Thread: Travel Blog; CIS/ex-USSR countries (i.e. Russian speaking)

Originally Posted by Hanna

The wifi is a bit bad at this hotel - I'll have to check the song later.

Could you please post here speedtest.net results for your hotel wifi?

Originally Posted by Eric C.

Could you please post here speedtest.net results for your hotel wifi?

Apart from being slow, the hotels router keeps dropping the connection.
I am trying to only stay at hotels that have free wifi / internet on the room.
A lot of hotels say they have it, but it's often not true.


CROSSING THE ROAD
The further East you get, the scarier it is to cross the roads.
In all the Eastern European countries I have been to now, there have been quite broad boulevards - 3-5 lanes in some cases, just going one directions. The actual lanes themselves are wide too.
Such boulevards are unusual in Western Europe. Romania had put in new traffic lights in most places, so it was ok, just very long waits and walks between the pedestrian crossings. But drivers sometimes took a (legal) left turn, ignoring the fact that pedestrians were in the middle of crossing.

In Moldova I walked for almost a kilometre, several times, just to cross the road. They had underpasses instead of pedestrian crossings. In the underpasses were lots of little shops. These areas were not dangerous (in most of Western Europe, such a place might be taken over by drug users or homeless people. But in Moldova, normal people use them).

In Central Odessa there are pedestrian crossings where you press a button and wait. But outside that area - No! People take huge risks to cross the road, and the cars do not slow down at marked pedestrian crosses, even if someone is waiting.

Also, all drivers are driving much faster than I am used to. It feels a bit scary.

Another safety risk: Trains in Romania were driving with the some of the doors open! Sometimes because people were smoking, and sometimes for no clear reason at all.


ABOUT SPEAKING RUSSIAN
I am not speaking Russian in the hotels, because the staff speaks English, and they actually WANT to speak English, (definitely not listen to my apalling Russian.) Old ladies are the best people for listening to poor Russian - several have even tried to teach me grammar or words. I really like the people here, they are very cool. And I have decided to sign up for a Russian course, as part of this trip.



ABOUT THIS HOLIDAY:
This is definitely the funkiest holiday I have had in my whole life - particularly after passing through Pridnestrovie (nice country - support their independence!). Going alone (first time ever I do that, apart from for work).... Only going by train, no flying (ecological, and better for seeing another country as it really is). I actually went by train, all the way from London, to Odessa.

Because I am practicing Russian at the same time, and experiencing another culture, it's a bit "intellectual", not just pleasure or adventure. Although I am staying at reasonably good hotels, I am not doing anything else extravagant or very expensive, so it isn't costing a fortune. For the train trip through Europe, I bought an adult Interrail card. (valid in all European countries for unlimited travel over a certain amount of days, the ex-USSR countries are not included in this setup though - you can choose 1 or 2 class, then the duration of days you need it for).

After seeing Kiev, I will try to find a 2-4 week course in Russian, in some nice town in Ukraine or Belarus, where everybody speaks Russian (not the local language) and there are not a lot of English speakers around. If anyone knows of a course that fits the bill, please let me know!

UA
Am I right to think that Hryvna (UA currency) means "crown" - that's what we call the money in Scandinavia too ! (krona) and... Ukraine is the only country other than Sweden that has a blue and yellow flag.

Originally Posted by Hanna

Am I right to think that Hryvna (UA currency) means "crown" - that's what we call the money in Scandinavia too ! (krona)

That's not quite so. "Grivna" was the name for a coin in Kievan Rus and it derives from the ancient Slavic word for "neck". Nobles were used to wear golden chains (necklaces) around their necks and they often used the pieces of these chains as payment for goods.

and... Ukraine is the only country other than Sweden that has a blue and yellow flag.

Your reply reminds me of this picture hehe (no offence, fellow Ukrainians). It refers to Ukrainian Hetman Mazepa who known in Russian history as "traitor" because he was at first allied with Peter the Geat at Northern War but then betrayed him and joined Karl XII at the battle of Poltava. In modern Ukraine he is considered kinda hero (at least it was so at Yushchenko times).