Hostel Environs

Well folks, this is a bit anti-climactic, because I am already back in the USA, yet I have at least one more blog post for you. Owing to my battery dying in Ukraine, then the temporary housing I had in St. Petersburg upon my arrival and the recent closure of practically every internet cafe in the city, I have been without the worldwide web for a while. I won't tell you all about my trek through Kiev, as it would be boring. Soon I'll post the photos to facebook and you can take your own tour of my vacation. Suffice it to say that it was absolutely lovely, the people were friendlier than in Russia, the food was cheaper, and I had a blast. Living arrangements were, however, hit and miss.

The first night I got there, I basically went straight to bed. It was late and I was totally wrecked, but people throughout the hostel were talking, so it kept me up a bit. I assumed that the other people in my room were Russians. This was absolutely incorrect, as I found out the next day that there was a Brit, and American, and a Ukrainian. The American I met first. I had come back from some touring to the sound of major repairs being done in my room. Upon opening the door, I realized it was actually this dude snoring. It was pretty incredible; the man was a freak of nature. He woke up shortly thereafter, told me he was a TEFL guy (and spoke no Russian or Ukrainian) from Chicago, and that he was back dealing with a "legal problem" he'd incurred during his last visit. He was constantly vague, but from the look and the way he acted, I'm going with he coerced one of his underage students into sleeping with him. He seemed sleazy (I'm generally suspicious of 40-year-olds who stay in hostels, but that was but a small part of what made him sleazy), and he lectured me about the problems in Ukrainian politics. I don't know when everyone became such a fucking expert in Ukrainian politics, but I got an earful from just about everyone I encountered, whether they were Ukrainians or not. Whatever.

The next guy, who shall forever be known as the Belching Brit, stumbled into the room that night. I would generally leave for my touristy stuff early, think 7:30 am, then be totally wiped out and back in the room for good by 8-9 pm. Anyhow, I was lying there and this guy comes in seeming drunk, but soon I find out he had been drinking, but what really was making him sick was his ill-fated decision to drink Ukrainian tap water. Pro-tip: no matter what anyone says, DO NOT DRINK THE WATER IN RUSSIA OR UKRAINE. I thought this was a well-known piece of wisdom, but apparently not well-known enough. The issue this poor young man suffered from for the rest of the night was an impressive display of indigestion. He let loose belches every 30 seconds or so that nearly blew the glass out of the window. The man was like a walking foghorn. I felt bad for him as he seemed like a genuinely nice guy, but his explosive burps kept me up half the night, so my sympathy was a bit short.

The last guy was a Ukrainian from Kirovograd (SE of Kiev). He was nice enough, looking for engineering work in economically-foundering Ukraine. Nothing particularly interesting to report from him. Nice guy. I ended up doing translation between him and the other guys in the room.

They all left after my first whole day in the country, and were quickly replaced by a charming young woman named Lada, a furniture salesperson from Yalta (Crimea, Black Sea coast. Famous for the Big Three meeting there during WWII.). She was there on business, and we hit it off immediately. We talked about St. Petersburg, Ukrainian politics (without the tone of a lecture), our careers/activities, anything. Also, she didn't threaten the structural integrity of the room with her noises in the night, which was another big plus. As often happens when you make a connection with a Russian (she was ethnically Russian, as is most of the Crimean peninsula), I was invited along with Caitlin to visit her sometime in Yalta. Considering how beautiful Crimea is supposed to be, I may have to take her up on that offer.

I left Ukraine early on Tuesday, August 18, and I have to say that while St. Petersburg will always be my first love in Eastern Europe, Kiev had an awful lot going for it. It's really a beautiful city, much more laid back than it's Russian counterparts. Also, as the Ukrainians are quick to point out, it's the greenest capital in Europe, in reference to all its parks and reserves, so it's a great place to go sit under a tree. I highly recommend a visit, although it's even less accessible to those who speak no Russian than Moscow or St. Petersburg, although the people will probably be more patient with you.

Coming soon, the thrilling conclusion to my summer in St. Petersburg, and a look back on what all be.

C