Sunday March 23, 2003

Clarke:

After a good laugh at our bathroom “situation” we ventured out for our challenge to order breakfast with a “kwikpoint” card.  Without the ability to read, pronounce or even read simple words, we take a leap of faith by following George on our sight seeing trek for the day. 

We called this our sit and splash tub

Wow!!!  Technology has come a long way in 10 years!  "Be Understood"  

We ride the subway across the Dnieper River and start touring this 1,000-year-old city of Kyiv.  I think to myself how rich in history this city and country is and how lucky we are to have such a good tour guide.  We arrived at our meeting place at noon to meet up with the Weston’s.  We are delighted to see their new and wonderful family.  

Kris, Julia, Wade, Clarke, Nikitta, Sonya & Alex

We again feast, this time for about $5.00 US dollars per person.  Vernika and Borsht are on the main course.  We are privileged to witness such new things for Sophia and Nikita as an escalator and glass elevator.  This afternoon provides a most appreciated opportunity to learn all the details of their adopting nearing the end of being finalized.  We arrange for a meeting time of 12:00 noon again tomorrow at the “Metro” train station.  

George has more energy to walk through the cold, (colder than we were prepared for) streets of Kyiv.  Still, we keep up and are blessed with hearing monks sing, touring by the KGB, the Presidents house, St. Andrew’s Cathedral, St. Sophia Cathedral, St.. Michaels Cathedral, Laaarve, City parks and much much more.  Using buses, trams, cog trains and the subway for just pennies (US pennies that is) we take in more than we can absorb.  

We return to our room after dinner and await our call from home.  With much trouble, we finally connect and share with Alex, Amanda and Annette.  We have some journaling to-do so we may try the Internet café for an email and try sending some pictures to the States.