As he lay in bed dozing in Dreamland, I decided to come back to blogging and do some major updating. We're officially on our 2nd week of travel. Life is sweet indeed. We've planned this for months making sure everything will turn out as expected. But life surely has its own twist and turns but in the end we realize detours can land us to great adventures.
I try to shy away from Facebook. Posting photos to bare minimum. I don't live for the number of "likes" and sometimes comments from people you hardly even know can be so irritating. You don't meet them and yet they assume they know better how to live your life.
Blogging has been my way of life since 2003. Ten years. And so, I figure it deserve that I post my major life events here.
Coming from a 14-hour flight here from Sydney two weeks back, I thought getting three hours to recharge would be enough. I met my loving partner-in-crime 3.5 hours before the gate opens. I guess he's just so excited to se me. Lol. We ended up raiding the liquor side of Duty Free once we checked in. It's expected that we might have to "burn" our liver once we land and meet everyone, as my Flight deck friend puts it. As he reached the aisles for Jack Daniels it seems to me that my boyfriend somehow transported to alcohol-heaven. Growing up drinking vodka it was indeed a challenge for him to move Dubai and have a bit of alcohol indulgence once a year. And coming back home for a three-week getaway is indeed a great escape.
Flying UIA gave me shivers. Been exclusively flying for a jumbo aircraft a380 for more than a year because of my work, sitting for 5hours cruising at 30 thousand feet made me take a hard look at the emergency exits. Surprisingly, their seats were leather and much to my amazement were comfortable. We were lucky that our seats were as big as their dodgy Business Class.
We reached Kiev fresh and excited. The weather was not as cold and wet as we expected. I felt divine to have arrived in one piece. His childhood friend Olya would pick us up. And after an hour in the queue to exchange dollars to grivnas Olya showed up beaming with happiness. She and her friend drove us to our apartment where we would spend the night before continuing a 5-hour- train ride to Zdolbuniv.
Our studio apartment was OK. And it translates to being not so good and not so bad for a 24-hour stay. Except the walls were paper thin than even the slightest movement of a prowling kitten can wake us up. There was no hot water and my super sweet love were so nice to have helped me bathe while he do the reheating of water in the kettle.
But before we decided to settle for our first cold night in Kiev, we all agreed to do some sightseeing while Olya can still assist us where to go.
At 2pm with a promising sunshine to guide our day out I guaranteed myself that I will be alright despite the sudden pain I started feeling in my stomach. We were both hungry and exhausted but my previous jetlag from Australia seem to be bugging me big time. Still, we head out with me ignoring the discomfort. Until I reached for his hand before boarding the Metro.
" I'm not well", even after taking the pills to soothe my pain. I immediately asked for us to sit somewhere.
" I feel like I am throwing up any minute..." And in that second I saw Olya heading quickly to a store nearby in time to catch me with my first major embarrassment . Eeeew! I was really sick.
The cold wind continued to brush my ghost- like face. Until sometime I felt better ready to pose for pictures when we reached the city center. Kiev undeniably is a mix of Soviet influence and a little of what I've experienced in some European cities I've visited. When night fell I sort of felt that I was in Paris.
The rainbow-like structure on top of the mountain that I was brave enough to climb after all the misfortunes I had that day made it all worth it. There was a park covered with autumn leaves and an old castle where we felt like we're in Hogwarts.
We stopped by a local Ukrainian restaurant for dinner and had some vodka shots, visited Cathedrals dating back the 18th- 19th century, stroll around the city some more while tourists and locals alike were gearing up for Halloween parties.
We took the trolley bus on our way home and a bus in the end before deciding to just walk.
Turns out, as much as I want to forget what exactly happened on our first day in Ukraine....
Well, I just barf mostly. I was so sick I couldn't hardly keep an ounce of food - liquid or otherwise.
I was so white and cold and almost lifeless after our quick city tour that they decided to cut it short. My partner-in-crime has always been the best person and was kind enough to just stay in our place and take care of me. I was so embarrassed with Olya meeting her for the first time and seeing me covered in my own mess. Double Eeew!
Truth be told:
Never ever, Ever assume you're Superwoman if you've travelled half way 'round the world and back in less than 48hours.
The next day after a decent sleep I woke up feeling brand new, ready for our less-anticipated train journey to his hometown.
