Kyiv/ Vinnitsa/ Uman

[KyivTrip]

Hi Everybody,
I just got back from 4 weeks in Ukraine.  It seemed more places accept credit cards but, as in the past, they often do not want to.  They are very "helpful" in giving directions to nearby ATMs ;-)   It is still not common there for the locals to use credit cards, it seems.  The credit card issue has just come up on one of the "lists" and some are saying that it is more difficult to use CCs in Russia these days.

Some of you may have noticed that there is sometimes an attitude that us foreigners have more money than brains.  I try to resist the inevitable price increases and often set a price ("within my budget" is my usual phrase) for an apartment and I negotiate when possible.  I have found that I can get lower prices just by asking.  I always get a nice 1 bdrm apartment - big bed, hot water, full kitchen, microwave, balcony, etc.  I know they rent these apartments to others for as much as twice what I am willing to pay so, sometimes, I have to be firm and keep my fingers crossed that they don't get a better offer the day before !!!

I started looking into the foreign bride situation in 2004 and my first trip was in 2005 - to Kyiv for 4 weeks in August/ September.  Had a great time and learned a lot.  Mainly not to trust agencies !!!  They can be useful, though, and you need a way to meet woman, of course, and maybe to make contacts for drivers, apartments and other services.  I was at the mercy of an agency in 2005 and it was an expensive lesson.  I had no way to contact, directly, any of the women I had been writing to.  That was a serious problem.
I changed my "MO" for 2006 and began working only with agencies that allowed the exchange of contact info.  That worked a lot better as, after a few letters I could get a phone number and/ or an e-mail, and the lady and I could take control of our own meeting.  In September 2006 I met a woman from Nikolaev in Yalta that I became engaged to over Christmas when I went back to spend 3 weeks with her, but in February 2007, she had a massive stroke and has still not recovered.  Tragic.  34 years old.

Altogether, I have spent about 25 weeks in Ukraine since August/ September 2005.  I have rented a dozen different apartments in Kyiv, 3 in Yalta, 2 in Zaporozhye, 2 in Vinnitsa, one in Dnipro and one in Lugansk.  I have also stayed in hotels in Odessa, Dnipro, Vinnitsa and Uman.  I have worked at developing my own contacts without using agencies.  It can be done.

This year I had contacted several women then narrowed it down to one woman in Vinnitsa, 3 in Kharkov and one in Zaporozhye.  Olga in Vinnitsa was definitely motivated and she came to meet me at Boryspil.  I have a really reliable taxi guy in Kyiv so he met her at the train, dropped her at the apartment for a couple of hours, then brought her to the airport to meet me when I arrived at about 5pm.  Prices have gone through the roof in Kyiv - the apartment I got for $40 a night in 2005 is now $90.  Fortunately, I have a couple of apartment resources in Kyiv and so does Slava, my taxi guy.  I got a nice apartment on Krasnarmeeska for $80.  I was quoted over $100 for several others.
I was only going to spend a week or so with Olga, but calls and e-mails to the other women made me feel that they were really not that excited about meeting, so I went back to Vinnitsa with Olga and we stayed there two weeks then went to Uman for 3 days - loved Sofievsky Park in fall colors - and wound up back in Kyiv a couple days before I flew home.

I had arranged an apartment over the Internet in Vinnitsa for $45, but when we arrived it was not acceptable so Olga and I went to the Hotel Padilla (?).  We got a newspaper the next morning and called a half dozen apartments.  The second one we looked at was great - $40, two large bedrooms, full kitchen, balcony, etc. - and we left the hotel the next day for the apartment.
In Uman we stayed in hotel because we were only there for 3 nights.  It was a former US military installation and was much like a US motel.  The doors, bathroom fixtures, layout, etc, were all American !  $40 a night.  But it was the third hotel we went to.

In trying to find suitable women to meet this year, I noticed that many of the profiles were exactly the same as they were in 2004 - 2005.  This brings up an interesting issue.  I asked for new pictures of the women I had connected with and met some resistance.  This can be a problem so anyone new to this should ask about the age of the pictures on any profiles they are looking at.  It does help if you make direct contact and can exchange recent photos by e-mail.  BTW, except for my first trip in 2005, I have never paid a "meeting fee" - I have met over a dozen women starting in 2006 and we have been in direct contact and arranged our own meetings.

Olga and I had originally planned to go to Yalta for a week and a problem developed that I will explain in another post.

All for now,
David

[BC]

In September 2006 I met a woman from Nikolaev in Yalta that I became engaged to over Christmas when I went back to spend 3 weeks with her, but in February 2007, she had a massive stroke and has still not recovered.  Tragic.  34 yea

That must be a tough decision to reconcile, even today.

[KyivTrip]

Thanks BC,
Yes, it is.  Lilia and I hit it off right away and had a great week together in Yalta.  I had 2 other women on my list, but I sent them flowers and, instead of going to see them, went to Nikolaev with Lilia for the 12 days remaining before I flew home.  I just knew it was the right thing to do. 
Again, a wonderful time over Christmas and the New Year.  I proposed at her Mother's after Christmas dinner.  Diamond ring, etc.  Mama was in tears.
One of my problems related to this is that I am trying to "replace" Lilia even though I know, logically, it cannot be done and is interfering with my ability to connect to another woman.
David

[BC]

One of my problems related to this is that I am trying to "replace" Lilia even though I know, logically, it cannot be done and is interfering with my ability to connect to another woman.
David

David,

Totally understandable.  Suggest finding resolution first.

[SANDRO43]

In Uman we stayed in hotel because we were only there for 3 nights.  It was a former US military installation and was much like a US motel.  The doors, bathroom fixtures, layout, etc, were all American ! 

From what period, WWII ?

[KyivTrip]

Hi Sandro,
From my discussions with the owner, this was less than 20 years old, and used by Americans and UN forces doing weapons inspections.  My horrible Russian prevented a detailed discussion.  There was also a large and active Ukrainian military installation just 100 yards away.
David

[Pike]

Hi Sandro,
From my discussions with the owner, this was less than 20 years old, and used by Americans and UN forces doing weapons inspections.  My horrible Russian prevented a detailed discussion.  There was also a large and active Ukrainian military installation just 100 yards away.
David

- - - - -

Yes, there is a Missile Launch area down near there.  Raytheon had a contract to dismantle the missiles and the atomic warheads.  That project went on for many years. 

I dated a woman who worked there as an interpreter for Raytheon and the associated U S military people.  She was sort of against the idea of Ukraine giving up their atomic weapons.  But when I probed, asking if she thought Ukraine could actually have been able to provide proper maintence for the weapons, she agreed it would have been impossible.  As it was, the US paid Ukraine a lot of money, and did the work for them besides.