I Stayed For The Cats

Finally, after my whirlwind tour through eastern Europe and Turkey, I was ready for my second working stint, after teaching English in Moscow, and the first farmstay of my travels.

The beautiful Peloponnese in southern Greece

For those not familiar with the concept, a farmstay entails working on a farm for accommodation and food. It has been popularized by the online network WWOOF.org – World Wide Opportunities for Organic Farming, which connects farmers to eager helpers. “WWOOFing” is actually quite popular for many reasons. For myself, it allows a born and raised urbanite with zero relationship with earth and the fields which produce what goes on my fork, to get some real hands-on experience with farming, and witness first-hand the 100% natural and chemical-free circle of life. And enjoy its spoils, such as real olive oil, that which cannot be obtained in Canada.

My latest opportunity took me to Elea, in the rolling gray mountains of the Peloponnese, near the southern tip of Greece. This farmstay, like my teaching stint, was available on helpx.net, which connects helpers to help exchanges beyond just organic farming. However, I was initially recommended it by my friend Chris who met me in Istanbul after his farmstay here. The welcoming and warm family, Roberto, Barbara and their daughter Lorena are helpX veterans, having hosted many helpers in the past. I joined them and another helper, Leslie from France.

Non-stop olive picking for about 2 weeks

My main job was to help pick olives in a large orchard, rows upon rows of olive trees, as part of a five-person crew. The task involved a lot of cutting branches with saws, and ripping olives off of those branches with oversized mechanical toothbrushes. Although the physical labour was tiring at times, I was able to work at my own pace and the hours were never excessive. And here's the kicker - I got to be outdoors all day, surrounded by trees, mountains and sky, and not cubicle walls, prison-like in their oppression.

In fact, there was nothing oppressing about this life.

A cloudless morning for clear mountain viewing

For over two weeks I woke up to an amazing view of the Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by flat blue-gray mountains with white icing on top. Cats and dogs greeted me on the front porch. Also on the farm were horses, goats, chickens and rabbits. A natural soundtrack accompanied the morning show, played by roosters and songbirds, with no car engines to drown them out. It is a place that reminds you that, quoting the movie Water World, if you sit still, you can hear the sound of the world. It was a truly ideal natural escape. Cars weren’t the only modern amenity absent. With wood powered stoves for indoor heating and solar powered water heating, I had to adapt to a little less comfort in the home.

However, my connection to the innocent and entirely natural setting of the farm could have been severed by the presence of another overpowering technological connection  - the internet. Thankfully, the family once had it but was now rid of it, due to conflicts with their provider. Without it I was unshackled from the worst of soul-sucking distractions, and free to enjoy what was directly in front of me – blissful nature.

One half of the cats on the farm on a windowsill

Aside from working I did a lot of reading, some yoga, and hung out with the animals, particularly the cats. The family took us on some day trips to historic ruin sites in the Peloponnese. Oh, and they kept me very well fed! They cooked lots, I even cooked some. Best of all, everything was organic, and most of it was from our own backyard. Oranges and almonds may taste good anywhere, but there’s an added authenticity about picking it fresh off the tree.

I could really go on and on about what I learned and did in two weeks… alas, there is only time for the moral of my story…

Day trip to Monemvasia, with stunning views of Greece

Roberto and Barbara’s farm provided the perfect tonic for my travels, a much needed change of pace, and a foray into organic farming, developing a stronger connection with the earth. The main header of my Calgary blog says “finding tranquility.” I found lots of it here, however, like enlightenment and other perfect things, pure tranquility is hard to find. In my search I ventured from one side of the lifestyle balance to the other – urbanite to ruralite. But I gained an appreciation and a realization that I still crave certain aspects of urban life. Now my challenge is to strike a meaningful balance of both.

If you have always wondered where your food comes from beyond the freezers and aisles in your local supermarket, sought an escape from urban life or, conversely, a stronger connection with animals and the earth (or simply need a free place to stay and are willing to work), I highly suggest doing a farmstay (even purebred urbanophiles will benefit, I think, gaining an appreciation for the concrete and steel habitats in which they are adapted).

