Natural Crimea

[Jumper]

great photos, thanks for sharing them!

[Chicagoguy]

Thanks for all the pictures !

[The Natural]

I have spent the day today making the final preparations for my trip tomorrow. I will use the last two weeks of vacation left now and go to the Crimea to visit my girl. Will start the trip from home at 07:45 and land in Simferopol around 22:30. My girl will meet me at the airport and we’ll stay overnight in a hotel and take the bus to Kerch the following morning.

Not much of clothes are needed as it’s still warm and nice in the Crimea. I have packed my bag full of gifts to my girl and her mother, as well as lots of fish in cans. She told me about this Russian documentary or news or something that said the dish-washing detergents sold in the FSU had a dangerous chemical no longer allowed in the EU. If she got it right, it’s benzene which can cause cancer as well as damage the reproductive system. So I will bring over a liter of the stuff we use here, Zalo. Will also bring two big bags of potato chips as the brands they sell there, as well as Ley’s, is rubbish. Also some pantyhose made in Italy.

But most important, I will bring myself. I’m looking forward to the trip. Just hope all the flights will go and on schedule because there’s not much room for errors neither in Tromsø nor in Oslo.

[justme100]

Not much of clothes are needed as it’s still warm and nice in the Crimea

Wouldn't say so..this year September is exceptional cool..unfortunately.anyway, good luck in your trip:)

[Hammer2722]

Safe trip Roy. Have fun in Crimea. I hear the weather is still pretty warm there. My fiance's parents just left for Crimea yesterday for their vacation!!!!

[The Natural]

Wouldn't say so..this year September is exceptional cool..unfortunately.anyway, good luck in your trip:)

Well, the forecast say between 20 and 24 which is just right for me. I'm Scandinavian and can't have it too hot you know 

[The Natural]

Safe trip Roy. Have fun in Crimea. I here the weather is still pretty warm there. My fiance's parents just left for Crimea yesterday for their vacation!!!!

Thanks my friend.

[Faux Pas]

Roy, Thats great news! Enjoy your trip and keep your powder dry 

[The Natural]

Roy, Thats great news! Enjoy your trip and keep your powder dry 

Thank you. Might send some photos from Krim 

[justme100]

I'm Scandinavian

ah,I see.than you are for sure not spoilt as we are here:)
This photo was made this July.

[The Natural]

Oh my! It's too hot in the middle of the summer. Even my girl felt so and they went to the beach early in the mornings because of the heat. But now in september the temperature seems ideal. Here the leaves have started to fall even though we had 15 degrees today. But often windy and rain.
 
We meant to go to Sevastopol this summer but it didn't happen. But it's definetely a city we'll go to. Don't know if we get the opportunity this time though as my girl has made several appointments for me to a dentist in Kerch 

[Faux Pas]

Thank you. Might send some photos from Krim 

Wear plenty of sunscreen and don't blister the pubes or other vitals 

[newjason]

Fantastic photos Natural.
I am glad some of us are having fun this summer 

[The Natural]

Wednesday, September 5:


I came home from work in the morning. It's a very nice feeling to have the rest of the week off from work and know that the following two weeks will be my vacation time. The last vacation this year. But it will be very well spent, visiting my girl in the Crimea.


I only have two tasks set for myself today. To pack my bags and train legs and calves. I pack a little, write down on a piece of paper what is put into the two bags, relax and think and thus remember more things to pack, do the training in-between and so goes the day. All is packed and I watch some TV before going to bed quite early as I have a big day tomorrow.


Thursday, September 6:


I woke up 05:45, some 20 minutes before the two alarms. Got ready, had a shower, some food and a final chat with my girl on Skype before my mother and I drove to the airport, some 45 minutes from home. Stopped by an ATM on the way and took out 400 Euros. They're not perfect and crisp, so it will be exciting to see if they will be accepted in Ukraine.


The Dash-8 from Andenes is on time and I don't have long to wait for the flight from Tromso to Oslo either. I checked in all my flights online and printed out the boarding card. But in Andenes they were able to tag my checked-in bag all the way to Simferopol and gave me a new boarding pass, all flights in one piece of paper.


I had about 90 minutes in Oslo and as I didn't have to check-in my bag, I took it easy and bought a few things in the tax-free area. I also took out 500 US dollars and these were like brand new, in perfect condition. The flight from Oslo were pretty full. I was seated next to the emergency exit, so I had more legroom in a plane than ever as right in front of me, there were no chair, just open space. The guy next to me jokingly asked if I paid any extra for that. He and the guy next to him were going to Riga on business for a couple of days.


