fake fireplaces.  I attempted to catch some rest, but the furniture's modern-art design was apparently intended to be seen and not used.  My hopes were raised when I saw that some of these couch-like contraptions had outlets, so I saw the opportunity to recharge my ipod and phone, but my adapter failed to work when plugged in.  I eventually gave up on my quest for sleep and decided to look around some more for any kind of relief.

Then, like an angel coming down from Heaven, I saw a sign with a little picture of a guy under a shower, and a glorious arrow to guide me to the promised land.  The world around me mysteriously became warmer and more welcoming as I drew closer to my goal.  I was led to a nice carpeted welcome room, kind of like a hotel check-in, with a very polite, respectful and helpful Dutch guy seated behind the front desk.  I croaked, "Showers?"  He replied "Yes, 15 Euros."  He even accepted my Visa card.  Not cheap, but at this point, very much worth it.  I retract anything I might have said previously about the Dutch.

After what was probably the best damn shower in my life, I returned to the terminal refreshed, and to my amazement, I found it alive and teeming with people, even though it was only about 2:00 am.  And just a few paces away was McDonald's, open for breakfast.  Ridiculously overpriced (ie. normal for airports), but again accepted Visa.  Who needs Euros?  Rejuvenated, I decided to head to my gate.  It was still a few hours before boarding would start, but I figured nothing could be less comfortable than the modern-art lounge furniture.  I was wrong.  Nonetheless, I was content to spend the rest of my layover there, as anything else would have required moving.

The flight was due to depart at 7:50, but boarding seemed to begin unusually early at 6:15.  As they started to set up, it became apparent why.  Each gate has a security check, but on top of that, several security personnel set up podiums.  Every passenger's passport was checked, and each group of passengers was given an interrogation.  My lack of sleep didn't exactly help here.  After stumbling through the standard "Who packed your luggage?" questions, I was asked the name of the hotel where I stayed.  I had absolutely no idea what the name of the place was, and ended up going through more details of what I was doing in Ukraine.  After coming clean, I was given an "Oh yes, this is very common," and was wished the best of luck in my affairs of the heart before being allowed through the rest of the checkpoint.  At least I didn't have to take my shoes off.

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it.  Happy Trails all.

[ML]

Great detailed trip report.  Thanks for sharing.

I have one small nit pic about your first trip, because it kept me confused.  You used three different words to describe where you stayed in Kyiv.  Apartment, Hotel, and Guesthouse.  Were they in fact, one and the same?  And, I didn't know there was a Guesthouse next door to TGIF.  Didn't notice such, and I have been there many times.

[Dahnlor]

The name of the place was "Kreshchatyk Guesthouse", which I booked like a hotel, but it's more like an apartment building.  So I was kind of stumbling over what I should call it.  The entrance is in the parking lot next to TGIF, opposite Kreshchatyk street, with a tiny sign over the door, so it would have been easy to miss.

[acctBill]

Great TR Dahnlor, well written and interesting.  Say what you want about McDonald's but I've tried their food in every country in North America and Europe and it all tastes different.  Great for a snack when you're hungry and in a hurry, but I've generally avoided the place when I have the kids with me unless there's no choice.   I've also noticed that the McDonald's in Russia and Ukraine are pretty much as busy as the McDonald's in the EU or North America.  They seem to be picking up too many of the bad habits of western civilization.

As for the showers at Schiphol they're great and despite what you may think €15 is cheap.  At other airports you have to pay the daily fee ( $40+) for the airline's private lounge (if they'll let you in) when all you want is a shower.  I think that every major international airport should offer showers, perhaps large, comfortable lounge chairs to nap in.  For $15 or $25 I'd pay for it. 

[easyukraine]

so never did understand what the talk with her mother was about?? there is a place to sleep at the airport on the second floor i believe.

[Dahnlor]

so never did understand what the talk with her mother was about??

She wanted me to tell her when I was going to propose to Natalia.  That was a little awkward, since it was too early for that, I hadn't scheduled a date yet, and wouldn't revealing such things right there in front of the bride-to-be spoil the surprise?

Regarding Schiphol, I know a little bit of research beforehand would have saved me a lot of pain.  I'm sure that the beds were in the same area where the showers were, so if I find myself there on an epic layover again, that's the first place I'm going.

The €15 for the shower seemed expensive for me because I remembered when traveling by train in Italy 20 years ago, public showers were something like 75 cents.  Then again, those weren't at any airports, and the showers at Schiphol were the Presidential Suites of showers.