Kiev, Ukraine x 2015

After some 28 hours in Belarus it was time to move further south. Due to strict Visa-regulations we were only allowed to stay in the country for two days, and since we did absolutely not intend to spend some painful days in a Belarusian Visa-prison, we took the Kiev-bound afternoon train.

Needless to say the train was crowded and as the 12-hour ride proceeded we slowly began to feel like spectators of Celine's pukesoaking characters'; belly fat like a lava flood moving through the train, old, hairy Belarusians coughing and spitting on the floor. Any thinkable surface inside train was covered in yellow condense water and sweat, due to the 35 degress and no aircondition. We made it through the day, though, but without too much sleep or comfort.

I sneaked into the 1st class wagon. In contrast to the 2nd class wagon it had wooden panels, red carpets and a visible sunset. 

Gomel station.

Sunset over Tjernobyl.

Arrived in Kiev. In the foreground the bell tower of  St. Sophia Cathedral.

The view from the bell tower.

The Sophie Cathedral. A landmark of Kiev.

We went by a very fancy hairdresser and spent more than two hours there. The price was fair: 270 UAH (85 DKK) pr. cut. And the reuslt: incredibly hot.

New cut.

St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monestary

Jens in one of his numerable skething-situations/

Please, be seated.

Mikhail Bulgakov's house at Andriivs'ky Uzviz.

Horizontal.

We used a zip-line to pass the Dnepr, the river that was heavily polluted after the Tjernobyl-accident 29 years ago. Luckily the wire was stable enough to get us over.

Dog(s)

Jens/Landscape

Abandoned clothes in the outskirts of Kiev.

Commemorating the 106 dead demonstrators at  Maidan Sq., only a year ago.

Unbearable Irony

...

Me, shot by Jens inside the Golden Gates.

Representing the national colours. 

We are currently in Lviv in the most western part of Ukraine. A truly original and un-spoiled city with trams, old squares and rustique buildings. Tonight we'll take a domestic flight to Odessa, a holiday city by the Black Sea, close to Crimea, and take a swim. From there the route gets a bit more complicated to a total lack of infrastructure, but we love challenges. Even if it means banana boats or hitch hiking.