Kyiv - Mother of all Russian cities

As my alarm clock wakes me up on Sunday morning (19.05.2019) at around five o'clock, it is already bright outside. The view of the sunrise, which must be happening somewhere over the Black Sea, is denied to me by a band of clouds in the east. While I have breakfast and slowly pack up my stuff, nature around me and some of the other campers also wake up. Around seven o'clock, I put on my new backpack (pleasantly light) and make my way to the agreed BlaBlaCar meeting point about 4 km north of the campsite. We take a tram for a bit, stop for a small breakfast at Silpo, and then walk the rest of the way. Just before eight o'clock, André and his wife pick us up in front of their Lada. After my backpack, Rango, and I have taken a seat in the back row, we can start the trip to Kyiv. The small car doesn't offer much space, and Rango struggles a bit with the temperature, but I am still happy about the carpool. We take a short break about halfway through the journey. Time for a cup of coffee. Then we continue quite quickly. About 40 km before the Ukrainian capital, there was an accident and the traffic slows down a bit. André's Lada doesn't seem to handle it well, it goes off and doesn't make any attempts to start again. We have a breakdown. After I push the car to the side of the road, someone takes a look under the hood. The fan belt seems to be broken. We can't continue from here. However, André's wife quickly organizes a ride for me and Rango in another car, and we can ride the remaining kilometers to Kyiv in a minibus. So we reach the big city in the early afternoon and start looking for accommodation right away. Some of the hostels marked on my map are not found, others are already fully booked or not prepared for travelers with a dog. So I am quite happy when I finally can check into a small room in an establishment at the train station for a small amount of money in the early evening. I organize dinner and retire to my room early. Rango sleeps under the bed due to the lack of alternatives.

On Monday morning, we get up early again. After breakfast, we are on our way to the German embassy shortly after eight o'clock. I had already scouted the location the day before, so we are punctual. I find my way to the correct entrance, pass the security check, and take a seat in the waiting hall. Then nothing happens for a while. I guess it's breakfast break time. After 20 minutes, the first counter opens and the wheels start turning. After an hour and a half, I have completed all the formalities and applied for a new passport on an expedited basis. If I'm lucky, the passport will be ready in 2 weeks; if not, it may take four weeks due to holidays. I can have Rango's passport sent directly to Frau Hubatsch through the Foreign Office's courier service. Let's see if everything works out. After another cup of coffee, we walk through the Kyiv Old Town to the Dnieper River. The river seems a bit larger than the rivers we know from home. We stroll along the riverbank to the south and then climb a green hill before descending to Maidan on the other side. From there, we meander back to the hostel. I take a nap and take another walk in the city in the evening. Just before midnight, we are back at the train station hostel after walking more than 20 kilometers.

I completely oversleep Tuesday morning (21 May 2019). I wake up around eleven-thirty, have breakfast, and set off again with Rango. On the way, I buy a new camping stove and sit down for a coffee break in front of an AromaKava. A security person doesn't like it and chases us away. In the process, Rango snatches my coffee. So I save myself the search for a new place to sit and relax for a bit. We stroll through the Kyiv Old Town until late afternoon. We pass numerous four- to five-story townhouses, some churches, and numerous parks. Some townhouses in the so-called gingerbread style stand out with their abundant façade decorations. I return to the hostel for dinner. The evening walk is cut short by a heavy thunderstorm.

On Wednesday, we wander through Kyiv again, starting with a visit to several gas stations. I want to buy half a liter of gasoline, but I am prevented by an unwritten rule of 2 liters. My gasoline bottle can only hold 591 ml. Finally, the problem is resolved in the early afternoon. After dinner at the hostel, I take another stroll during the twilight before the day comes to an end.

On Thursday, May 23, 2019, I check out of the hostel and find a place to camp on Trukhaniv Island. After organizing a Ukrainian SIM card and some groceries in the city center, we cross the park bridge to the Dnieper Island. I find a spot at the northern end of the central beach and set up my camp. For the rest of the day, I relax on the picturesque sandy beach.

On Friday, I go into the city for a coffee and some shopping. It's not easy for me to leave my stuff unattended, but there's no other choice. I spend the rest of the day hanging out on the beach again. It's a nice spot I found there...