Just Like the Country, Kiev is Big, but Also Inviting

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Finally...after 23 hours on a train in a compartment by myself I arrived in Kiev. True I slept most of the way, but nonetheless by the end of it all I was nearly singing to myself and playing out entire scenes in movies. The most excruciating part of the journey, however, had to do with the border crossing that occurred around 1:00 a.m. in the morning. Evidently, the Ukraine has different sized tracks that the rest of Eastern and Western Europe to prevent invasion by train. Who invades by train anyway? So, at the border the train stops, jostles around for quite sometime, is lifted by some sort of giant forklift, the wheels of the cars are changed, and then you are ready to go. This whole process takes around 4 hours while intermittently you are interrupted by border guards to check your passport, visa, etc.; therefore, all of the cars are locked down--no one in or out, bathrooms are locked, and overall surveillance is quite tight. Now all of this is rather disturbing to say the least especially in the middle of the night. But what was most unfortunate was the state of my bladder; it was full and I had no idea how long this seemingly neverending process would continue. And of course as is usual with the train conductors that monitor your carriage there was no way to communicate since he did not speak English. Well, as I mentioned, I survived and arrived in the most interesting and striking European capital I have yet to visit. I was amazed at the modernity of the center coupled with it's wide boulevards, open and inviting squares, and gigantic sidewalks. Interspersed among these welcoming areas are old cathedrals and assorted other monuments, which are threaded by the meandering Dniper River. It's really hard for me to describe the feeling of this city, but it is one in which you truly feel comfortable.

I knew when I arrived that I would be meeting my Russian friend Dilyara; however, I had no idea that my friend Patricia, who you might remember from my trip through the Balkans (Montenegro, Albania, etc.), was also arriving in Kiev the very same day as me. With her was another Portuguese, Strela, and a group of 4 Lithuanians from Vilnius. Funny, because I swear I was going to be traveling by myself during this trip; however, it seems that I keep running into more people along the way. That's good because it gives me a chance to relax a little bit more and not have to take care of every tiny detail as I do when I'm by myself.

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Photos

The Land of Golden Cathedrals
The sun in this picture obscures the shining gold of the cathedral domes at St. Sofia's in Kiev, Ukraine, but you'll see it in a later picture. This is a beautiful and peaceful place though, right in the heart of the city.

The Lyre and the Portuguese
Here's Patricia inside St. Sofia's gardens with a man that can only be described as a charming, friendly,and Santa Claus-like. He only adds to the ambience.

The (Up-Down) Jump in the Central Square
Patricia (Portuguese) is on the right, Anna & Dilyara (Russian)in the middle, and on the right is Strela also from Portugal. As you can see Russians and Protuguese cannot jump together at all--must be cultural.

My Temporary Communist Style Digs
So here's my temporary home in Lviv, somtimes difficult to find since all the buildings surrounding it have essentially the same appearance. But hey, it is a free place to crash with my Russian friends so no complaints here.

The Spooky Entryway
I guess this is typical for the communist-era buildings, but it seems a bit creepy to me.

A Wooded Path
A nice little path that we followed during our time walking through a preserved Ukrainian village just outside of Kiev.

Bustling Central Square
In the very Center of the Kiev the streets are blocked off on the weekend allowing pedestrians to stroll freely as well as provide a space for a number of musicians and street performers.