Farmstays are available all over the world, some are probably even a short drive from your home, and vary in stay lengths, from weeks to just a weekent. The recommended websites WWOOF, helpX and Workaway are not free, but do not cost much to use, especially compared to the money saved doing a farmstay. It’s an enriching and potentially life changing experience. I definitely recommend it!

A valley of olives and oranges

Flickr photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11monthsandrew/sets/72157632892487223/

Cats are king

Cat album: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11monthsandrew/sets/72157632896898230/

Chance Encounters and Random Conversations

I want to regurgitate to you an insightful conversation I had with a friend regarding, ironically, conversations. Let’s call him Joe.

Joe referred to a speech he heard describing Canadian homes as being like vaults or safes. “It’s not easy for people to invite others into their homes or open it up to strangers,” he said in more or less those words. Inviting people into your home is a powerful thing – it abandons pretenses and prejudices, evokes openness and ingenuity. But, he points out, “mostly, we meet at coffee shops or bars instead of having chance encounters and random conversations…”

A random encounter in Brussels led to dinner with Ata, a lovely and wise old man - twice! 

Conversations are human’s biological tool to communicate with the world around us. They enable us to exchange information critical to our daily survival. They also enrich our lives by allowing us to share laughs and smiles and build friendships. Conversations allow us, quite simply, to connect with other people. However, conversation is becoming a lost art. And here’s why: in today’s fast paced society we, as individuals, try to make sense of the chaos in our lives by exerting too much control over our time.

Every time block of our lives is becoming compartmentalized for specific tasks. As a result, we have become slaves to our own agendas. Every week, day and even hour is mentally predestined. We are either living in the future or dwelling on the past. During scheduled appointments half our minds are already on the next appointment. We hurry from place to place not even factoring in time for traffic delays, as if expecting the vehicles on the street to magically part like the Red Sea for Moses.

The time stress we induce on our own psyches is phenomenal. Yet today it’s become a sort of badge of honour to be busy. Recognition is heaped upon productivity superstars, reputation bestowed upon ultra-performers, with jealous competitors not far behind, taking on more aggressive schedules to get ahead. Sacrificed, in the name of efficiency overdrive is quality and integrity, fostered only with patience and care. With less time, everything we do is more prone to mistakes. With less time, we put on a superficial mask in front of everyone we meet.

With less time there is less opportunity for, you guessed it, chance encounters and random conversations. No time for a bump and a chat with a friend on the street. Time to help somebody who is lost find their way. Time to invite people into our homes. No, there is only time to share a quick drink at a coffee shop before our next task beckons.

Sometimes not even that. Joe told me how frustrated he became when we were having trouble meeting up before I left on my trip because he was too busy. “I did not have the flexibility to change my schedule to have that spontaneity… we try to force randomness in our schedule rather than providing randomness the opportunity to find us.”

Free hugs event in London - random encounters at its awkwardest! 

Individuals in our rushed culture are compartmentalizing more than just their time. Private vehicles are isolating commuters from interacting with strangers on the sidewalk or on buses or subways. Our homes, like broken ice sheets in the Antarctic, are drifting further apart, isolating us from our neighbours. The homes themselves are becoming larger and filled with more and more valuable possessions, further ensuring that we will never trust strangers in our home. Not so in other cultures such as India, where people live in smaller and denser tight-knit communities, have fewer possessions in their homes but are very warm and welcoming.

Planning out our lives, whether it’s the next 5 years or 5 minutes, gives us some stability amidst unpredictability, but we lose the magic of the moment. Nowhere have I learned this lesson more than in long-term travelling. Abandoning nearly all my possessions, concrete plans and time constraints, I find myself open to chance encounters and meetings. Each meeting brings with it the potential for fun and adventure, and is not considered time wasted or a distraction. Some meetings blossom into stronger connections. But at the very least I get a smile, an assurance that I made someone's day better.

I told my friend that “back home we are all about individuality. We each have ambitions and needs which don’t really fit into harmony with other people’s lives, and so we exclude them. Travelling forces us to intertwine our fates with others.” But even most of us travel on prepackaged vacations designed for maximum privacy with a nice beachfront view.

Budapest host - Couchsurfing means opening up your home - whether it's 1 or 6 people! 

