Donald's Ukraine bicycle trip, 2000
by Donald Gresko
Bibliography:
Let's Go Eastern Europe 2000
Lonely Planet Ukrainian Phrasebook (this is a must have)
Russia by Rail with Belarus and Ukraine, Bradt Publications UK
The Worlds Most Dangerous Places, Fielding Worldwide (good tips here)
The best maps of western and eastern Ukraine are published in Poland by:
POLSKIE PRZEDSIEBIORSTWO
WYDAWNICTW KARTOGRAFICZNYCH
im.Eugeniusza Romera, S.A.
Warszawa-Wroclaw
Less accurately detailed maps with town names written in Cyrillic
are available at larger bookstores in Ukrainian cities.
Useful Information:
Travelers should note that when taking the train, bring bungee cords to fasten your bicycle in the overhead sleeper storage compartment. Also note that you must always buy a second ticket for your bicycle (except on the local electric lines) and you will have to ask the attendant where to do so. Sometimes you will wait 45 min. in line only to have the attendant go for a coffee break and close the kiosk in your face, sometimes never to return, or because you're a foreigner, the possibly xenophobic attendant will send you to the Intourist kiosk where tickets are more expensive, and you will wait another 45 min. Give yourself two hours minimum to get your tickets, and don't forget: no passport, no ticket. The State owned railway is a good place to see what it must have been like under the Communists. Their circa 1985 DOS ticket reservation network crashes often. It is such a big ordeal taking the train that for shorter distances you might be tempted to try the buses (or [gasp!] even bicycle!). If the bus is not full, usually a $5hv note to the bus driver will get your bike on the bus through the back door. Heck, for $25hv why not hijack your very own minivan taxi for 30km (I know, that's cheating). Beware that it's $25hv before you get on but $30hv after you're on. The obligatory health insurance you must purchase at the border (approx. $80hv for one month) is a minor inconvenience compared to getting all of the proper O.V.I.R. stamps in your passport. Regular tourists either get the stamps in the hotels they stay at or leave their passports at the O.V.I.R. offices for a few days while staying with their friends. So if you don't always stay at hotels, and you're moving from day to day, you might not have all of the proper stamps in your passport. Better to check your status at an O.V.I.R. office in a Ukrainian City with an interpreter (this will take half a day) than get slapped with a US$300 fine at the border upon leaving the country, and that's big bucks in Ukraine. Road signs seem to be a rarity, if in fact you see any at all. On most, but especially secondary roads, asking people for directions is a must and, assuming you can pronounce the town correctly, they will usually point you in the right direction, but beware; approximately one in five directions will be misleading or wrong or you can miss the cue they thought you knew, so best to play it safe and ask twice as much as you have to, it's a great way to meet people anyhow. Bringing a compass is a good idea and a light 1kg pup tent is worth the investment. Waterproof bags to wrap your backpack and tent in for driving in the rain are a must. There are tons of roadside kiosks where you can purchase bottled water, drinks, toiletries, chocolates, ice cream etc. Aside from Ukrainian money, US. greenback is the adopted currency of choice. Bring along a bit of money to give to beggars, you'll feel like Robin Hood.
Dog Psychology 101:
Dogs a dozen times pestered me. The funny thing is, some dogs will chase you on your bike, but won't even look at you if you're walking your bike. Thanks to a Kiev guard dog for that one! They probably see cyclists as some new kind of creature with fleshy ankles. I have had more problems with dogs in Ukraine than anywhere else I have bicycled. This may be compounded by the fact that many of the dogs there really don't see bicycles all that often. The closest call I had was with a big black farmer's mutt. "Hey, hey come back here" was all I heard the farmer say and, upon looking over my shoulder, I noticed this large snarling dog snapping at my ankles and closing in on me. I gave a swift, well placed heel boot on his nose. Instead of yelping as I had expected, he lunged forward and sunk his fangs into my rubber foam heel, missing my flesh by centimeters. This tough dog broke off the encounter, trotting while wagging his tail as if to say, "gotcha!". With dogs chasing you, there are only two courses of action: Pedal like hell or show them that you're not afraid, and, if you're convincing enough, it usually works. Mind you, when push comes to shove, you had better be able to deliver the goods. If "The Kung Fu Master Meets The Wild Dog Pack" is not exactly your cup of tea, perhaps you should consider bringing along some mace and taping it to your handlebars. Good, now on to the story.
Introduction:
By telling my story, I hope to convey to the potential tourist a sense of what they may encounter on a trip here, but specifically, a trip taken by bicycle. It was a real treat for the senses, and some of the images tend to stick with you, especially in contrast to what we are used to in the West. I spent four weeks travelling through Ukraine with my mountain bike in the summer of 2000. New less stringent visa requirements for Canadians gave me the perfect opportunity to explore my ancestral homeland by mountain bike. I built on the experience of my previous bicycle trip of 1997 to streamline my load and travel as absolutely light as possible. I cut the Ukraine section out of my travel guide and left the dress shoes at home. This was going to be serious trip. I knew that I would have to be on my toes and ready for anything.
