Two days in Kyiv (Kiev)

I landed at Kyiv Borispol airport at around 3:50 PM last Tuesday. An uneventful flight on Hungarian Malev Airlines from Budapest to Kyiv (more free sandwiches on this flight, but, alas, no beer - which was okay since the Budapest airport had an excellent British-style pub inside). I saw them loading my large Eddie Bauer rolling duffel on the plane as we boarded, so I knew all would be well in terms of non-lost luggage. Then Kyiv, where they actually X-rayed all incoming luggage, and scrupulously looked at my visa, but no problems. I was met by a representative from the Fulbright office in Kyiv, who although spoke no English at all, was very helpful in negotiating the incredibly crowded streets of Kyiv and locating my rental apartment in what was now a dark and icy evening. I was met at the apartment by the owner, a very nice lady who actually did speak a few words of English, and helpfully showed me how to work the two remote controls for the TV and satellite system and apologetically explained there were only two English - language channels available, being CNN International and the trusty BBC. I really didn't care, as I just wanted to get settled in. As it turns out, about 100 meters outside the apartment there was a small grocery store with a conveniently located money exchange booth inside (these are everywhere in Kyiv, for some reason). Although there was also a decent-looking restaurant quite near it (not to mention a McDonald's down the street), many of you know that I absolutely do not like eating at restaurants unless required to, or as a special treat with family and / or friends. Well, not if I am alone and there's a grocery store nearby! So I stocked up on the requisite items - bread, cheese, oranges, tomatoes, pickles, some delicious locally made salami suggested by a nice lady behind the meat counter, and, of course, some Ukrainian beer. I have uploaded a photo of this sumptuous feast in my Kyiv apartment's kitchen which although grainy (all photos are taken with my Motorola cell phone - sorry!); it should give you an idea of what my idea of a "home-made meal" looks like ...

Notes on travel, Pt. 2

Okay, so I get to Venezia Marco Polo airport just fine and I am greeted by my long-time best friend Michael (or Maiko, If you prefer). The next three days are spent reminiscing over old times, current events, and music. I ostentatiously demand that we partake of PIZZA at least twice during my stay, and am accomodated; needless to say - YUM!
On Tuesday I get a ride to Venezia Marco Polo airport, which is, after considering the other airports, an amazingly great experience. The security is full-on (soldiers / policemen dappertutto), but once past the security area - a fantastic cafe / bar! With fresh brioche and other treats available as if on a street cafe in Venice. FANTASTICO! Yes, once again, noi italiani sappiamo come fare ..!
Okay, next - a ride on a CarpataAir turbo prop plane. I will admit that I was a bit disconcerted when I boarded this flight, but then was pleasantly surprised by the wonderful courtesy and attention recieved by the crew on this short transit flight. On a flight lasting only one-and-a-half hours we were served complimentary sandwiches and beverages - I will note that the only beer available was MILLER GENUINE DRAFT (????) distributed by a brewery in - Moldova! Who knew??
The next leg was a relatively brief and mostly unnotable voyage from Budapest, Hungary (a city that I would love to visit some day) to Kiev, Ukraine. And then the next chapter begins ...

Notes on travel from Memphis to Ukraine

Well, I am finally here - here being Ukraine, that is, but in Kyiv (Kiev), and not in Poltava, my final destination for now - and towards which I am headed via train tomorrow. But it has been a long trip getting here thus far, not necessarily strange, but worth noting for at least a few things. And so here are some travel items I have made note of:
1. Security at airports - even in the U.S. - Is far from standardized. I had to go through security at three different locations on my intial flight from Memphis to Venice, Italy: Memphis, Chicago O'Hare, and London Heathrow. Each one had slight variations that were based on nothing I could determine. I won't go into details, but this seems entirely odd to me - shouldn't all these airports have the same or at least similar procedures?
2. While on the subject of airports, here are two sour notes in my travel; first, Chicago O'Hare: once past the security check (after a long line) there are NO RESTAURANTS, SHOPS, BARS, OR ATMS. All you get while facing perhaps a several hours-long wait are a couple of Duty Free stands and shops plus one magazine/chochki store and a stand where you could buy outrageously overpriced bottled water, soda, and very dry-looking sandwiches. This is criminal, in my view. However there were were plenty of business and first class private lounges that I couldn't enter but imagined all the free-flowing booze and free hot food buffets within ...
3. My next sour note, London Heathrow. I haven't been there in a few years, but apparently they have made some "upgrades" that are unbelievably ugly and utterly user-unfriendly. As you enter the main international terminal (5) after the quarter-hour transit ride from the plane (this after 8 + hours in the plane), you are dumped off at the very bottom of a series of escalators that take you through a labrynth of metallic corridors until you get to the security area at the top. Here you are greeted by an enormous line where apparently EVERY incoming flight is funneled through and impatient security personnel brusquely require you to enter - INDIVIDUALLY - to be screened. This obviously takes even more time and backing up of the line, so as this staging area reminiscent of a cattle-branding roundup fills with jammed-in people - all wearing heavy winter clothing, mind you - the temperature rises to a balmy 90+ degrees (remember that this area is at the very TOP of the terminal - and heat rises ...). By the time I was told to go through I was sweating considerably, causing added questioning as to "why" I was sweating ( "BECAUSE IT'S ---- ING HOT, YOU IDIOTS!" - thought but not said aloud for fear of deep cavity searches or other such "fun" airport prospects). Having gone through this hell, you descend back down to the gates (why is this a good idea, again??) and can then bask in the artificial lights of dozens of really cheesy ceilingless stores - all arrayed as if in a huge metallic mall. Yes, metallic, because Heathrow Terminal 5 is essentially a monstrous airplane hangar that they converted into a metal mall/terminal. TRULY horrid, architecturally. Needless to say, I could not wait to get out of there. Which I did, after sitting around the general seating area until a half-hour before my next boarding time - at which time the gate I was departing from was finally announced.
4. Arrival in Italia; note on Venezia Marco Polo airport: FANTASTIC!! But more on this later...

Preparations are in progress...

The countdown to my travels to Ukraine has officially begun with this first week in January 2010. More to come in future posts...