So try something different for once. Clear your schedule for the following week as much as possible. When that week arrives, you may find yourself more relaxed, clear of mind, even a little excited about the endless possibilities of a week with no obligations. Anything can happen. Randomness is invited. Don't worry, it may feel a little strange at first to have nothing to do or worry about, but you'll grow into it.

I would like to conclude with some excerpts from Joe's closing rant: “when you’re not busy it is easy to feel alone because everyone is busy so you feel the need to compete… but if you don’t have the time just to have the opportunity for randomness and for keeping your doors open… how are we supposed to connect with people beyond a superficial level?”

Getting Stuffed in Turkey

In the past few months, you have witnessed my slow transformation, shedding my identity as tourist for something more abstract, bordering on soul searcher. Having just arrived in Greece to start work on a farm, my transformation became complete. But not before climaxing in Turkey on a wild flourish of touristic attractions.

Thus, I present to you what may be the last touristy blog I will write. Warning - could cause you to stop everything and go to Turkey.

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Turkey arguably has the richest history of any country in the past 2000 years. But take a wander 'round and you'll discover that it has a lot more to offer than just museums and mosques.

Inside the Aya Sophia - most gorgeous mosque in Istanbul

During this time period, Constantinople perched itself on top of the world, overseeing the dominant Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, accumulating mass riches and a wealth of architecture. It became Istanbul after the fall of the Ottoman Empire after WWI. I felt the history as I first stepped foot in the main square of Istanbul's historic neighbourhood Sultanahmet, centred by a large fountain and framed on both sides by the glorious Aya Sophia and Blue Mosque. There is so much to offer in Istanbul that I ended up staying 10 days to do everything imaginable, but mainly to enjoy it all in the company of good people. I went out in modern Taksim, stayed in, walked around, visited mosques, saw museums, fit in a boat tour and a day trip to a WWI site, and even sat in on a presentation about Islam.

Istanbul Archaeological Museum - Sean measuring himself up to a column capital from Temple of Artemis 

But my favourite experience was probably the Turkish bath, or Hamam. It sounds strange to say this, but the man who bathed and massaged me during the experience was very rough with me, yanking me around like rag doll – and I liked it. But what I definitely did not like was the pot-bellied Turkish man stalking me around the baths after my treatment, following me from the cool down pool to sauna, then to steam room, then the bath area, sitting literally a metre from me each time. Thankfully, he never got any closer.

Finally, when I strayed outside of the bustling metropolis I found an even more diverse and dazzling array of natural phenomena. I traded in my thinking cap for an Indiana Jones hat and Tomb Raider tights and explored Turkey's countryside like a pioneer in a new land.

Cappadocia - a place like no place on earth

Cappadocia, with its old and mysterious cave dwellings carved into even older “fairy chimneys” formed by erosion, feels like a land out of a fairy tale. Most travelers I met here took to the skies in a hot air balloon but I felt my experience was equally rewarding keeping both feet on the ground – and 100 euros in my wallet. I hiked tirelessly for two full days, descending valleys and ascending ridges over and over. Each viewpoint was more unbelievable than the next, provoking equally joyful and agonizing primal screams. In my hostel in Cappadocia I met probably the most positive guy on my travels. Michi arrived during breakfast, gave a friendly greeting to my group and indicated with a warm but assertive smile that he was going to sit down with us and become our friend. And that was the truth!

Rose Valley - like waking up in a dream

I settled temporarily back into city life with a couple of days in sunny Antalya. It’s the first Turkish city outside of Istanbul I visited and I really liked its vibe. People were quite helpful. I even played football with some kids in a park and joked around with them for a bit. Also, its placement between the Mediterranean coast and stunning mountains makes it the perfect place to admire a sunset.

"Oh wow, a stranger! Let's talk to him!"

A visit to Termessos ruins near Antalya came really close to topping Cappadocia. In a high mountain valley, navigating stone slabs scattered like sand among crumbled buildings, with hardly anyone else around, I felt like a kid in a playground with no parental supervision. The theatre with its magnificent ring seating overlooking the stage below and mountains above in all directions made you wish you were a spectator of a Roman performance back in the heyday of this abandoned ancient city.

