Crimea

[Admin]

A few years ago when Olya and I were still living separately, we had the opportunity to make a quick visit to Crimea.

Now I was already a pretty seasoned traveler in Ukraine by then and had visited many sections of the country, but Crimea was new to me and I had no established contacts there.

While planning my trip, I mentioned my plans on a BB somewhere, and out of the blue I received this message from another poster saying (very gingerly); "Dan, I know you offer help to a lot of guys traveling to Ukraine, but who helps YOU when you need it?"

Long story short - this guy, Eugene Snezhkin, offered his assistance in Crimea and was outstanding.

One of the most memorable points of the visit was when Eugene took us to Chersones Museum. He had earlier offered to make sure Olya and I could stay at a quaint individual house at Chersones, right on the beach and the same one used by the archeologists from around the globe. Blindly, I rejected Eugene's offer, and we stayed at the massive (and mundane) Hotel Yalta instead. Once having seen this cottage at Chersones, I kicked myself the rest of the trip for not having accepted Eugene's kind offer.

For those interested in visiting Crimea, I cannot recommend Eugene highly enough. My personal experience with him was first-rate.

He has a website now where you can see a little about Crimea and what Eugene can help you see on a visit. The website can be found here -- www.aroundcrimea.com.

Eugene's email address, for those interested is: yudjin_at_cris.net.

Enjoy!

- Dan

[anono]

hi dan, i agree that crimea is a great place to visit especially with a lady. i happen to like foros, which is next to where the russian president and recently kuchma, has a summer retreat. i get a kick out of seeing the warship stationed out front. also, boat traffic is restricted from passing near his beach.

i had a guide and his name is also eugene. i think these two know and maybe even work together to some degree. eugene also has a website http://www.apartmentsincrimea.com

eugene has a well maintained volga and says the westerners like the space. he is also very knowledgeable about krym. we went to balakava, an undermountain submarine base, toured the battlegrounds of the light brigade. the honey from the region is delicious. eugene pointed out the very olf monasteries and fortresses built along the hilltops on the way to simperopol.

yalta is not far away and a good place to visit. but the beaches and the water are not as clear and pristine as the water and beaches at foros.

you are not far from el patri or something like that, the highest mountain in crim, some 3000' with a two stage cable car ride to the top. very worth the time taken to explore with ethnic restaurants at the top. there is also the palace where roosevelt, stalin and churchill signed the yalta agreement as well as the birds nest. i have been to all of these areas of interest twice, august of 2003 and july of august 2004. with any luck i'll be spending some time there in 2005.

the best time to go is middle to late july and early august before all the russians show up.

[Stirlitz]

In addition, you may also want to visit Saki Lake not far from Yevpatoriya. It is a very salty lake. You cannot be drowned. You can lie on the water without moving a limb (even sleep if you like) and you do not sink at all. But make sure the water does not get into your eyes or else you will hit the ceiling!

I too have used the services of Eugene Snezhkin and recommend him very highly! He took us many places that my wife, a seasoned traveler of Crimea, had never been to or even heard about.

Our trip was sensational and Eugene's insights into interpersonal relationships seemed to seal the deal between my fiancee and myself.