March 26, 2003 - the overnight train

At this point in our trip,  I was at a loss for words and taking in the experience.  I am so grateful I have a husband that can document our journey with honesty and truth.  My 2 cents is down at the bottom.

Clarke:

It is another beautiful day, I can see my breath, but am tempted to not wear a coat. We pay our daily phone bill to the tenant at the end of the dark hall. It is as usual, ‘about 20 hryvnia (4.00 US dollars). Breakfast is the same rolls with McDonald’s coffee and OJ. The coffee in Ukraine is more like espresso. It is in small cups and very strong! The only food served during the morning hours at McDonald’s is the regular menu. It still amazes us to see everyone gobbling up fries, Big Macs and Cokes at 9:00 A.M.! Of course, this is none less comical than the business/beer combo at this hour. The routine has become too familiar, almost like ground hog day (the movie). We are both ready for our journey to continue. A strange observation has come over me as I look at the blue sky. 

Our fifth day in a city the size of Denver and I have not noticed a single airplane. I know the airport was small, but it seems as though something is missing. Its not the first time I’ve been searching for the remaining puzzle piece. Valery, for example, is described as “stoic,” but I have a few words of my own for his description. On the surface, he is a Soviet hold-over and a grouch! Deeper down there is much more to this man who seems very perturbed and discontented. As for the people as a whole, I think it must be illegal for anyone in their 30’s or older to be cheerful. Perhaps suppression of religion for so many years cannot be corrected in a short decade of independence from communist rule. 

We receive word from Georgiy that our referral is finalized, but our train is full. 

While Georgiy tries to negotiate a seat on the train, I argue about our hotel cost. Our suspicion is confirmed, the cost is $33.00 US a night and Valery collected $50.00 US a night. In addition, we had to pay one more night than agreed upon. For now, we will keep quiet, and choose our time to bring it up to Georgiy about Valery. Georgiv has news that we will travel tonight, but we will be in separate cabins. Kris and I are worried about being in separate sleeping cars. When Georgiy arrived some 2 hours later to the hotel, we are finally able to confront him of the unacceptable conflict. We are relieved to realize it was only a communication problem. 

We are on the same car in the same cabin, but have to share it with another Ukrainian. Valery picks us up from the hotel and is put-out to wait 2 minutes while I buy some “Mineral vada bez Gaza,” (water without gas). We drag our luggage to his beat up old car and begin to pack the little trunk. 

Valery is an old man who is in a position to show servant hood, but immediately gives up when our large American duffle bag doesn’t fit in his junk filled little trunk. I take charge of the packing, and soon we are off. Thanks be to the Lord that the back windows have cranks on them. Kris and I open the windows quietly so as not to get in trouble and direct our noses at the fresh air coming in. Georgiy and Valery engage in an intense and colorful discussion the entire 30-minute trip to the train depot. We are thankful Georgiy is doing most of the talking. 

Our train is on track 11, car 9 and departs at 6:00 pm to Lugansk. Kris and I look for 9 ¾ and have to chuckle to ourselves (Harry Potter). Once tucked inside, the length of our journey is an un-bearable thought ahead of us. It is almost dark, but the sun has gone out of this land many years ago. We see a few gypsy clans in the woods surrounding a fire as we easy to the east of Kyiv. Countless villages go by, but only a hand-full of homes are lit up. There is evidence that these homes are occupied, but perhaps no electricity, heat or water. The industrial areas we pass all look like Commerce City, Colorado if left for dead for about 20 years. The trees are bare and grasses brown, but moisture sits on the soil, waiting to bring the land to life as spring is around the corner.

Our train companion is a petite little woman in her late 20’s or early 30’s.  Her English is broken, but she asks of our opinion of Ukraine. There is great difficulty in asking the question, not because of the words, but rather because she is embarrassed for her country. Kris and I re-assure her of her beautiful country. We’ve noticed the youth so respectful and polite, always dressing to give a good impression. We cannot say the same of our gen-X-ers of America who ashame us when displaying such grunge and rags in public. She is a technical clerk at an Apoteke (pharmacy) earning about $40.00 US dollars a month. Her trials and struggles are evident on her face. Our conversation ends as Georgiy engages our train companion in another of his stories. His ethusiasm to express himself rages on for 40 minutes no. she is interested and listens, occasionally laughing, but always smiling.

Georgiy is good for these people; his passion seems hard to come by on the surface of the faces visible to us. We are now 3 hours into our 16-hour ride. We have eaten more than we need. We had a weak moment  at the hands of desperate market sales ladies who enticed us to eat and buy cuts of horses, pork, chicken, beef, goat and cow  cheese, nuts, fruit and bread. 

Wow did we really just eat horse? 

Darkness has passed, and we are relieved. The bathrooms are as gross as vividly described by so many who have traveled before us. It is remarkable to us that so may people can exist without daily showers or hygiene that we are so accustomed to back at home. The car we are in is full, and mostly of men. A basketball team is perhaps the reason for which many of them are very tall young men. We are grateful again that our cabin guest was a non-threatening woman, who was not offensive. (ulike almost everyone else in the car would have been in theses stuffy little quarters of sleeping) It is her stop at 6:30 am and she is gone. At last we are traveling in the daylight with the country side  for us to view. Much of the land is covered in snow. 

The landscape is rolling hills of mining country.  There is very little farmland in these parts. Most of the countryside is a mixture of rocky ground like the western side of Grand Junction, Colorado mixed with some evergreens and some deciduous woods. All of the communities are still looking abandoned with ruins everywhere. We pass many manufacturing facilities of metal refiners, most of which have been shut down. Georgiy explains in great detail the tragic details of greed and power struggles, which have brought the nation to ruins. His history telling passes more time and soon we are there. 

Our 15:40 minute train ride is over. 

It is 9:40 am and we feel worse than after our crossing of the Atlantic via airplane. Sasha, a warm and friendly man, greets us. It’s straight to the orphanage after a quick stop to buy the Director some champagne and fine chocolates. The city is thawing after being hit with a snowstorm the day before. 

Our trip to the orphanage leaves us both in shock. We have both been to 3^rd world countries, but are not prepared for this city of 300,000 in ruins. The orphanage is tucked away in an older part of town, which is mostly houses on narrow streets, and on an alley of mud and standing water.

Track 11 Car 9 - departing for Lugansk at 6:00 PM

Kris:

Now we sit on a 16-hourt rain bound for Lugansk. We are in a compartment with 4 bunks. It’s almost 9:00 pm and we have been going for about 3 hours. We have 13 hours left. We went shopping today for toys for Natalie. We ended up buying a doll dressed in yellow and some picture blocks. I cant wait to see her! Ok, whom am I kidding; I am not going to be able to sleep tonight! 

I have huge butterflies!