Summer/Fall trip to Ukriane

[calmissile]

Yesterday (Thursday) was so event filled it is difficult to remember all that occurred.
To start the day off I got two great examples of Ukrainian service.... NOT!
First thing I wanted to do was get some breakfast.  I had hoped to sit at the outdoor cafe on Velyka Morska and watch the pedestrians while I enjoy the fruit filled pancakes.

The first thing to realize is that it can take 10 minutes before anyone comes to wait on you even though you are in plain sight.  The waitress knew no English but indicated that my selection was not available on the menu.  Based on the photos, I chose the next best thing that appeared to be an open omelet with meat.  It was available.  Next thing was asking for an ash tray which she did not understand.  Making a smoking gesture, she finally got it and after another 10 minutes she brought one.  I watched this gal for over 30 minutes and she never talked to any customers and was 100% business with minimal communication with everyone.  She never had any expression on her face and never cracked a smile the whole time.  Reminds me of what someone in a forced labor camp might be like.  The male waiter was not much happier about his job either.  He intitally went to get me an ashtray and ended up dropping it on the concrete and had to clean it up as well as wait on another customer.  The female came back with the ashtray.  I hope these folks have a better social life at home than they display on the job!  Waiting for the check takes them at least 10 minutes and another 5-10 minutes to get your change.  Just for grins, I thought I would leave a large tip to see if it improved her disposition....Nope!  Not a smile or a thank you.  Anyone stopping for a cup of coffee should expect it to be a 1/2 hour endeavor.

The second instance of their great service was when I was looking for soap for washing my clothes.  I went to a smaller market I had been to the day before that had an English speaking young woman.  When I arrived, there were two women holding the door part way open.  I said 'excuse me' wanting to pass them and enter the store.  They were smoking a cigarette and one of the women told me '3 minutes please'.  I assumed that they were counting cash inside or something that they needed to close the store for a few minutes.  Nope...... I had to wait until they finished their cigarettes before I could enter the store.  LOL

My friend Sveta lives in Nikolaev and it was the primary reason I came here.  When in Kiev she said to call her whenever I arrived in Nikolaev.  Unfortunately she did not respond to my SMS messages or Emails and I was beginning to think I would not hear from her before I was scheduled to leave on Friday, the following day. The apartment manager indicated that if I wanted to extend my stay, I would have to switch apartments.  I had decided to leave on Friday as planned at 1 p.m. as the manager had arranged.  I already had booked a room at the hotel in Berdyansk for Friday night although I had no idea how I was going to get there.

Sveta is recovering from a car accident and had been in the hospital when I was in the US but was getting daily treatment at the hospital for her recovery.  At around noon, she finally answered my SMS and wanted to know where I was.  She explained that she had been sleeping the day before when I sent her the SMS and she did not understand that I was already in Nikolaev.  At any rate she was busy all day at the hospitals and would be free in the evening.

At this point, I had not seen any sights in Nikolaev and decided to go to the zoo as it is touted to be the best zoo in all of Europe.  When at the store I took advantage of the woman that speaks English and inquired about where the zoo is and how to get there.  She said to take a taxi and it should be no more than 30 grivna.  Great, now to find a taxi that speaks English.  Not easy to do here.  The first taxi driver that understood (with some difficulty) wanted 50 grivna.  The money was not a big issue for me, but getting taken advantage of is an issue.  I refused and continued looking for another taxi that was not so greedy.  After going through this same exercise several times, I found a taxi driver that with the help of another driver finally understood I wanted to go to the zoo.  It would have been easier if I had known to say that I wanted to go to the park rather than the zoo.  I offered the guy 40 grivna and he was very happy to take me.  Still no English, but he smiled and was clearly friendly.

A tip for newbies.... the taxis that are new and modern can charge up to 2X the price of the Lada clunkers.  For me, if I am only going a few miles or less, I don't really care.  Might as well take the Lada taxi, they have always got me there.  For longer journeys, particularly if I have my luggage with me, the extra for a more modern taxi is worth the extra money.

A good example of this occurred last year when Irina and I arrived in Mariupol after a train ride from Cherkassy.  Irina went to a taxi in the parking lot and asked the cost to go to Primorsk.  It is a ride of 2-3 hours. The first driver quoted her a price she did not like and she then walked to another taxi and asked him.  His price was 1/2 the price of the first taxi and a modern car also.  It was a nice ride and no reason to have paid 2X the money for the same thing.  Just a tip for how to deal with the taxis.

Upon leaving the zoo there were no taxis nearby and very few driving down the busy street.  There were a lot of  packed buses, but I had no clue what bus to take and did not want to hold up a bus driver trying to explain in English if this was the correct bus.  I finally walked a few blocks to what looked like a busy intersection.  There were 2 taxis waiting  so I approached one of them.  A very large guy with his beat up Lada taxi.  He did not understand my request, so went to the other taxi driver and between the two of them, they deciphered the address of my apartment that I had stored on my cell phone.  A good idea to always carry your address with you at all times. I offered him 40 grivna for the trip.  He said no,  30 grivna as he wrote 30 in the dust of the hood of his car.  Great, a taxi driver that is not greedy.  LOL  It was comical watching this huge guy get into the drivers seat.

Sveta (nurse) called me on the cell about 6 p.m. and wanted to meet.  She said she lives about 1/2 hour drive from city center and wanted to know if I would help with cab fare.  I told her no problem.  She had a hard time finding the apartment so we met at the McDonald's under construction. I had bought flowers for her earlier in the day hoping I would get to finally meet her in person before leaving on Friday.  We got in her cab and she said we were going to pick up her girlfriend from her work and she would join us.  Reasonable, I suspect as a safety measure for a first meeting.  She suggested we go to a  quiet place to talk and have something to drink.  Her English was very good.  She indicated that since the accident, she has been studying English at home during her recovery.  In two months she knows English well enough to carry on a conversation.  I was surprised.  I had promised to bring her a Pimsleur English course many months ago.

We  went to a nice restaurant that she said was a Georgian atmosphere.  I know nothing about Georgia but the place had small rooms with drapes across the entrances for privacy.  We ended up in a larger room with a glass table.  The waiter asked about drinks and I asked Sveta if she drinks Vodka.  She said she prefers Tequila.  We ordered Tequila for the both of us and the girlfriend ordered American whiskey.  It also was a surprise that she smoked.  She said she started after the accident.  In fact both gals smoked.  We ordered appetizers and we were shooting tequila shots and making toasts until we left.  With all the food and drinks I was surprised that the total bill was only  $70.  The prices of Jose Guervo on the menu were from $ 100 to $ 600 per liter.  Seemed outrageous to me.  LOL

After dinner we took a taxi to the apartment so that I could give her the language gift and say goodnight.  She was a little upset that I did not stay for the weekend, but I had already made reservations in Berdyansk and had to be out of the apartment at 1 p.m.  the next day.  The night ended with a very warm kiss.  I gave her taxi fare to take her home

Friday morning, I got an email from one of the gals I hoped to meet.  She had not read her emails for a few days and was disappointed that I was leaving and hoped to meet before I go.  We will see....

Friday morning's task was to figure out how I was going to get from Nikolaev to Berdyansk.  I already knew there was no practical train routes between the two cities.  I was unable to find anything on line about the bus schedules, yet I knew that Irina takes a bus from Primorsk to Odessa to purchase goods for her store.  I finally contacted Demetre on cometoukraine.com.  He looked up the bus schedule and the departure times were 7:05 pm 8:50 pm and 10:30 pm.  I was to be out of the apartment at 1:00 p.m. so this left a problem of what to do for those hours.  Of particular concern is that I would have all my luggage with me and it is not practical to walk around town with all that in tow. The apartment manager called and asked about my departure. I requested an extension until 6:00 p.m.  He said OK and he will meet me at the apartment to get the key and then drive me to the bus station.  Great, that problem is solved.

Having a few hours before departure would give me time to wash my underwear which was now getting to the bottom of the stock of clean ones.  This led to the next challenge!  The apartment has a clothes washer but no place to hang them to dry.  I decided to get them washed and then try and find a solution to dry them.  I placed the underwear in the washer.  I still had not found any washer soap, so put in a little dishsoap hoping that it would be OK.  The washer ran for a little bit and then stopped.  Furthermore, the door would not open.  My clothes were trapped in a foreign machine with no English instructions!!  After several minutes of screwing around with all the knobs and banging on the door, it finally opened.  I took the clothes out and they were dripping wet. The machine had apparently not done a wringer cycle.  At this point I was not going to risk loosing them in this machine again, so I washed them by hand
in the kitchen sink.

Now the problem was figuring out how to dry them in the 3 hours left at the apartment.  I had previously discovered 3 ways to dry clothes in an apartment without a clothes dryer.  Last year, Irina held my underwear over a gas kitchen stove when we were in Kiev.  It was time consuming but it worked.  When in Cherkassy a few weeks ago, I observed Maria drying her jeans with a hair dryer just before we departed for the night club.  Of course, the obvious way was to hang them out, but there were no clotheslines outside the balcony at this apartment.  Time to improvise.  There was no hair dryer at this apartment, so that is out.  There is an ironing board and iron however.   I figured that a steam iron gets them wet and they still are dry when done, so why not try that.  Well, that did not work very well.  It made hot wet clothes.  LOL   Finally, I hung them over the stove and turned all the burners on.  Isn't it amazing how the knobs and handles on the cupboards are placed so that your clothes can never hang properly to dry?  I finally found a few clothes pins and hung them above the fire on the stove.  It seems to we working better than the iron method.  As long as they do not catch on fire, I will be OK.

This is a real pain in the ass.  Perhaps the more experienced can give some clues of better ways to take care of drying clothes when you are unable to hang them out on a clothes line.

[calmissile]

Friday evening.  Departure from Nikolaev.
My last deed in Nikolaev was to get a bite to eat and be back at the apartment by 6:30 p.m. for my ride to the bus station.

