Thread: Off to the Ukraine again!

I am heading out to the other side of the world again.
I will be leaving in just a few more days from now.
I will be landing in Kiev and staying there for a few days.
From there I will be taking a train to Crimea.
I hope that I learned enough Russian to get around.
Thanks for all your help. It has been really fun.
Anyone have any tips?
Wish me luck.

When will you be back? I don't have any tips, so happy trails!

I will leaving this Tuesday and I will return sometime early June.
Are you planning a wild "Thank God he's GONE" party?

Anyway, there are internet cafe's all over the place in the Ukraine and it costs only about 2 grivni per half hour (50cents). So I can still torchure everybody with my wild, insane and inane posts while I am out there.

Originally Posted by kwatts59

I will leaving this Tuesday and I will return sometime early June.
Are you planning a wild "Thank God he's GONE" party?

Why whatever would give you the idea that we would do such a low down and twisted back-stabbing thing?

Happy landing! I think you know some Ukranian as well!

I have a few suggestions for you. I can't help much with Kiev, I've only toured there a little. But get out into the City's Center on foot, see some of the Cathedrals. As for Crimea; In Sevastopol; visit the "Museum of Heroic Defense of 1853-54, Panorama". Walk through the city, past Tolstoy's Library, down the hill past the shipyards to the Train station / bus station. You'll have great views of the bay, and there is a massive Rail Cannon just past the Train Station. Go over to Kersonesus, spend a day there (and when there - make a wish when hitting the bell with a rock!) Go to Balaklava Bay. Walk through the "town" to the end, up the hill (mountain) to the Fortress ruins, then along the coast and go swimming. Take a boat tour from Balaklava to Yalta, (forget the "Swallows Nest", it's just a resturant and not very interesting). When in Yalta, find a 'street artist', and have your portrait drawn. Not a 'characture', but a well done (and inexpensive) piece of art. Take a Tour 'bus' to Sudak!. You'll go through Simferopol, and see a lot of the Crimea. Look these over: http://sevastopol.russian-women.net/
http://www.sevastopol.org/index1.htm
http://ukrtelecom.ua/en/offers/web_cam/ -wave to us!

Luck!

удачи! When you come back, tell us all about it!

OK everybody, I will be hoping on my plane in a few of hours.
Let me know how the "Thank God he's gone party" went.
I will be keeping in touch - just not as frequently.
Thank you everybody for all your wonderful help.

what are you going for?

That was kinda late, Drew! You snooze you lose!

Hi all!
I am in Kiev right now.

It is ochen hot and sunny here. When I was here in February in was -10C (12F), now it is about 32C (90F). The weather here is crazy.

Today is Kiev day. There was a big parade all up and down Kreshatic street. Lots of cars, trucks, militsia on horses, fire trucks, some military vehicles (I did not see any tanks). In the night there was a big fireworks display. Right now Kreshatic street is crowded with drunk pedestrians.

Unfortunately one of my bags got lost on the way here. I lost a few hundred dollars, lots of clothes and my camera. Darn, I can't take any pictures. I guess I will buy one of those disposable things.

Anyway, I am doing well and speaking Russian - or trying to.
Thanks for all your help. I am eternally grateful.

Ой, как жалко! Может ещё вещи найдутся? Желаю весело провести время в Киеве!

Hi all,
I am back now from the Ukraine and trying to recouperate from the long flight. I am very happy to be home.

I did see a few things that were interesting. A couple of art galleries, some old historic churches and buildings. Several walks in the parks. There were some relaxing moments.

However, overall, this trip did not go very well. I am still trying to find my bag that I lost on the way there.

One of the interesting things that happend to me:
I was waiting at the train station in Kiev. There was a very small cafe in the station so I bought a coke and sat down and pulled out my Russian course book and started studying. A drunk came up to me and started making conversation. I told him I was a student. Then he went onto a long story about how he was in a bar yesterday and got mugged and lost all his money. Then he started asking for money. I pretended that I did not understand what he was saying. It was not working very well and he was getting angry. While we were talking a bum came up to us. He held out his hand and started asking the drunk for money. The drunk was infuriated and started yelling at him. The bum started yelling back. While they were yelling at each other, I quietly slipped away. I did not find it amusing at the time, but now that I look back it was rather strange to see a drunk and a bum yelling at each other for money.

Lol! I wanna go to some weird place and be harassed by a drunk for money!!! I hope you find your bag, was there anything too important in it?