Chernobyl day nine
02 September 2007,
Ok so I got the date wrong, blog eight was the 1st /09. It happens, truth is we are pretty tired and the day eludes us not just the date!
Wow what a day, we left Kiev on time, well nearly, Tim “blister” (he always turns up when every one else is done!) kept us back a bit but we kind of expect it now . We fill up with fuel, 14ltr's = £7, then away, well sort of. Kiev is a huge place and it took getting on for an hour to get out, what with cobbled streets and signs in Russian, simple really............Natalia! That woman is so precious.
Any way we are of, the first part was easy, duel carriage way steady Sunday traffic nice, then Andy does a U turn on the duel and goes of down a single track road, Ye Ha! Sod the blackbirds and Be Ma's, t is now the Transalps, Africa twins and Campo's ie Me, Tim and Mike 'C'. We drive down dirt roads, on cobble's, stop for herds of cattle, twice, dust and $h1t every where. Fantastic! The fast boys are GONE in a cloud of dust! Seriously though these back roads are deadly, loose grit inch's thick an a cobble base. We had to stop and ask directions, the first woman we asked was afraid because Natalia spoke to her in Russian and she did not trust people from the city but an old farmer said he would show the way if he could have a lift, crafty bagger it was a straight road! Still he got his lift. Further on we asked again and the locals thought we would shoot them if they did not help,
how fear works is beyond me? We passed a cow herd in the lane carrying a live fox, later I asked Natalia if it was for dinner she said “no it will be a hat or something for the winter” that is country life in the raw. She also told us that as a child she to lived in a village and what we had witnessed was her youth, playing in the lanes. Dirty cloths and ill shod, just like the kids in the orphanage's but she knew no better and it was her childhood.
Next we find a roadside cafe, very smart, but the toilet was a brick shed over a hole covered by boards except for the hole you........well you get the picture. It stank awful and there is no flush! The food was fantastic, soup, salad and chips with meat balls all for two pounds each.
Thanks Lotty, I got threatened with death, Mike got his txt about the “Tickleberry” tag. Twas funny that though.
From here the fun starts, we have about 100 miles left to cover now, Allan asked us to stay in sight of each other, no worries there it makes sense. If you loose the guy behind then you stop and wait for him / back up or go back. Only Allan and Mick 'C' go ahead of the support truck, then John has to stop (he lost a mirror) so we all stop except the two above, they have gone. The issue is sorted when I get back to them but, Dave 'K' and John 'G' then power of to find Andy. He has turned around to find us, meantime Dave 'T', who has also missed Andy, goes into pursuit mode but is caught in time to point out that Andy is actually behind him!...... twenty feet behind at this point. Mmmm
Of we go as a group of five now, we have to slow for a herd of cattle again then to my amazement we have to stop to let a flock of 12 Geese cross a dual carriageway. This place is fantastic!
Dogs roam the motorway as do cows but Geese!
At last we re-group and enter Ternpil. The car park attendant nearly cops for all the frustrations of the day, comments like park here...no here.....some of you here......no....over there. If only he knew how close he got to getting twa....hurt!
Odd how we take out frustration on innocents eh?
The hotel is next to a very prity lake, no doubt there will be the odd photo or two. We arrive during a wedding reception and the photographer turns around and begins filming US! As did people on the roadside all the way through from Kiev. This has been a weird day for us all but a great one for me, you just couldn't write it.
Anyway the battery is nearly flat and its bed time, this will be a day late sorry, but hey!
Tomorrow the Ukraine border then Poland, lets just wait and see what comes.
Ta ra fer now M