I went to my favorite outdoor cafe and hoped I could be out of there in less than an hour.  It was 5:30 and I thought I had a good chance.  I noticed that the unfriendly waitress from the day before was much livelier today.  When I signaled for her to wait on me she pointed to another waitress that I had not seen before.  Guess what?  She must have inherited the sluggishness of the other one during the night. LOL

I ordered the pancakes again and again was told they are not available.  I selected an innocent looking Pizza from the photos and requested black chie (tea) and an ashtray.  The ashtray arrived in about 10 minutes and the tea arrived in about 15 minutes.  I already knew that you don't get a teapot with hot water, only one 3/4 filled cup of hot water and a tea bag.  I was wondering how long it would take for the pizza because I wanted to drink the tea with the pizza, not before.

The pizza finally arrived in 40 minutes. I asked for the check when she brought the pizza because I had to eat it, pay the check, and be back at the apartment by 6:30.  In spite of asking for the check several times all I got was a stare back and a nod. After wolfing down the pizza I finally got up to go inside and ask for my check.  She did not have it but told me the price.  I quickly paid her and out of the change handed her a 5 grivna tip.  She actually smiled and said thank you.  Amazing, I finally got an expression out of one of them other than a frown. LOL

When I got back to the apartment at 6:25 the driver was waiting and said I was late and was supposed to meet him at 6:00.  I told him that he told me 6:30 and it would take 5 minutes to be ready. The cleaning lady he brought with him was waiting and followed me up to the apartment.  I rushed into the apartment ahead of her, turned off the stove and quickly got my underware off the kitchen cupboards.  It only took 5 minutes to get the laptop packed up and was wondering why the driver had not come up to the apartment.  The luggage was very heavy and he must have remembered carrying it up 4 flights of stairs when I arrived.  Took 2 trips, but got it down myself.

I told the driver I would give him 50 grivna to help me purchase the bus ticket and get me on the right bus.  He accepted.  When we got the train station he went to the ticket window and after conversing with the agent, told me that there were no seats available on the 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. bus, but there was a seat on the 9 p.m. bus.  I had him buy the ticket and he determined where the bus would arrive. I now had a 2 hour wait, which was not too bad other than it gets me into Berdyansk later.  It would now be about 5 a.m.  I did not have the hotel number handy, so just decided to go with the flow and deal with it later.

There was some kind of director in ordinary clothes that greeted every bus and talked to all the drivers and many of the passengers.  I was not sure what his duty was but he checked the manifest of each bus before it departed.  I had the Cyrillic name of the cities written on the ticket so had an idea what to look for as the buses came and went.  Finally I asked the guy about my bus.  He knew absolutely no English but gestured that this one was not my bus. I asked about how the luggage was stored on the bus and he just sort of blew me off and went on to talk to other customers.  I did not know if the driver takes care of the luggage or one of the other people that seemed to be handlers for the terminal.

The bus arrived a little late but the name on the bus matched the name on my ticket so I was pretty sure that it was the right one.  I brought my luggage over to the front of the bus, still not knowing what to do with it.  I had noticed that people waiting to board the buses stand outside the bus and do not board it until the last minute.  Not sure if this is because you have to wait for the driver to tell you it is OK to board, or because they just don't want to board until later. As I was standing there wondering what to do the 'director' came over and gestured that this was the right bus. I then pointed to the luggage and he told me to take it to the left side of the bus.  OK, did that!  After waiting in line for the others to get their baggage put in the compartment, the handler told me to take it to the opposite side of the bus.  Great, I don't have a clue WTF is going on.  I take it to the other side and there is no one there and the baggage door are closed.  I gestured to the 'director' that the other guy told me to bring it back over here.  He then took my ticket and gave it to the driver.  After some discussion, they decided that this is the right side of the bus for Berdyansk luggage.  Finally, the driver opened the baggage bin on the right side.  He wanted to put my computer bag in the bin also. I indicated no, I wanted to take it on the bus.  Not only did it have all the computer stuff in it, but my passport as well.  He finally won out and I gave him the computer bag as well.   

I was concerned because last year Irina had a box of goods for her store taken by someone at one of the stops along the way between Odessa and Primorsk.  The thought of loosing my passport and all my computer stuff was not comforting.  I was a little less concerned when the driver attached plastic, numbered tags to both bags and gave me a plastic chit with the same numbers on it.  Maybe they have better security for suitcases than all the bags and boxes that were stored with no tags.

When getting on the bus, I was not aware of if there were any seating requirements.  I chose a seat and a woman shooed me off toward the back of the bus.  This was repeated a  couple of times, and finally I just went the very last bench seat at the back.  Before we left, every single seat was taken.  I had no idea if there was a toilet on the bus as it was not obvious.  A woman in the terminal that knew some English did not know either and told me some have toilets and some do not.  She then assured me that the buses stop about once an hour at rest stops that have toilets.  That's good news!

The bus was rather warm inside with all the people heat even though the night air was cool.  I fired up the Galaxy tablet and followed the trip on the GPS.  I had purchased a Ukrainian map for the GPS program and it worked very well.  The bus did stop about every hour at rest stops.  I now know where Kherson and some of  the other cities are located as we stopped along the way.  The 'toilets' at every single stop were the famous Ukrainian porcelain holes in the floor.  Not a western toilet in any of them.  Fortunately, they all have urinals.  I had deliberately not eaten any more than the pizza earlier and limited my liquid intake for this very reason.  It was difficult to imagine going 8 hours without having to use their Ukrainian toilets, but I mangaged.  LOL

At 5 a.m. we were at a rest stop and I turned on the GPS to see where we were.  As the unit was booting up the bus driver came back and said something in Russian.  I asked "Berdyansk".  He nodded his head so I scurried off the bus to the baggage bin.  I could see both bags were there, and handed the driver the two plastic chits he had given me earlier.  I noticed that he checked the numbers on both the tags and the chits, which gives me some confidence of their security of luggage.  I have no idea what the other passengers do that have no tags on their boxes and bags from shopping.

Here it is 5 a.m. in the morning on a dimly lit terminal.  I could see two taxis at the rear of the bus.  An older guy came up to me and said 'taxi'.  I tried to explain that I need to go to the Berdyansk Hotel.  All he said was da, da, da and took my bags and put them in the back seat of his beat up taxi.  He talked in Russian while we were driving but I did not have a clue what he was saying.  Finally he got louder and louder and it was clear he was trying to ask me something.  All of his da, da, da earlier must have been to get me into his cab before the other driver could approach me.  At one point, he pulled over and after some more lack of communication, he pulled out a pad and pencil and apparently wanted me to write the destination down.  I wrote Berdyansk Hotel. He did not recognize the English and was getting frustrated (as was I).  He wrote numbers down as though he wanted the address.  I had no idea of the address because the reservation was all done on line.  Finally, I made the gesture that I wanted to sleep.  He finally figured it out and more da, da, da.

We arrived at the entrance of a multistory hotel and everything was dark.  There were not any lights on even at the entrance.  This was not a good sign!  The cab had left and took my luggage up to the front entrance and found the doors locked.  There were no lights on inside.  My immediate thoughts were, do I sleep on the porch until someone shows up, or where do the homeless sleep?  As I was contemplating my dilemma, I saw a shadow coming toward the door.  What looked like a maintenance man or night watchman finally unlocked the doors.  I brought my luggage through the doors and a dim light turned on at the reception desk.  There sat a cute brunette wiping the sleep from her eyes.  It was obvious that she sleeps at the desk at night.  I had already told them on the phone I wanted a double bed.  After being quizzed about why does only 1 person need a double bed, they had agreed to give a room with a double bed.  The receptionist found my reservation and quoted me 400 grivna per night.  I thought it would be less based on their web page ads, but I was in no mood to argue about it now.  I could see that even after agreeing to the price, she was having a hard time figuring something out.  Finally she said 400 grivna per night and 200 grivna for today.  No problem...... just give me the key and let me get to sleep!  She told me 1000 grivna total, and I handed her my Visa card.  Now the fear sets in.  She responds that 'only cash'.  I knew I had only 200 grivna left in my wallet.  I asked her about a bank machine ATM?  She finally said go to the bank tomorrow.l  Relief, I finally got the key and set out to my room on the 4Th floor.

The lobby was still not lit and I was wondering if I was the only guest in the hotel.  I found the elevator and pushed the call button.  The button stayed in.  Hmmm, did I break it?  As the elevator arrived, the button popped out with a loud click sound.  Interesting, I had never seen this kind of control on an elevator.  When I pushed the 4 botton for my floor, the button also stayed in and upon arrival at the floor the button popped out with a loud pop sound.  I guess the all the floors selected have their buttons stay in and then release as the floor is reached.  The grinding noise and vibration in the elevator sounds like a wire cable that is not properly wound around the drum.  The shaking and bouncing was like I have never experienced on an elevator.  Since I am on the 4Th floor, I figure worse case I have only 4 floors to fall if it breaks.  LOL

When I got to the room, I did not bother to unpack anything.  I used the first western toilet I had seen in 8 hours and piled into bed.  Did not even care when I would wake up.

[calmissile]

I woke about 10 a.m., too late for the free breakfast.

My priority for the morning was:
1. Get the laptop onto the internet
2. Go to the bank and get grivna
3. Find the shop within the market that I purchased the moped from last year.
4. Try to locate the English speaking gal that tried to assist Irina and I when I bought it.
5. Determine how to launder my clothes since the hotel advertised laundry capability.
6. Find out how to take the bus to Primorsk.
7. Get the hotel staff to turn up the temperature on the water heater.

In a normal place this should take 2-3 hours max.  Not here.  LOL

It turns out the hotel only has wi-fi on the first floor.  No rooms have wi-fi or direct connection.  This is a problem. I have become so dependent on the internet.  Even my language translator programs require it. My first thought was to try and find an open wi-fi connection I could snag onto.  No luck!  The few that are showing up are all secure.  Two that are not secure will not connect and are very weak.  There is one very strong signal with the name  office_wan.  I decided to try and locate the business that has the site and offer them a fee for the password to use for a few days.  I used to have a directional wi-fi sniffer but must have taken it out of my computer bag because I never use it. For another approach, I decided to take the Galaxy tablet for a walk and see if I could locate the business that way. After about 15 minutes of circling the block I cannot pick up the signal at ground level.  So much for that idea!  The next idea was to try and marry the laptop to my Kievstar account via the cell phone.  Turns out the laptop does not have bluetooth.  I think the last time I tried this I had purchased a bluetooth USB adapter and naturally, it is not in the bag. 

