Eastern Europe - Kiev. Ukraine

StAndrew'sCathedral

Email No 25 – Eastern Europe – Kiev. Ukraine

A 19:40 overnite sleeper train brought me to Kiev at around 7:30 am. From there I had to take two rides on the metro system to get close to my hostel. I eventually found the entrance to the metro system near the station and could follow the fairly good instructions. You really very good instructions as everything is written in the unreadable (for me) Cyrillic. I somehow managed (with help of course !) to emerged at the right metro station. With the help of my wrist compass, a map, and some enquiries I eventually got to the right building and the right floor. This is again, what is becoming a norm, a large apartment that had been modified into an hostel. My (so called) private room is a tiny room with a fold out bed, and it is separated from a dorm by a narrow passage covered by a curtain !? The kitchen the bathroom facilities are nice and well equipped. There is only one hired help that takes care of everything. And, since he needs to go out occasionally, we are on a schedule? Luckily, there was only a couple other guests there and it worked out OK.

One of the reason I choose Kiev, is that it is a jumping-off point to Chornobyl. As it turned out, the agency we contacted did not have a scheduled trip, and, in addition since Chornbyl is a controlled area the travel agencies need a week or more to get permission to bring people in. I did not know this and is not mentioned in my Lonely Planet Guide. A gross oversight!!. Their map of Kiev is also inaccurate. I am less and less inclined to use LP as a guide. I have met some of the people that update their guides and I have come to realized that, given the amount of time and money they get, it is very difficult for them to do an adequate job. Also, they do not provide maps (an absolute must) for some of the smaller town (Kamyanets-Podilsky is an example).

There are enough interesting sights in Kiev to make it a worthwhile visit. It has (in my opinion) the most churches per square mile than any other city (maybe with the exception of Rome). Unfortunately, it also seem to hold the same record for the number of policemen and security people (go figure).

There is a “must see” steep old cobblestoned street lined up with souvenir stands and topped by one of the most beautiful baroque St Andrews Church (see picture).

South of the city there is a complex called the Cave Monastry. A large 28 hectares wooded enclosed area above the Dnipro River contains several churches and two underground caves holding dozens of niches containing glass-topped coffins holding the blanketed bodies of the monks. The believers kneel and pray at the coffins and also kiss the glass tops.

Having been made to believe in taking some precautions against germs transmission, and then observing people kissing glass tops, statues and many other religious icons almost everywhere in Eastern Europe (full lips contact, without any cleaning, wiping whatsoever), I am surprised that the whole of Eastern Europe is not suffering from some “easy to transmit” disease! Any comments, ideas,or explanations would be welcome. I do not get it.

I was somewhat disappointed about the dead monks being totally wrapped up in a blanket. A wrapped piece of wood could be made to look the same. I am trying to remember in what South American city they also have dead monks lying down in a deep cave. But there, their mummified head and hands holding a rosary are exposed. They mummify naturally because of the cave dryness as I remember. Much more impressive!. But then again, most people go there for a different reason (to worship) than I do.

The picture of the sphere made out of painted egg was taken inside of the enclosed Cave Monastery.

The painted eggs represent very old (1000 years +) designs from all over the world.

Next, Lviv (by overnite train).

Eastern Europe - Kamyanets-Poilsky. Ukraine

The Castel

Iron work in Old Town

Email 24 – Kamyanets – Podilsky. Ukraine

Getting from Suceava in Romania was not a trivial task. It requires the use of those unpredictable minibuses. I taught that after my first trip around the world I would never have to deal with this kind of Unscheduled transportation. Obviously, even in a country that belongs to the European Community , there is no centralization of the transport system!

Anyway, my friend from Singapore left (sort of!) the day before I was scheduled to leave. Then, In the afternoon of the same day, Monica told me that she was coming back because she needed a visa to cross the border to Ukraine. So she came back (she had to be picked-up of course) in mid-afternoon and I went with her to the Ukrainian Consulate. In fact, I think that she was lucky that there is one in Suceava. Here, after several agonizing phone call from the consulate to ???. they told her that she should come back the following day by 9:00 am. Now, follows this, the woman told me that her Ukranian minibus had left at 10:30 am. Monica told me that I should go to the minibus area by about 11:00. I was getting a bit concerned by this time. So, I went to the minibus area in the afternoon and there was the an Ukranian minibus waiting there at around 2:00 pm? I tried to find the time I should be there the next day and he could not tell me because he was not driving the next day?! He suggested that to be safe I should be at the stop by about 7:00 am ?