I entered Ukraine by train from Poland going towards Odessa. On the train, I met some Vodka drinking revelers and had two pleasingly plump youthful babushkas, one under each arm. "Yep, it doesn't get better than this" I said to myself as I looked out the window at the agricultural farmland rolling by. "You will learn about Ukraine" a smiling and ever so slightly drunk Polish man said to me. "You see that woman over there" he said, pointing to the good looking babushka, "she's only traveling with me; you can have her if you want her". At this point it occurred to me that he would probably be waking up with a hangover next morning, but I couldn't help thinking to myself; what kind of adventure have I let myself in for anyhow? I started conversing with a friendly woman who spoke German, and we immediately struck up a rapport. The next morning as the train was rolling into the city, the Polish man said to me, "this is not just any Ukrainian city; this is Odessa", he pronounced with perfect intonation, lifting up his hand for emphasis. The German speaking woman told me that I was going to go with her and stay with her family. The old taxi we were riding in had defective brakes and we saw pedestrians scattering like chickens. Her family took care of me and their apartment was an ideal base from which to explore Odessa on my bicycle. Here I was able to relax and ease myself into the blend of cultures and influences that is Ukraine. Odessa has a very Mediterranean feel about it, and it was great to spend some time here.
The long distance road trip:
When I left my friends in Odessa, it was evening and I was heading towards the train station by bicycle. "Be careful" they told me, "It's dangerous at night". There was only one attack dog I had to scare away with some Bruce Lee posturing, and one large KGB agent, or Mafia thug (take your pick) lunging at me while screaming as I zipped by on my rocket fast bicycle. And this was just on the way to the train station. It would have been better if I didn't have a light on my bicycle, but the roads are so bad over here.... The train I was getting on was headed towards St. Petersburg, and the woman conductor might as well have been a drill Sargent in the Russian Navy. She only let me on the train as I could feign linguistic ignorance and demonstrated to her how I could take my bicycle apart into pieces, little pieces. I took the night train to Zhmerynka, the tobacco and alcohol so called "sin city" of Ukraine, and that is where my 650km long distance road trip started the next day. Driving by the market on my bicycle at 7:30AM, I witnessed lots of babushkas and other people doing a kind of lambada line dancing procession through the market, and it would be safe to say that a tourist's wallet would last about 2 seconds here.
Riding my bicycle over what is called "the steppes" was truly mind expanding. Seemingly endless kilometers of rolling countryside as far as the eye could see and the mind could imagine. 20km between towns and villages on the main roads and plenty of farmland in between. At times, the road was just like one long endless ribbon and whereas I usually get to the top of a small hill expecting to see a town in the distance, here I would just see more fields and a road that went all the way to the horizon. I cannot understate what a grand expanse Ukraine is. It struck me that in spite of all of the inherent dangers and poverty, sometimes-terrible road conditions and the lack of a real tourist infrastructure; that this place is really a cyclist's heaven. A kind of promised land for those with the courage to come and see it for themselves. I smiled and had a silly thought that I was hogging it all to myself.
If you happen to hit one of the cobblestone back roads, they are in such bad shape that bicycles must drive on the sandy shoulder and cars sometimes make their own road in the grass that runs parallel. One day of riding took me to Nova-Ushitsa. Here stands the largest statue of Lenin I have ever seen. It was almost 3 stories tall and overlooking the scenic valley below. This is where I discovered two things. First, if somebody looks like they're drunk (or they're holding a knife) don't talk to them, they can be unpredictable. And second, that just because your map says that there is a hotel in a town, it doesn't actually mean that there is a hotel in a town. It could also mean that there used to be a hotel in a town. Luckily, at a roadside store, I got a lift with a couple of friendly ex-army men who took me to a Military hotel in the next town. Here I was rubbing shoulders with Majors and Generals in my Lycra uniform. They twisted a few arms and I got the officer's suite, though I was too exhausted to enjoy the decor. The next morning I stuffed myself with food at a diner then headed towards my ancestral homeland. I went to Stara Ushitsa on the Dniestr River to see the town where my grandfather came from. It was peaceful and beautiful there, and I saw some faces that reminded me of my relatives back home, in an almost eerie way. I bicycled down to the Dneistr river and it felt a lot like an off-season campground, there was no one there except for a couple of people in their boats fishing for supper. It was all too quiet there and I later found out that the original town was buried underwater, the victim of another hydroelectric project. That would explain the broken gravestone cross I saw in the mud at the water's edge.
