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Published: October 14th 2009
Hi Everybody!
I started this blog in Kiev and am finishing it in Warsaw. Before I finish telling you about Kiev, I want to tell you what happened to us on the train. We left Kiev on Monday morning at 9:30 and rode the train until 1 AM. For many miles, we just enjoyed the scenery which consisted of beautiful orange and yellow folliage and farmland. On the farms, we could see piles of pumpkins and cabbages. We saw one of two men and women working on individual plots using hand tools. We often saw a horse pulling a plow. At the border, we remained on the train while the wheels were changed out to a different size. This took a good while - easily over an hour. Shortly after this, the Polish border guards came around and stamped our passports. They were much friendlier than the Ukranians officials. They did ask us if we had any cartons of cigarettes in our possession. We told them no that we only had about 40 cigars. They tapped around on the walls and ceiling with a baton. They left and went to the next cabin. In a few minutes, we heard lots of
activity-electric drills, banging, things hitting the floor. I looked outside and saw cartons of cigarettes flying through the air and landing in the hallway. The occupants of that cabin (a couple and their son) were standing in the hall. I assumed they were guilty of smuggling. I was quite surprised when the guards came back to our cabin, asked us to leave, and started dismantling the cabin. They opened up the wall panels, ceiling, cabinets, mattresses,etc. Before I knew it, hundreds of cartons of cigarettes were discovered. The guards removed the black, heavy duvet covers from our berths and started filling them up with the cartons. They found cigarettes in many of the cabins of our railcar. Surprisingly, they didn't not interrrogate us. I think they realized that this was too big of an operation for a couple of tourists. While all of this was going on, I was on my Blackberry. I was afraid to take any pictures. Walt was standing in the hall talking to the Ukranian couple from the next cabin. He discovered that their relative taught in the Vet School at Auburn University. Because of the smuggling discovery, we were late getting into Warsaw. We were
Cemetary on Monastery Grounds
Look to the right of the tree and you should be able to see a white Communist statue.extremely tired too. The train did not have a dining car. We bought everything that we could find at the train station but much of it was not very good.
Back to Sunday in Kiev:
While Walt was on his Chernobyl tour today, I visited the Cave Monasteries. I was lucky to meet a very nice Canadian lady and we spent the day together. She has been a professor of graduate students in the school of international business. She has taught in China, Turkey, and Africa. She shared many fascinating stories with me. While working in Africa, she had home invaders twice and was mugged five times. The last time, she was beaten up by several Africans and was lucky to live. She has now retired and is headed home. She will take until May 30 to get there. The Cave Monasteries are on the grounds of several Russian Orthodox churches and a monastery. At one time hundreds of years ago, the monks lived underground. Because this was a Sunday, the caves were VERY CROWDED! Everybody in the caves had one to four lit candle tapers in their hands. The ceiling was low, the hallways narrow, and it was very
Church on Cave Monastery grounds
There were several churches on the grounds of the Russian Orthodox Monastery grounds. I visited the cave monastery that was below ground level. Priests were preserved in glass coffins dressed in elaborate robes. It was very claustrophobic, hot, crowded, low ceiling, narrow walkway. I wouldn't do it again. claustrophobic! I would never go back in their again. Monks were buried in clear coffins and dressed in elaborate robes. I barely even looked at them. I was just looking for a way to get out. The smell of incense, the warmth from the candles drove me crazy. I tried to tear off my toboggan, jacket, gloves but nothing helped. Maybe, it wouldn't be so bad on a weekday.????
The Metro in Kiev is 7 or 8 stories underground. It is suppose to serve a dual purpose - metro/bomb shelter. There are still Communist monuments and statues in this part of the world. I took a picture yesterday of a huge statue of a woman in white stone. It probably didn't show up large enough for you to see it very well. I do in my heart feel sorry for these people for having to endure Soviet rule. Yesterday, I went to change some money. When I handed the woman my bills, she started yelling at me. She threw about half of the money back at me. I had handed it to her neatly, with all bills turned the same way. She just wadded up the bills and threw them.