Next thing was to try to marry the cell phone to the tablet since I knew it had BlueTooth.  I was able to get the devices to talk to each other, but was unable to access the internet via the cell phone. Probably a configuration option I have not figured out.  At this point I give up on the internet task and move on to the next one.

The bank was a piece of cake.  Paid the hotel and asked them about where to do my laundry.  No communication other than she said 'Monday'.

I also asked about turning up the temperature of the water heater in the room (it is sealed).  After much difficulty she said 4 or 5 p.m.  I assume she meant that someone would come to unlock the thermostat at 4 or 5.

I located the open market we had been to last year.  After spending an hour trying to find the moped shop, I finally stumbled upon a restaurant that I was sure we had eaten at last year.  I remembered it had a western toilet.  LOL  I then knew I was in the right area but could still not find the shop.  I approached 3 gals and asked if anyone spoke a little English.  They answered no.  I then said moped and made a gesture of riding a motorcycle.  The gals pointed down the street.  It did not look like a promising lead but what the hell, down the street I went.  It turns out that a block away is another open market.  Sure enough I found the shop.  I looked over what they had for sale but they were all too small for my purposes.  I inquired about the English speaking gal that sold fishing lures last year.  The owner was not sure what I was talking about and asked his partner to come forward that speaks a little English.  I made the same inquiry and he was not sure either.  Finally I gestured, the one with the big boobs.  Instant communication!!!  They both laughted and took me over to the stand that she worked at last year.  They inquired about how to contact her.  The woman they were talking to cracked up about the boob reference and looked her number up on her cell.  OK at least part of today's mission was accomplished.

It was late afternoon by now and I decided to wait until tomorrow to investigate how to catch a bus to Primorsk.  There are a couple of gals there that I have been chatting with and I also wanted to visit Irina's mother and Irina's kids that I had become so fond of.

I really needed a map of Berdyansk, so went about trying to figure out where to buy one.  I approached a gal on the street that spoke English and she told of a magazine shop that probably has one.  I went off in the direction she pointed and did not find the magazine shop, but instead found a book store.  After some confusion, one of the clerks understood what I wanted and they located a nice map of Berdyansk.  It is even on no-tear mylar or something similar.

I remembered that I had no provisions in the room so lit off to buy diet Pepsi and some snacks for the room.  Found a local supermarket and got stocked up for a couple days.

At about 5 p.m. there was a knock on the door of my room.  Finally, they are going to turn up the heat on the water heater.  Nope!  Two middle age women were there wearing some kind of aprons or uniforms.  Neither knew a single word of English.  This was fun.  We could not talk at all, and I had no idea why they were here.  The translator program would not work without the internet and I was screwed to be able to communicate.  I have gotten pretty good with gestures over the years so finally we learned that they were here to take care of my laundry needs.  One of the gals went over to my suitcase and gestured that she should take the clothes.  She also picked up the clothes that were dirty sitting nearby.  The next problem was to figure out when I will get them back.  She had nearly all of my clothes in her arms and I did not want them delivered next week after I was gone.  All the time both women were laughing and seemed to think the communication problem was funny.  My concern was if I will ever see my clothes again.  Finally, I pulled up a calendar on the laptop.  One of the gals pointed to today's date and then pointed to tomorrows date (Sunday).  It seemed strange to get them returned on a Sunday, but at this point I was lucky that we figured out this much of the task.  I asked how many grivna and got a response I did not understand.  I then opened my wallet and said 'grivna' and pointed to the clothes.  The gal waved her hand as though there is no charge.  We will see tomorrow if I am buying new clothes.  LOL

I got a SMS from L in Kiev that she is in trouble.  Something about tenants leaving in Yalta and she might have to leave Kiev.  Did not know when she would return to Kiev and her mother and daughter.  The message was garbled and I could not understand the whole picture.  I called my terp in Cherkassy and asked her to call her and find out what is going on.  She responded that she had no money on her cell account and was having her birthday party.  I wished her happy birthday and told her to borrow the money from my friends and I would pay her when I return to Cherkassy in a few days.  She responded that she would call me tomorrow.  It seems like one fire after another.

It's Saturday night but I am rather tired.  I have to go out and get some dinner, so might look around for some night life while I am out.  Since the maintenance guy never showed up to change the water temperature, I suspect I will have a cool shower in the morning.  BTW when entering the elevator the last time I saw a sign in English that indicates that hot water is available from 6-10 a.m. and 5 -12 p.m.  You gotta be shitting me!

[calmissile]

I am glad I went out for dinner.  The city has a totally different atmosphere.  The main street is pedestrians only and filled with people.  Everyone is happy and having a great time.  The locals seem to have a little more respect for their city than Kiev. Instead of bottles and trash all over the sidewalks and streets, they seem to put them in the trash bins.  It's also quite obvious it's a college town with all the young lovers necking on park benches and walking hand in hand down the street.

Upon leaving the hotel, I notices some kind of lantern or balloon being launched from the square near the hotel.  It had the appearance of being fueled by a candle or something similar.  I watched it for maybe 10 minutes before it became a spec in the night sky, still burning.  I asked one of young guys sitting on a bench where to buy them.  He indicated that they are not for sale and were from some kind of promotion or celebration.  I don't think it would go over to well lighting one off in California or any other dry place, but really wanted to see  how they are made.  At any rate if someone is familiar with these objects, please post in the alternate thread what you know about them.  It sort of reminded me of the stories about the Japanese sending balloons over the Northwest part of the US during WWII, in order to start forest fires.

Finding a restaurant was a bit of a challenge. It seemed that every one had a private party going on.  The tables were always in a banquet formation and it appeared that there were no people in attendance that were not part of the party. I finally found a restaurant that looked like no party was going on, so sat myself and waited for service.  A beautiful gal of college age came out and asked what I would like to order (in Russian).  I asked if the had an English menu and she responded "No, only Russian".  I then asked if the menu had photos, and she replied yes.  When she brought the menu it was all in Russian and there were no photos.  I have yet to master the Russian names of food, so was not sure what I was going to do.  Shortly thereafter, she delivered a plate of food to one of the 3 guys sitting at the next table.  It looked good and I was hungry.  I told her to bring me whatever she served him.  This gal was cheerful and always smiling.  What a difference from Nikolaev.  I also ordered a Tuborg beer.  I had the first one ever in Nikolaev and found it quite satisfactory.

She brought my dinner and it turned out to be battered and fried chicken steak and was delicious.  The beer even tasted unusually good.  The dinner also included mashed potatoes and sliced cucumbers as well as bread. I noticed that this restaurant was no exception, there was the local cat that hangs around.  But in this case the cat looked well groomed.  It went up to the table of the guys next to me and quietly sat and waited.  One of the guys finally gave it some table scraps and it sat quietly and ate.  It never did any begging or was a nuisance.  At the end of my meal, I wanted a cigarette but had ran out.  I bought one from one of the guys at the next table.  They did not speak English, but were quite friendly.  Upon their departure, the guy I bought the cigarette from came over to my table and asked if I had any $1 bills.  In fact I had only one $1 bill left in my wallet.  I gave it to him for a souvenir and he gave me 10 grivna.

After dinner I decided to walk down the street until I get tired.  I suspected that this was the same street that ends up at the Sea of Azov, but was not sure.  It had been a year, and when you are following someone else you tend to not pay that much attention.  On the way I heard some loud Latin music.  Following the sound, I came upon a restaurant that another party was going on.  It was obviously a wedding party and everyone was having a great time.  One of the gals standing outside having a smoke spoke some English.  She said that it is a private wedding party.  They certainly know how to party after a wedding.  LOL   It turns out that all of the restaurants and bars were having wedding parties tonight.

Meandering down the street, it ended just where I expected.  At the seawall of the Sea of Azov.  There was a huge ferris wheel at the end that I did not remember from last year, but the other landmarks were familiar.

Time to return to the hotel as it looks like there are no public/open bars or dance places tonight. Upon returning to the hotel, I had taken the trip report that was stored on the laptop and went down to the first floor to post it.  I could not get the internet to connect.  I entered the password that was written down for me and the gal confirmed it was correct.  After about a half hour of messing around, I asked the clerk to enter the password.  Presto, it worked.  I had watched her enter it and discovered that she had written it wrong on the paper.  For the number 1 she had written a 7 in one case and later in the sequence she had written a 1.  I corrected it with a pencil and now had the key.

After sending off the post,  the translator was now working so I asked about the temperature of the water heater.  In a few minutes, one of the guy clerks gesture for me to follow him to my room.  He tested the water and confirmed it was not warm enough.  Instead of changing the thermostat he decided to have me change rooms after he had tested it in another room.  OK, now to move all my stuff from one room to another and return the key  to the desk.

After getting settled in the new room, I remembered that I had purchased a USB phone modem from Kievstar.  It was next to useless at the dacha in Cherkassy and I had forgotten about it.  I decided to give it a try, not knowing how much credit remained on the account or how fast it eats it up using the internet.  It worked like a charm, so now I have internet in my room.  Problem finally solved.  The English speaking gal that sold fishing lures told me to meet her at the moped shop at 9 or 10 in the morning, so off to bed I go.  Hopefully tomorrow will have fewer challenges than today.  LOL

[calmissile]

Today (Sunday) actually went fairly smooth.  There was a knock on my hotel room door at 9:30 a.m. and the two gals were there with my laundry.  I figured out they are hotel maids and that is what the uniform/aprons are about.  There were 13 pieces of clothing which included shirts, socks, jeans, underwear.  The total bill was 147 Grivna (about $18).  Not too bad considering all the problems I had with the washer in the Nikolaev apartment.

I had received an email in the middle of the night from a gal in Primorsk asking if she could come to Berdyansk to meet me at 2 p.m.  I had already planned to go by bus to Primorsk today and visit her and my ex-fiance (Irina's) mother and children.  I told her to send me an SMS and I would meet her. 

