Off to Ukraine

[dneid]

Hey, Guys,
Well, I am scheduled to go to Ukraine.  Just called American and they get me into Kiev with my miles!!!  Basically a free ticket.  Heading out on 1 Apr and returning 17 Apr.  Man, am I excited!  Now all I have to do is start nailing down the details, a guide, a backup agency, and a flat in Kiev, Nikolaev, and Odessa.  So, if anyone has any pertinent information to pass along, as always, it would be most appreciated.
Finally, boots on the ground!

[SANDRO43]

Basically a free ticket. Heading out on 1 Apr

That date sounds a bit tricky .

[BillyB]

April fools day. That is tricky and your free ticket could be a joke. I can sense the excitement in your post dneid. It is a wonderful feeling to go to the FSU for the first time but don't forget to bring your brains to evaluate the women. Also it can be dangerous. Don't forget to bring a self addressed, postage paid body bag with you so the authorities will know where to mail you back home in case of an accident. Just kidding of course! I doubt your free ticket is a joke.

[viking]

Dneid

I was in Kiev only a short while ago. Jack hooked me up with a great guide ( also a driver) and a wonderful translator. The guide got me an excellent flat, modern and right in the heart of Kiev. Safe area. Ask him. He is an expert. I loved Kiev. You will have a great time. Good luck

[Sort]

I can help you with a interpreter i have the mobilenumber to in Kiev.

[HiTech]

Dale Did you get my Message on the contacts in Nikolaev?

[dneid]

Hey, Dale,
I got it.  Sorry I have not replied, I have been real busy at work.  I just need to find a flat and help in Kiev.

[2tallbill]

I am sending you a recommendation for a flat in Kiev by pm.


Udachi (good luck)

Bill

[groovlstk]

dnied,

April is very fickle in Ukraine, but with a little luck you'll be arriving just as warm weather kicks in. If so, you're in for some glorious sights...

[Bart]

April fools day. That is tricky and your free ticket could be a joke. Don't forget to bring a self addressed, postage paid body bag with you so the authorities will know where to mail you back home in case of an accident. Just kidding of course! I doubt your free ticket is a joke.

Not a joke.  I use free american tickets to kiev frequently.  They fly u to London via American and then on to Kiev via a parner.  But sometimes you have to change airports in London, which sucks.

[dneid]

Hey, Guys,
I remember reading quite a few TRs and it sticks in my head that British Airways is pretty bad at loosing luggage.  Now, BA is an American Airlines partner.  Who had experience with the whole AA/BA trip to Kiev?  Was lost luggage an issue?
Thanks,
Dale

[BillyB]

6 trips to the FSU. Flew with British Airways on part of 3 trips. None with American Airlines. 4 times baggage lost out of 6 trips but all eventually got back to me withing days or a week. Don't know if BA was responsible for any of that or might have been their partners. Pack extra underwear on your carry on.

[dneid]

Hey, Billy,
Yeap, I was planning on packing 2 bags plus my notebook.  One will be my carry on that fits in the overhead and the other will be my bigger suitcase that will be checked.  The carry on will have 2-3 days of clothes, medicnes, a book or two, and toiletries (including TP!!).  I figure I can live out of that carry in if need be for a week.  I am traveling around Ukraine, so my bag, if lost, may not catch back up with me until I return.  AA tells me that with BA being one of their long running partners, that my bags will be checked through to Kiev once I check them in Austin.  I am going from Austin to North Carolina.  Then AA on a 777 to London.  From there (same airport), BA on an A320 to Kiev.  So, hopefully the bag will make it with me.  My biggest concern right now is that I have to sleep over in London on the return trip.  Is Heathrow open all night?  If so, I will just stretch on the floor some place (love those closed cell foam camping pads) and crash over night.  I have done it before flying between Austin and Beijing (in San Fransico).  If Heathrow closes then I need to find a cheap hotel nearby to crash.  If anyone can provide me some answers about this return trip dilema, I would appreciate it.

I do have one other question.  I would like to track down a cell phone to use before I leave.  Not a must have, just a want it before I leave thing.  That way I know I can call Anastasiya in Kiev when I land.  She has offered to pick me up at the airport in Kiev and get me to my flat.  She is a real sweetheart and we have been talking now for about 2 months.  She is 32, works at the National Radio station in Kiev and has a great son who is 10 yrs old.  All in all, she seems to be a nice lady.  We will see.  We are going to spend the first 2 days together in Kiev.  From Kiev, I go to Nikolaev by train.  Now, after reading the TRs, the train trip should be an adventure.  In Nikolaev, I have 3 women I am going to meet.  And yes, one is the 23 yr old.  We both agree that we should at least meet to say hello and see what happens.  She has already told me she will buy me my ticket (1st class) for the train trip and she is refusing to allow me to pay her for this.

