trip to mariupol

[theguide]

Hello all,
 I tried to go to Mariupol. I did not get there. I flew to Germany and by the time I got there the airport closed. I hung out in Germany for a day and came back to usa. It wss a real nightmare.

[pokerintherear]

Consider yourself lucky

It seems there is a lot of naivete with the bride hunters to the situation in Ukraine. I think many are detached from reality of the real world.

I read one post where hunters were still broadcasting that certain tours were still a go in a Eastern Ukraine city.

I would highly suggest postponing any trips until after the May 25 election.  My opinion is the election is going to put the country in total turmoil. This is when Putin will come to the rescue.

After the election you will have a general idea of how stable things will be. You defiantly dont want to be in country a few days before. A good possibility your exit airport could be closed if things go south after the election.

[theguide]

To say I am nieve about the situation could not be further from the truth.  I was in constant contact with the woman , and she wss shocked that it happened.  It was not my first trip to Mariupol. I had carefully watched over the events in Donetsk oblast ovrr the past few months. I also listened to advice from people who have been visiting recently and the woman herself.
 So I did not go in blind. I wanted to sneak in a trip before the situation changed. To have to wait a long time to develop a relationship is not good.  I was not going there to stuff her in my suitcase and take her home.

[BillyB]

I tried to go to Mariupol. I did not get there.

Sorry to hear that. What's your game plan now? Wait out the crisis? Could take years. Meet in another Ukrainian city or outside the country? How will your lady get there if planes aren't flying? Train, taxi?
Start over and communicate with a lady living in a country without conflict? Tough decisions to make.

[GQBlues]

I don't think you're being naive, but if the actual person on the ground was shocked these things can actually happen, that in itself should always be a good indicator that sometimes it's good to err in the side of caution.

Life is always a learning experience. Some are good at it while others require longer learning sessions. Somewhere in your recent experience, if you look at it objectively, will be some nuggets you should presently be learning from.

[CDW]

I am very sorry that you did not go to Mariupol.  I'll cancel my thoughts to go to Ukraine for a while

[theguide]

 I do not know what my game plan is. We have to discuss what we want to do.  What I have in mind now is try to meet in a quiet Ukrainian city. I have to figure out when. I have time constraints with work, I work seasonally so meeting this summer will be tough. Fall and winter is good for me. She is aware of these constraints.  I may see if I can get her to come here,, or a third country. We have a lot to talk about.

[JayH]

Hello all,
 I tried to go to Mariupol. I did not get there. I flew to Germany and by the time I got there the airport closed. I hung out in Germany for a day and came back to usa. It wss a real nightmare.

What airport was closed?What do you mean "you tried" to get there? What was the nightmare?

[theguide]

Donetsk airport was closed, I left usa and by the time I landed in Germany for my layover Donetsk was closed. The nightmare was I had to stay in Munich during some kind of conference and spent 3 hours looking for a hotel. I found only one reasonably priced placemto stay. It was a hostel and paid 135 euro.  The airline paid for noghing, I lost my money for the flight. 
 Sounds like a nightmare to me

[southernX]

guide,
shame it went south ,
munich says it all one of the most hostile service citys ever imho lol

for mine i would have tried  to get the lady to travel to meet me  in kiev or lviv , spend a day or two in munich whiLe it was set in place then meet up as per change of plan , of course this is if time and money /situation is posible
maybe it wasnt for you this time around , always pays to have a back up plan and access to extra cash ime
SX 

[JayH]

Donetsk airport was closed, I left usa and by the time I landed in Germany for my layover Donetsk was closed. The nightmare was I had to stay in Munich during some kind of conference and spent 3 hours looking for a hotel. I found only one reasonably priced placemto stay. It was a hostel and paid 135 euro.  The airline paid for noghing, I lost my money for the flight. 
 Sounds like a nightmare to me

Seriously--if you let that throw you in Germany-- you are not equipped for current day Ukraine -- as in anywhere   in Ukraine let alone Mauripol!!

[theguide]

Seriously jay h, there is no reason to talk to me like I am unfit. I am a marine infantry combat veteran of fallujah. I can handle myself fine. Getting sapped for my money in an expensive city and an airline that would not do anything for me makes for a bad time.
 

[Anotherkiwi]

Seriously jay h, there is no reason to talk to me like I am unfit. I am a marine infantry combat veteran of fallujah. I can handle myself fine. Getting sapped for my money in an expensive city and an airline that would not do anything for me makes for a bad time.

Seriously, shit happens.  Being a combat veteran requires a different set of skills from chasing down an FSUW (and I'm not knocking you or you lady friend here).  Unfortunately, the situation in eastern Ukraine at the moment is hardly conducive to romantic expeditions or expectations.

You had earlier written this:

To say I am nieve about the situation could not be further from the truth.  I was in constant contact with the woman , and she wss shocked that it happened.  It was not my first trip to Mariupol. I had carefully watched over the events in Donetsk oblast ovrr the past few months. I also listened to advice from people who have been visiting recently and the woman herself.
 So I did not go in blind. I wanted to sneak in a trip before the situation changed. To have to wait a long time to develop a relationship is not good.  I was not going there to stuff her in my suitcase and take her home.

