Reaching for the Ultimate Adventure

“Why on Earth a student from Poland would go to Ukraine on holiday?”, I heard during my flight from Warsaw to Kiev. Because of my unstoppable curiosity (or because an hour after taking off was a bit too late to back off) I was looking forward to getting to know Ukraine anyway. However, I expected to find true gems among well-known destinations from a tourist guide – and not on my way to visit them!

Means of transport in Ukraine are special. After getting off the plane full of unhappy businessmen I reached the subway, where I bumped into women suited up like stewardesses. They were hiding in small, theatre-like box offices making sure you enter “the show” legally. The gates opened after inserting a worn-out plastic token, which reminded me of old carousels or casinos. Soon I discovered that Kiev’s underground was both amusing and hazardous indeed.

After exploration of the capital city I desperately wanted to go to the seaside. I finally did, but what’s more important during 10 hours in a bus to Odessa I found out that an onion could be eaten like an apple, that golden teeth were still “in”, and that drinking before midday was not a faux pas. This journey made me also believe that Ukrainians are super creative. If not, why a canvasser was selling pocket calculators, balloons, rulers and fly-traps in a long distance coach?

Fortunately, they do have public transport in Odessa, but with no fixed bus stops. Passengers have to tell the driver where they want to get off. Not knowing either the city or Cyrillic, I took a taxi. How silly was I to expect a proper, registered cab. A gangster-movie-like driver picked me up and remained silent being focused on driving like a bad guy from the most cruel computer game. He made me appreciate being alive.

Train back to Kiev in a sleeping car was another adventure. Railway’s website looked pretty modern but a couple of days in advance it said tickets were sold out. I tried to persuade the cashiers, but it turned out that I needed a letter of recommendation from natives! Well, my Ukrainian must have been very bad and my letter very kind. Not only was I the only passenger in my section, but in the entire car.

Public transport speaks volumes of what Ukraine is today. Marble vs. dirt, strict rules vs. no rules, progress vs. bureaucracy – it is full of surprises and eclectic like the whole country. Keep your eyes open while on the road in Ukraine. It’s like a visit in a forgotten amusement park with unforgettable rides.