Termessos - a theatre with a view

Next I spent a couple of days in picturesque Olympos, a ruins of a once thriving port city situated near pebble beaches and nestled in thick forested mountains. The area was dotted with numerous restaurants and pensions (a kind of accommodations) which would all be packed in the summer but, again, hardly anyone was around. The highlight was Chimaera, a site where natural gas vents into the atmosphere as fire. I wish I had brought marshmallows or raw kebabs. Back at the hostel, I shared my wooden cabin with two wonderful Americans, who I clicked with right away. We parted just after meditating on the beach.

Chimaera in Olympos -
imagine having a permanent fire in your backyard 

In Pamukkale, fire gave way to water but in a rare and spectacular form – travertine pools. Here calcium deposits achieved epic proportions, taking over the landscape, forming grand white cliffs. Water flows down these cliffs, forming pools, stepping down like classic rice paddies in China. And yes, there were ruins on site too.

Pamukkale - barefoot policy more than just for mosques

My final destination was Selcuk to see the granddaddy of all ruins in Turkey – Ephesus. But not before an unexpected scare. A screwup on my bus ticket took me to the wrong city at night. A smooth talking guy at the bus station convinced me to let him help me. But while he was trying to help, we chatted, and I slowly became aware that this guy had some issues. I learned his name was “Sanchez” which actually sounds Mexican, he works for the Turkish Service Service, and he fought in southeastern Turkey against the Kurdish, resulting in three bullets lodged in his left leg. The whole time he drank in public and even peed several times, waving around his wang in plain sight, and he kept telling me to watch his bag closely and don’t let anyone touch it or “kill them.” Needless to say, I excused my way out of getting help.

Ephesus - cat rejects me, then follows me up the theatre and curls up beside me 

The next morning I finally made it to Selcuk but by then I felt "ruined" out and was having trouble mustering excitement for my visit to Ephesus, 3 km away by dolmus (minibus). This actually helped because my expectations were exceeded once I began exploring the largest and most spectacular Greco-Roman ruins in Turkey. Surprisingly the highlight of the day was the cat that initially rejected my efforts to pet it, only to later follow me and curl up in my lap. Later on I managed to sneak outside the site limits and ascend to a high point with a bird's eye view of Ephesus and of Selcuk. I hiked along the ancient city walls straddling the top of the mountain, eventually descending back into Selcuk.

Ephesus - the library facade is the site's most famous structure 

After a pit stop in Istanbul I am now settled in at an organic farm in Greece, with an incredibly welcome family, and never more ready to get my hands dirty. And thus concludes 3 amazing weeks in Turkey! Despite my travel-weariness I was happy that I managed to see the best Turkey has to offer and had a really memorable time.

Overlooking Ephesus - thanks for reading!

Full album: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11monthsandrew/sets/72157632728234272/

Stuck in Istanbul - My Escape to Normality

Upon entering month six of my travels, I fell into a new troubling phase in my free and nomadic life. I became afflicted by the ultimate first world problem, that which can only affect the long term backpacker living the dream, jetsetter extraordinaire stimulated by new and amazing experiences on a daily basis.

I became sick of being a tourist.

Museums and attractions started to become boring. My comfort zone, like a balloon reaching full capacity, stopped expanding at its once furious pace. New places were no longer as exciting, new experiences no longer as spine tingling as before. I knew this onset of travel-weariness was inevitable, but trying to figure out where to go and what to next troubled me more than expected, even disturbing my sleep.

Blue Mosque, Istanbul

Fortunately, the perfect tonic for my travel weariness was waiting for me in my next destination. Located where east meets west and where empires ebbed in and out throughout history, Istanbul is a truly special city. Its streets are alive with organized chaos, loudspeakers envelope the sky with mystic voices of Muslim prayer, and its skyline dazzles with both minarets and skyscrapers rising over the geographically significant Bosphorus Strait. Istanbul provided the perfect escape from my troubles. Its history and beauty is so rich and its culture so refreshingly new that it temporarily revived my touristic motivation to see mosques and museums. But when that desire quickly subsided, my final escape lay in one solitary place.

