Boarded the overnight train to Kiev. It’s the same carriage type as previously. I use my phone’s translate again to find out when the passport control is. The smiling provodnitsa speaks Belarus into the phone for it to translate. It doesn’t catch what she says. She tries again. It doesn’t work. One final time and her and colleagues are all laughing so much so that she can hardly speak into the phone due to a fit of the giggles. Another provodnitsa writes down “2-3” – so that means not getting any sleep until after then.
Manage to get an ice cold beer again by doing the same routine. I’m getting good at charades. See a timetable on the wall and work out that border formalities are 0230hrs to 0400hrs.
Oooer. I’ve got to stay up until then. There was a time when I could go out drinking until the very early hours and still be at work by 0800hrs but I’m afraid this tired old body can’t do that anymore. All together now…..aaahhh. Write up yesterday’s blog on Word for uploading today and watch a film on the Netbook which takes me to 0200hrs. Not a lot else I can do so sit in the dark chasing shadows through the forest. First border is obviously Belarus and we have a platform stop for 30mins. Passport and visa scanned by a handheld computer and receive the requisite stamp. Customs not interested when I say I’m English – it’s all a bit too hard for them.
20min travel over the border and another 30min platform stop for Ukrainian formalities. It’s now 0330hrs. Customs give the train a good going over and it sounds like they’re ripping the toilet apart. One inspects the empty cabin adjacent mine with his torch but you just know they’re going through the motions. A small floppy eared drugs dog pads down the corridor sniffs my boots and retires gracefully to the end and lies down for a snooze. They’re still dismantling the toilet by the sounds of it. A late 50s bloke, heading for retirement, ambles down the corridor. He’s in charge of baggage inspection as opposed to the wreckers still dismantling the toilet. Tell him I’m English and he tries to remember his best English for me.
Have to open rucksack but only one compartment will suffice for a cursory glance. He then starts giggling to himself as he says with a little glint in his eye, “Have you any….weapons…..or ammunition?” still laughing which makes me start giggling as he knows the answer. And with that, he ambles off telling me “Happy journey”. It’s one of those few seconds in life that you have an affinity with a complete stranger. It’s 0400hrs by the time passport is stamped. And so to bed.
Well as you’ll probably have guessed by now it’s not the easiest thing to go to sleep on these trains and I can only have had about 2-3hrs sleep as I’m woken by the provodnitsa at 0730hrs with a polystyrene tray…….you know what’s coming…….of…..fried chicken……for brekkie. Er no. It’s discarded. I can wait for something that’s not going to give me dodgy guts again.
As we complete the journey, I’m amazed how big Kiev looks. It’s really spread out. There’s a very large and tall monument on an outcrop in what must be near the city centre so that will have to be a point of investigation.
There’s the usual mob of beer bellied, tight t-shirt and shorts wearing, flip flop brigade that you so often see in the Eastern bloc. They’re all fully qualified taxi drivers waiting on the platform touting for business.
Make my way out to a pukka taxi rank and tell driver address of where to go. He hasn’t a clue. He asks his mate. He hasn’t a clue. They both ask another mate. There’s some shouting and gesticulating and we’re off. Not entirely convinced he knows Kiev that well. We see a lot of backstreets and can’t find said hotel. Asking for directions, we drive around the block and I soon realise we’re back where we started. A few choice words are said in the safe knowledge that he doesn’t know English. He’s a complete Muppet and turns around to go the wrong way up a one way street. After a few more backstreets I’m deposited outside a building which, I am told, is hotel and relieved of what seems to be a lot of money. I eventually find the hotel entrance through a car park under an arch….yes, it’s simple when you know how.
Too early to check in I grab a map and enjoy breakfast at a local bistro before doing a self guided walking tour. The St Sophie bell tower has a lot of steps to the top but as I just knew you’d want to see the view I climbed all the way up…..so be thankful!
Do a circuit of St Sophie, Mykhailivska church, National Philharmonic and Maidan Nezalezalnezleaz (or some such word). I’m lovin’ Kiev. It’s a hot town, summer in the city, the girls dress so fine and look so pretty…..you know the rest….
A couple of birds
The view from the top
More verandahs…..I don’t have a verandah fetish!
