Our day of arrival was long, being jetlagged and losing luggage, waiting in a line for an hour to be able to report lost luggage after finding our patiently waiting facilitator/translator and the driver brought to pick us up. Then to the hospital in the heavy rain and getting to see the interesting driving practices of another country. Our facilitator brought candy with a toy inside for each child which won their hearts immediately. There are no seatbelt laws here and 5 of us sat in a row for 3. After our hospital visit attempt, we were driven to a grocery store where we had to try and make a quick purchase for who knows how many days to store in who knows how big a fridge in packages whose contents I could only guess without our Helen. Did you weigh that and get it marked? No? Take it back there and that man will mark it. Do you need oil? That is Russian cheese. The herring plain is better I think. This bread is good bread.
We were so tired and overly hungry, and emotionally taxed at our almost visit to see our little girl, but hurried as best as we could back to the car with the very patient driver who spoke no English. On the way to our apartment which is by the city square, we heard fireworks and then saw them, going off over the dome of a great building there.
Helen didn't know what they were for so contemplated that Kiev was saying "The Russells are here, The Russells are here" We all found this to be quite funny, we were so tired. It was beautiful and soothing and we pulled up to our apartment. After climbing 78 steps with our luggage (Gord took 2 trips), we quickly opened the deli food we had bought at the market and ate on auto pilot and dropped into beds. How grateful we are for our Ukrainian guide, translator, apartment finder, driver arranger and for the fireworks to welcome us to the Ukraine:)
We were so tired and overly hungry, and emotionally taxed at our almost visit to see our little girl, but hurried as best as we could back to the car with the very patient driver who spoke no English. On the way to our apartment which is by the city square, we heard fireworks and then saw them, going off over the dome of a great building there.
Helen didn't know what they were for so contemplated that Kiev was saying "The Russells are here, The Russells are here" We all found this to be quite funny, we were so tired. It was beautiful and soothing and we pulled up to our apartment. After climbing 78 steps with our luggage (Gord took 2 trips), we quickly opened the deli food we had bought at the market and ate on auto pilot and dropped into beds. How grateful we are for our Ukrainian guide, translator, apartment finder, driver arranger and for the fireworks to welcome us to the Ukraine:)