Wyschhorod

Saturday morning (05/25/2019) at the Central Beach of Kiev. Around seven o'clock the sun drives me out of the tent. No one in sight. Good opportunity for a swim in the slowly flowing water of the Dnieper. Only the dog occasionally interrupts the morning silence by splashing around in the shore area and seems to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. Then the first fishermen gradually arrive and we retreat to the campsite, slightly above. After breakfast, I take the time to do some minor repair work on my mattress. Meanwhile, a small regatta passes by on the river. Quite nice to watch all the sailboats. After updating my parents and grandparents, I decide to make my way north along the river. The Kiev Reservoir is located about 20 km north of the city. For now, I have planned a section, until near the Obolon district, for Saturday. After everything is packed, we hike along small paths on Trukhaniv Island until we reach the Pivnichni Bridge, which takes us to the southern edge of Obolon. We continue north along the "Heroiv Stalingrada Prospect". There we take a break at the nearest supermarket for coffee, ice cream, and chicken legs. Then we continue along the promenade to the Sports Yacht Club and across a small peninsula towards Obolonska Island. There is a path marked on my map through the narrow separating water. So I take off my shoes, roll up my shorts, and start crossing. During the next similar action, I give myself a test run, as the water was deeper than expected. I was wet up to my waist, and parts of the backpack were also immersed. Above all, I had forgotten to unleash Rango, so the dog had to swim next to me without much preparation time. He does it, a bit hectically, but otherwise without any fuss. In my hands, I had my shoes and the shopping for dinner, so I couldn't take them off spontaneously. Once I reach the island, we walk a few hundred meters to the south and set up our camp near a beach in a shady spot. The "water damage" is minimal after a first inspection, which is probably due to the short diving phase. So after the evening routine (training, bathing, washing clothes, dinner), we go to sleep as night falls and it starts to rain.

Due to the beautiful spot, I have decided to stay a little longer. Therefore, I settle for a few activities on Sunday. After breakfast, I dedicate myself once again to small repairs on my mattress (with increasing success) and go for a swim. Then I take Dicken with me and head to Obolon, where a cup of coffee and some cookies are waiting for me. After replenishing our drinking water and food supplies, we return to the island in the early afternoon. Rango now willingly swims ahead of me, as he knows the way. It's hardly noticeable that the dog used to be afraid of water. The rest of the day passes with Duolingo (for expanding my Russian skills), collecting firewood, and the evening routine.

I also spend Monday (05/27/2019) near Obolon, as I know that I will have to return to Kiev soon. The campsite contributes to my laziness, despite its somewhat secluded location on the green island, I have all the necessary infrastructure nearby (coffee, drinking water, shopping opportunities).

Nevertheless, on Tuesday morning, I pack up our stuff and we set off around noon. When crossing to the northern peninsula, I even have to carry the backpack over my head to keep it dry on the other side. The water level of the Dnieper fluctuates quite heavily throughout the day. Then we continue through the Obolon district to the north, until we reach the green strip south of Lake Lukov. Here we hike westwards until we reach Bogatirska Street. We follow it for a while in a northern direction, past Chornobyl, and then east of the railway line through the "Druschba" garden complex. Here, mainly vegetables and some fruit are grown. There are no huts, paved or gravel paths, fences, or dividing hedges between the gardens. The name seems to be a program as people cultivate their gardens among friends. In the late afternoon, we finally reach Wyschhorod, a small town southwest of the dam to the Kiev Reservoir. After almost 15 kilometers of walking, it's time for a break, of course with coffee and cake. Meanwhile, I recharge my batteries at a local power outlet. With the loss of my solar panel, I have become dependent on charging infrastructure. Let's see how I fit into the situation over the next few weeks or if I get myself a new sunshade. After finding something for dinner and setting up everything, I go through my evening routine and retire under the tarpaulin in due time. There are a few more mosquitoes around in the evening than before, which is somewhat surprising considering the sudden chorus of frogs. There must be thousands of animals, whose croaking merges into a surprisingly pleasant background noise.

I spend Wednesday morning (May 29, 2019) doing various things at the campsite before setting off for Wyschhorod with Rango. I have a cup of coffee and some sweets at Silpo and buy nearly 2 kg of meat for Dicken. I plug my battery into a power outlet before taking a stroll through the small town. The people mainly live in high-rise buildings and have a few beds right in front of the entrance to their buildings. There are plenty of playgrounds and sports facilities as well as benches to linger on. Quite socialist, plenty of publicly accessible space. We pass a new housing development (single-family houses with a small plot) on our way to a church that is over 1,000 years old. Then we descend into a kind of hilly landscape (most likely remnants of an old fortification) down to the Kiev Reservoir. The Dnieper River is already quite large, and accordingly, the reservoir is huge. It is about 100 km long and about 14 km wide at its widest point. The dimensions can only be guessed from Wyschhorod. Then we return to Silpo. I treat myself to another cup of coffee, buy dinner, collect my battery, and return to our private beach.

I also spend the next three days near Wyschhorod. I have already mentally prepared myself to possibly stay a little longer and pass the time fishing when I read an email from the German Embassy on Saturday (sent already on Wednesday) stating that I can pick up my passport. Those guys were really quick. So I prepare to head back towards Kiev on Sunday, hoping to receive both passports on Monday. Let's see...