Next day: I finally decided to go there at about 10:00 am, and to make a long story short, The minibus left at about 2:30. Now, and more puzzling yet, the Singapore woman did not show up and I assumed that she was held up for her visa. Yet, to my surprised, I met her in Chernivtsi (the minibus terminal point) and she asked me where had I been ? Unfortunately, I was rushing for the connecting bus to KP and I did not have time to talk to her. However, I was glad that she made it. I have no idea how she could possibly be there before me since I did not even see her at the minibus area??

I had a connecting bus to KP. 10 minutes later, fortunately, right across the street. I made it to KP around 4 pm and had a serious problem finding the hostel. The reason is that I booked my hostel at a web site call hostelworld, and they let the owners provide the directions (they provide a totally useless map). The hostel is west of the bus station and the instruction said to go East. When I finally query the young woman running the hostel this is what she responded with “ Well, isn’t the bus station east of the hostel?” No comments!

About the hostel, let say that, even if you are a “minimalist” you might still think this is a bit short of the minimum one would expect. However, being the only customer there, I had the run of the place. The woman does not stay there. She could not, has there is no reception area anyway. She wasn’t even there when I showed up and I needed a stranger’s help (he was not really a stranger, he was just another form of my ever present “guardian angel”) to get on his cell phone and call her.

KP is a very nice city with some interesting sights. The very scenic “fortified old town” overlooking a very scenic gorge is home to several churches and a very popular old castle.

A nice pleasant visit, made even better by the fact I am sitting here writing this email wit a free wireless connection in a place called “London”. They also have good food.

Tonight I am taking a nite train to Kiev. See you there.

Eastern Europe - Suceava. Romania

Voronet - Last Judgment

The Bell Ringer

Email 23 – Suceava. Romania

Overnite train from Sighisoara to Suceava with an early arrival time of 7:30 am. I then took a bus from the train station to the McDonald stop!? The bus does stop very close to a Mc Donald and I decided to wait a few minutes for the 8:00 am opening time. After coffee and apple pie I was ready for the short walk to the hostel. The hostel is run by Monica, a fairly young woman who is a very keen gardener. There over 1000 tulips in her yard plus a many other flowers and vegetables. She is also somewhat of a celebrity as she acted as a guide for Michael Palin (of Monty Python’s fame) tour of the Bucovina Monasteries . Palin wrote a new book about his visit to Eastern Europe and one of the picture shows Monica and Palin. Now of course she will be even more famous after my visit (I hope!).

Suceava is not a very interesting town and the streets and sidewalks are for the most part in a very sorry shape. To make things even worse, they had a water supply problem and they were digging holes all over the street where Monica’s hotel is located. The street and the sidewalks where covered with mud.

The only reason to come here is to use it as a base convenient for visiting the Bucovina Painted Monasteries. Monica would conduct an all-day tour of four of the main monasteries for a total of 100 euros, a substantial sum. But I decided to wait out as woman from Singapore was scheduled to arrive in the evening. During the day a couple showed to get information about the guided tour, then they left, then they came back later and said they were interested in Monica’s tour. I just know they left to try to find a better deal. So, Monica scheduled the trip for the next day. Later that day Monica got a call from the Singapore woman who wanted to be picked up at the station? I could not understand why, until the woman showed up with an enormous plastic piece of luggage and a handbag. I was wondering what she might be carrying. I found later that this little woman not only carried most of her food with her (noodles of course plus some other stuff), but also some kitchen’s utensils and even one of those electric carafe to heat up water for coffee or tea! I could barely lift the plastic luggage. It is a good thing that she is only travelling for a few weeks!

The woman also decided to join the next day visit to the monasteries. This made this all-day trip a very reasonable 25 euro each.