Istanbul Hostel provided a semblance of normality and shielded me from the unpredictability of travelling. Somehow the turnstile effect of hostels didn't apply here and many people stayed long enough that I became familiar with them. These familiar faces were ones which I no longer needed the pretense of asking the cliche five questions: what's your name, where you from, how long you been travelling, where you been, where you going? And then there's the guessing game: are you Korean? Japanese? Oh, Canadian... but what are you really?

Jumping for joy... at a war memorial site 

Finally I could just be myself for once and, as a traveler, that's something rare and valuable, like a small lottery win. I stuck around Istanbul and at the same hostel because the people I met were cool characters, the kind I could be friends with if we were living in the same city. I even achieved the notorious reputation of "the guy who would never leave." I eventually did leave, but my stay went from an originally planned 3 days to 10 days at Istanbul Hostel.

The people provided good times and distraction from my troubles long enough for me to find a new direction in my travels. I have decided to go to Greece to work on an olive farm for at least a few weeks. But I will be a tourist for another week in Turkey. I am currently writing from surreal Cappadocia. Think of the Grand Canyon. But on the moon.

With Emelia and Chris, before Chris continues his cycling round the world journey 

Thank you to Chris Gruar for connecting me with the olive farm. You are a great man and I hope to catch up with you after your epic journey is complete. To see Chris's epic journey and, if you are inspired as I was, to donate, click here: cycling4cancer.wordpress.com.

Thank you also to Emelia for wallowing together in the self pity of our mutual travel weariness. The rest of you, you know who you are! Thanks for the memorable time at Istanbul Hostel and see you again, hopefully sooner than later.

Istanbul photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11monthsandrew/sets/72157632635823090/

The Help Connection

There is this phenomenon I have been contemplating as of late. It has the power to bring people together. It sees a mosaic of colours but does not exclude any from its undiscriminating eye. Its impact is immense and timeless, as a river carving out a canyon. While fascinating, it is so staggeringly simple yet overlooked and underutilized.

I am talking about helping others. And it's a phenomenon because, puzzlingly, it doesn't happen enough.

Standing at the side of the road, with my thumb out, and holding a sign with city name, resting on my notebook. 

Earlier today, while hitchhiking from Sofia to Plovdiv, standing on the side of the road, staring into passing cars, hungrily at the empty seats, new thoughts dawned on me, really came to the forefront of my mind.

I used to think hitchhikers were crazy. These days I am the one with my thumb out, watching the cars pass by, thinking motorists were the crazy ones, and what a waste it is for all these empty seats to pass me by, their destinies unfulfilled, their existence obsolete. Don't get me wrong, I haven't waited more than an hour before getting picked up in my 4 or 5 hitchhiking experiences now but, provided I am waiting at the correct spot, shouldn't I not have to wait more than 5 minutes? How hard is it to help a guy out?

Then I thought of the people who had picked me up in their car. Sometimes few words were exchanged (primarily due to language barriers), other times many. Sometimes money was given, other times contact information. What was guaranteed was a smile and a handshake. A spontaneous combustion of happiness! I call this the help connection, human connection through helping.

It's a simple concept, a happiness recipe that requires a few ingredients, mainly vulnerability and trust. Today I could have paid just 6 euro to take a train from Sofia to Plovdiv, but I chose to make myself vulnerable by waiting on the side of a road, putting my trust in the hands of people speeding in and past my periphery. Add some time, next thing you know I got picked up and, voila, instant happiness for both myself and driver! All it's missing is that out-of-the-oven freshly baked smell.

A wonderful meal with Couchsurfers - New Year's Eve in Sibiu, Romania 

Hitchhiking is like the road version of Couchsurfing, which also thrives on the concept of the help connection. On CS I constantly make myself vulnerable by asking for a couch to sleep on. I put my trust in people I have never met. But when we finally do meet, instantly the walls of mistrust are torn down, and it is like making an instant friend. This is as good as happiness in a bottle. And the best part is it's free!

Phenomenons like hitchhiking and Couchsurfing prove to me that the best things in life are free. When you pay more while travelling you get modern comforts and contentedness. But the net happiness doesn't change. When you pay less you sacrifice comfort but rely on others for help, which results in a net gain in happiness. The math works.