All in all, I am really looking forward to the trip.  And, yes, groov, I am praying for warm weather!!  I will take my digital SLR and take loads of pictures.  I'll post them and TRs as I can.  Groov, you have set a high bar for me wrt to quality TRs.  Hope I can even get in the same zip code....

I will be posting numerous more questions as I draw closer.  I am just starting to figure out how much $$ to take for the trip.  To those of you who already PMed me, thank you so much!!!  I will be contacting some of your folks over there for help.

Well, off to bed.

[HiTech]

Dale: If you provider is AT&T or cingular then you can get your cell phone to work anywhere. Also you can have it unlocked and then change sim cards when you arrive for about $5.


HiTech

[Nando]

I have used Igor Kalinin (Stirlitz) in Odessa while I was there in my first trip as a guide, interpreter , driver and for apartment rental. Also deal with calls to marriage agencies and so on.
His service was good and I recommend him everytime

[Taz]

Good luck on your trip. Kiev in April can have weather all over the place as can most of Ukraine. Once you get into May you can be roasting instead of freezing in April. My point being pack for a fairly wide range of temps and be prepared for rain!

Anyway on to your questions. An unlocked GSM phone is the way to go as they almost all take SIM cards. If you have T-mobile, they will unlock it for free. Make sure it is a tri-band or quad-band phone and you should be all set. My Blackberry 8100 works quite well there. You can pick up a SIM card almost anywhere once you leave the airport.

If you have to stay over in London, there is no such thing as a cheap hotel anywhere near the airport. With the falling dollar they are all pretty expensive. Try to avoid getting stuck there overnight if you can. Better to stay in Kiev an extra day (and more fun) than to get stuck in London. Just sleep in the airport.

As for taking your dSLR camera; be cautious with it there. Theft is definitely an issue. A dSLR is a prime target. I personally have gone with something like the Panasonic Lumix TZ3 which is a great P&S type camera but with a nice 28-280mm equivalent lens. It is image stabilization, does great video and has a PAL output for their TVs. Best of all it fits nicely in a pocket and has a Leica lens. It doesn’t attract near as much attention as my dSLR Canon did and my big or pro lenses did. Another big plus was it has a very nice 3” screen that does a great job for playback and if it gets ripped off, I lost far less then even the cheapest of all my dSLR lenses. Just something to think about especially when you are on a train. Are you getting the entire berth or just one spot?

Have a great trip regardless.

[Raikov]

  Have fun in Ukraine and tell us about your experience when you return.

[dneid]

Hey, Guys,
Well, thanks to all of you for all the feedback.  I appreciate it.  I am both excited and terrified.  Someone once told me if I was not terrified on some level, then I had better pulled my head out of my arse!!!

OK, a few responses... phones.  I use Sprint here in the US and I am locked in for the next year.  So, I was thinking about just buying a cheap unlocked phone off of ebay.  Get to Ukraine and buy a sim card.  Can anyone recommend a cheap brand/model that I could look for on ebay?

Camera: Taz, I will have the dSLR bolted to my neck with a kevlar strap.  So, either my camera comes back with me or my head does not!!  I have a cheaper Canon all in one PnS that I may take instead.  But, I love my Canon dSLR and I think I am actually getting better with it.

Guides: I am talking with Igor now.  One of you also sent me a strong recommendation for a guide in Nikolaev.  Seeing as the Odessa girl is looking less and less legit as time goes on, I may not wind up in Odessa.  I will keep you all posted on that.

I guess that is it for now.  I know I have a few questions, just so busy at work.  I am going to keep posting my questions no matter how dumb they may appear.  I am trying to make this thread something like a pre trip TRs for other newbies as they come along.  So, please be patient and understand my goal is not just for me, but for others to come.

Once again, thanks to all of you that have replied and PMed.  I appreciate all of your help.

[ScottinCrimea]

If your primary concern is calling your girl from the airport, the easiest thing might be just to buy a prepaid phone card at the airport that you can use in the payphones scattered around the airport.  If you need a phone for use after that, she can help you find a cheap phone and SIM card there.

Good luck on your trip.  You're in for a real eye opener!

[myrddin]

Hey, Guys,
Well, thanks to all of you for all the feedback.  I appreciate it.  I am both excited and terrified.  Someone once told me if I was not terrified on some level, then I had better pulled my head out of my arse!!!

I guess that is it for now.  I know I have a few questions, just so busy at work.  I am going to keep posting my questions no matter how dumb they may appear.  I am trying to make this thread something like a pre trip TRs for other newbies as they come along.  So, please be patient and understand my goal is not just for me, but for others to come.

