Wandering, Kolya, and the Caves

---

Wandering, Kolya, and the Caves
Thursday I spent the day wandering around Kiev. I took the marshrootka (bus) to the metro and then went to Andrevskii spusk. It is a very old cobblestone street that climbs into the hills. On it are many very old churches and venders selling souveniers. I bought a Ukrainian egg, a real one. It is made out of an actual egg and has the most beautiful intricate designs. I hope that it doesn't break. It only cost $4. Everything is much less expensive in Kiev.
On the way back I took the marshrootka again. It was 5pm, rush hour. I had to wait a long time in a line for the buses and when I finally got on I didn't get a seat. There were so many people in the bus, most of whom were standing. The bus had as many people as could possibly fit. Whenever the bus stopped or turned it would send us stumbling foreward or backward into our neighbors. I don't get car sick easily but I was feeling awfully sick to my stoumach.
Yesterday Kolya picked me up again and he showed me around the city. Kiev is so beautiful at night. We walked close to the Lavra and looked out onto the city and the Dniper river. Afterwards we came back to Tatyana's appartment for dinner. Kolya and Igor tried to teach me Durok, but with the language barrier I never got the hang of the game. It was very sad when I said goodbye to Kolya last night. He took me in his arms and kissed me. I will see him once more right before my train leaves today. But I will likely never see him again. I'm not looking foreward to going back to Moscow. The people are so wonderful in Kiev, the weather is warm, Tatyana's family is so great to be with, and I will miss Kolya. The only thing I will not miss about Kiev is the marshrootka.
Today we went to the Lavra. It is a series of underground churches and some above ground churches that were started 1,000 years ago. They house the bodies of many saints. It was incredible. I have run out of time but will write more about the Lavra when I am back in Moscow.

---

Photos

Old Kiev
Andrevskii Spusk

Comments

[Kate]

Amazing travel
I have gone through a long period of planning before going to Ukraine for the first time. Must admit that it was difficult to find a comprehensive resource on Ukrainian tourism. Most of the web sites are commercial and doubtful in terms of the information they publish. Eventually one of my wife’s friends told us about the new travel website www.traveltoukraine.org , and I was amazed how much information was out there. All travel issues were covered: what to pack, visas, medical insurance, transportation, Ukrainian cuisine, money, opera schedules, and much much more. They even had maps of Ukraine. Traveltoukraine.org, the official travel website and guide for Ukraine, is sponsored by the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation. The U.S.-Ukraine Foundation also has another website (www.buyukraine.org ) where one can purchase various travel, road, political maps of Ukraine that were handy on my trip to Kyiv, Lviv, Simferopil, and Odessa. I highly recommend a visit to www.traveltoukraine.org since I believe that it is the best travel website regarding Ukraine right now.