My continuing Ukrainian Adventure... Trip 4!

[mobob]

Ah... the married life. So, while I'm waiting for the interminable (sp?) visa process to wend its merry way through our lives, I decided another trip to Ukraine was in order. The wife didn't find out until 0415 Okie time, this past Saturday. After numerous threats of great bodily harm, she acquiessed to my arrival the following day. Wheels up a few hours later and I was on the way. Amazingly, all went well. Not one snafu, a fine US military term, ensued. Even got a super decent airline ticket, half the normal fare!. Like I said, no snafus. I was on time. Planes were on time. Transfers were on time. As usual, for some reason my bags always seem to get molested... I mean inspected, by TSA. Not really their fault, as this time I was hauling nearly a case of Califgornia and Oklahoma wines, half a case of whiskey, and about 20 pounds of good 'ol American chocolate. Guess all that sloshing attracts a little attention. Or it just might be the profile when the bags go through the xray machines. Who knows? Touchdown in Donetsk was a far cry from what I expected. Cold, yes. But snow? Aw, c'mon! So far it's snowed a little every day.

The real reason I'm squawking today is not the brownie points I'm getting for showing up for the Ukrainian 'spring', but to mention the probably expected changes at the border and customs inspection at Donetsk.  It's changed a bunch since last fall, due to the coming Euro 2012 games this summer, I suppose. Immigration has become more intense. Everybody got in line for passport inspections, and inspect, they did. Mine didn't get the magnifying glass as I've seen others get scrutinized, but I was questioned quite heavily about last fall's trip, since the immigration officer couldn't read the stamped arrival date. After much pantomiming and several 'net's, I don't speak Russian' I finally clarified my arrival date and all was well. Next step was where was I staying. Hadn't been asked that before, especially after the immigration rules changed back in Sep 2010 that no longer required filling out the little immigration paper.  It wasn't just the english speaking travelers getting the questioning; everybody was getting the routine. Customs has changed as well. There's still the Red and Green line, green being 'no declarations'. But this time I couldn't barrel on through as I had in the past. The Green line is narrowed down so everything goes through the xray machine. Uh... oh well, we'll see what happens with all those bottles. All was good... as I grabbed my bags as quickly, but nonchalantly as possible, and pushed the stack out the door, looking neither left nor right. Yeah, I kinda bolted. And didn't look back. The only other item of what I think might be important is I'm having a bit of difficulty with my ATM cards. For some reason, even after notifying my banks, they all seem to be limited to 800 hrivna ($100) per withdrawl, even though my limits are much higher. Don't know about my HSBC card since I forgot it at home. Anyway, not a big problem sincу I brought enough cash, just a minor frustration.

So, as usual, I've managed to make a short story long. I did get lucky enough for my trip to inlcude March 8. Yesterday in Volnovaha there were flowers on sale everywhere. In the stores, outside at the market, on the sidewalks. Even in some stairwells. The snow didn't stop anybody from selling or buying.

I brought cameras for travel photos, but not sure if anything's worthy enough to take a picture. All I've seen so far is snow and mud, although at this very moment, at 0823, the sun has broken through the clouds. A good start to the day, not counting the 2 am wake up from jet lag, that is.

Y'all have a great day!

-30-

[calmissile]

John,  Glad to here your back to see wifey so soon. 

What is the status of the new terminal at Kiev?  Is the international terminal the same one as last year for incoming flights?

Glad to hear the flights went well.  How long are you planning to stay this time?

[BdHvA]

Hi, just back from Ukraine used both the newish F terminal is fine and the old B terminal for a flight that was within Ukraine.

The domestic side of B is well Basic a small coffee kiosk with some beer.

The new terminal that is being built looks like a mini Schiphol and promises to be cool if one reads the press.

As for really backward terminals one has to go to L'viv. Hallways, steps and small rooms. A sort of trap door where luggage is thrown threw and the baggage handlers half way finished stop for a nicotine break. But a new terminal seems to half built - will it be open for Euro 2012 - I tend to doubt it - but Ukraine can surprise.

[Daveman]

John the fellow Donetskian!  Heh... 


I heard they were cracking down more with security but even so it doesn't seem the situation is as bad as security was a few years ago when they would open and manually inspect every single bag claiming to be looking for "gifts.


Hope the weather warms up a bit for ya.  Wish I were there now too -- snow or not! heh


Have a great visit...

[mobob]

Hi Dave. Not actually in Donetsk proper, but a village to the south, but still in the Oblast. Plan to be there tomorrow for a run on the market and electronic shops, and then a couple of days next week visiting friends, sighseeing and souvenir & chocolate shopping. Only have 2 kg of chocolate so far, the desired target is 20. Other target is vodka, hence two bags, a carry on and a backpack, but only one change of clothes and skivvies. Gotta have my priorities straight, right? 

