Crimea - The journey home !

Before I get to the last day, I mentioned in the previous Crimea blog that we had an interesting journey home from Yalta on the last night. After a somewhat disasterous dinner - meals not coming out at the same time, meals just not served, dishes getting cold while we waited for mains, re-microwaved meals that became dry and drinks that took forever to arrive, we hoped on a local but back to Alupka. The bus literally dropped us in the middle of no where and we were told we had to walk through the park to get another local bus that would take us closer to our apartment! It was pitch dark and not a light in sight in this park. Being the safety conscious people we are, we opted for the road, hoping we could find a bus stop or at least a cab! We walked and walked and walked! Remember I said this place was hilly? Well most of our walking was uphill ! We found one cab and the driver wanted over UAH 100 to take us back to the apartment. That was a rip off as every other cab charged us around UAH 40 in the local area. Finally as we were walking up one hill, we managed to flag a cab and he took us home.

Next day we had breakfast, paid the bill and ordered a cab to take us to the bus stop on top of the hill. It was just too hard to walk and carry bags up the hill again. We were going to Sevstopol first to have a quick look around and a bit to eat before moving onto  Simferopol to catch the train back to Kharkiv. We were told that a bus leaves every 25 minutes to Sevastopol. Just as we reached the top of the hill...... the bus passed us ! Bugger! The taxi driver however, decided that we would be on that bus come if it was the last thing he acheived that day. We were now on a coastal road track, not a rally track so speeds were exceptionally fast... even when passing police! It was almost like something out of a movie where there is a car being chased by police. In the end the driver virtually pulled in front of the bus, stopped, the driver got out & flagged the bus down & in five seconds, we were on the bus heading to Sevstopol ! I dont know what it is with Ukraine taxi drivers, but we always manage to have adventures.... even in the VOLGA's.

Sevastopol (Севастополь), is a port city now home to a Ukrainian naval base and facilities leased by the Russian Navy and used as the headquarters of both the Ukrainian Naval Forces and Russia's Black Sea Fleet. You may have seen on the news lately the squabble on the Ukraine parliament with eggs being thrown etc. That was over the agreement of the Russian still being able to use the Port in exchange for cheap gas supplies to Ukraine.

Its a pretty little place.
The port from above

Admiral Nakhimov http://www.nwi.ru/id=3/city_id=14/lang=1/city.cgi#142

War memorial guarded by
newly recruited sailors

Changing of the guard

Masha doing a strange
dance again! Mishka
doesnt look interested!

Mishka's harem !

Masha, Mishka, watch out for
the bird...... shit ! Mahsa, wat
are you doing to his ear ??





The Monument To Scuttled Ships
http://www.nwi.ru/id=3/city_id=14/lang=1/city.cgi#142














 
 
Mishka almost wearing
the ice cream on his
chest !
 
 
 
 
 
   
 

Spot the Aussie !
Have a look at
those white
Europeans !

 
The sun dial.
 
 
 
 
 
  
   
 

 
 
Me taming the pigeons
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
It was about an hour before we had to get to the bus station to get out bus back to the train station at Simferopol. We found a place to eat & hoped that the meal would be quick!
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Maska in front of a
beautiful tree that seem
to be everywhere.
Anyone know the
name of them?
 
 
 
 
 
 

It was quickly served. A couple of omelets and salads, bread and beer & we had 15 minute to get back to the bus station! First we had to find the local bus stop to get back to the main bus depot !! Masha went into overdrive asking people for directions and each one seemed to give her different answers...... Taxi !!!!! We manage to get a cab and the driver was great, Mishka and I go and get the bags that we had stored at the bus station while Masha and Christina hold the bus, with literally seconds to go!!

 
 
 
On the road again !
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Simferopol. Where we wait for the train, have
another ice cream....
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Board the train

And arrive back in Kharkiv
around midnight after 8 hours
on the train !
 
 

 







Thanks so much to Mishka and Masha for organising the trip and Masha especially for working so hard at translating menu's, travel instructions etc. Masha, your a true Aussie legend in my books :-))) I hope I can return the favour for you in Australia one day....... ??

It was an "memorable" weekend for those of us that were there. Certainly one that we will not forget quickly!

That folks is the end of the Crimea adventure. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did !

xm

PS. If I can get Mishka motivated (with a bottle of Bear Crossing), I will update the header with new pics from Poland, Crimea  etc. Yes Sasha. I will delete that pic!