Ukraine River Trip
May 21st, 2006, 02:09 PM
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Ukraine River Trip
Just returned last night from Kiev, Ukraine and a river trip from Kiev to Yalta and back. Was an interesting trip, but not sure I'd repeat this one. Overall, I'm glad I got to see some of a different part of this great world.
Weather was lousy the first week or so, cold and rainy, and I, too, was cold and rainy, developing a nasty head cold, so I'm sure that colored my thinking and attitude. The second week was better, with some sun and I, too, was feeling somewhat better.
I think I'd like to see more of Ukraine, but next time would opt for a land tour. The river cruise was not, I guess, what I expected. The Dnieper has been dammed up into huge reservoirs so it was as if we were sailing on open sea, far from shore, with little to see from the deck and little to do on the boat itself.
Several nationalities were present, so language translation was necessary; all announcements were in at least three languages--Russian/Ukrainian, German and English.
The boat had a capacity of 260 passengers, with probably 200 on board at this the start of the tourist season. There were 54 English speaking people in our group, mostly from the USA, others from Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland and Netherlands. We ran in tandem with a group of German tourists, so crossed paths with them often.
Shore excursions were basically focused on large cities so we saw very little of the countryside.
We did see some interesting things, like the palace where the Yalta Conference between Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin was held in 1945. We attended a string quartet recital in an old palace one evening, and another evening we enjoyed the Russian Navy Choir with a great musical variety show.
We climbed 390 steps to the top of a river bluff to the gravesite of a famous Ukrainian poet, with great view of the river below. We were boated up a small tributary one day for a home cooked meal in a small fishing village.
We crept through some early caves with monks buried in the crypts. We jammed into the Kiev subway system enroute to view some Killing Fields from 1941-43.
Orthodoxy is prime in that part of the world and we saw and toured some stunningly beautiful cathedrals and witnessed some interesting religious services.
All meals except one (the fish village lunch) were on the boat and after a few days Ukrainian food, although basic, became monotonous. How many different ways can chicken or pork be served? One day the menu said kebabs; what we got was basically mystery balls on a stick! Also, how many ways can cabbage be prepared?
Breakfast was buffet style, with lunch and dinner from two different menu choices. Each day we were given sheets of paper with the following day's entrees, usually two choices for lunch and two for dinner. From those we marked which we wanted and these were collected so we would get what we chose. To me this appeared to be part of the old Soviet 'busy work.'
Assigned seating was at tables for four, so that meant my daugher, son-in-law, and I ate together three meals a day for 14 days. Might have been nice to sit whereever and visit with other tourists at mealtime.
Seemed to me it might have been simpler to have open seating and buffet style. One day we had a picnic in a clearing near the riverbank and even then they had set up tables for four and we had to search for our table No. 25 for that.
Geri
Weather was lousy the first week or so, cold and rainy, and I, too, was cold and rainy, developing a nasty head cold, so I'm sure that colored my thinking and attitude. The second week was better, with some sun and I, too, was feeling somewhat better.
I think I'd like to see more of Ukraine, but next time would opt for a land tour. The river cruise was not, I guess, what I expected. The Dnieper has been dammed up into huge reservoirs so it was as if we were sailing on open sea, far from shore, with little to see from the deck and little to do on the boat itself.
Several nationalities were present, so language translation was necessary; all announcements were in at least three languages--Russian/Ukrainian, German and English.
The boat had a capacity of 260 passengers, with probably 200 on board at this the start of the tourist season. There were 54 English speaking people in our group, mostly from the USA, others from Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland and Netherlands. We ran in tandem with a group of German tourists, so crossed paths with them often.
Shore excursions were basically focused on large cities so we saw very little of the countryside.
We did see some interesting things, like the palace where the Yalta Conference between Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin was held in 1945. We attended a string quartet recital in an old palace one evening, and another evening we enjoyed the Russian Navy Choir with a great musical variety show.
We climbed 390 steps to the top of a river bluff to the gravesite of a famous Ukrainian poet, with great view of the river below. We were boated up a small tributary one day for a home cooked meal in a small fishing village.
We crept through some early caves with monks buried in the crypts. We jammed into the Kiev subway system enroute to view some Killing Fields from 1941-43.
Orthodoxy is prime in that part of the world and we saw and toured some stunningly beautiful cathedrals and witnessed some interesting religious services.
All meals except one (the fish village lunch) were on the boat and after a few days Ukrainian food, although basic, became monotonous. How many different ways can chicken or pork be served? One day the menu said kebabs; what we got was basically mystery balls on a stick! Also, how many ways can cabbage be prepared?
