Yesterday was a long long day and a busy day, as it was my final day in Kiev.
As I mentioned a few days ago, this part of the trip has a different tone then the first to middle parts. Back then, I stayed in the spots I visited for as long as I wanted and didn't leave until I was ready. Being that I have a flight back home on Friday-I am now rushing instead making sure I am seeing what I want to see-and in the end feeling exhausted and not really satisfied. But it is what it is.
Anyway, I started the day writing my blog in the hostel kitchen at around 7:30 am. I enjoy getting up early, and the beauty of staying in a hostel is most people DO NOT get up early-so the facilities we're generally mine in the morning. Not yesterday. For whatever reason, at least 5 people we're up early, including one guy with a daughter who looked to be about 6. And the very small kitchen felt cramped. So I took my laptop about 3 blocks to McDonalds to work there.
Then after returning to the hostel to brush and put my computer in the locker, I took the Metro to the Chernobyl Museum. The museum seemed like it would be interesting-particularly since I took a tour of the power plant the day before. For the most part-the museum wasn't particularly interesting. Very few of the displays we're in English-but there we're a couple of appealing exhibits, including one with before and after pictures of Pripyat, the town next to Chernobyl. An exhibit was also displayed showing how wildlife has prospered in the evacuation zone, which was interesting.
Then I walked around the town. I took a metro to what I thought was the Military exhibit, which was supposed to have a cool statue of Soviet times-but I went to the wrong museum. Again, the problem with this part of the trip-trying to "check off the boxes", rather then enjoying a city.
I then went on an afternoon-evening walking tour, which was rather interesting. The tour guide explained various structures, including statues for good luck, communist displays, etc. We also saw demonstrations where protesters camped out, to make their presence know about the weakening Ukrainian currency, and how the average wage (about $200 per month according to our Chernobyl tour guide) doesn't cover the bare essentials.
We also saw the spot where a sniper murdered Ukrainians in protests 2 years ago, right in the main square (46 in less then 2 hours).
Pretty heady, serious stuff. Unfortunately, all of us (6 including the tour guide), we're FREEZING. It was dark out, and the weather was cold. (in the low 30's f)
I had dinner at the hostel, and packed up. Then i caught the night train to Lviv.
