Tag Archives: Ukraine

Start: Sviatets, Ukraine
End: Starokostyantyniv, Ukraine
Distance: 76.9km
Elevation Gain: 872ft
Elevation Loss: 972ft
Time: 6h18m
Reading Material: The Good Soldier Švejk – Jaroslav Hašek; Ukraine: A History, 4th Edition – Orest Subtelny
Audio Material: Stuff You Should Know podcast; Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me (not sure I’m a fan of Ken Jennings as a panelist); On The Media; The Nerdist podcast

Description
Luckily the Yatsuk family doesn’t wake up early, so I was able to get an extra hour to try and sleep off the effects from last night. A quick note about Ukrainian pillows: they are big and dense and awesome. We had a hearty breakfast of borscht and coffee. I got an invite to come back after the bike trip to visit. Will have to see how to make that work.

I was given a flower garland by Ivan for good luck and pulled out of Sviatets. Feeling the after effects from last night, I was not in top form and struggled most of the day. This part of Ukraine is dotted by narrow lakes and I stopped by a beautiful one and dug into the goodie bag given to me by the Yatsuks for lunch. Fresh hardboiled eggs, green onions and a huge slab of cured pork. Thanks so much guys!

Passed a field that appeared to be growing vinyl records. Chased by more dogs (maybe getting more aggressive as I head east?). Decent distance covered by the time I made it to Starokostyantyniv, a medium-sized town of ~30,000 and impossible to spell, so I decided to rest for the night and get back at it tomorrow.

Day 29: Ternopil, Ukraine to Sviatets, Ukraine

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Start: Ternopil, Ukraine
End: Sviatets, Ukraine
Distance: 77.8km
Elevation Gain: 2145ft
Elevation Loss: 2380ft
Time: 6h15m
Reading Material: The Good Soldier Švejk – Jaroslav Hašek; Ukraine: A History, 4th Edition – Orest Subtelny
Audio Material: Forget due to vodka intake

Description
I was adopted by a family today! But, first the lead-in…

Heavy rain overnight on Pond Ternopil gave the morning some dread. Started out under overcast but dry sky. I kept the raingear off and was rewarded with a full drenching from 10 minutes of surprise heavy downpour. I felt sluggish (maybe after effects from the long ride yesterday) but kept plugging away. Around 3:30 (~70km) I decided to start preparing to find a camp spot for the night. I noticed a store with a group gathered on the patio and stopped planning to fill up on water for the night.

Before I could enter, I was called over to the group, given a seat and a glass of vodka. And, the toasting began. No real English speakers (I have absolutely no Ukrainian or Russian), but we did fine. Ivan, the ringleader, was celebrating his 45th birthday with friends. Lots of vodka, fresh cucumbers and sausage. The camera was passed around and we drank more to the toasts of “American Boy!” Ivan kept pointing up the road and giving the sleepy head signal. I was in need of a place to sleep, so decided to see where this would lead.

After about 2 hours the drinking party dispersed. My bike was loaded into a van, Ivan hopped on a moped and we drove around for a bit (could have been in circles, given the fact I had just hydrated my ride with a large amount of vodka). I got the bike out of the van and followed after Ivan’s moped (he only slid out of control once). And, we arrived at his house and I met my new, adopted family, the Yatsuk’s: Ivan (father, who gave himself the nickname “Ukrainian Alcoholic” to go with my “American Boy”), Valentine (mother), Victoria (sweet, 17 year-old daughter who recently graduated from school), Maria (Aunt, who made sure to underscore that she lived in Kiev), Nadia (camera-shy grandmother). They were fun to watch. It was pretty clear that Ivan often stumbled into trouble, but all the women found him lovable and helped fix whatever situation it was that he broke.

We hung out in their separate kitchen structure and did more drinking (schnaps added into rotation), eating (fresh green onions, borscht, bread, sausage, strawberries) and talking. As with many younger Ukrainians, Victoria understood English quite well and helped translate. I met all their different animals (cow, piglets, baby chicks, two rambunctious dogs and the cutest 2 month-old kitten ever). More pictures (except for grandmother who hid behind the kitten).

I got a warm bath around 10pm and was given Victoria’s room for the night while she made due with the couch in the living room. Everyone drifted off to sleep (or fitfully tossed for those of us unaccustomed to Ukrainian vodka).

Day 28: Lviv, Ukraine to Ternopil, Ukraine

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Start: Lviv, Ukraine
End: Ternopil, Ukraine
Distance: 128.0km
Elevation Gain: 3248ft
Elevation Loss: 3079ft
Time: 7h58m
Reading Material: The Good Soldier Švejk – Jaroslav Hašek; Ukraine: A History, 4th Edition – Orest Subtelny
Audio Material: Diane Rehm Friday News Roundups; Bullseye with Jesse Thorn; Planet Money; Unpacking my Library – Currituck County

Description
New trip max distance day: 128km!

Got a nice early Sunday morning start from Lviv. This is the first city which insists on cobbling all major streets out of the metro area for a radius of nearly 5km. And, the farther you get the worse shape. Once I escaped, it was a straight-shot on the H-02 road all the way to Ternopil.

Everyone brings up the poor conditions of Ukrainian roads. But, for biking, the secondary roads really aren’t that bad. Yes, large potholes. But, on a bike, I can dodge these much easier than cars which you often see weaving at slow pace. And, today’s road featured what I can best describe as a kind of frost heave which runs longitudinally along the shoulder (as opposed to normal heaves which cross the road). Easy to avoid, but you have to choose a side and be very careful of crossing the heave. Even with these features, I averaged 17km/hr (with stops) which I consider a pretty good road.

First Sunday where I saw a large number of brides out — in churches, in motorcades and (rare) making a pitstop at a desolate petrol station where I stopped to top-up on juice (grapefruit). Lots of church services. Lots of blocky concrete Soviet monuments. Also, lots of sad cows chained up along the road. And, one sad dog who was free to roam but just wanted to lie down in the grass.

A Pancho & Lefty cop team with radar gun flagged me down. I wasn’t speeding, they just wanted to say “hi” and check out where I was headed. Good English and very friendly as they wished me well on my way.

Arrived at Ternopil tired but grabbed a shower and went in search of food. Ternopil is the second largest city in Galicia (to Lviv, pop. ~200,000) and young for the region (founded 1500s). It features a large, man-made “pond” created by a big Soviet damming project. Quite pretty, actually. Ate in front of the well-known, baroque Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of The Blessed Virgin Mary until it was time to pass out.