Breakfast was buffet style, with lunch and dinner from two different menu choices. Each day we were given sheets of paper with the following day's entrees, usually two choices for lunch and two for dinner. From those we marked which we wanted and these were collected so we would get what we chose. To me this appeared to be part of the old Soviet 'busy work.'
Assigned seating was at tables for four, so that meant my daugher, son-in-law, and I ate together three meals a day for 14 days. Might have been nice to sit whereever and visit with other tourists at mealtime.
Seemed to me it might have been simpler to have open seating and buffet style. One day we had a picnic in a clearing near the riverbank and even then they had set up tables for four and we had to search for our table No. 25 for that.
Geri
May 22nd, 2006, 10:26 AM
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I visited Ukraine last August (only Kiev and Lviv), and I found both cities very interesting, Lviv more so than Kiev. Delta now flies non-stop from JFK to Kiev, so I am considering another visit to get to Crimea. Thanks for your report.
May 22nd, 2006, 10:32 AM
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Do either of you have recommendations for a hotel in Kiev? We're flying home from there in September after Baltic, Russian, trip--we take a train from Vilnius to Minsk to Kiev and spend 4 days. Any special things you recommend to visit? Thanks!
May 22nd, 2006, 02:59 PM
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The Premier Palace is the nicest in Kiev. The Lavra is unmissable, but there's not that much of interest, at least to me, in Kiev. I found Lviv, only an hour flight from Kiev, a lot more interesting and beautiful.
May 22nd, 2006, 03:09 PM
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"some Killing Fields from 1941-43" - was it Baby Yar?
"One day the menu said kebabs; what we got was basically mystery balls on a stick!" yep, typical soviet kebab, or in some places called "shushlik" - a Georgian dish by some strange reason popular everywhere. Or, the mysteries of Russian souls!
"One day the menu said kebabs; what we got was basically mystery balls on a stick!" yep, typical soviet kebab, or in some places called "shushlik" - a Georgian dish by some strange reason popular everywhere. Or, the mysteries of Russian souls!
May 23rd, 2006, 08:12 AM
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To FainaAgain: Yes, the Killing Fields were Babyn Yar. Not sure I understand the huge Soviet sculpture, but it was definitely worth the time to see the park.
And thanks for your comment about the mystery meat. There's still an awful lot of Soviet influence left over. My daughter had an exchange student from Minsk, Byelorus some years ago and this trip gave her an insight into 'Russian' life.
And thanks for your comment about the mystery meat. There's still an awful lot of Soviet influence left over. My daughter had an exchange student from Minsk, Byelorus some years ago and this trip gave her an insight into 'Russian' life.
May 23rd, 2006, 08:52 AM
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I always get bored on boats and would definitely suggest land next time! I have just stayed in Balaklava, Yalta and Odessa (am typing this in Chisinau) and will be visiting Western Ukraine in a couple of weeks. Am sorry you found the food boring, I have been eating very well for not much money. Hotels tend to be pricier than you would expect but the food has been cheap, and public transport even cheaper.
Enjoyed the Crimea, but I'm having a foot problem and would have enjoyed it more if I could have spent time walking in the hills. Did enjoy scrambling around the castle at Balaklava, and agree Livadia Palace is a must-see. Aside from the southern part of Crimea, the rest of Ukraine that I've seen so far has been seriously flat.
Things worked better for me after I realized the locals in Crimea were speaking Russian. Unfortunately my guidebook (LP) only had Ukranian! I'm traveling alone, although I had www.blacksea-crimea.com book my Crimea hotels and arrange a Simferapol airport - Balaklava transfer and
www.travel-2-ukraine.com book my Odessa-Simferapol train & Odessa hotel. I can recommend both.
Enjoyed the Crimea, but I'm having a foot problem and would have enjoyed it more if I could have spent time walking in the hills. Did enjoy scrambling around the castle at Balaklava, and agree Livadia Palace is a must-see. Aside from the southern part of Crimea, the rest of Ukraine that I've seen so far has been seriously flat.
Things worked better for me after I realized the locals in Crimea were speaking Russian. Unfortunately my guidebook (LP) only had Ukranian! I'm traveling alone, although I had www.blacksea-crimea.com book my Crimea hotels and arrange a Simferapol airport - Balaklava transfer and
www.travel-2-ukraine.com book my Odessa-Simferapol train & Odessa hotel. I can recommend both.
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