But in Riga I had a long 4 hour wait for the next leg. Not much to do. Had a little to eat, some coffee and cigarettes and went to the passport check a couple of hours early, just out of boredom. In Riga, this is like leaving the Schengen area for parts unknown. It states on a big sign that after you enter here, service will be on a minimum and you can't return! Well, I checked in and went into the D area. While I was there, there were flights going to Russia and Ukraine that I could hear on the speakers. It's just a room with chairs and two small stores selling some stuff. I sat down and just looked out on the tarmac, watching planes and vehicles come and go. The boredom were somewhat lessened by observing a young Ukrainian mother struggling with keeping control over her 2-3 year old child as he was running around, screaming and stumbling on people, including me 


The flight from Riga to Simferopol weren't packed, so I was sitting by the ailes, alone in the three row of seats. A grandmother in the seats behind me were travelling with two children, a boy and a girl. She asked me, first in Russian which I of course didn't understand, if the boy could sit by the window on my row as the plane was taxing out. I naturally said yes and lifted the boy in place and watched his excitement as we took off. I smiled at him and as is often the case with children, he looked away. On flights I always take off my shoes for added comfort and as did it, I saw the boy observing what I did and he proceeded to take off his own sandals  [size=78%] Later on I gave him a couple of coins. One was change from Riga and the other a Norwegian crown with a hole in it. He accepted and a little later as the grandmother handed him some drink and chocolate, he tore off a piece and handed it to me. So sweet. [/size]
As they were leaving the plane when we had landed in Simferopol, I took it easy while people were departing and the two children and the grandmother said goodbye to me several times. Nice.


It was a very short bus ride to the terminal. We might just as well have walked. When you enter the arrival room in Simferopol the first thing is immigration control. I presented my passport and unlike the previous two trips to Ukraine I wasn't asked to present a staying address. I just was handed back the passport and went to get my bag which I didn't have to wait for at all and sailed through customs with no problem and was greeted by my girl in the arrival hall. She had arranged for a taxi which took us to the hotel we were going to stay in for the night in Simferopol. It sure was nice to see the love of my life again and I know for sure the feeling was mutual.

[The Natural]

Fantastic photos Natural.
I am glad some of us are having fun this summer 

Thanks my friend, and there's yet more fun to be had apparently, hehe.

[The Natural]

Thursday evening:

We arrived at the hotel, Vena, late in the evening. It's a new hotel and the standard of the room and elsewhere are very good and also inexpensive as we paid only 280 grivnas or around 35 dollars. The room was large and the bathroom of OK size. Our room was overlooking the street and had big windows from floor to ceiling.


We were both tired from our trips and it was very nice to go to sleep after settling down.


Friday September 7:


We got out of bed as our breakfast was delivered to our room. That was a big breakfast at 50 grivnas each. I went out to the hall and had a cigarette with coffee and there was this young man sitting there also. After a while he asked me something in Russian and when he found out I didn't talk any Russian, he tried to talk in English. Like with so many Russians, they have learned English in school but forget most of it later on because of lack of practise. But this guy knew enough to be able to hold a conversation to a certain degree. He's 21 years old, a student on holiday in the Crimea. He came from the Russian city of Voronezh together with his girlfriend and two other girls. I said to him he's a lucky guy to be travelling with three girls, he just smiled. They were going to drive to Yalta later on in the day.


My girl called a taxi and off we went to the bus station in Simferopol. It was a warm and sunny day and I'm glad I chosed to wear shorts rather than pants. What I dread the most when travelling is the almost 4 hour long bus ride. But fortunately it wasn't too hot in the bus like in the summer. But it's demanding to sit still for so long and I was counting down the time for our break in Feodosia.

[The Natural]

Friday:

After 2,5 hours on the bus we finally stopped for a break in Feodosia. While my girl went to the ladys room, I went out and kept an eye on my bag in the trunk of the bus, before going to the area where people were waiting, with something good in my plastic glass and a Marlboro or two. As I were leaning up against a bench I were approached by a guy who asked me something in Russian. He too could only speak limited English and at first I thought he was trying to get me to go to see a cinema show or something. But I soon understood that he asked me if I could go and stand a few meters further away, so that the camera crew could film me. I hadn't recognized it before, but right behind me were a camera crew with a professional camera, microphones and so on.