The banner on the top of my page here says it's -5 in Donetsk. C, of course. The USD is 8.03 - 8.05 hrivna, but I'll bet that's before the exchange fee, so eight to the dollar still seems to be the norm. Gonna give the atms a try there to see if they're behaving any better than what I experienced in Volnovaha. Or maybe they're all at the $100 limit for now. Who knows?

[Daveman]

Well, Donetsk, Donetskaya, they all look alike anyway. 


Is this you first visit since the wedding trip?


If you have any extra time in Donetsk, you might want to check out a restaurant named Shato (looks like Wato). I can't remember the name of the street, but if you are facing McDonald's there at the square, turn right, and walk to the intersection, turn left and go down about 1 (maybe two) blocks and it'll be on the right.  They serve two excellent steak dishes.. one is a steak covered with pomegranate sauce, and the other is beef medallions with a caramel glaze... MAN, both of those dishes are fabulous..  don't know if you're a "steak" kinda guy, but it doesn't seem to be a high demand meal over there so I put a pin on the map wherever I find a good one. 

[mobob]

They all look alike... hahahaha! Yep. After a very short time, they do. Yes, it's the first trip back after the wedding. Seems all I've done is eat and drink. Ah, what a life! Although this time jetlag is really kicking my butt. Today is the first day I haven't gotten up at 0230. Yes, I'm a steak eater (although the conversion to soup is in progress), but don't know if I'll get a chance to eat at the restaurant. We're heading out in a few minutes, and I've been told there's already a 'schedule' set for me, that includes eating and drinking. Imagine that. I am hoping to get to the market tomorrow for some souvenir shopping and more chocolate. Yes, I do like the chocolate, as do my children and a 'few' friends. Going to try to get some travel photos, too, so all can see the wonderful Ukrainian spring. It's only -1 in Donetsk now. Looking forward to a warm day.

[mobob]

Alas, I never made it to the restaurant, but that wasn't without trying. I was overruled by the ladies. Seems they have a very low opinion of a restaurant's ability to provide a decent meal compared to what they could prepare. One might argue with that, but I thought it an unwise endeavor, so I didn't. We were close, I think, if the McDonald's Daveman spoke about is the one close to the bus station. I was in the area upon arrival and departure from Donetsk, but just never seemed to get the opportunity to wander off without adult (wife) supervision. Not even just to get a photo. Hmm...      maybe? 

Speaking of photos... I did get a few here and there, of a market in Volnovaha and a superstore in Donetsk. In each case, it was with severe admonishments. As in yours truly got busted taking pictures. The locals were not happy about that. Didn't stop me, just had to be really careful after getting caught. I'll post them after I get back and have a little time to edit them, since they're all shot at 10 mp.

About my liver. Has anyone seen it lately? I do believe it's in hiding for the duration of my trip. Last week endured a 'normal' amount of wine and vodka with meals (seemed like every meal) for toasting and such. This week, however, I've outdone myself, culminating last night with a personal lifetime achievement in East/West relations. I kept up, drink for drink, with a roomful of Ukrainians. Twice. In the same night. After dinner in my wife's flat, we walked her friend home and were invited in to say hello to the family. The celebration continued. They are familiar with Jack Daniels, but the Wild Turkey I'd presented as a gift was quite a novelty. Out came the cork! A ten minute visit turned into a multi hour chat of toasts and a delicious plateful of salo. Previously I've had sliced salo. This time it was a sort of spread with some seasonings, on a dark bread. It went really well with the whiskey. Both were 'good to the last drop'! What really topped off the evening was the discovery that her friend's husband and I were in Europe about the same time back in the 80's, but on different sides of the fence. That made for some very interesting conversation.

So today I'm in recovery mode, just hanging out in the flat, watching it snow now and then. Ah... a Ukrainian spring. How nice. Later tonight, samogon! Cheers!

[calmissile]

Mobob,

You are having way too much fun.  Are you sure you want to come home?      Have a great time and I hope you will be bringing Olga to the USA soon.

[Hammer2722]

It's great to be reading your continuing story. Makes me miss my Olenka very much!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, those family dinners!!!!!!

[mobob]

Outdoor Market in Volnovaha.

[mobob]

More of the outdoor market in Volnovaha.

[mobob]

More of the outdoor market, Volnovaha.

I think the candle inside the box - 5497- was to keep the stuff from freezing.

[mobob]

The remainder of our shopping in Volnovaha, in one of the small grocery stores. 5503, a fine selection of pastas. 5505 ... ketchup!

[mobob]

5507 - on the way to Donetsk. It wasn't terribly cold, about -2C, or 27F or so. I'd forgotten to bring gloves, so I had to buy a pair at the market in Volnovaha. Got a decent set for 120 hrivna, about $12, and quite worth the investment.

5510, 5511, 5512, next to the bus station and Komunariv Square in Donetsk. Close to the steak house Daveman mentioned, I think. As mentioned earlier, I didn't (wasn't allowed) make it there, even to take a photo.

