Just passing through....

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So, went to the Cliff Monastary of Orheiul Vechi...
It was a LONG walk up under the baking sun! but, Amazing!
The whole area was like a valley and before, it was all seawater!!! you can see shells and stuff in the rocks and cliffs still! I think it was 200 years ago that it was underwater...and now..its very good land for farming!
The cliff monastary was small.......but pretty cooool.
We went there as a group but no guide. Then, a French guy who spoke Russian came with a Russian speaking guide and we just followed and he explain many things to us! How nice!

Anyways, back in the city..had a nice meal and went off to take the night bus to Kiev, Ukraine.
I saw many buses to Odesa, and they were NICE ONES..so I was hoping my bus would be nice as well.........
ARGHHHHHHH! It was an old one and no air-con!!!!..packed as well........
SO HOT!! 12 hours.........It wasn't uncomfortable though...its just the heat...
So as we drive through, first the Moldovian Border....(no stamp out!)
Then, went in Transdnistra...and experienced some organized way of bribing!! haaaaaa
The bus went through another border point so it was less hassle then Tiraspol I think.
So, after this military guy came up and look at the passports, this women came up..said sth like "transit....ukraine...blahblah" and then people took out the passports again and started stuffing money in it!...haa...I didn;t know what to do...had 10 lei on me....just stuffed it in and gave her my passport.
I was thinking.."how much should I actually pay? probably they will take it all anyways...."
Then...the passports came back and guess what? I got change back!!! haaa...2 lei change!!!
So maybe it wasn't bribing? But i never heard of departure tax or anything here.....hummm.

Anyways, then was at the Ukrainian border....
they took our passports for like...an hour!! and gave them back one by one.....
We also had to fill in a declaration form..but it was all in Cyriliic!!! I just shoved the paper away and didn't fill in...besides 'Declaration' ' yes' and 'no'..I couldnt understand a thing on that paper...
So....waited and waited....almost everyone got their passport back except me!!! Started to worry....then the driver started the bus up and people were getting on! I was like.."Where the heck is my passport!?!?!?!"...the moment I was gonna walk to the border people...this guy on the bus gave me my passport!..PHEW.....it was in the pile....!

So..started the longer part of the ride.....managed to sleep...
and by the time I woke up...it was FREEZING......coz it was raining in Kiev!!!...wow...
The first time..I actually dun hate the rain! haaaaa...
I was baked under the 45 degree sun for nearly 3 weeks!.....this is cooooling.
Got off the bus...lost.......walked a hell lot under the rain and finally...found the hostel!
Worst than I excepted...but not toooo bad..

I wanted to visit the nuclear accident site near Kiev...but....ahh...needed to arrange 2 weeks in advance!...so no chance to go..
Now I have 2 days here........hopefully tomorrow it won't rain?! Then I can actually walk around....

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Photos

Follow the sign...!
saw it after going to the monastary actually..haaa..

Orheiul Vechi Monastary
The edge of the cliff...and its actually IN the cliff...very nice!! The lowland beside the cliff were all underwater 200 years ago!!!!! Amazing!!

Orheiul Vechi Monastary 2
the further part of it..

The folk museum
I really like this room...!!!

Different wheel size
The soviet style trains have wider wheels than the European style...so when the Moldovan train had to cross over to Romania..they had to change wheels!!!

Changing wheels!!
and that's how they change it!! cut off the cars, lift up the car and drag the old wheels away, then a new set follows. Someguy will stop the wheels ontime to lock them onto the train!