We left around 9:00 am under a grey ski and one of those light but persistent rain that would last the whole day .It wasn’t the ideal conditions to take picture but it wasn’t too bad. The Painted Monasteries are very beautiful and Monica is a great guide. We stopped at a restaurant and I had one of my best vegetarian meal so far in Eastern Europe! Mashed aubergine, a white bean puree, a stir-fried mix of mushroom and other veggies, a large fancifully sliced tomato, and a dark beer. All very well presented meal at a very reasonable price. All and all a very nice all-day trip. Four monasteries in one day is enough, as the painted motives for the most part a basically similar in all monasteries. They all of their outside walls painted as well as the inside walls. You can expect that the largest painting (just like in the Sistine Chapel in Rome) will be the Last Judgment where the good people a resurrected and the other go permanently in Hell! The rest of the paintings represent the stories of Christianity. It is not really know why the Bucovina Monasteries have most of their frescoes painted on the outside walls. Not enough space inside maybe?

One of the monasteries as one of its wall mostly unpainted. The story is the painter fell off the scaffolding and killed himself. They took this as some sort of a message and no other painter dare to continue the work.

A very worth while visit. Next Kamayavets - Podilskyy in Ukraine.

Eastern Europe - Brasow, Bran, Sinaia

The Square in Brasov

The "Junis"

No 21 Email – Brasov – Romania

A short trip to Brasov took me to the train station some 4 km away from the center of the town.

My hotel is supposed to be very close to the main square but I had no information on how to get there. I took a taxi and gave the address to the driver who (of course) assured me that he knew the place well. He dropped me at a side street and pointing at another street starting on the opposite side he told me that it was the street I was looking for.

First of all I realized that he charged me too much for the short trip from the station and then I found out that he dropped me at the wrong place. Fortunately, the driver of an express delivery service not only told me where the right street was, but he took me there! I walked up and down the street and could not find the pension. I asked the people at a nearby hotel and told me to look for a red door with a small sign under a bell? I finally found it, but nobody answered.

So far, things were not working too well for me! During my search for the pension I had come to a hotel that offered a private room (with breakfast) for 25 euros/nite. A bit more than I wanted but I was getting tired and I took it. The room was nice and the location couldn’t have been better.

The hotel, attached to a nice restaurant, is located in one of the several pedestrian-only streets that leads directly to the large Brasov’s main square, 3 minutes away.

The large square is home to the Council Home and the best Tourist Information Center in Romania. It also has a large fountain and plenty of benches. The square, surrounded by cafes and baroque facades, is the center stage for many events; a market, a parade, or some music.

Every city should have such a meeting place.(most cities and villages in Mexico, have such a square). It is fair to mention that it wasn’t always as pleasant as it is today, as witches were once burned and prisoners tortured in what is today the Council Home.

Part of the wall that surrounded the square and the Old Town still remains, as well as some of the fortification’s towers, and several churches.

Brasov is in a valley, and a cable car reaches one of the nearby peak for stunning views of the the town.

Seven cultural/religious groups called Juni, wearing different costumes and organized by age, participate in a horse - mounted very colorful parade that take place each year the week following Easter.

They arrive at the main square, go around the square three times and then leave thru another street. They hold a “bludgeon” and shout “Christ is Alive!”. The public responds with something like “Yes He Is”.

From Brasov I took a train for a one-day visit of nearby Sinaia, a popular ski-resort and the site of the Peles Castle. No, it is not the Brazilian soccer star castle, but King Carol First’s magnificent extravagantly furnished castle.

This is school vacation time and it shows as the castle is full of visitors, some with guide, some (like me) with self-guided pamphlets. I was able to maneuver around the guided tours to see most of the displays and artifacts. In the end a better way than being stuck in a tour, and be barely able to even hear the guide speech or to even see most of the displays.

The castle is definitely not set up as a friendly place. The large ground around the castle is full of signs warning you to not walk on the grass, and there isn’t a single bench or anything else to sit down. The place is also full of guards. You can see the picture; give us your money, make a quick tour, and leave!

I also took aside trip to the Bran to see another castle. It sounds like I am out of churches and monasteries and into castles! Not for very long I am afraid. The Bran Castle is called Dracula’s Castle even though Vlad Tepes only dropped by once in the 15^th Century (remember that the real Vlad Tepes, called the Impaler, was the “too” real inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula).

This was worth a visit as the unusual 60-meter castle stands atop a rocky outcrop between facing hills.

Next Sighisoara.