The first mission was to meet the fishing lure lady at the moped shop per our scheduled 9-10 a.m. appointment.  I stopped by the open market where we were to meet and several guys recognized me from last year when Irina had a tantrum and made a scene over the fishing lure gal talking to me in English.  There was a lot of ribbing and laughing.  I did learn that her name was Olga.  She had not shown up yet and it was after 10 a.m.  One of the guys made a gesture of flicking his index finger against his throat, indicating that she tips the bottle a little and probably is why she is late.

At this stage, I was not going to wait around to see if she was coming.  One of the guys gave me directions to the bus station so off I went in that direction.  It's about a mile, so a decent little walk.  I had written down the names Primorsk and Berdyansk and carried them with me.  I stopped at one of the cashier windows and asked about a bus to Primorsk.  The gal could not speak English, but pointed for me to go around the corner.  I did so and found a larger bus terminal with several windows, even though only one had a clerk.  We finally got my destination and fare figured out.  I asked her what time, by pointing to my watch and it was only 10 minutes away.  None of the signs matched the name I had put down and as I was wandering from sign to sign looking at the destinations, the original women came up to me and I indicated I was trying to figure out which stall is the correct one for the bus to arrive out.  After looking at all the signs, she could not figure it out either.  She asked some passengers that were waiting and at one of them.  The folks told her that this is the correct one.  Great, now I know where the bus was to arrive at. The minibus showed up on time and off we went.  It's only about a 30 minute ride, so no big worries. 

As we got about 8 miles out of town we came to a roundabout that I had remembered from last year.  It was the place where Irina and the paid moped driver had pulled off the highway.  We were behind them in a cab.  After the tantrum in Berdyansk, the final solution was for the paid moped driver (a customer of the shop) and Irina to ride the moped to Primorsk while I followed in the cab.  Irina was still pissed about me talking to the fishing lure lady that had been trying to assist us.  After pulling off the road, they had gotten off the moped.  The driver looked sort of stunned, not knowing what was going on.  I felt the same way.  She finally motioned for me to come and get on the back of the moped.  I paid the driver and the taxi and off we went.  I think she decided to get even with me by making S-turns over both lanes.  Needless to say I was a little worried since it was a highway.  At any rate, the intersection brought back memories of that incident over a year ago.  LOL

The bus arrived in Primorsk and I recognized the surroundings around the station.  I was pretty sure I could navigate to the open market where Irina has a stall.  I was not sure I could remember all the twists and turns to get to her house.  My attempts to call her on her cell, as well as her daughter had failed earlier in the day.  Her house phone also appeared to be disconnected.  No choice but to go to her shop or try and find my way to the house.  As luck had it, was able to find the open market.  I expected to see Irina working, but her mother Nadia was tending the store.  She recognized me immediately, even though she had no idea I was coming.  After the hugs and kisses, she mentioned making borscht for me.  I agreed and was planning to take a taxi to the house.  I asked which house to make borscht.  She indicated Irina's house.  I made a gesture that Irina was likely to sock me in the chin, and she laughed and in her broken English said “It is OK, I love you."  In trying to get her to write down the address for the taxi we had a communication problem of what I wanted.  She eventually, gestured that she would put all of her goods away and then we would go together.

While waiting for Nadia to close up shop I walked around the market looking for a pair of tennis shoes that might have a Velcro strap rather than laces.  I have found it very awkward and cumbersome to get my shoes on and off when entering homes and apartments due to the laces.  I did not find exactly what I was looking for, but found a pair that has sort of an elastic flap above the tongue.  After trying them on, I decided they would suffice and purchased them. The price was a little less than $20.  The laced pair that I had bought in the same market a year ago were holding up very well, so guessed that these might be a quality shoe also.

When we went to leave the market for a taxi, I noticed we were going out the back rather than the front where the taxi was.  I asked what we are doing and Nadia just grabbed my hand and indicated to follow her.  In the back parking lot, we came upon the moped I had bought Irina last year.  My thoughts instantly moved to thinking granny is going to drive the moped with me on the back.  As I was standing by the moped wondering what was next, Nadia pointed to the rear of the lot and said ‘Look’.  It was  23 year old Max coming toward us (Irina's son).  Nadia said ‘Taxi’ and pointed for me to get on the Moped.  Max drove us to Irina's house.  I was very apprehensive about going there without Nadia's protection.  LOL.   After arriving at the house there was no one coming out to greet us so I waited for Max to go in first.  He motioned for me to go, so I quietly went inside.  I had no idea what happened to Nadia or where she went.  Once inside I met Vika (14) and we did our hugs and kisses.  Vika brought up the translator on the computer and I asked where Irina was.  She responded that she was away. I asked when she would return and she said she did not know.  I asked if she could call her and find out if it was OK to be there and Vika said that her phone was not working and she did not take it.  OK, it looks safe for a while.

A short time later, Nadia showed up on her bicycle with a bag of groceries.  She indicated that she is going to make borscht for me.  As Nadia was cooking in Irina's kitchen, the kids and I chatted via the translator program.  In addition to visiting them, I was curious as to whether the room addition ( 50% increase in the size of the house) had been completed.  Max took me out to survey the progress.  The room was to become a master bedroom, shower, spa, toilet.  Unfortunately, very little had been done since I left.  Max indicated the electrician quit when the money ran out.  Max had added a bathtub in the room and had built a new square brick shower behind the new room.  I had no idea why she did not put the shower inside the new room as planned, as you would not have to walk so far in the cold on a winter night.  I asked if the refrigerator and washing machine I bought them was still working.  Vika gave me a hug and a thumbs up.  I remembered that she liked ice cream, so no doubt the refrigerator is her favorite.  LOL

Nadia wanted me to spend the night, but I told her that I already had a room in the hotel in Berdyansk and needed to get back.  The borscht was fantastic as usual and she tried to stuff me as she always does.  We said goodbye and Max took me to the bus station on the moped.  It was a nice visit and since I am not sure I will ever see them again, I am glad I took the time to visit them.  With Irina out of town, the planning could not have been better.  No fights, no scenes, no vodka, just a great short visit.

While sitting in the bus waiting to leave, I noticed we were a little late.  The driver had been gunning the engine during the stop and it sounded like the engine was missing.  Wonderful, the bus was packed and I can not imagine the next bus having room for everyone.  The driver left and showed up a few minutes later with a bunch of wrenches.  After pulling off the vinyl engine cover, he opened a large hatch and started working on the engine.  From the smell of it, it seemed he was looking for a fuel leak.  I guess the bus drivers are their own mechanics on the road.  After several minutes he put everything back together and buttoned it up.  He was greasy all over his hands and arms.  Diesel engines are notoriously dirty and greasy.  He disappeared for a few minutes and came back looking like new.  LOL  The trip back to Berdyansk was uneventful.

After dark I was walking in the square next to the hotel and from a distance noted a couple with one of those lantern things I was curious about.  I raced to get there before they launched it, but did not quite make it in time.  By the time I got the camera out and ready, the gal had let it go.  Like the other one, it slowly rose into the night sky with its light flickering for quite some time.  I inquired about purchasing one and even though they did not speak English, they pointed down the street and said “magazine shop”.  OK, close enough, I will check it out in the morning.

As I was about to return to the hotel and call it an evening, I could hear loud music nearby.  I followed the sound and came upon an indoor/outdoor nighclub.  I decided to go inside and have a beer.  The place was packed with women.  In fact there were 10 sitting at two tables that had been pushed together.  They all looked like they were in their 20’s or early 30’s.  No doubt all students at the local university.  Since I love to watch peoples behavior, I decided to have a few more beers while watching these gals contort on the dance floor.  I was beginning to think they were all go-go dancers with a night off.  LOL
Some of the sexy moves these gals do on the danced floor is enough to keep me drinking beer all night!  One of the gals was really hot.  Probably as close to a perfect 10 as I have seen to date.  She also knew it and flirted and shot glances at me and a few other guys in the crowd.

While being entertained by the dancers, I noticed two couples at a table near mine that included a couple of beautiful gals.  One of the boyfriends/husbands was rather sober and the other little guy was obviously very drunk.  Throughout the evening, it was interesting to watch them.  The drunk guys girlfriend was about 6 inches taller than him and he was barely able to stand, let alone dance.  He was also asking every other woman in the place to dance while his girlfriend sat and chatted with the other gal.  This guy eventually found a cooperative gal to dance with him for quite a while.  Watching his girlfriends animations and expressions was a riot.  At one point it was clear that she was venting to her friend and she had both of her fists knotted up indicating her boyfriend was in for a surprise later.  What surprised me was that the gal he was dancing with seemed to care less that he was with someone else.  Eventually, the gal got so pissed that she and her girlfriend, got up from the table and left the bar with the sober guy still sitting and the drunk guy still on the dance floor with the other woman.  It would have been interesting to have overheard what she has said earlier, but the animations were probably enough to get the drift.

In addition to the hotties on the dance floor, there was one attractive lady that seemed to be having a very good time and was sitting somewhere behind me.  She had danced with an older guy and I assumed she was with him, so did not pay much attention to her other than than to express a brief compliment in English as she walked by earlier.  Probably a half hour went by, and coming off the dance floor alone, she stopped at my table and said she wanted to talk in English.  She sat for a few minutes, and we exchanged names, etc.  She then excused herself for a few minutes saying that she was going to rejoin her parents.  I waited for a while and she eventually returned and invited me to join her at their table. I did not realize it earlier, but she was sitting with what looked like a whole family of people.  She introduced me as Douglass to all the people and announced I was an American from California.  It turns out it was in-laws, parents, friends, and a couple of relatives from Moscow.  They drove down to visit them. She said it took only about 5 hours.  Kind of hard for me to believe, but I did not have a map with me.  Everyone was very happy and jovial.  We all were drinking toasts, and the singing DJ came over to the table and had a toast with us.  We drank several toasts to Ukraine and America and the gal reminded me that we had 2 Russians with us and should include them as well.  Sure, why not some more toasts LOL.  When the DJ went back on stage, he announced my presence and played our national anthem.  Everyone in the place cheered and applauded.  Nothing like Ukrainian hospitality!    It was already 2 a.m. and my friend told me she has to get up at 6 a.m. to go to work.  She works one week on and then has one week off.  Bummer!  She said that tomorrow was her sons birthday.  The rest of the family decided we were getting married on the following day and she reminded them that it would have to be the following day.  At his point everyone at the table was leaving to go home and we all hugged and shook hands.  My friend asked when I was leaving and I told her I was not certain.  A nice good night kiss and off they went.  She had said that if she got out the following night it would be after 10 p.m.   All in all, a very nice evening.  I was not interested in hitting on anyone and was not sure what my plans would be for leaving Berdyansk.

