We're here!!

We made it!  Unfortunately, we didn't have our day in Frankfurt, our first flight out of State College was delayed to the point that we would have missed our flight out of Dulles, so we left a day late, and after 1 full body pat-down, having to show the money belt and it's contents, and emptying the large suitcase, we finally made it...and believe it or not, none of the security issues occurred in the US!  Oh yea--we can't forget puddle jumper the wind nearly blew over while we were landing in Dulles, or the sardine can we flew over the Atlantic in!  It was a long difficult trip, but well worth it!  

When we arrived, our driver promptly met us after we passed through customs, and we headed for our "condo" complex.  We saw 10 buildings that looked exactly alike, and entered through a hallway that smelled like nothing we have ever experienced only to enter a small elevator that really could frighten some.  When we got to the 8th floor, we entered a very nice apartment that is warmer than our house with plenty of hot water, a comfy bed, and a clean kitchen with all of the essentials!  This morning we were glad we brought a french coffee press and some ground beans--it was almost just like home!  

Today we spent most of the day traveling around in Kiev City with our translator and guide just trying to get all of the essentials finished, we also

received permission to travel to Dema's region.  We will have our completed paperwork tomorrow and be on an overnight train tomorrow night.  

Kiev is a very busy city with many monuments--the guy on the horse is from the 16th century commemorating the Ukrainian victory over the Poles.  The church in the picture is in the process of being restored, but unfortunately it was closed so we could not enter. 

Believe it or not--we must have stuck out as Americans because several of the street vendors greeted us with "good morning".  Cindy thought that maybe it was my mossy oak caballa's hat, or could it have been my hunting boots??  Well, I guess I'll need to get some black patten leather shoes and Cindy will need to get a pair of thigh high leather boots to go with her new short skirt--then we might fit in...then again, why not stick out!  

We could never imagine doing this process without the help of Sasha, and the folks from the Stork Agency!  The streets are filled with impatient drivers, and few, if any road signs. None of the buildings we visited are marked with a name, much less a street number!  So, yes, their services are truly invaluable! 

 

It took a while to find an internet stick that would talk to our American computer, but the second time was the charm!  Look for daily updates from here on out!