Sleeper from Kiev to Moscow
For my last night in Kiev, I bought a few supplies in the supermarket including a good bottle of vodka and proceeded to drink most of it with Yevgeni. He cooked a modest meal which included some sort of pulse that wasn't rice or lentils but was similar to both. It was quite nice.
Basically, after my Chernobyl trip I had to get back to the flat and then get back to the central railway station to get the sleeper to Moscow.
Original plan was to take my bag with me to Chernobyl so as to cut out the 'back to the flat step. I'm glad I didn't try and do this as I would not have got onto the mini-bus in the morning.
Anyway, I was back at the empty flat at 8ish and decided to leave at 9ish as I had no idea how late the mini-buses ran. It did mean though that I didn't get to say a proper goodbye to my hosts which I was sorry about.
At the central railway station, there is a large booking hall that is heated and full of people. Not really anywhere to sit - all seats occupied either by old ladies with laundry bags (selling I presume) or soldiers. In the booking hall was a food counter / stall / concession. I had a 'meal' that consisted of two buns / rolls and a cake all for 13UAH (£1.30 / $2.60). None of it was particularly nice. Cake looked good but was grim.
Anyway, I sat on the floor, just like everyone else, and had a beer.
By now I am feeling dirty and tired and a little travel weary. Ignoring my $185 for Chernobyl, my three days in Kiev have cost me less than £40. And that includes eating out once, two bottles of vodka, and CD for Emily.
From the station announcements, either Odessa is a very popular place or all the trains going there have a problem. Either way, it is mentioned a lot.
My train (in the picture, it is the 00:24 to Moscow) is posted as arriving t 00:04 and leaving at 00:24. And that's exactly what it did. The platform was posted about 20 minutes before it arrived.
The carriage 'matron' not only wanted to see my ticket but also my Russian visa before she'd let me on.
I shared my 4-berth with a young Russian guy who helped me to sort out which bunk was which.
The sleeper car is all wood paneling, plastic plant (cascading sprays of plastic ivy in the corridor; small plastic plant in the compartment...), red curtains, lace net curtains... it was all very old fashioned and lovely.
The bunk is a soft vinyl bench and the bed bit is a futon-style mattress, blankets and pillows. The matron brought round a 'sheet pack' which all seemed to fit together to make quite a nice bed.
Slept pretty badly for some reason. Woken t 3ish when Ukrainian border guard appeared (as ever, signaled by the lights coming on and a tap on the door from matron a few minutes earlier). Ukrainian guard was a stunningly beautiful woman in full combat gear, big fur hat and makeup (at the time, the makeup struck me as odd, which it probably shouldn't have). She seemed happy with my 'papers' and said so.
Slept badly again until 5ish when the Russian guards appeared (why the two hour gap?). It got hairy at this point. I heard the words 'visa problem' and the guard dissappeared and someone else appeared with two copies of a in-Russian-only form to fill in and waved it at me and said 'how many dollars?'. So I started counting them (turned away from him so that he didn't think I was bribing him)... but this wasn't what he wanted. He gesticulated and snatched the form back and walked off.
At this point I started dancing with the UDL (Universal Dinner Lady - the provider of everything) big-time. Phew, she came good. The guard returned about 20 minutes later with my stamped passport and immigration document which he simply gave me wordlessly.
Woke again at 7am when my fellow passenger got off.
Got up at 9am. Had a wash etc in the 'bathroom'. See pictures. Was intriguing that all of the plumbing and heating fixtures had next to it a schematic diagram. Must have made maintenance very easy.
Stopped at a small station. Stayed 30 mins. Lots of 'sellers' selling 'cuddly' toys and dried fish. Fish was hung round the neck - looked like carp, perch and sturgeon.
Train doesn't go very fast. Or it choses to go slowly.
Basically, after my Chernobyl trip I had to get back to the flat and then get back to the central railway station to get the sleeper to Moscow.
Original plan was to take my bag with me to Chernobyl so as to cut out the 'back to the flat step. I'm glad I didn't try and do this as I would not have got onto the mini-bus in the morning.
Anyway, I was back at the empty flat at 8ish and decided to leave at 9ish as I had no idea how late the mini-buses ran. It did mean though that I didn't get to say a proper goodbye to my hosts which I was sorry about.
At the central railway station, there is a large booking hall that is heated and full of people. Not really anywhere to sit - all seats occupied either by old ladies with laundry bags (selling I presume) or soldiers. In the booking hall was a food counter / stall / concession. I had a 'meal' that consisted of two buns / rolls and a cake all for 13UAH (£1.30 / $2.60). None of it was particularly nice. Cake looked good but was grim.
Anyway, I sat on the floor, just like everyone else, and had a beer.
By now I am feeling dirty and tired and a little travel weary. Ignoring my $185 for Chernobyl, my three days in Kiev have cost me less than £40. And that includes eating out once, two bottles of vodka, and CD for Emily.
From the station announcements, either Odessa is a very popular place or all the trains going there have a problem. Either way, it is mentioned a lot.
My train (in the picture, it is the 00:24 to Moscow) is posted as arriving t 00:04 and leaving at 00:24. And that's exactly what it did. The platform was posted about 20 minutes before it arrived.
The carriage 'matron' not only wanted to see my ticket but also my Russian visa before she'd let me on.
I shared my 4-berth with a young Russian guy who helped me to sort out which bunk was which.
The sleeper car is all wood paneling, plastic plant (cascading sprays of plastic ivy in the corridor; small plastic plant in the compartment...), red curtains, lace net curtains... it was all very old fashioned and lovely.
The bunk is a soft vinyl bench and the bed bit is a futon-style mattress, blankets and pillows. The matron brought round a 'sheet pack' which all seemed to fit together to make quite a nice bed.
Slept pretty badly for some reason. Woken t 3ish when Ukrainian border guard appeared (as ever, signaled by the lights coming on and a tap on the door from matron a few minutes earlier). Ukrainian guard was a stunningly beautiful woman in full combat gear, big fur hat and makeup (at the time, the makeup struck me as odd, which it probably shouldn't have). She seemed happy with my 'papers' and said so.
Slept badly again until 5ish when the Russian guards appeared (why the two hour gap?). It got hairy at this point. I heard the words 'visa problem' and the guard dissappeared and someone else appeared with two copies of a in-Russian-only form to fill in and waved it at me and said 'how many dollars?'. So I started counting them (turned away from him so that he didn't think I was bribing him)... but this wasn't what he wanted. He gesticulated and snatched the form back and walked off.
At this point I started dancing with the UDL (Universal Dinner Lady - the provider of everything) big-time. Phew, she came good. The guard returned about 20 minutes later with my stamped passport and immigration document which he simply gave me wordlessly.
Woke again at 7am when my fellow passenger got off.
Got up at 9am. Had a wash etc in the 'bathroom'. See pictures. Was intriguing that all of the plumbing and heating fixtures had next to it a schematic diagram. Must have made maintenance very easy.
Stopped at a small station. Stayed 30 mins. Lots of 'sellers' selling 'cuddly' toys and dried fish. Fish was hung round the neck - looked like carp, perch and sturgeon.
Train doesn't go very fast. Or it choses to go slowly.
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