[mobob]

Gas prices in Donetsk. 5513, 5515, 5518.

In 5516, the lady is wearing heels and a somewhat short skirt. 5515 they're not wearing heels, but also not Uggs. I thought my photo taking was unnoticed, especially of the the ladies and heels, but alas, I was busted.

Windows is everywhere! 5517

[mobob]

A superstore, Ashan, in Donetsk. It was Walmart, Lowes/Home Depot and a liquor store, all under one roof. There were also some specialty shops at the front of the store. This is where I got about a third of the 40 pounds of chocolate I brought back. I went a little nuts filing almost a dozen little bags. It was a blast; the ladies thought I was crazy. Probably right. I was able to take two photos, then got busted after the one in the electronics section - 5511. Big time no-no. So I had to be kinda careful, or careless, to snap two more before we left, 5523, 5525. Would have been three more, but for some reason the camera was shaking. In 5523, second and fourth shelf, is Stella beer, of which I brought back two bottles on a special request, and were hand delivered this evening, just a few hours ago in Oklahoma.

[mobob]

A trip to school. Q & A  with the first and second level English classes. Brought two travel sets of Scrabble, English version, and four decks of UNO cards, all intended as learning aids for English. After much searching, 'we' found instructions for the games in Russian, to supplement the multi language instructions that came with the games, but for some reason didn't include Russian.

-30-

[SANDRO43]

A superstore, Ashan, in Donetsk.

It's a French store chain:

Groupe Auchan SA is a French international retail group and multinational corporation headquartered in Croix, France. It is one of the world's principal distribution groups with a presence in 12 countries and 175,000 employees.

[Patagonie]

It's a French store chain:

+1

[Daveman]

Very cool shots, John!


My apartment on my last prolonged visit wasn't too far from that round building and bus station - just down the street on Stadioncya, very near the circus.  That's the other McDonald's in that area. heh.. I should have noted that the McD's to which I was referring is the one across the street from the obligatory statue of Lenin.     




How did the students take to the games?  Did they understand your "accent" in English?

[mobob]

Thanks, Dave.

Since it was my last full day in Olga's village and Ukraine, I didn't get a chance to play or explain the games. That shouldn't be a problem as Alex, my stepson, has played each, and the teacher, Svetlana, was also Olga's English teacher, so there's a way to get help if necessary. The games were very well received, by Svetlana, as a teaching tool, I hope, and by the children, again I hope, as something different to do in class besides lessons. What really got the kids interest, though, were the maps of Oklahoma, the US wall map, movie magazines and the picture book of Route 66.

As for my 'accent', they seemed to understand it well enough, as long as I remembered to talk slowly. I have teased that if I speak really loud, they'll understand better. They got the joke and laughed.

My goal is a 'cultural exchange', for the people I meet, in Ukraine, and the ones back here, that I tell about my experiences. The visits to the school appear to be meeting that, as during the last trip, Olga told me several people asked about her and I, since their children had talked about our visit to the school English classes. The games seem to be a good idea. The chocolate definately is, although what I took, bags of mixed Hershey's mini candy bars, is a poor comparison to Ukrainian chocolate. The whiskey and wine were, of course, well received, especially the local wine from Oklahoma. That's the Ukrainian end. As for Oklahoma, about half of the chocolate is gone. I've already gotten several requests for more, and people wanting to know when I'm going back, because they want more, more, more! In each situation, Ukraine or Oklahoma, I get the chance to talk about the people on the other end of my journeys. It's a bit altruistic and perhaps sappy, but I am trying to be a good representative of my country and mankind. I can truly say I've received that from every person I've gotten to meet and know in Ukraine. They've all become friends.

With luck,  I'll be going back in September.

[BdHvA]

As for my 'accent', they seemed to understand it well enough, as long as I remembered to talk slowly. I have teased that if I speak really loud, they'll understand better. They got the joke and laughed.

  Will have to remember that one

My goal is a 'cultural exchange', for the people I meet, in Ukraine, and the ones back here, that I tell about my experiences. The visits to the school appear to be meeting that, as during the last trip, Olga told me several people asked about her and I, since their children had talked about our visit to the school English classes . . .  The whiskey and wine were, of course, well received, especially the local wine from Oklahoma. That's the Ukrainian end. As for Oklahoma, about half of the chocolate is gone. I've already gotten several requests for more, and people wanting to know when I'm going back, because they want more, more, more! In each situation, Ukraine or Oklahoma, I get the chance to talk about the people on the other end of my journeys. It's a bit altruistic and perhaps sappy, but I am trying to be a good representative of my country and mankind. I can truly say I've received that from every person I've gotten to meet and know in Ukraine. They've all become friends.

With luck,  I'll be going back in September.

From my perspective it is a pity that more men do not go with your sensibilities to Ukraine and Russia. You can do more long term good than a bunch of PR idiots with an agenda in Kivy can so go for it.

It is a pity that September is six months in the future. Good Luck.

AvHdB