[calmissile]

Monday----
My mission for the day is to find out more about the 'airborne' lanterns.  After breakfast, I walked in the direction that I had been given the night before.  I could not find a magazine shop and no one knew where one was.  I eventually asked a group of 3 guys that were probably in their late teens about the lanterns.  They spoke no English, but the animations I made were adequate to describe it.  One of the guys tried to give directions and seemed to know exactly where I should go to purchase one.  The directions were a failure due to the language barrier, and one of the other guys said "Go with him".  We walked about 6 blocks and he led me to what looked like a bridal shop.  Inside were all kinds of fireworks, balloons, and party supplies.  I thought this was a strange combination until I connected marriage=fireworks.  Also, marriage=partying after the wedding.  LOL.

The young man explained to the very attractive clerk what I wanted.  She asked a question that I could not answer.  She then took a piece of paper and drew a heart and another peaked item.  I did not know if she meant that the heart represents a love symbol or if the lantern was shaped like a heart.  In any case I bought four of them for 50 grivna each. I could see inside the plastic bags that my suspicion was correct.  The fuel pellet was a block of what looked like parafin, but there was no wick.  Close enough, it was likely that customs would not think I was smuggling explosives into the US.

I noticed that the instructions were in Russian only.  My little helper decided he was going to help me get it translated.  I tried to tell him that it was not necessary.  I asked him for directions to the hotel and he insisted that he take me there.  I wondered how I was going to get rid of this guy.  I like hospitality, but I did not need a sidekick for the rest of the day.  He even stopped a bunch of chicks and asked them if they speak English.  When we got to the hotel, I was able to convince him that I was OK on my own.  Only after exchanging phone numbers was I able to get loose.  Later I was thinking that this would have been a good way to inquire about hooking me up with a local gal.  I guess I was too interested in the lanterns to have thought of it.  LOL

Upon getting to my room I was determined to see how the lantern works and what assembly was required, etc.
The lanterns are very thin paper with a metal wire ring around the bottom and two crisscrossing wires in the ring.  The block of fuel looks like parafin but a little different.  I was contemplating light one of them up in the room just to photograph it.  I had it all planned. I did not want to burn down the hotel so I figured I would light it off in the bathroom and could throw it into the shower if necessary to put out the fuel.  As a precursor, I would take the block of fuel and light it in the sink to characterize how it burns.  Glad I decided to try this first.  The block burns like you would expect, except that it looks like cotton is embedded in the parafin.  I suspect that this is done to prevent the 'candle' from blowing out if any wind caught it.

Well, the fuel burns just fine and with a hard blow I was able to extinguish the flame.  One thing I had not counted on was that the parafin melts and drips off as it burns.  It also expands in size considerably as it burns.   Not too good of an idea to have parafin all over the bathroom floor.  In addition, there are smoke detectors in the room, so decided to forego the indoor testing.  Probably just as well.  LOL

I have concluded that these devices are a symbol of love or affection and that is why the couples are launching them in the evenings.  If someone knows the proper name for these devices and the history of their use, you might post in the alternate thread so we all can know.

Evening came and I had still not figured out the next leg of my journey but thought I would get up early and do it the next morning.  I could hear music from the night club next door and even though it was a Monday night, I decided to go and see if my friend from the night before was there.  As I entered the club, the security guard recognized and personally greeted me and suggested a table.  One of the very animated guys from the night before also recognized me and waved.  The DJ made some kind of announcement and once again, everyone knew an American was there. Everyone was warm and friendly except the waiter.  He was next to useless!  He took forever getting me a beer and when I paid him, I gave him more than the bill and he kept insisting on something that I did not understand.  I tried to give him more money and he shook his head and was frustrated.  It took about 1/2 hour but he finally came back with my change.  It appears that he wanted a smaller bill and could not make change.  I guess he must have left and made change at a nearby store.  I encountered this a couple more times since and the clerks in the stores are also rather aggressive about making sure you don't have smaller bills as well as coins.

At any rate, there were fewer women in the bar and I could not see my friend from the night before.  I planned to stay just a little while and watch the dancers.  I noticed a couple of women sitting at a corner table that were occasionally  glancing in my direction.  They were not 10's, but nice looking and nice figures.  One of them was pretty active dancing and has some nice moves that kept my interest.  At one point I finally had the balls to move my drink over to the table next to them.  One gal is a stunning blond and the lively one is shorter and a brunette.  I sort of took a fancy for the blond but the shorter one was paying more attention to me.  I asked the blond if she spoke English. She said yes.  It became clear that this was going no where with the blond, the other one made sure that she sat between me and her and was soon sitting on my lap and asking me to dance.  She used the blond as an interpreter.   The blond was very nice and friendly but it became clear that she was not going to mess up her friends dreams.  After an hour or so, the blond leaned over to me and said "She wants you".  Uh, really?  She is in her 30's and never mentioned any age difference.  What is a man to do?  I have not planned the next leg of my trip and this evening could easily prevent me from doing it early in the morning!  Oh well, as they say.... go with the flow!

The only things I will describe is what might be important to newbies that have not experienced Ukrainian women.  As it is said, if they like you and want you, there is no ambiguity.  The women are in charge in the intimacy department. They determine who, when, how, under what conditions, etc.  I am also impressed at the hygiene of Ukrainian women.  Not only is the secret clue words "I am going to take a shower", but there are likely to be several showers during the night as well as in the morning.  Enough said.

Mid morning was interrupted with a phone call and my friend got called into work on her day off.  Time to get the planning done for the next leg of the trip.  I plan to go to Kirovograd.  One of the gals told me that she thought it is about a 6 hour bus ride.  There is a gal at the front desk of the hotel that speaks a little English.  She has been rather helpful in the past, so I asked her to find out the train and bus schedule to go to Kirovograd today.  She researched it for me and told me that there are no train routes and the only bus trip is at 08:20 in the morning.  It was already past 10:00 so that option is out for today. 

Useful information for newbies.... the train schedules are very much curtailed off season.  The overnight trains seem to be cancelled and a lot of other routes are cut way back.  Even the bus transportation is significantly reduced.

Not having much choice, I bought a ticket for Kirovograd bus transportation tomorrow morning.  Instead of the 6 hours that the gal in Kirovograd quoted me it is actually more like 13 hours and it is a minibus, not a large one. I think this leg is going to suck!  I am not sure of my plans for tonight. I have to get up early and am a sound sleeper.  I guess the question will be whether to risk being called or nudged in the morning.  LOL.

Before leaving Berdyansk, I wanted to offer an opinion about Nikolaev vs. Berdyansk.  From what I saw, I think Nikolaev is over hyped by the MOB agencies.  I also did not find the people that friendly either on the street or in the stores and restaurants.  Berdyansk is a little off the beaten path, but is a great city to visit for many reasons.  It is on the Sea of Azov with warm water and nice beaches in the summer.  Based on my experience, once the ice is broken the people are the friendliest I have found in Ukraine so far.  It may not be everyones cup of tea but there are a lot of beautiful women here and they do not appear in huge numbers on the dating sites.  Just a suggestion for those that may want to explore part of Ukraine that does not get the attention of Odessa, Nikolaev, Kiev, etc.

Lastly, we can't go more than a couple days without a public toilet story.  I forgot to add it to the Sunday report at the bar.  Having drank several beers, it was finally time to use the bathroom.  The security guard was kind enough to point out the direction.  Upon getting there, I noticed that there were two doors to the toilets, but in this case I could not tell that there were any signs telling which was the men's and which was the women's.  The gals standing in line did not understand the question.  After standing for a while, I noticed that women were coming in and out of one of the doors and the other door never opened.  Finally, after the women filed through I got tired of waiting for the other door to open so went into the one the women were using.  After entering it became apparent why they are not labeled.  The toilet consisted of the famous Ukrainian porcelain bowl in the floor.  The same appliance for either sex.  At least in the unisex toilets in the Cherkassy bar there were western toilets in every stall.  I also noticed that in most cases two women came out together.  That makes me wonder if there is some functional reason that the women go in pairs.  It is not like the  western 'powder rooms' where there is a lot of room, there is barely enough room for two people to squeeze in there.  It is also not an environment that I would think conducive to having a chat with your friend.  In one case, two men came out.  That raised my eyebrows, but after thinking about it,  I am beginning to think there is something functional, that an assistant would be helpful.  Perhaps someone with direct knowledge can fill us in using the alternate thread.

Attached are some photos of Julie (nurse friend from Nikolaev) and I having dinner.
Also some photos of the 'lantern' that I bought.  The white block is the wax like fuel for it.  And yes, it is heart shaped although I did not get a photo of the top of it.

[calmissile]

Another attempt to upload the photos

[calmissile]

THE DAY FROM HELL!

It was a few days without Internet so I am reconstructing the past few days with the help of a calendar and my memory.

Tuesday  Oct 9

After my overnight guest went to work, I decided to purchase the ticket for Kirovograd via bus.  It is 13 hours by minibus.  In the evening I decided to blow off the 13 hour trip by bus.  I was just not ready for 13 hours in a minibus!  I advised the gals in Kirovograd that it would have to be on the next trip.

