Parallel to Doug's Summer/Fall Trip to Ukraine

[Hammer2722]

Thanks, I am having a hell of a time remembering all these names.
I can't say that I am real fond of the varenyky with potatoes or meat.  The meat looks like dog food and why bother with the potatoes?  They have mashed potatoes.  The rest of the versions I really liked and the ones with cherries in them made a nice desert.

I have not seen the food item that Elana left for me one morning in Cherkassy.  It was a tortilla like flat thin pancake and you fill it with some kind of sweet cheese.  The best breakfast yet.  In the underground near my apartment in Kiev there is a little waffle stand.  It's great for when you are not hungry enough to go get a full breakfast.  All kinds or syrup to go with it also.

I know Ukrainians make something similar. My girl calls it Nalesniky. They usually fill it with cottage cheese. I make my own here at home and fill it with cottage cheese, cream cheese and crushed pineapple!! I make a big enough batch to last me the whole week!

[Vasilisa]

Personally, I'd like to thank Doug and ML for the trip report and the comments as after reading it I learnt to appreciate the attention of the local men I that I have met here, in the US, including  the local websites: they invite you to great  restaurants on the first date, come in expensive dry cleaned/ironed shirts and slacks and shoes, open doors, some  even invite you to spend a vacation with them after a date or 2 and order flowers delivery after the first date. Nobody is saying you must come in the middle of the working day but ask you when it is convenient for you even if they come from a different state...
Now 99% of them look good, how different that used to be in Russia.. how different it is for the ladies there...oh, man, I am spoilt.   
Thank you, God, for what you have given to me and for showing how forgetful and unthankful people can be.
Now I feel a lot better.

[Vasilisa]

This is the reason I think it's important for a couple to have sexual relations before they decide to marry. Sexual incompatibility can be a source of frustration and discontent in a marriage. Yet, there are people who believe in "No sex before marriage". I can respect their philosophy and decision but in some cases they may discover serious issues in the bedroom once married.

American friends of mine, a couple in their late 20-ies believed that. They got married in August and we haven't seen them since then, they seem to be pretty busy...

[newjason]

Personally, I'd like to thank Doug and ML for the trip report and the comments as after reading it I learnt to appreciate the attention of the local men I that I have met here, in the US, including  the local websites: they invite you to great  restaurants on the first date, come in expensive dry cleaned/ironed shirts and slacks and shoes, open doors, some  even invite you to spend a vacation with them after a date or 2 and order flowers delivery after the first date. Nobody is saying you must come in the middle of the working day but ask you when it is convenient for you even if they come from a different state...
Now 99% of them look good, how different that used to be in Russia.. how different it is for the ladies there...oh, man, I am spoilt.   
Thank you, God, for what you have given to me and for showing how forgetful and unthankful people can be.
Now I feel a lot better.

LOL
it's all in your perspective

btw  WB 

[ML]

"L called and gave me 10 minutes to get ready for our daily outing.  She informed me we were going to Babi Yar. I did not have a clue what it was but it became apparent once we got there.  Babi Yar is a large park that holds a monument to the 100,000 Russians, Jews, Gypsy's and others that were murdered in Kiev by the Germans in WWII."

WOW, very strange that no Ukrainians were murdered!!

"I had told L that I wanted to copy all of our photos to a CD for her to have so we lit off for dinner at the buffet and stopped and bought blank CD's."

Just a suggestion for the future.  Thumb drives of 1-4 GB are now available for less than $4.  Office Depot had some 16 GB on sale last week for $9.95 and I bought a dozen.

Sometimes CDs can get a little squirelly to play on machines other than  the one that produced them.  This problem never seems to happen with thumb drives.

[Anotherkiwi]

..."I had told L that I wanted to copy all of our photos to a CD for her to have so we lit off for dinner at the buffet and stopped and bought blank CD's."

Just a suggestion for the future.  Thumb drives of 1-4 GB are now available for less than $4.  Office Depot had some 16 GB on sale last week for $9.95 and I bought a dozen.

Sometimes CDs can get a little squirelly to play on machines other than  the one that produced them.  This problem never seems to happen with thumb drives.

Same with DVDs.
 
I wish we had those prices for thumb drives here! 

[ML]

Doug, great write-up on your train ride.  I was surprised the Doctor-Cop didn't help you with getting to a hotel.  In fact, I was surprised she didn't offer to have you stay the night with her.

Anyway, you had more guts than me . . . going off to another city . . . arriving late night . . . and not having a pre-arranged place to stay.   

