Ukraine - The Cossacks

The Cossacks are romanticized in the Ukraine, perhaps in the same way that Americans romanticize the cowboys of the old west. Zaporizhia was one of the main centers of this activity, and we had a chance to meet a few of the old boys on our way through.

And here are some action shots.

It's so much fun we want to be Cossacks ourselves.

Drinking the vodka with the sword

And, some more crazy horseback riding

Ukraine - Through the Locks

Still in Ukraine, as we head up the Dnieper river towards Kiev, one of the more interesting things to do on the ship was to watch the passages through the locks. There were several along the route, but the best was the following one, which we went through just before Zaporizhia. Since we were going upriver, we would sail in to the narrow lock and watch the doors close behind us. Then, the lock would fill with water and the ship would rise to the top. As the door ahead of us opened, we would sail out to a new landscape. This particular passage through this one lock alone required an increase in elevation of over 37 meters (about 122 feet).

 

As we approach the lock

 

The giant door will close us inside

We are very close to the walls

The door ahead will open after the water fills

They tie the ship to a cleat which rises with us

Nearly full!!

The town up top (that's Lenin in the park)

Gates open and we sail out

Cossacks & Vodka (1) Odessa

We headed off to the Ukraine for a 12-day adventure. Actually a river cruise, something we had never done before. Yes, we were a bit sheltered being on the boat and "managed" by the tour operator, but still got to see quite a bit in the short time we had.


The itinerary was to fly from Tbilisi to Odessa, which is only a bit farther than a 2 hour flight, then to board a cruise ship to sail to Sevastopol and Yalta in the Crimea. From there the ship would go up the Dnieper River to Kiev, stopping at several cities with unpronounceable names along the way.


First stop was Odessa. We went a day early and checked in to the impressive looking Odessa hotel located right on the wharf where our cruise ship was to come in. We had a view of the famous Potemkin Stairs from the hotel.

The Odessa Hotel

Potemkin Stairs across from the wharf

Odessa was actually quite an attractive city and we spent our first day, until the ship arrived, just walking around on our own. The city has many statues, nice shops, and famous buildings in the blocks surrounding the downtown area.

Pushkin

Cossack

Odessa Opera House

We walked through the touristy section of town, and down to the other side. Here we found the largest farmers market in any of the former Soviet republics. The Privoz Market is so huge that the pictures below won't give you the whole picture Indoors and outdoors there were sections for each kind of food that were larger than some whole markets that we have seen elsewhere.

Meats

Fats

Honey

Spices

Eggs

All kinds of stuff

Some cute little chicks.

Cossacks & Vodka (2) Yummy Foods

Let's get the food out of the way next. We didn't eat much on the street. Actually, they discouraged us (on the boat) from doing so. I guess they had some people have bad experiences. The few things we did get on our own, off the boat, were good. But, the boat food was really nice and plentiful. Way too much for every meal, and rather fancy in a European sort of way. Even the "regional specialties" were made suitable for American tastes.

Breakfast pancakes in Odessa

Snack stands we did not try

Way too many McD's in Ukraine

We saw only one of these. Can you read the Ukrainian?

Food on board prepared by the German Chef in his kitchen

Every meal Zlata had water or iced tea for us, and free wine with dinner!

Varenyky stuffed with potato

It was all just too pretty

And, they gave us lots of good ice cream at every meal.

Cossacks & Vodka (3) The Cruise Ship

The cruise ship carried about 200 passengers and another 100 crew, including all the service staff. The cabins were small, but spotlessly clean and comfortable. We didn't spend much time in the cabin, as they kept us busy with tours, meals, lectures, and activities. Here are some representative photos of the environment.

Ship at the dock in Odessa

Program Director, Captain, and First Mate

Six similarly configured ships ply this route. Ours on the right.

Five buses follow us around. Driving up along the river to each stop.

Very small cabin

Life-jacket drill

Who's manning the bridge?

There he is

Plenty of lifeboats

Cheerful reception staff

Tour guides in their uniforms

And, at the bar in the evening

Passageways

Sun deck in the afternoon

Wait staff greet us in the restaurant

Hotel Manager & Executive Chef

Entertainment

Typical group at dinner

More to come below regarding the cities we stopped in and what we saw.