There were no options to go anywhere the rest of the day, so extended the hotel for another day.  I had decided to try and get to Cherkassy and spend a few days with my friends before leaving for the US.  I had asked the hotel clerk about train and bus schedules to Cherkassy.  She was unable to contact the train station in Berdyansk and indicated that it would be morning before they would reopen.  I requested that since she would be on duty until 9 a.m. that she call them first thing in the morning and then call me and wake me up in time to get to the train station.  I awoke at 10 a.m. on Wed morning and she had not called. I went to the desk and inquired what had happened.  She called the gal (now off duty) and she had explained that there are no trains from Berdyansk to Cherkassy, but probably from Mariupol.  She did not bother to ask them when she called.  The clerk at the desk tried to reach the train station in both Berdyansk and Mariupol and could not get an answer to the phone.  She suggested that I take a taxi to the train station and inquire in person.  OK  did that!  The taxi driver spoke some English and we inquired about a train from Berdyansk or Mariupol.  The clerk indicated that the only trains from the region to Cherkassy are from Zaporizhzha.  I would need to take a bus from Berdyansk to Zaporizhzha and then board a train to Cherkassy.

I was already getting frustrated!!!  The taxi driver returned me to the hotel.  I packed my belongings and got ready to take the bus to Zap.  The clerk called the bus station in Berdyansk and was told the time of departure.  I called another taxi and off to the bus station we went.  This driver spoke no English.  He made a call to an English speaking dispatcher and I explained that I was going to Zap on the bus and needed the driver to help me buy the ticket.  She said OK and gave instructions to the driver.

Upon arrival at the bus station, the driver went to the window and inquired about a bus to Zap.  We were told there are no buses to Zap, only Kiev and some other places I had never heard of.  Frustration grows!!!  The English dispatcher suggested that I take the taxi to Zap.  He wanted 1000 grivna.  At this point I was very frustrated but figured if I could at least get to Zap, then at least I could get on the train for cheap and get to Cherkassy.  I agreed to the price and off we went.  It was 1:45 P.M. in Berdyansk.  I had no idea how long the ride would be.

I noticed that the gas gauge was reading empty as we left Berdyansk.  About 10 miles out of town the driver called the dispatcher on the cell and handed me the phone.  The woman explained that he needed to stop for fuel and I would need to leave the car.  She said to not get alarmed. OK, I can deal with that!  I had already been through this on a previous taxi ride.  While I waited about 50 yards away on an entrance road the driver fueled the taxi and then picked me up.  I noticed that the gas gauge was still reading empty.  OK, it must be broken.  I also noticed that the driver was always fiddling with the odometer and watching the time.

The next stop for fuel, I got left even farther away from the pumps and it was only about an hour since we last got gas.  Same exercise as before.  Standing out in the cold and waiting for him to fuel.  The next event was that the driver got lost in one of the little towns.  It seems that the highways dump into the small villages but there are no signs as to how the hell to remain on the highway route.  Finally after about a wasted 1/2 hour, he found his way out of the village to the highway.  Relief for the moment!

Finally we arrived in Zap after more fuel stops and getting lost.  We arrived at the train station.  The taxi dispatcher had already called and verified the departure time from Zap to Cherkassy.  The driver went to the window at the train station and I could tell there was a problem and there was arguing with the clerk.  He called the dispatcher and she talked to the clerk and more arguing took place.  Finally the dispatcher told me that they lied to her, there was no train from Zap to Cherkassy.  I was wondering if I was being screwed over for a long taxi ride, but i don't think so.  The driver was getting pissed and it was clear that the info they had been given was incorrect.

Next stop was to the bus station in Zap.  The dispatcher had the bus schedule and there should be no problem taking a bus to Cherkassy from Zap.  Guess again!!   When we arrived at the bus station the driver went to get me a bus ticket to Cherkassy.  More arguing with the clerk and more phone calls to the taxi dispatcher.  Finally the dispatcher told me there is no bus or train to Cherkassy from Zap.  By now I am starting to get pissed!  It is already getting dark and the taxi driver was very frustrated.  I have to hand it to him, he did not leave me stranded but did not know what to do.  More calls to the dispatcher.  The dispatcher said that the taxi could drive me the rest of the way to Cherkassy for an additional 1200 grivna.  I countered with another 1000 grivna for 2000 total rather than 2200 grivna.  After more calls to the dispatcher, the driver agreed to 2000 total.

It was already dark and cold outside, so at least I will be in a warm taxi.  After once again getting lost in Zap, I fired up the Galaxy Tab and the GPS program.  With the help of the GPS, I got him on the correct highway for Cherkassy.

Out of Zap a ways, he was once again looking for a LNG special filling station.  He was unable to find one in the little town.  I don't know how many regular filling stations we passed to look for his special station.  He finally gave up and pulled into a normal gas station.  I noticed he went to the trunk of the car and did something.  He put in 4 liters of gas.  We are off again.  I notice that the gas gauge now reads about 1/8 full.  Now have this figured out!  The taxi runs on LNG, but he can switch it over to normal gasoline.  How many hours we spent screwing around with the out of the way LNG stations, I do not know but it was a lot!

A few more fuel stops between Zap and Dnipropetrovsk.  Now it was late at night and getting dropped off on a pitch black night over 100 yards from the fueling facility was not comfortable.  I was still in my short sleeve shirt and very light jacket for my ‘bus ride’ to Zap.  In Dnipropetrovsk he got lost again trying to find one of the special filling stations.  At this point I fired up the GPS and got him back on the highway.  Many, many more fuel stops between Dnip and Cherkassy.  I used the GPS and noticed that the battery was getting low in the Galaxy so would turn it off between each crisis.  I noticed in every little town that he got lost in, he would be looking over at my lap hoping that the GPS turned on.

In one case he was lost and the battery went dead before he found his way out of town.  At that point I shrugged my shoulders and gestured he was on his own.  When getting close to Cherkassy, he asked for me to call my friend Andrew that was going to pick me up. Prior to arriving in Cherkassy, he pulled across the oncoming lane and parked beside a car that had its parking lights on.  I sat there wondering ‘what now?’  A minute or two later, my friend Andrew came to the taxi and said hello.  He bought a newer car and I had not recognized it.  As I got into Andrew's car I noticed the two of them talking for quite a few minutes.  It was pretty clear that the taxi driver was trying to get directions on how to get back home.  LOL

I had no idea why we met on the highway still out of town, but Andrew informed me that they are at the dacha, not at the house.  It now made sense why we stopped out in the boonies.

This was a 13 hour taxi ride with no stops for food.  It was fortunate I had a couple of Snicker bars with me for my ‘bus ride’ to Zap.   Needless to say, I was relieved to find that I was still alive after this ordeal.

I learned numerous lessons from this adventure.  Most might be obvious to the more seasoned travelers, but you can be assured that I will not forget them…….
1.    Do not travel to the villages in Ukraine in the winter.
2.    The bus and train transportation are severely curtailed after the summer season.
3.   Don’t take a taxi on a long trip that uses LNG.
4.   Don’t take a taxi at night for a long trip.
5.   Don’t’ believe anything the bus or train stations tell you until you show up and have a ticket in hand.
6.   Take your own GPS……. You might need it!
7.   Take at least $2k more than you think you might need for your trip to Ukraine
8.   In this kind of situation, don’t’ panic!  The driver is motivated to survive and you will likely also.  If you piss him off, it could make matters worse.
9.   Remember, you probably had worse days in your life, even if you can’t remember them.  LOL

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Update,

It's been rather quiet the past few days with no crisis to report.
I decided to return to Kiev from the dacha in Cherkassy a little earlier than planned.
On Saturday, Julia (interpreter) took a taxi with me to Cherkassy bus terminal and got me on the right bus for Kiev.
The bus trip was uneventful and I was picked up by Val's driver Andrea.

The apartment I was put in was a nightmare.  It was only $50, but not worth even that.  The elevator was inoperative the whole time and more importantly, there was no light at all in the stairways.  At night it was pitch black.  I now understand some of the stories I read about dark stairways and landings where a thug could be waiting to mug you.  It is not a comfortable feeling at all.  In addition there were several other problems with the flat including the washing machine that has no rinse or spin cycle working.  Furthermore, it locks your clothes inside and the door cannot be opened.  Great fun!

On Monday I changed to a different apartment that is much nicer.  More modern, and everything works.  LOL
Larisa and I have been together every day after 3 p.m.  We have decided to go to Sevestopol for several days before I depart for the US.  I was successful in changing my departure date to add one week to my stay with Larisa.  The cost for the penalty was $545.

I have learned a lot about shopping in Ukraine.  Larisa is a common sense gal that also likes to get the most for your money, and we share that common goal.  I only had a very light jacket that I brought with me from the US.  It was great until the past week or two.  It has now gotten chilly during the day and cold at night.  Also there is intermittent rain and drizzle day and night.  It reminds me much of living in Seattle, Washington.  Larisa and I went shopping for a leather coat for me.  We went to many places looking for something I liked.  Finally, she called her 19 year old son and he suggested a couple of stores.

Here is the lesson......
The fancy stores both above ground as well as the ones below ground have retail prices and they do not seem to negotiate prices.  The markets that are found in huge warehouse like buildings as well as the small one man shops in the outdoor markets have the same goods for far lower prices.  We found a leather, very nice coat that has a removable fur lining and removable fur collar for $200.  The original listed price was $700 which is probably not realistic, but the merchant originally quoted $350, and eventually reduced it to $200 as we were leaving his store.  This will make leather coat # 5 in my closet at home.  LOL.  The quality appears to be higher than any I currently have at home.  In any case it seems like a very good price and Larisa thinks so also.

I want to thank all those that sent me PM's and postings that offered suggestions for our sightseeing in Sevastopol.  Larisa owns a flat in Yalta and knows Crimea pretty well as she lived there for several years.

Unfortunately, it appears that I will not get to visit the Missile Base on this trip.  The express train from Kiev to Sevastopol will not allow me to interrupt the trip for a side visit to the base.  Perhaps on the next trip.  Or, if there were more time, Larisa could drive us there in her car and back in one day.  We will see what time remains after we return to Kiev.

