Like a stranger in Kiev

Back in Krakow at the moment after spending a week in Ukraine. Planned to stay there for 3 weeks but finded it pretty hard with the Ukranian/Russian language and the cyrillic alphabet they have and also the lack of tourists/travellers which I thought was a positive thing but if there are hardly any then is pretty hard to communicate. Here is the story of my adventours in Ukraine.
So left around 18:00 o'clock on the saturday the 29th of July by train from Budapest to Kiev. Shared my train cabin with a woman from the ukraine who spoke some english so I could practise my Ukranian with her. In the long ride I met some Swiss guys and a russian guy who told me about the differences with Russia and Ukraine.
The ride took about 25 hours (1 hour time difference) and I arrived at 19:00 the next day. The first moment I stepped of the train I heard marching sounds from the speakers sort of national anthem of Ukraine I think, well to me it sounded pretty russian (well the language is almost similar) I met on the station 2 guys and a girl from the czeck republic who where planning to go to a guy called Alex which they contacted through Hospitality Club. I had also send an email to him and from the Czecks I heard that I probably could stay at his place aswell.
Arrived pretty late at his house because they needed to exchange money first which took some time, had to take 2 subways and a bus to get to his house.
Because in the suburbs of Kiev they don't have streetlights at sometime pretty big potholes in the road and it was raining and dark, it took us quite a while to find his house. (Well the Jacub and Tomas did because they knew a bit of Russain)
Arrived in a small house and were welcomed by Alex's mom. Took a shower and slept on the floor of Alex his room.
The next day we explored the city saw a big Lenin statue visited Independence Square ,where the orange revolution took place, and went to a famous Monastrie with caves where they kept mumified monks to display & to a minitature museum where an artist carved like chessbords on a hair and other incredible things. Had some cheap dinner and drank a few beers in a bar with nice live music. Kiev is a big city it looks pretty western with big shops everywhere, Macdonalds and LCD television sets in the subways but besides the russian letters on the buildings and everybody speaking russian you wouldn't know that you were in a former Sovyet country.
Without the guys from Czeck I would be probably be lost finding Alex's house or ended up staying in a expensive hostel.
Monday morning we said goodbye to Alex and put our bags in the locker room at the station, visited some churches, the Chernobyl Museum and the Freedomstatue of Ukraine. Because of the size of Kiev we travelled by subway all the time and also because it's only 1 Hrivna (6,5 hr in an euro) per ride it was pretty cheap.
At a certain moment when it was really full in the subway someone picked my pocket and stole my wallet, I noticed it only a few seconds later when it was stolen but still I looked for the person who took it but it was already to late and the guy probably left the subway at the next stop. Goddamned, well the good thing is that I had all my valuable stuff like Passport, drivers license and bankcard in my moneybelt and only lost around 6/7 euro in Hrivna and some small memory things I collected during travelling throughout the years. And later on I noticed that also my return ticket back to Budapest was in there, I didn't really plan to go back to Hungary but still I wanted to try to sell it it to other travellers who were heading to Kiev and Budapest. Well shit happens right?
Because the train was already full to Odessa I planned to go to L'viv in the west of Ukraine that same day. Said goodbye to Elishka, Jacub and Tomas thanks for your help with finding my way the first days in Ukraine. The first available train to L'viv left at 4:29 (thats right at night) spended my time on the internet and reading & guarding my bags between the sleepin bums on the benches at the train station of Kiev.
Still had a good night rest in the train and when I arrived in L'viv at around 14:00 o'clock on wednesday, a german guy called Florian was waiting for me at the station. In Kiev I contacted a girl in L'viv who could help me with accommodation and one of her other guests picked me up at the station and showed me around town that day. He left later on to Romania.
My first impression is that L'viv is like the Wild West or should I say Wild East, everybody is driving like grazy and allot of roads are under construction and buildings under restoration. People call it the next Prague but then without the millions of tourists; it's a beautifull city.
I liked it right away.
That day I met Iwanka my hostess for the next 3 days. Iwanka is a very pretty girl, extremly kind and friendly and always willing to help me with finding my way in the city.
Later in the evening we went to Iwanka's aunt's place where her mother and her aunt have a publishing company. Her aunt was hosting 6 other people from Hospitality club and 3 other dutchies from my home town Groningen, small world isn't it?
Had some drinks with the group at her aunts house and later Iwanka's mom brought me and Iwanka back to their house in a small former rally car (the first car in the Ukraine), I forgot the name of the car but soon I will post some pictures of it. It was an amazing experience and her aunt even has a same brand car as her sister.
The next day I walked around town visited one of the old orthodox churches and the viewpoint with the ruines of a castle. I also bought a ticket to Krakow at the busstation with the help of Iwanka because the busstation is about 8 km out of town. I planned to leave Ukraine because of the lack of other travellers and also because of the language difficulty and mostly because my money is running out pretty quick.
Later in the evening played some cards with Iwanka and Viera (another HC guest). Friday I went with Viera to the cemetary of L'viv which is famous for the size of it (400.000 people are burried here) and the beauty of all the overgrown stones.
I bought some nice flowers for Iwanka and her mom for hosting me, and founded out on time that it was an oneven number of flowers (oneven numbers mean badluck and are meant for funerals) so had to take one out.
Iwanka made I delicious meal for me before I left and she even brought me to the station (which is still 45 min by rolleybus or tram)because I didn't know which bus to take. My bus left at 22:00 and I feelled sad to leave Iwanka and L'viv. I want to thank Iwanka and her nice mom and aunt again for everything they did for making my stay in L'viv amazing, and maybe see you in the future in Holland or Ukraine when I have short hair or even dreadlocks ;)
That night had a rough night sleeping on half a chair because a large man was taking the space of his and half my chair.
Arrived at 6 in the morning at George picked me up around 9. (remember George everybody? no? well it's the american guy who I met in Krakow 2 weeks ago) George now has an appartment in Krakow, he works here and is searching for the perfect girl to spent his life with.
It's kinda weird being back in Krakow and I noticed that the weather changed allot, 2 weeks ago it was around 30 degrees and now it is les then 20. Time for wearing shoes again, which I hate when I'm used to sandals.
Yesterday caught some sleep during the day and me and George went out to some clubs. Today got up late and walked around the city.

My plans for the next weeks are, well I bought a ticket to Bratislava (capital of Slowakia) for wednesday and already found some accommodation there through HC. And then going to Austria and or I'm making my way back to Holland quiker then planed because of the money or I'm hitchhiking to Rimini, Italy where I have a friend where I could stay for a few days and chill at the beach.
From now on I'm only gonna try to stay at people's houses through Hospitality Club and hitchhike all the way back starting from Bratislava.

Tomorrow I'm planning to go back to Auswitch and maybe explore the saltmines the next day.

I hope you are all well and enjoying your vacations just like I am.

Greetz Joost.