I asked this guy (see photos) what they were filming but he didn't know. It's a documentary or news story or something I suppose. But he did say it's the Russian channel 1, so look out for that if you can, hehe. Maybe I will get one or two seconds in the limelight 


Then my girl waived at me from the bus. It was time to go. I told this guy I had to catch the bus and we shook hands and said good-bye. It was now only a short hour drive to Kerch where we were met by my girls brother/in/law and his 16-year old son and he drove us to the apartment of my girl.


Saturday, September 8:


It's a sunny and warm day today too. We will go out now, to the city centre and exchange the Dollars and Euros into Grivnas. It's wonderful to be back in Kerch. This is my third trip in just over one year and I like it better each time.

[calmissile]

Natural,

Sounds like you are having a great time.  It will be 2-3 weeks before I get to Crimea.  Right now I have been waiting for my luggage for 3 days in Kiev  (Thanks to Air Chance ----Air France) which lost my luggage in Paris.
I am enjoying your trip report.

[The Natural]

Natural,

Sounds like you are having a great time.  It will be 2-3 weeks before I get to Crimea.  Right now I have been waiting for my luggage for 3 days in Kiev  (Thanks to Air Chance ----Air France) which lost my luggage in Paris.
I am enjoying your trip report.

Oh, you're in the country now. I think you're staying here for a pretty long time, right?
Irritating about the luggage. Be good and have a real nice holiday. Don't forget to write a travel report.

[The Natural]

Saturday, September 8:


We went to the centre today, walked around a little and found the best exchange rate for our dollars and euros. We exchanged 500 dollars and 340 euros and got a little over 7000 grivnas. I calculated we saved around 60 to 70 grivnas from the worst to the best exchange rate. We got a rate of 8,14 on the dollars. We remember it was 8,04 back in May.


We decided to go and have lunch at an outdoor restaurant by the sea. I ordered lasagna and my girl had some maccaroni and meat and we both got soooo tired after eating, that we had to lie down and sleep a good while when we came home.


Sunday, September 9:


Today is my girl's birthday! We took the marshrutka to the marked where she bought some dishes and food and went to the supermarked after. She has invited her sister, sister's husband, their son and the mother of my girl. Now she is preparing the food as the guests are coming at 1800. I enjoy a bottle of shake cocktail and go in and out when I want to smoke. I sit on a bench just outside my girl's apartment as it's not yet occupied by the baboshkas. I find it strange that nobody but the baboshkas just sit out in the yard relaxing in the sunshine. Just some parents and grandparents playing with their children on the playground and at night young people sitting outside drinking and making a lot of noise.


My mother gave me 500 crowns as a present to my girl. That comes to about 700 grivnas and I said to my girl that she can choose what to do, either get the 500 bill and bring it with her when she travels to Norway, buy food and things, or I take the bill and give her the grivnas so she can spend it now. Guess what she chose.


The weather is very warm and nice today, even hotter that yesterday. Back home it's windy and wet and a friend of mine wrote that there's already snow in the mountains. Boy am I glad I'm here now and I will make the most of being with my girl and her family and enjoy the last few days of the summer of '12.

[Anotherkiwi]

...I enjoy a bottle of shake cocktail and go in and out when I want to smoke.

C'mon, you promised you would give up! 
 
Anyway, enjoy this wonderful time with your special lady. 

[The Natural]

C'mon, you promised you would give up! 
 
Anyway, enjoy this wonderful time with your special lady. 

I will, I will .... just not right now, hehe. After all, I'm in a country where you can practically smoke everywhere and it's so amazingly cheap. I'll just smoke up my quota when I'm back and THEN I promise to quit.

[Chicagoguy]

Those babushkas on the front benches are really KGB 
They know everything that goes on in the building. Love em !

[mc3]

Hello every one
After reading The naturals thread and all these posts that he got..
Im a little confused  .. Do i spend dollars in Ukraine  or Grivnas
Do i need both on hand ? I have the flatt took care of just need spending
money for goin out wirh my lady friend and bus or train rides..So what money
do i need ?
mc3

[The Natural]

Those babushkas on the front benches are really KGB 
They know everything that goes on in the building. Love em !

Yeah, hehe. Today my girl remarked to me saying now they're sitting there again talking about other people. Don't they have their own lives?

Hello every one
After reading The naturals thread and all these posts that he got..
Im a little confused  .. Do i spend dollars in Ukraine  or Grivnas
Do i need both on hand ? I have the flatt took care of just need spending
money for goin out wirh my lady friend and bus or train rides..So what money
do i need ?
mc3

Hello mc3,
You use grivnas in Ukraine. It's just that I prefer to bring with me some dollars and or euros just in case my cards fail for one reason or another.