I will continue more of my travel stories after a few sightseeing here in Lviv.
P.S.
I ended up blaming the food I had eaten on board. Skip the airline food, ALWAYS!
I try to shy away from Facebook. Posting photos to bare minimum. I don't live for the number of "likes" and sometimes comments from people you hardly even know can be so irritating. You don't meet them and yet they assume they know better how to live your life.
Blogging has been my way of life since 2003. Ten years. And so, I figure it deserve that I post my major life events here.
Coming from a 14-hour flight here from Sydney two weeks back, I thought getting three hours to recharge would be enough. I met my loving partner-in-crime 3.5 hours before the gate opens. I guess he's just so excited to se me. Lol. We ended up raiding the liquor side of Duty Free once we checked in. It's expected that we might have to "burn" our liver once we land and meet everyone, as my Flight deck friend puts it. As he reached the aisles for Jack Daniels it seems to me that my boyfriend somehow transported to alcohol-heaven. Growing up drinking vodka it was indeed a challenge for him to move Dubai and have a bit of alcohol indulgence once a year. And coming back home for a three-week getaway is indeed a great escape.
Flying UIA gave me shivers. Been exclusively flying for a jumbo aircraft a380 for more than a year because of my work, sitting for 5hours cruising at 30 thousand feet made me take a hard look at the emergency exits. Surprisingly, their seats were leather and much to my amazement were comfortable. We were lucky that our seats were as big as their dodgy Business Class.
We reached Kiev fresh and excited. The weather was not as cold and wet as we expected. I felt divine to have arrived in one piece. His childhood friend Olya would pick us up. And after an hour in the queue to exchange dollars to grivnas Olya showed up beaming with happiness. She and her friend drove us to our apartment where we would spend the night before continuing a 5-hour- train ride to Zdolbuniv.
Our studio apartment was OK. And it translates to being not so good and not so bad for a 24-hour stay. Except the walls were paper thin than even the slightest movement of a prowling kitten can wake us up. There was no hot water and my super sweet love were so nice to have helped me bathe while he do the reheating of water in the kettle.
But before we decided to settle for our first cold night in Kiev, we all agreed to do some sightseeing while Olya can still assist us where to go.
At 2pm with a promising sunshine to guide our day out I guaranteed myself that I will be alright despite the sudden pain I started feeling in my stomach. We were both hungry and exhausted but my previous jetlag from Australia seem to be bugging me big time. Still, we head out with me ignoring the discomfort. Until I reached for his hand before boarding the Metro.
" I'm not well", even after taking the pills to soothe my pain. I immediately asked for us to sit somewhere.
" I feel like I am throwing up any minute..." And in that second I saw Olya heading quickly to a store nearby in time to catch me with my first major embarrassment . Eeeew! I was really sick.
The cold wind continued to brush my ghost- like face. Until sometime I felt better ready to pose for pictures when we reached the city center. Kiev undeniably is a mix of Soviet influence and a little of what I've experienced in some European cities I've visited. When night fell I sort of felt that I was in Paris.
The rainbow-like structure on top of the mountain that I was brave enough to climb after all the misfortunes I had that day made it all worth it. There was a park covered with autumn leaves and an old castle where we felt like we're in Hogwarts.
We stopped by a local Ukrainian restaurant for dinner and had some vodka shots, visited Cathedrals dating back the 18th- 19th century, stroll around the city some more while tourists and locals alike were gearing up for Halloween parties.
We took the trolley bus on our way home and a bus in the end before deciding to just walk.
Turns out, as much as I want to forget what exactly happened on our first day in Ukraine....
Well, I just barf mostly. I was so sick I couldn't hardly keep an ounce of food - liquid or otherwise.
I was so white and cold and almost lifeless after our quick city tour that they decided to cut it short. My partner-in-crime has always been the best person and was kind enough to just stay in our place and take care of me. I was so embarrassed with Olya meeting her for the first time and seeing me covered in my own mess. Double Eeew!
Truth be told:
Never ever, Ever assume you're Superwoman if you've travelled half way 'round the world and back in less than 48hours.
The next day after a decent sleep I woke up feeling brand new, ready for our less-anticipated train journey to his hometown.
I will continue more of my travel stories after a few sightseeing here in Lviv.
P.S.
I ended up blaming the food I had eaten on board. Skip the airline food, ALWAYS!
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