What you had done earlier is, in my opinion, fine.  Where I disagree with you is the text I've bolded.  The situation had already changed - there were people shot in Mariupol more than a week before you left home, and tensions in eastern Ukraine have been escalating continuously for at least three or four weeks.  Of course it depends on how flexible your travel arrangements were, and how easily (or not) you could change your flights without incurring horrendous fees, but I seriously think that you should have changed your meeting place to Kyiv or somewhere else that is much calmer (even if just more on the surface).

No matter how much she wanted you to see her city, you've been there before (to visit her?) and would stand out like a sore thumb.  It would have been far safer for her, as a native of the country, to travel to Kyiv (or L'viv, or wherever) to meet you.

Also:

...The nightmare was I had to stay in Munich during some kind of conference and spent 3 hours looking for a hotel. I found only one reasonably priced place to stay. It was a hostel and paid 135 euro.  The airline paid for nothing, I lost my money for the flight. 
 Sounds like a nightmare to me

Did you not have travel insurance?  Any decent policy would have covered these expenses.

I wish you the best of luck in trying to salvage whatever you can out of this mess.

[stilllooking]

Did you not have travel insurance?  Any decent policy would have covered these expenses.

I could be wrong but I believe the US state department had already given a travel warning for Donetsk before he embarked on his trip, as such I believe most insurance policies would be null and void as soon as he attempted the trip anyway. I believe the airline would call the closure of the airport Force Majeure and thus also not feel liable for anything.

He would have had a claim had he bought the ticket before the US government gave the travel warning for Donetsk region.

[Maxx2]

Unfortunately, the situation in eastern Ukraine at the moment is hardly conducive to romantic expeditions or expectations.

Actually it does. War time romances can be intense making expeditions while under fire that much more romantic. I think of the Herman Wouk 1980's TV series War and Remembrance. Byron Henry and Natalia Jastrow travel to Poland the day before the German's invade. Pug and Pamela hole up in her London flat during the Battle of Britain and so on. 

[BillyB]

Donetsk airport was closed, I left usa and by the time I landed in Germany for my layover Donetsk was closed.

Donetsk airport was probably open when you left USA but closed on route to Germany. I can't imagine the airline flying you to Germany knowing you are heading towards an airport that is shut down. If they did that, you may have a case for reimbursement.


The time of Donetsk airport closing isn't surprising. There is a referendum vote happening in the city this weekend and the pro Russians probably want to keep outsiders and reporters out from attempting to observe the elections.

[Faux Pas]

Apparently dude didn't have insurance. If he did purchase a policy it would be because they sold it to him and they would then be liable. I buy the travel insurance often. I've only had to make one claim and it did not come close to reimbursing what I was even out of pocket. It was for the wife on one of her trips. They did help find a hotel (which I paid for) and were also helpful in getting her next flight booked (which I also paid for).

By the time I supplied then all of the documentation and the wash out, they reimbursed me about half of what I was out of pocket. The insurance is highly overrated but, it's better than nothing

[Anotherkiwi]

I could be wrong but I believe the US state department had already given a travel warning for Donetsk before he embarked on his trip, as such I believe most insurance policies would be null and void as soon as he attempted the trip anyway. I believe the airline would call the closure of the airport Force Majeure and thus also not feel liable for anything.

He would have had a claim had he bought the ticket before the US government gave the travel warning for Donetsk region.

Agree but, from the way he wrote his other posts (not just in this thread), he's been planning this trip for a long time.  It's quite possible that he bought his tickets last year, which would pre-date any travel warnings by quite a while.

[Anotherkiwi]

Actually it does. War time romances can be intense making expeditions while under fire that much more romantic. I think of the Herman Wouk 1980's TV series War and Remembrance. Byron Henry and Natalia Jastrow travel to Poland the day before the German's invade. Pug and Pamela hole up in her London flat during the Battle of Britain and so on.

Please get real, Maxx  .  This is NOT a movie or TV series.

[Anotherkiwi]

Apparently dude didn't have insurance. If he did purchase a policy it would be because they sold it to him and they would then be liable. I buy the travel insurance often. I've only had to make one claim and it did not come close to reimbursing what I was even out of pocket. It was for the wife on one of her trips. They did help find a hotel (which I paid for) and were also helpful in getting her next flight booked (which I also paid for).

By the time I supplied then all of the documentation and the wash out, they reimbursed me about half of what I was out of pocket. The insurance is highly overrated but, it's better than nothing

Obviously different countries issue different types of policies according to their own relevant legislation.  I always get travel insurance when I go overseas (I don't bother when I'm flying around New Zealand) - I've claimed after a couple of trips and been quite happy with the results.  This is a subject which was debated at length a year or two ago, with the Australians and myself on the "For" team and ML leading those "Against" (although I can't find the actual thread).

[Krassie]

If you want to save your life forget about trip to Mariupol these days. Read what's going on there today.

[Krassie]

7 people were killed and 39 wounded  in Mariupol today.

[BillyB]

7 people were killed and 39 wounded  in Mariupol today.

Article below has over 20 deaths confirmed. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise theguide didn't make it there.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10819874/Ukraine-crisis-over-20-killed-in-Mariupol-as-Putin-marks-victory-in-Crimea.html

[Maxx2]

Please get real, Maxx  .  This is NOT a movie or TV series.

Art imitates life. You need to get some soul.

[Krassie]

BillyB :  I get info from Ukrainian sources only and people that live there. The fact that they kill people in Mariupol is obvious.