I didn't get the least bit frustrated. I just got out some more bills and gave her a second choice. She did not want any bill with wrinkles, writings, tears, etc. No matter how hard you try, bills like that get mixed in. You can't go to the bank today like you once could and get new bills. I put a picture on today of two Brits. One of them has been living in the Ukraine. He told me that when he first came, he tried to be as polite as he knew how to be. He opened doors, said "Hello, good morning, how are you." He finally realized it was not worth it. He told me that it depressed him to go through days when he never received a smile. It is weird how this gets to you. You think, oh, I can brush this off and go on. It is not easy when you have spent your life in a friendly environment. The people that I have talked to from America say that it is even worse in Belarus and Russia. They say that just about everybody there avoids eye contact.
Natasha, our guide to Transdinstria, said that
she lived with her parents. All three of them work. They do not own a car. They can only afford meat one day a week and on holidays. They have to eat that sparingly in order to have clothes, shoes, and other necessities. She said that they never go to a restaurant. I have noticed in restaurants that people come in for a beer or cup of coffee. You don't see many ordering a full meal. There are lots of beggars in the Ukraine. The only country that we didn't encounter any beggars was in Armenia. You always see beggars near the churches. The wealth in the church buildings and interiors is unbelievable. I have to think that much of the money for this came from these poor people. I wonder how much the church in return does for these people. When you go in the churches, people kiss the glass on horizonal pictures of the Virgin Mary. Then, they pick up a small cloth and wipe off the glass. They kiss the hands on statues. There are no pews in the churches. People just walk from one Icon, photograph to another. They light very thin tapers and set them
in holders. They fill out prayer cards and leave them with the candles.
Back to Warsaw:
Warsaw is much more like Western Europe than any country that we have visited on this trip. The people are friendlier, smile more, hold the door for you, etc. At the hotels, they speak enough English to help you.
The weather is colder here 0 degrees Celsius and colder than that at night. Today, it is snowing. Men are trying to keep the sidewalks cleared by using flat blade wooden shovel type devices. We are trying to stay warm by layering our clothing. We didn't have room to bring heavy coats. I am thankful for the hearty ·Polish soups, pierogis, etc. At breakfast, they serve a chocolate spread with toast. It is very good!
Yesterday, it did not snow and I was able to get pictures of the beautiful flowers - red geraniums and yellow mums were in large planters throughout the city. We are staying at the Castle Inn in the Old Town looking out over the Castle Square and across the street from the Royal Castle.
I have great admiration for the Polish people after learning more about their history. In 1944,
the Polish Army launched an Uprising to try to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Occupation. They failed. Hitler was furious! He reacted by trying to wipe Warsaw off the map. Nazi's destroyed 90% of the city. Before they were finished, 700,000 people in the city were killed. After WW II was over, Eisenhower visited the city and said that he had seen many towns destroyed but never had he seen destruction like he saw in Warsaw. What is amazing is that many of Warsaw's buildings have been rebuilt to look exactly like they did before the war. They are still rebuilding. I took a photo of a church that has a huge poster - the size of the front of the church. It shows you what the church will look like when it is finished being rebuilt. One big Catholic Cathedral has a giant poster of Pope John Paul hanging on the front. Many of the Polish people attribute the fall of Communism to this Pope's 32 sermons that he made throughout the country. He inspired the people.
One very interesting building is the Palace of Culture and Science. It is located by Warsaw's Central Train Station. Stalin ordered this building
to be built as a gift from the Communist People to Poland. It served as the Communist headquarter building. Stalin sent a secret delegation to NY to learn more about the Empire State Building and its construction. It resembles that building. The Polish people have always looked on it as an object of hatred.
Warsaw does not allow public drinking on the streets. In the other countries of Eastern Europe, we have regularly seen teenagers walking around with bottles of beer. It is just more civilized here.
I am impressed with Warsaw. I would recommend for anyone who loves to travel to come here. I think that it would be a safe place for a single person to visit. There is great beauty here. The Vistula River runs right through the town. There are hundreds of beautiful buildings, churches, a fortress, cobblestone streets, monuments, etc. I would love to make a return visit someday.
Next destination - Vilnius, Lithuania. Lots of snow and cold days coming in Vilnius and then, Riga, Latvia.
Take care,
Everette
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Yvonne
non-member comment
WOW!
Can't believe you are really doing all that, Everette! How much of that snow and cold and unfriendliness can a person handle? I know the buildings are impressive and lovely but after a short time they would loose their charm for me. Are you ever coming home?