Asking around if anybody had heard of my grandfather's name had some people in the town intrigued. This led me to a very nice elderly couple who fed me delicious home-cooked preserves and put me up for the night. I felt as if they were my foster grandparents. The next day, I met an English-speaking woman who told me about the history and culture of this place. She said, "over here, ambulances are only for the living". She pointed out a Nazi mass grave in the distance telling me to go and take pictures of it, "the world must know". Looking back on my trip, I am really sorry that I did not spend more time in Stara Ushitsa for it was so profoundly moving. I was back there for reasons I wasn't even consciously aware of. Seeing the town where my grandfather came from gave me a way of knowing the man that I never met.
It was a one-day bicycle ride to Kamyanets-Podilsky which is the hub of the region and an astoundingly beautiful city. The canyon that divides the two sides of town is spectacular like something out of a fantasy. It is an affecting city that almost defies description, but suffice to say, it is a must see on your trip to Ukraine. The next leg of my trip was to head south then west towards the Carpathian Mountains. I passed through Cernivci, a large city not listed in the travel guide, but it has lots of beautiful architecture and a charm all of its own. I should have spent the night there, as I later found myself on the back roads at sundown without a place to stay. Just as I was looking around for a location to pitch my tent, I saw a building that looked like it might be used as a hostel. I introduced myself to the French-speaking Father who was sympathetic to my predicament. This was a summer camp for underprivileged Ukrainian children being run by Polish Priests. I could not have stumbled upon a better sanctuary. I was exhausted and sunburned, with mild sunstroke and needed a couple of days' rest. These were very hip people One of the priests looked like Tom Cruise and had a personality to match. There were English speaking volunteers to talk with, more food than I could possibly eat, and the guitar music wasn't half-bad. I did a day trip loop that took me on the scenic back roads with the Romanian mountains visible in the distance. Even though it was an invigorating ride, it felt like time off. They made me feel welcome with their Polish hospitality. When I left them, I headed towards the Carpathian Mountains with a vengeance.
The Carpathian Mountains are sight for sore eyes. Their forbiddingly steep slopes are covered with evergreen trees and the rocks that jut out of the water from the riverbed tell a story of geological activity from time immemorial. Tricorder readings report that previously horizontal strata, now almost vertical, would indicate that these mountains, over time, have been folded like a deck of cards. I have seen many mountains, but these have a very distinct feel about them; another must see for your trip. For mountain bikers who are seriously considering a trip through the Carpathian Mountains, I submit to you the detailed route I took for your perusal. What is interesting about this route is that it is a long steady uphill, mostly on gravel road, not too difficult and terribly scenic, hugging a river all the way. At the top, there are hotels to stay at and you are perfectly situated to explore the Carpathian Mountain National Park, or continue on your bike trip, which aside from a couple of uphills at the onset, is downhill all the way for 45km on paved road! How sweet it is. This is without a doubt one of the most scenic rides of my trip.
Carpathian Mountain Journey:
Start in the morning at the town of Vyznycja (see maps) by packing a picnic and crossing the bridge. On the other side of the river, hang a left and head towards the town of Tjudiv. The scenery starts getting otherworldly around here. After Tjudiv, you must keep to the right and you should find yourself going along a dirt road with the river on your left hand side; stick to this and you'll be OK. Asking for directions to Verchovyna might not help here, this is as back roads as it gets. This road is a steady uphill for some 45 odd km and while some places require cautious driving, it's generally not difficult. The views along the river are superb and there are even a couple of stores to get supplies. You should arrive at your destination by early evening. At Verchovyna, there is a large hotel complex with restaurant and guided excursions. This is a good place to meet people and an ideal base to explore the Carpathian Mountain National Park from.
The next leg of the journey is to head towards Vorochta. Here is one of the few places where I saw other bicycle tourists on my trip in Ukraine. It's 35km to Vorochta. The first 10km has a couple of major uphills but once you hit the peak, well as they say, "it's all downhill from here". You might have to pinch yourself to see if you're dreaming as you zip through some of the most beautiful scenic National Park in Ukraine. At Vorochta, there are more places to stay, if you so desire. It is downhill for another 25km all the way to Jaremca where, on the other side of the valley to your left, there is a gigantic tourist complex. This would be a good place to stay for one night regardless of which direction you're heading in. Note that at Jaremca you can take the train back uphill into the mountains without having to tough it on your bicycle.
Epilogue:
My bicycle trip continued relatively uneventfully through Ivano-Frankivs'k to Stryj. Here is where I found some lost family whose whereabouts I had some clue as to, thanks to some previous genealogical research. They never expected to see any relatives from Canada and some tears were shed. I spent the next few weeks visiting with family members and friends in Ukraine and Poland. They took care of me, showed me around and fed me very, very well indeed. Although I still did a lot of mountain bike riding, it was the end of my long distance road trip. When I rode my mountain bike back over the border into Poland, people were smiling and pointing at me. One of the Border Patrol said "impossible". Crazy perhaps; impossible, never.