As I may have mentioned earlier, Larisa's 4 year old daughter will be going with us to Sevastopol.  She is the "Energizer Bunny" and probably will have no problem with the trip and the tours.  Larisa sent me a text today saying that her daughter has already gathered her toys to take on the trip and stated that she is ready to go.  LOL

I asked Larisa to do all the planning for the trip and to purchase the tickets for the train. 
Another little lesson for newbies.......
She had called the railway ticket office as well as made two trips to the train station to purchase tickets.  She was told that there are no tickets available on those dates for either 2nd class or 1st class.  Larisa had told me that it is better to purchase the tickets from a ticket agency and have them delivered to the flat. They charge about 35 grivna for the delivery service.  I don't know the mechanics of why the private companies can have access to tickets that the official site does not, but it does not matter.  She is correct.  She was able to get 1st class tickets from the private company.  FWIW, the cost of 1st class tickets on the train is about $350 round trip for 2 people from Kiev to Sevastopol and return.  The cost for 2nd class was about 1/2 that, but there were no tickets even with the private companies.

As far as handling money, let me explain how Larisa and I are handling it.  I request Larisa to find the price of anything we are looking to purchase (other than groceries) and she finds the best choice and asks if it is OK with me.  That included the train tickets, apartment rentals, etc.  We discuss choices and agree on a selection.  It works fine with me.  She is not a gold digger nor loose with my money.  She is also no dummy.  She has a double master degree in business and Agronomics (I think it is called "Human Factors" in the US industry).  The only drawback is that her English classes were 20 years ago and needs to take English classes.  She has indicated that she is anxious to do so.

Unlike my experience with my ex-fiance last year, we have had no disagreements, nor anger in our relationship.  She also has a great personality and is always in a good mood.  We will see what lies ahead in the future.

[calmissile]

Today (Tue) was a pleasant day.
Larissa came over in a taxi, so she can have some champagne.  She will not drink one drop when she is driving.  Probably a good idea considering how she drives when sober.  LOL

Last night we went out for champagne and snacks for my daytime enjoyment. We went to a supermarket I had discovered during the daytime.  I would never have found it on my own.  There are very few markets near Independence Square.  A local gal that spoke English directed me to it.  I could not believe it.  You enter a clothing store for men and then take a narrow stairway down to the basement that turns into a large supermarket.  The only entry/exit is through the narrow stairway.

Last night I had asked Larissa to help me pick out some more healthful snacks so that I could lay off the cookies and junk food I was eating for snacks.  At the market I suggested some sausage, cheese, and bread.  This seems to also be a favorite when shooting vodka shots.  When we were standing in line at the sausage counter a woman ahead of us was having the clerk show her nearly every sausage in the cooler.  The woman would take each one in her bare hands and squeeze it between her thumb and forefinger.  Watching Larissa's expression was priceless.  She finally turned to me, rolled her eyes and shook her head.  I had not idea why she was squeezing so many sausages, but it did create some images in my mind. LOL.

We also purchased some other items from various rooms/compartments in the store.  We put all the goodies into our cart and headed for the checkout stand.  We were stopped by security and he made us go back to the compartment that we picked up the items from and pay for them there.  I could tell she was annoyed and acted like she had never experienced this before.  At any rate, I took it all in stride and we laughed about it as we left (the clothing store).  LOL

Tonight she again took a taxi to me, so I suggested that we go get some champagne.  I suggested that we go to the same market.  Instead, she grabbed my arm and lead me up a big hill.  I wondered why the hell do I have to climb a hill when the other store is near the same level.  She asked locals for directions to a supermarket and as we climbed the hill she pointed out the beautiful view of Independence Square.  In addition there was a nice neon rainbow sign that is beautiful at night.  OK, this is the scenic tour rather than the practical route.  I asked her why not the other market and she reminded me that she never wants to go there again.  She was annoyed about the sausage feeling incident and the crazy way you have to pay in each room.

We finally were strolling among a bunch of apartments and she led me to the back parking lot.  There was a small entrance and it led to a medium sized market in the basement of a large apartment.  How would anyone know this place was here.  No signs, etc.   Welcome to Ukraine as Val would say.

Upon getting back to the apartment, my key fob security device would not work.  This is the second time this week this has happened.  The outer door uses an electronic key fob the size of a button cell battery which holds the security code.  While standing outside I called Val and no answer.  I thought that I must have shorted out the device in my pocket with the coins, etc.  After a while another tenant came up and had the same problem.  Great, at least he speaks Russian and probably knows what to do to gain access.  After he made several phone calls the door buzzed and we all got in.  I tried the key fob and it still did not work.  No problem, I was in for the night and Larissa can still get out to go home.

We had a great evening splitting a bottle of her favorite champagne.  As usual, we spent most of the time using the translator on the tablet.  I learned a lot more about her history and successes in her life.  In fact the more we are together, the more I am getting attached to her.  My fist lip-lock with her told me it was mutual.  There must be some truth to the posts that indicate not all women are anxious to jump into bed prior to getting to know you.

Larissa is making food for the train ride.  She indicated that she does not trust the train food and will be preparing home made food for the trip.  She is also a very doting mother and surely feels the same way about what her daughter eats.  Where the relationship goes may well depend on the next few days. I am crossing my fingers.  We have not yet had a disagreement on anything.

When walking Larissa to get a taxi tonight, I learned a little tidbit about how the taxi system works.  She calls a taxi and gives the address.  The request seems to go into some kind of automated system.  She then waits for a call back about availability.  I did not realize it earlier, but she is actually waiting for an SMS message on her phone.  The system will send the license number of the cab and ETA in an SMS message.  Pretty clever, except that oftentimes there is no response.  After trying several times I noticed that periodically there were some HOT women coming out of our apartment building.  They stood like Larissa waiting for a taxi.  I asked Larissa if they were prostitutes.  She blushed and said yes.  She was unsuccessful in getting a response for a taxi so we walked to the main street.  She did her finger out gesture toward traffic to hail a cab.  One guy stopped that was not a cab.  After a brief exchange, she slammed the door and the guy took off.  Within a minute or two a legitimate cab stopped and picked her up.  One thing I liked is that she always called when she got home to tell me she was safe.

As a side comment, I have not seen any apparent prostitutes in Ukraine walking the streets.  The closest thing were guys handing out business cards in the evening with hand written notes "I am the best!!   cell:xxxxxxxxx"  It looks like it is all out-call services for a nice massage.  LOL

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Wed Oct 17

Today was interesting.  I was required to vacate the apartment at 12:30 p.m. and Larissa could not pick me up until 4 p.m.  I took a taxi to Val's office to store the luggage and wait for Larissa.  On the way to the office, the taxi got pulled over by a cop.  It is not clear how this is done but I suspect that a cop radioed another cop several blocks away that flagged him down.  There were no cop cars in sight, so not sure where he came from. 

The cop was a middle aged guy and he and the cab driver got into an argument about the driver making a wrong direction turn some blocks earlier.  I sat in the back of the cab and for the 20 minute argument wondering if I was going to have to call another cab.  The two of them were going hot and heavy the whole time.  A younger tall, skinny cop showed up and this guy ran his mouth and escalated the argument. 

As if this was not enough a third cop whom I assume was a supervisor showed up to resolve the situation.  When all was said and done, they let the cab driver go.  I don't  know if he is getting a ticket or not.  If this kind of verbal argument happened in the US, the cab driver probably would have been in handcuffs if not worse.  I am wondering if this is some kind of sport.  The other passenger said that he did make an illegal turn.

I had a few hours to kill, so left the office and walked down to the Arena area to eat at my favorite buffet joint.  As I left the buffet, it started raining cats and dogs.  Wouldn't you know it, my umbrella was in my baggage at Val's office.  I searched for a store to purchase one but they seem to be never available when you need one.  I asked a young couple where to buy an umbrella and the young gal said she did not know but gave me one as a 'present'.  As I left the building to go back out into the rain, I now know why they were laughing as I left.  The umbrella was broken and opened  inside-out, shaped more like a funnel to catch rain.  LOL   I was able to jury-rig it well enough to use it to get back to the office.

Larissa called a taxi for me at 4 p.m. and I went to her mothers flat where Larissa lives with her young daughter and teenage son.  I did not get to meet her son because he was in classes, but I did get to meet mama.  Nice lady.  She is a retired professor from the university and is 75.  Still pretty spry for her age.  She also knows English quite well.  Perhaps she will teach English to Larissa.

We stored my large suitcase at mom's flat and took a taxi to the train station.  The 4 year old had been begging to go with us so we decided to take her also.  The train departed Kiev at about 17:50 and arrived in Sevastopol at noon the next day.  There were not many stops along the way. I think there were two 15 minute stops and a few 5 minute stops.

The ride wasn't bad.  I really like the train rides and don't mind the rocking and rolling you experience on some of the track.  This is the first time I went first class on the train.  From what I can tell, the cars are identical to the 2ND class cars, except the top bunks are removed.  The toilets were also identical, but much cleaner and actually had toilet paper and paper towels. When we ordered tea, it was delivered in a packaging I had never seen before.  Rather than the conventional tea bag, the tea comes in a perforated metal tube.  Kind of clever.  It also serves as a stir stick.

The previous 24 hours Larissa had been texting me about different apartments and prices in Sevastopol.  I finally told her to use her own judgement, I don't have a clue about the details she was trying to relay in the messages.  After we had agreed on the final apartment, she told me on the train that she picked out a different one.  Oh well, I am used to women changing their minds.  LOL

As it turns out she said that she got a nicer apartment for a better price.  OK, whatever dear!  We were picked up by the apartment owner at the train station.  The weather was beautiful.  During the night, Larissa's mother called on the phone and said that is was raining heavily and the wind was blowing in Kiev.  Larissa told me it would be 22 deg C. in Sevastopol when we arrived.  That suits me, I was getting tired of the dreary, wet weather in Kiev.

I could not believe the apartment she found and negotiated for.  It was all done on the phone in Russian between Larissa and the owner.  The apartment owner did not know she had an American with her which was probably a benefit when it came time to negotiate.  Initially she wanted 700 grivna per night.  When they got done the final price was 400 grivna.  I never even came close to this kind of apartment in Kiev, even for 800 grivna per night ($100).  I have attached some photos of the apartment.  Newbies might want to keep it in mind to have your girlfriend bargain for apartments and to not let the owners/managers know that a foreigner is going to stay there.  This apartment has two large bedrooms, a large living room and a very modern kitchen and bathroom.  It doesn't get much better than this.

Larissa decided to make borscht for me for the first time.  We went shopping for the ingredients and I added a few photos of the work in progress.