As a happy passenger on the drive from Sofia to Plovdiv, while admiring the beautiful countryside of Bulgaria, I resolved to be more helpful to everyone, friend or stranger, in the future.

I also thought the word "stranger" needs to be revised. The word has negative connotations in a world where nobody makes themselves vulnerable nor trusts eachother. But you can make a change!

Near a remote village, I taught this old man how to use my camera! 

So when's the last time you made yourself vulnerable to others? Put your trust in someone you just met? Helped someone in need? My challenge to you is to actively help someone today unconditionally. And feel the spontaneous combustion of happiness inside you bursting into a big smile on your face, spreading from person to person in the vicinity.

I hope reading this helped you to realize the power of vulnerability, trusting and helping others. As the old saying goes "treat others as you want to be treated."

My morning view in Magura, remote village in Romania

Romania pictures, in two parts:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11monthsandrew/sets/72157632486518760/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11monthsandrew/sets/72157632482077727/

2013 - Off to a Good Start

2012 was a hell of a great year, easily the best year of my life. I can look back and say I did pretty much everything I wanted to. It certainly won't be easy for the coming year to outdo the year that just ended. But I think I've gotten off to a pretty good start so far.

January 1, 2013

This morning, I woke up to a fresh new year in a fresh new situation. I woke up in Sibiu, Romania, in my Couchsurfing host's home. After my friendly hosts had fed me very well throughout my entire stay, they gave me one last wonderful breakfast, consisting of many homemade traditional products. I packed everything, said goodbye, walked outside and, feeling the morning sun on my face, felt that my possibilities were endless today, and nothing I wanted was too far beyond the horizon.

At this point, I would like to introduce you to my Couchsurfing friend, Anna, who I travelled with in Romania. She is a truly inspiring person. She is also quite adventurous. She took me hitchhiking for the first time less than a week ago.

Aside from some small bumps in the road, pardon the pun, hitchhiking was a lot easier than it sounds. And it is generally safe, but only if the proper precautions are taken. Having completed my first hitchhiking trip with Anna to guide me, I was in high spirits and had the momentum on my side. It was also not just a new day, but a new year, and, on top of that, the morning sun shone brightly on my face, and I felt invincible.

I started walking to the edge of Sibiu. With some help from the locals to point me in the right direction, I eventually reached the edge of the city. Then I stuck out my thumb into the road, high and proud, and held up my sign, with "BV" for Brasov written in thick black marker, and stood waiting patiently, with a subtle smile on my face and a feeling of peace deep down inside. Traffic was low and the city was still sleepy from New Year's Eve celebrations, which made me a bit nervous. But about 15 minutes later somebody stopped on the shoulder beside me and let me in. The man drove a nice car and gave me a reassuring smile, signs that I would be safe. He was not so talkative and his English was not great, but it allowed me to enjoy the scenery. Only a few hours later I arrived at my destination. My first time hitchhiking alone, a success... incredible! And a great start to 2013!

Romania

I am currently in Brasov, a pretty city nestled in the Carpathian Mountains, and home of the famous Dracula's Castle. But aside from attractions such as Dracula's Castle, Romania has a lot to offer.

My time in this country up until now has been surprising and filled with discovery, a continuing trend in Eastern European countries due to their being relatively outside of North Americans' consciousness. I won't divulge Romania's history to you in detail, like I did in my Ukraine blog, but I will ask you to Wiki the name "Ceaucescu." His dictatorship until 1989 left many scars on the country which still show in the things you see and the people you encounter in the country.

Anna has really helped to answer all of the questions I had upon arriving in Romania and witnessing the bleak atmosphere. I initially connected with her through Couchsurfing and she not only hosted me but took me under her wing as an understudy to learn all about Romania, its people and its culture. Later on we hitchhiked together and stayed at the Sibiu host's place. She has an adventurous spirit and good heart and is on a quest to make the world a better place. Thanks Anna for the deep, humbling conversations, and for sharing in a great time in Sibiu!