Hey Scott, just so you know - you're postings are very much appreciated!  I can empathize with the excitement and the fear!  I really appreciate the chance to live vicariously  

I've been wondering if I should change my own "Times to FSU" to None, since it was technically still the SU at the time, and it was a student exchange program.  I'll never forget landing in Moscow, though (the landing was so smooth you couldn't tell when we touched the ground - not *quite* the same as that domestic Aeroflot flight....)

[Donhollio]

Guides: I am talking with Igor now.  Seeing as the Odessa girl is looking less and less legit as time goes on, I may not wind up in Odessa.  I will keep you all posted on that.

 Jack Bragg can line you up with some help.   If your useing stirlitz be sure to stock up on juice and sandwiches. I hear he also likes the ladies,so be sure to set the rules before the meeting/s.

 I've spent months in Odessa and I can only give you my opinion on it, that is it's a very difficult place for meeting girls. Other Ukraine cities are far better, if the girl in any city is giving you doubts ,than bail out before you meet.
 Their's too many other girls to meet so don't waste your time if you aren't sure about her .

[Thor]

Odessa and Kiev are the city's where the girls are most spoiled in Ukraine. Yes there are a LOT of very hot girls in Odessa, but there are so many US and European men going to Odessa to meet girls...........The competition is very hard, and the girls use this to scam men. Many of this girls have a what I call a "ugly" attitude. They threat you like shit with no respect.....But this are not the typical Ukrainian girl. Typical Ukrainian girls are friendly and nice. But there is a difference between girl born and raised in the Sovjetsystem and girls born and raised after the fall of Soviet. This girls are fare more westernized......

By the way, I will go to Ukraine on Wednesday and I so look forward to this that I can hardly sleep..

PS: Don't be afraid that anyone will try to steal your cam.....The economical situation in Ukraine is improving and a expensive cam is nothing special in Ukraine anymore. I walk arone in the streets with my Nikon D80 and I feel completely safe...

[2tallbill]

Jack Bragg can line you up with some help.   If your useing stirlitz be sure to stock up on juice and sandwiches. I hear he also likes the ladies,so be sure to set the rules before the meeting/s.

 I've spent months in Odessa and I can only give you my opinion on it, that is it's a very difficult place for meeting girls. Other Ukraine cities are far better, if the girl in any city is giving you doubts ,than bail out before you meet.
 Their's too many other girls to meet so don't waste your time if you aren't sure about her .

I had a much better experience with Stirlitz, your other advice is sound IMHO.

Bill

[dneid]

Hey, All,
I thought I would update this thread in hopes of being able to help the other newbies out.  First off, for all the newbies (me included at this point in time), when these guys tell you of something doesn't feel right, drop and run, they mean it and it is very good advice.  I just had to change a few plans based on one woman who suddenly became very nervous about meeting in Odessa.  So, guys, if things get a little strange and your inner voice starts clanging, listen to it!!!  I finally did and it has saved me significant dollars and time.

OK, I have received plenty of PMs from many of you all and I can not thank all of you enough.  The ideas, gift ideas, travel advice, and just plain well wishes are much appreciated.  Simoni, Alona, it was sooooo great to talk with both of you and thank you so much for all the input and guidance.  KenC, Jet, Groovltck, heck too many to remember... thank you to each and every one of you.  For the newbies, post post post is the message I want you all to get at this point in the thread.  These guys and gals here will contact you with wonderful ideas, advice, and tips.  Listen to them.

Well, that is all for now.  T minus 30 days and counting.

[dneid]

Hey, Guys,
Reading Jet's latest installment triggered a question or two.  All of them revolve around dollars.  Let me make this a list as it will be easier for me to keep track.  I am planning on doing almost everything in cash.  No credit cards as I deplore them (I use only one and it is strictly for business use).  I am quite comfortable carrying cash and know how to minimize my exposure (keep the bulk of it in one front pocket and keep what I plan on needing during an outing in the other front pocket.  Never ever pull a huge wad out in plain sight in public... just begging for trouble with that).  Oh, yeah, I know to take only crisp, freshly minted bills.  I just to be sure the ink is dry off the printer 

* How soon should I exchange Dollars for Hryvnias?
* Should I exchange a few dollars in the airport in kiev as soon as I land?
* Or can I wait until I am at the flat?
* So far, I am figuring on about $2500 for 10 days.  The budget is looking ok.
* Where are the best places to get the best exchange rate?
* is it best to just exchange it all when I find the best rate and then exchange it back before I leave?
* Any issues with carrying and declaring that much cash?  I plan on leaving with several hundred to carry me through the return trip.
* What else do I need to know from a handling cash POV?

As always, your input is most welcome and anticipated.  Thanks once again to all of you.