But with no McDonalds . . . I would leave right away!!   
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

[calmissile]

Doug, great write-up on your train ride.  I was surprised the Doctor-Cop didn't help you with getting to a hotel.  In fact, I was surprised she didn't offer to have you stay the night with her.

Anyway, you had more guts than me . . . going off to another city . . . arriving late night . . . and not having a pre-arranged place to stay.   

But with no McDonalds . . . I would leave right away!!   
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

The doctor/cop is married and her husband is about twice my size.  LOL
I was dissapointed McDonalds was closed also.  The internet did not work at the flat and the only way to contact them was via the internet.  My plan was to go to McDonalds and use their Wi-Fi.  As it was, I walked down the street with my tablet searching for open Wi=Fi sites and I found one at a nice restaurant with an outdoor patio, so I ate there and contacted the rental agency.  Problem solved.

One of the guys on another forum is giving my contact info to someone from the US that is in Nikolaev now. We might hook up soon.

[Hammer2722]

I too really enjoyed your train segment. Very well written. You definitely have got a bigger sack than me the way you just winged it in Niko. LOL. I myself have to plan things ahead.

[Vasilisa]

Doug, great write-up on your train ride.  I was surprised the Doctor-Cop didn't help you with getting to a hotel.  In fact, I was surprised she didn't offer to have you stay the night with her.

.

Actually as I was reading the story I had a thought about what kind of a man would let his wife do this kind of work with a foreign guy and why does she have to do this kind of work since it looks like her salary is pretty good.
So I wouldn't be surprised that she is divorced and is looking for a man this way, and the "husband" doesn't exist and his image was made up  as a "legend" to stay protected from the foreign guy's flirt in case she doesn't like the man. If she had  liked the man she would have probably told she didn't have a husband

[calmissile]

Actually as I was reading the story I had a thought about what kind of a man would let his wife do this kind of work with a foreign guy and why does she have to do this kind of work since it looks like her salary is pretty good.
So I wouldn't be surprised that she is divorced and is looking for a man this way, and the "husband" doesn't exist and his image was made up  as a "legend" to stay protected from the foreign guy's flirt in case she doesn't like the man. If she had  liked the man she would have probably told she didn't have a husband

Wow!  Your imagination is out of control.  LOL
There is nothing to suggest that the doctor/cop is out looking for a husband.  She is overweight and not dressed like a woman on the prowl for a husband.  It appeared to me that she is a professional women in her 40's or 50's that is a very responsible job.  She is not working with foreign men, she is working for the police department or government overseeing the quality of the DNA labs in Ukraine.

[Vasilisa]

Wow!  Your imagination is out of control.  LOL
There is nothing to suggest that the doctor/cop is out looking for a husband.  She is overweight and not dressed like a woman on the prowl for a husband.  It appeared to me that she is a professional women in her 40's or 50's that is a very responsible job.  She is not working with foreign men, she is working for the police department or government overseeing the quality of the DNA labs in Ukraine.

lol, Doug, I am sorry, it was late last night so I wasn't reading attentively , read across and thought she was an interpreter you hired for the trip. my fault. But btw if you think that overweight 50 yo ladies don't look for husbands you are wrong;)

[Vasilisa]

I have heard that many interpretors working with the foreign men are looking for husbands themselves :)about the laundry: take a picture of the washing mashing, we may explain you how to use it:) you can also find a public laundromat, there are not so many of them nowadays though or use dry cleaning. There are also portable ultrasound mashines but I have never used them.

[Hammer2722]

Doug, why are you tyring to do your laundry on your last day in Niko with only a few hours to do it? LOL
 
What I used to do When I was in Odessa was after washing the clothes, I would lay them out all over the apartment. Some on the heaters, near the open windows and all over the kitchen with the stove burners on. Of course, I did this knowing it would take the better part oif a whole day for them to dry!!! 
 
Really enjoying the TR....

[Jumper]

Berdyansk ?
I would be wary.. to me it appears the new scam capitol of UA.

On the taxis, in provincial cities yes absolutely always have your flats  address written down or simply texted to yourself? to show the driver.
as well as the address(s) of where you are going.

as far as laundry, I would have asked the landlord, or a local as 
there are several laundry mats in the Nikolaev down town area you are staying as well, and very inexpensive and quick service.


I never had any issues with service at restaurants or stores,,
but cafe's restaurants are slower in europe /FSU, than the west in general , and i'm used to it i suppose.

