Re: Ukraine Question

Drythe · ‎07-09-2011

Hey,

I don't know why the @ for my name is not working.

But I wanted to add a few things I didn't get to mention this afternoon.

Visiting the Winter Palace of the Russian Royal family in Yalta was really a highlight for me. The coast of the Black Sea is breathtaking, and the Palace is beautiful as you would expect. You hear so much about the Czar and Czarina that it is hard to believe you are in the palace. Additionally since it was the sight of the signing of the peace agreement ending the second WW it has significance for Americans as well. The tour guide told us that before his arrival, President Roosevelt specified that his room be painted a specific color of blue which matched his eyes.

I had not realized that one of the seats of the Khanate was in Ukraine, so seeing the site and associated harem buildings was amazing. Also not to be missed is the main site of the Cossacks where there are old arms, weapons, jewelry, and a whole fossilized wooden boat. The horseback riding demonstrations were great.

I purchases some amazing pieces of amber while there. I was going for unusual colors and found pale yellow (called chicken fat), a beautiful cherry red color, black, and gorgeous green. Real treasures to bring home!

Also, the brandy is quite good which surprised me as I have never cared for brandy before.

Just a few, few things I wanted to mention, but there is SO much more.

"Animals are not my whole world, but they have made my world whole" ~ Roger Caras

World Traveler · ‎02-02-2015

@Drythe wrote:
@World Traveler

Hey,

@I don't know why the @ for my name is not working.

But I wanted to add a few things I didn't get to mention this afternoon.

Visiting the Winter Palace of the Russian Royal family in Yalta was really a highlight for me. The coast of the Black Sea is breathtaking, and the Palace is beautiful as you would expect. You hear so much about the Czar and Czarina that it is hard to believe you are in the palace. Additionally since it was the sight of the signing of the peace agreement ending the second WW it has significance for Americans as well. The tour guide told us that before his arrival, President Roosevelt specified that his room be painted a specific color of blue which matched his eyes.

I had not realized that one of the seats of the Khanate was in Ukraine, so seeing the site and associated harem buildings was amazing. Also not to be missed is the main site of the Cossacks where there are old arms, weapons, jewelry, and a whole fossilized wooden boat. The horseback riding demonstrations were great.

I purchases some amazing pieces of amber while there. I was going for unusual colors and found pale yellow (called chicken fat), a beautiful cherry red color, black, and gorgeous green. Real treasures to bring home!

Also, the brandy is quite good which surprised me as I have never cared for brandy before.

Just a few, few things I wanted to mention, but there is SO much more.

Hope this post is attaching to yours and not messing up on me again.

Thanks for all that you wrote. I definitely want to include the palace. When I was in Russia, I went up to St. Petersburg and saw the palace there. WOW! Just gorgeous. And without checking my pictures, I believe that was the palace that also had an amber room; all the walls were amber. Amazing. And I used to have horses, so the riding demonstration would be something I would totally enjoy.

Now you're getting me excited to ensure I make it to the Ukraine!

sonechko · ‎12-29-2014

@World Traveler! Just want to add some correction to what @Drythe wrote, because when she was traveling to Ukraine back in 2013, it was totally different ball game.

This was pre-Maidan, and subsequently this was pre-war. Crimea WAS Ukraine back then. They (russians) deceitfully and by force, in back stabbing way, annexed this land away from Ukraine. This is officially a Temporarily Occupied by russia Territory now .

Things have changed quite drastically lately. Things are NOT the same as the time, when you traveled to russia. Nothing like that! These days mind set among majority of people of russia, and especially in Crimea, is very hostile towards USA and Americans, as they perceive us now as enemies somehow in their heads, who are seeking to destroy their country, sanctions against their state, proves it.

All this would make a visit to Winter Palace of the Russian Royal family in Yalta an absolutely different game plan, then back in 2013. Technically close to impossible.

You'd need russian visa to enter into what they consider to be their territory - Crimea. Coming into Crimea through Ukraine is an extremely difficult and very unpleasant task, especially for an American tourist. I would not recommend this. These two countries are in a state of undeclared, but never-the-less, very real War.

Unless you are visiting russia, it could be easier to enter from there to get to Crimea. But! But doing so one would violate Ukrainian customs laws, as Crimea is a temporarily occupied, but still Ukrainian territory, and to get there from russia, one would have get a permission from the Ukrainian Government. Crazy, ha??? Yep, this is a real mess, and I can't believe what russians have done. They turned everything upside down, not to even mention other things that are wrong as a result of this annexation. Horror.

I sincerely hope you'll find an absolutely amazing itinerary for your trip to Ukraine, but Crimea is out of your route. For sure. Unless things change by then. I sure do hope so.

Thank you @bebe777 for linking us all together! As always - your are most helpful to most!

Drythe · ‎07-09-2011

@sonechko

Thank you,

Thank you for your words. I know I was so very fortunate with the timing of my visit to Ukraine. Without any knowledge, of what was to come, I was fortunate that things worked out for me to go the very last Spring that that kind of a trip might be possible, at least for a good while.

Imagine, given the current situation, 6 women 3 of them Americans camping alone along the banks of the Dnieper week after week and all around Yalta overlooking those huge mansions where the Russian elite have Summer homes? No way!

It just breaks my heart to think of those wonderful people who were so kind to us. So many stopped to see if we needed anything, or just to say HI, or sit and practice English with us. Word spread ahead of us, our guides knew so many people of course, and as we would set up in small towns, people would come to meet us and offer us bread. Of course when we stayed in private homes we paid, and we paid the farmers on whose land we asked to camp, but no amount could could have brought the genuine kindness with which we were treated.

I'll never forget tussling with an old fashioned water pump early one morning, actually trying to pump water and wash my hair at the same time. A maybe 10 or so year old girl came to see what was going on, we laughed so hard, me trying to tell her about rinse, rinse, rinse, in English and her trying to tell me in Ukraine that the water only came from the pump when you were actually pumping. I was sitting there with my legs around the pipe and my head under the spout, arms reached up over my head trying to pump and keep my head under at the same time! We woke the whole house rolling around laughing!

We actually biked around Yalta for @ 2 weeks looking at the fancy homes, buying amber, eating wonderful bread, and meeting people. I met someone who carved combs out of Yew. I bought some to bring home for gifts. They smell so good and are shaped almost exactly like Chaz's. I did not drink that wonderful, yummy Brandy!

Well, it is a beautiful and sad memory. What has happened since just makes me sick.

"Animals are not my whole world, but they have made my world whole" ~ Roger Caras

World Traveler · ‎02-02-2015

@Drythe wrote:

I'll never forget tussling with an old fashioned water pump early one morning, actually trying to pump water and wash my hair at the same time. A maybe 10 or so year old girl came to see what was going on, we laughed so hard, me trying to tell her about rinse, rinse, rinse, in English and her trying to tell me in Ukraine that the water only came from the pump when you were actually pumping. I was sitting there with my legs around the pipe and my head under the spout, arms reached up over my head trying to pump and keep my head under at the same time! We woke the whole house rolling around laughing!

Now that's funny! These are the kind of experiences I enjoy about traveling.