Edit:   The borscht was great.  I had wondered why she had bought so much meat, when other borscht had only small pieces in it.  I found out when dinner was ready.  They were ribs, not like any I have bought but very tasty.
There was another side dish that I could not identify.  It seems like some kind of grain about the size of rice or smaller.  The translator came back "buckwheat porridge".

Tomorrow we will probably go out and see some of the sights.  I don't want to miss the submarine museum which is about 30 minutes out of town.

[calmissile]

Train Ride

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Borscht in the works

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Oct 19

Today we went to see the 'secret' Soviet Submarine Museum site named "Balaclava".  It is located in the city of Balaclava, about 30 minutes taxi ride from Sevastopol.  The taxi fare was 60 grivna, which is quite reasonable and far more convenient than bus.

The site is a "must see" for anyone visiting Sevastopol.  It is a huge underground tunnel/canal built to house and repair Soviet submarines.  The tour consists of a boat ride which gives you the feeling of being on a sub while navigating the interior canal inside the mountain.  The tour guide speaks only Russian and talks 90 mph, so having a translator might not be of much use.  What might work better is to have an English speaker/guide that already knows the site and what is being said.

I am very glad that I decided to take the walking tour in addition to the boat ride. Both tours are 50 grivna each, so the whole thing was 100 grivna each ($13).  It is well worth the money.  On the walking tour you get to see the interior of the additional tunnels and work places.  Also the armament areas and maintenance areas for the subs.

I had assumed that the facility was a WWII relic, but it is not.  It was built after WWII and is a 'Cold War' relic that has been restored into a museum.  There is an English pamphlet available at the cashier window available for 13 grivna.
It is interesting that the pamphlet contains the propaganda from the cold war era that justified the military expenditures based upon the aggressive nature of the U.S. and NATO.

Some of the quotes from the propaganda suggests that the US planned to:
1. drop 300 atomic bombs onto 70 large Soviet cities and 29,000 ordinary bombs onto 100 towns
2. invade the Soviet Union with the help of 250 divisions
3. take over the territory of the USSR and it's allies.
4. to occupy the territory

As many times as I was in Simferopol last year, I have no idea why my ex-fiance did not mention visiting Sevastopol when we were this close.  I am sure glad I am free to go as I please this year and see what I want.  LOL

It is dark inside the tunnel/canal, so there are not many good photos, but included a few that might be acceptable.  Also photos of the city and harbor of Balaclava.  The port is really a nice area to visit and as you can tell there are a lot of tourist boats and excursion boats that probably operate mostly in the summer months.  Also, a very nice restaurant is shown with indoor and outdoor seating.  While we were eating there were a few brave swimmers taking a dip in the harbor.

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More photos Balaclava sub base

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More photos of Balaclava sub base, restaurant, harbor.
Note the vacuum tube sockets in the torpedo control unit.  LOL

[calmissile]

Saturday  Oct 20

Today we went to the Diorama in Sevastopol.  It is subtitled "Assault of Sapun-Mountain"  A very interesting museum describing the German-Russian fight over Sevastopol during WW II.

A quote from the English pamphlet...
"Hitler Command viewed Crimea as the main base of the Black Sea Navy and Sevastopol was the main obstacle on the way to the Caucasus's oil.  Hence, to remove it was considered by the Germans as one of the most important goals."

Germany overran the defenders of Sevastopol and occupied it for 22 months.  The Soviets took it back and it was a very bloody conflict.  The monument and museum is dedicated to the brave men and women that died in the defense and later, the liberation of Sevastopol.

The painting of the battle inside the building is excellent and the visit is well worth the time and cost.  The battles are depicted on a large panoramic canvas with actual objects of the battle in the forefront.  They blend together almost seamlessly.  As is the normally the case, the cost of museum visits is very nominal.  A brochure is available in Russian and English for about 15 grivna.  Be sure to ask for books and pamphlets because they do not always display them.  In addition, many of the sites have DVDs for sale with several languages describing the monuments/museums.  The cost of the DVDs is also very inexpensive.

[calmissile]

More photos of Diorama in Sevastopol.
Note photo of Larissa hailing a cab at the top of the mountain.

[calmissile]

Panorama - The defense of Sevastopol 1854-1855

Another historical site.
As quoted from the pamphlet available for sale at the monument.....

"The panorama Defense of Sevastopol 1854-1855 is a well-known work of battlefield painting and a historical-artistic monument to heroism of those who defended the city during the Eastern (Crimean) War between the Russian Empire and the allied coalition of Great Britain, France, Turkey and Sardinia aimed at the redistribution of the spheres of influence in Europe, the Caucasus, the Middle East, Front Asia, and Asia Minor.  today it is the only panorama in Ukraine and one of the best in the world."

Like the Diorama, this site is a huge panoramic painting on canvas integrated with objects in the foreground.  This site has a hand held device that you can rent that tells the story in English as you walk around the exhibit.  It was a very worthwhile exhibit to see.  There is also a DVD for sale at the site in several languages. 

There were very few still photos taken as I was busy listening to the story with one hand and could not operate the still camera at the same time.  LOL.   I did make a video and when I have time I may edit it and add it later.

The various historical sites reflect the importance of Sevastopol as a strategic piece of geography and explains why so many battles took place over a long period of time.

[calmissile]

Sunday October 21

Today we decided to visit the 35Th Gun Battery in Sevastopol.
The nomenclature is a little confusing as it seems to also be referred to as the 30Th Gun Battery.
This site is the last stand by the Soviets in WWII before Sevastopol was overrun by the Germans.

The museum and gun battery is a very interesting site however it is not English friendly in any way.  Even the DVDs are in Russian only and no pamphlets are in English.  I also learned the hard way after being chastised, that photos are not allowed in the guided tour.

I would recommend that anyone that wants to take this tour to first research the material on the site on the internet in depth before going.  The tour will make more sense.  The facility is huge and much of it is underground.  At one point in the tour, you descend about 100 ft down a narrow spiraling staircase.  You also climb back up it, so anyone not in decent physical condition might find it a challenge.  The underground also stored all the ammunition and deep, long, narrow tunnels lead from the main facility to the gun turrets.

The Ukrainians are very proud of the history of this site and it shows in the display of all the heroes that defended the position until the very end.  The guided tours start at certain intervals so you must wait for the next allotted time to start the underground tour. You are free to walk above ground and view all the sites in the mean time.  Note:  Most of the photos are taken of the above ground artifacts.  Only a couple of photos were taken below ground before I was directed to take to photos.  The smaller gun mount above ground has the elevation and lateral mechanisms working and kids love to rotate and raise/lower the gun with the crank handles.  It's nice that there is something that actually functions to add realism for the kids.  The breach looks intact and I would not be surprised if it is used occasionally for some celebrations.

I hope the Ukraine government improves the friendliness to English language speakers.  As a minimum, adding an English sound track to the DVD would help a lot.  Adding English brochures or dual language brochures would also be beneficial.  The other sites we visited had already done so.

After a long and tiring walk and climb in the gun battery, I was bushed and ready to take a nap.  Not gonna happen.  LOL.  Larissa decided we were going for an hour walk at the 'embankment', meaning the waterfront.  It was a nice romantic walk with her and the 4 year old.  I noticed that people were sending off Chinese lanterns so suggested we buy one and set it off.  Finally, I got to light one off.  LOL.  We strolled on the waterfront and listened to several bands play and two Karaoke places.  In UA, the night life is a lot different than the U.S.  Even late at night the families go outside and stroll in the parks and public places such as the waterfront.  Wish we had more of that in the US.  At one point Larissa decided I was going to get on a horse.  You gotta be kidding me!  I have not been on a horse in 30+ yrs.  Oh well, what the hell.  Somehow the stirrups seem to be a lot further off the ground than they used to be.

This is our last night in Sevastopol.  Tomorrow night we board the train for Kiev and then on Wed, I head back to the US.  I am impressed with Sevastopol as a city that is clean, without the beggars and bandits in Kiev and a nice place to visit for an extended period of time.  I can't remember seeing one drunk passed out on a park bench either.  There seems to be lots of pretty women also, but I had blinders installed so can't really make an accurate assessment.

http://englishrussia.com/2011/06/17/the-symbol-of-heroism-and-tragedy-of-sevastopol/

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More photos 35Th Gun Battery - Sevastopol

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Photos from Sunday night at the harbor.  Sevastopol

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Monday October 22 (Part 1)

Since we are leaving Sevastopol today I thought it would be a nice day to sleep in.  Nope!  I was wakened with a tugging on my arm and Larissa stated "Get up we go.  You sleep in America."
She already had plans for the day and it did not include sleeping.  In retrospect, I am glad she got me up.

Our first stop was to visit an incredible site of ancient ruins in Sevastopol.  It is called “The National Preserve of TAURIC CHERSONESOS”  This is a must see and I am so happy I did not miss out on seeing it.

To quote from the English pamphlet I purchased………….
“In 1996 by a special decision of UNESCO, National Preserve of Tauric Chersonesos was included in the list of the hundred most important monuments of the world culture.

By its preservation and informative potential Chersonesos is a unique monument of the ancient civilization and Byzantime culture, it is an inexhaustible wellspring of evidence about the last epochs.”

This site is huge.  It is like a whole city.  One thing that is unique is that it is open to stroll around the whole site.  Nothing is roped off.  You can sit in the marble seats of the theatre and imagine a performance going on. The history covers from the 6th century BC through the 15th century AD.  I have included many photos of the site to illustrate how large it is as well as to offer a sample of what is here.

I was surprised to also find a small beach here where there were locals sun bathing and swimming in the Black Sea.  Larissa and the 4 year old decided to go wading at the beach.  After a lot of prodding she finally got me to roll up my jeans and go wading with the little one.  Larissa guided me around in the shallow pool and promptly led me into a hole.  My jeans were soaked.  It gave her something to laugh about and kid me about for the rest of the day.

I strongly recommend this site to anyone that is anywhere near Sevastopol on a trip to Crimea.  In fact, I am more impressed with the historical sites in Crimea than anywhere else I have been to in Ukraine.

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More photos of ancient ruins

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More photos of ancient ruins