[JayH]

Great TR and very entertaining read. I laughed about modem-- it is THE best thing to buy.Chasing around trying to get inet connections is the lobby,far corner etc is useless--having access virtually wherever you turn it on is so much easier-- and the cost in real $ terms is very cheap.You can go to store and check balance and do top up also--or if you have it set up to do on the inet itself.
Very brave trip from Nikolaev to Berdyansk( I thought train Kiev to Niko was well done)-- that is a long,long bus ride. Guys half your age(I hate ever raising that issue) would find it hard work.
In addition-- your path is taking you to quite a few cities that will give you good idea in general of Ukraine..My reservation is that moving on  to soon can be counter productive-- although travelling overnight does not cost you a day !!

[calmissile]

Great TR and very entertaining read. I laughed about modem-- it is THE best thing to buy.Chasing around trying to get inet connections is the lobby,far corner etc is useless--having access virtually wherever you turn it on is so much easier-- and the cost in real $ terms is very cheap.You can go to store and check balance and do top up also--or if you have it set up to do on the inet itself.
Very brave trip from Nikolaev to Berdyansk( I thought train Kiev to Niko was well done)-- that is a long,long bus ride. Guys half your age(I hate ever raising that issue) would find it hard work.
In addition-- your path is taking you to quite a few cities that will give you good idea in general of Ukraine..My reservation is that moving on  to soon can be counter productive-- although travelling overnight does not cost you a day !!

Jay, it is perhaps fortunate I was raised in the Northwest (Washington and Montana).  You learn to survive when getting stranded overnight in the forest while hunting elk, etc.

As far a moving on too early, remember I am on a vacation and wife hunting is secondary.  If I am having a good time or meet a gal that trips my trigger, I tend to stay longer.  I would rather go all the places I planned and meet the gals and then follow up later with the most promising ones.  LOL

[Hammer2722]

Hey Doug, just so you know, your photos didn't seem to show up on your last post.

[calmissile]

Hey Doug, just so you know, your photos didn't seem to show up on your last post.

Hopefully they will show up shortly.  The internet went out as I was trying to post them..... welcome to Ukraine.

[Manny]

The paper things with the burning candles in them are called Chinese Lanterns.

>>images here<<

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_lantern

Very popular in Europe (the countries where they are not banned) during celebrations; especially New Year. We have them at New year - the kids love them. Yes, they can present a fire [and other] risk depending on weather and where they land: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-12324047

Interesting TR for the casual reader. A tad disturbing for those who have worked out the subtext already.

[SANDRO43]

Doug, those types of "sky lanterns" are not usually fuelled by paraffin - too slow in burning - but other quicker fuels like met(acetal)aldehyde - i.e. small tablets of META, once the standard fuel for camping stoves and the like.

Metaldehyde (CH₃CHO)₄

I remember my granny using it MANY years ago (1950s) to warm up her coffee pot quickly and, in her view, more cheaply .

[calmissile]

Doug, those types of "sky lanterns" are not usually fuelled by paraffin - too slow in burning - but other quicker fuels like met(acetal)aldehyde - i.e. small tablets of META, once the standard fuel for camping stoves and the like.

Metaldehyde (CH₃CHO)₄

I remember my granny using it MANY years ago (1950s) to warm up her coffee pot quickly and, in her view, more cheaply .

Thanks for the comments Sandro.  I don't recall the tablet type fuels for camping but I do remember what we used to call "canned heat".  Whatever the substance, it is embedded in a parafin like wax and appears to have cotton in it as well.  Perhaps the cotton material is actually a faster burning fuel of some type.  I do not remember ever seeing them in the US.  They are probably banned as are most fireworks.

It is a romantic gesture to witness as lovers set them free in the park at night.  LOL

[ML]

Doug, your last mini-trip report was nothing short of hair raising.
I have a lot of experience traveling in FSU, but never under those conditions.
I am strictly a wus, and (practically) never do any travel in FSU that is not close to first class with trip arranged by trusted friends.

I have to hand it to you.  I don't know how you are able to walk with the set you have.

[Hammer2722]

Doug, your last mini-trip report was nothing short of hair raising.
I have a lot of experience traveling in FSU, but never under those conditions.
I am strictly a wus, and (practically) never do any travel in FSU that is not close to first class with trip arranged by trusted friends.

I have to hand it to you.  I don't know how you are able to walk with the set you have.

Gotta agree with this. I too gotta have it all planned out. Great post Doug!!!

[calmissile]

Gotta agree with this. I too gotta have it all planned out. Great post Doug!!!

It no doubt would be a lot easier in the summer months.  It is also difficult to plan on a WMVM trip because you don't know how long you want to stay in one place until you meet some gals.  By the same token, the trip probably would have been a bust if I had done a WOVO.  The gals chosen were not compatible.  In any case it's been one hell of a vacation and the next week together with Larisa and daughter could make it all worthwhile.