Ukraine - A Hidden Gem in Europe

Since leaving Moscow I have reverted back to my role as tourist. And what more unlikely place to go next than to Ukraine, right? When you think about Ukraine what do you think of... is it more like Russia? Or Europe? Is it even in Europe? What's so special about it anyway???

These are questions I asked myself upon my arrival in Kiev. I literally had no ideas or opinions about this country and didn't know a single soul who had been there. And it's never in the news. During the Kiev walking tour when the guide began talking about the Chernobyl disaster, I stupidly interrupted, asking "but isn't Chernobyl in Russia?"

This is the ridiculous level at which I underestimated this country. It is also the ridiculous level at which it impressed and exceeded my expectations. I was lucky to meet many locals and was able to learn a lot about Ukraine. Some of them also kept me well fed, legitimizing a comment made by someone on my train from Moscow to Kiev: "in Ukraine you will never go hungry."

Maidan Nezelezhnosti - the main square in Kiev

Ukraine was there before Russia
Ukraine may have lived in Russia's shadow for much of the past century, but Ukraine was actually the birthplace of Russian culture. Moscow was founded by a Ukrainian, Yuri Dolgorukiy, who is now buried in the famous Lavra Monastery in Kiev. Much of Russia's culture also originated in Ukraine. Russian's famous food is borsch soup and they also have a famous candy called korovka. But both of these originated in Ukraine.

Today Ukraine's linguistics are split between Ukrainian, mainly in the west, and Russian, mainly in the east and in the south, in the Crimean Peninsula. The vocabularies differ by about 25%. Most native Ukrainian speakers know Russian but not the other way around. Kiev, the capital city consisting of about four million people, is also the most bilingual.

Kiev claims to be the most romantic city in the world. They also love cats. 

Recent History
Unfortunately, the past century has not been kind to Ukraine. WWII is called the Great Patriotic War by ex-USSR countries and only encompasses the time of Soviet conflict with Germany. Ukraine was a major battleground and was under Nazi occupation for several years. Most of Kiev was flattened, but not just by the Nazis. The Soviets destroyed Kiev's main street, Kreschatyk, to prevent the Nazis from having it.

Stalin, probably the worst dictator in history, targeted Ukrainians in order to squash potential uprisings. He stripped them of their lands, and starved them on three different occasions during his regime. During the Stalin era, famines killed up to 10 million people, mostly Ukrainian. He also outlawed religion and blew up many churches and cathedrals in Ukraine.

St. Michael's Cathedral. Blown up during Stalin era. Rebuilt in 1989. 

At 01:23 on April 6, 1986 (I think!) the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl, not far from Kiev, experienced a meltdown, causing an explosion with the force of 100 of the atom bombs which hit Nagasaki. Many brave people have died or risked their lives in the following months and years, bringing the reactor under control, then contributing to the cleanup of radioactive contamination. This tragic event serves as a reminder not to let such a grave disaster ever be repeated.

Grab Bag
Ukrainians invented the art of painting eggs. But while they paint them during Easter, they don't hide them for children to find. That only happens in North America.

Rich and lonely men come here to find a bride (what are you looking at me for?). There was even an advertisement for a bride service on my tourist map. I heard stories about men paying for messaging services to would-be brides, then coming to Ukraine only for the woman to never show up. While this is not something to boast about, it at least shows that the world thinks its women are beautiful.

Bomb shelters were built in Kiev starting in the early years of the Cold War. Today they serve as one of the deepest subways in the world.

Single women occasionally get together and participate in fun and games to determine their future husband. One such ridiculous game is to carry water in your mouth from one house to another. Along the way, men try to make you laugh and spit out the water. Then you have to mix your water into some kind of porridge. A dog then chooses which porridge to eat, and if your porridge is eaten you will be the next to marry.

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Ukraine may be overlooked in North America as a travel destination but definitely not by Europeans. It has a rich history, proud people, and is tucked away in truly eastern Europe sitting by the Black Sea, making it an awesome summer destination. For tourists, it is relatively easy to enter the country and everything is cheap.

If you visit Ukraine, come in the spring, when the hazelnut trees bloom in magnificent colours and fill the city with its aroma.

Flickr photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11monthsandrew/sets/72157632322254769/