This picture, taken earlier this week shows you Yalta, beautifully squeezed in between the mountains.
To the left is 2 kilometers of bars and restaurants, on the smaller hills to the right a wineyard and some hotels, in the middle the town centre and in the foreground... of course.. the black sea.
Writing at the Iventus chartered bus to Sinferopol (the airport). We now said our goodbyes to the women running our dorm. I said the stay was pleasant, and they said we were also very pleasant guests. It propably true.
We pretend to pay and they pretend to work.
Vce normalna.
I realised it might be kind of stupid to be stuck 6 hours at Kiev airport tomorrow, with only 30 Sek worth of local currency (one might want food, for instance), so just before going to bedI decided to go out and take a marschroutna to tsentr, where the are cashpoints. Once down here I heard something interesting and followed the soinds to the large stage in the harbour. They've now rebuilt it and it turns out that this weeks theme is hardtrance DJing. And the day after tomorrow t.A.t.U gets here. One could do with a few more days. :-)
Took this pic near a restaurant by the sea. Gives a hint on why water is such an issue..?
I have (so far, knock on wood) been very lucky with this trip. All from the start until the end.
Even though it's not all over yet, after the last lesson was over today, my mind started it's wandering home. This evening I am at home, feeling the cold take a new grip with a freezing sensation although we have like 30 degrees here. I have taken the opportunity to clean my room and pack my suitcase. Left out of there is clothes for tomorrow; bathing shorts and a towel.
t feels natural to think about the two weeks here and summarise. I have been trying to recall what my expectations were... My only point of reference for a russian student home was the student home I had the privilige to visit for an exciting week in StP in 1999. Apart from that I had a vision of small dark classroom and harsh older russian woman as a teacher repeating vocabulary. (Think this image came from a fellow student at stockholm uni, who experienced nightmare-lessons in Moskow.) And finally had huge expectations on the climate and beaches.
How did turn out? As you already noticed I've been very happy with the time here. Clearly, the very best part has been the teaching. On our agenda has been nothing that was entirely new to me, but it has felt like it was when finally was explained in a way that made all the pices fit together. Most importantly it has left a certain belief in my ability to communicate in russian. I have seen that with an empathic listener I can make myself understood, and if I take my time I am able to penetrate more texts than I would have thought without a dictionary.
As far as the dormatory goes, it is the only thing here that's been less uncomfortable than expected. Loud noise at night, combined with a really bad and worn out camping bed has made sleeping a hastle. The standard has been farlover than it was in the mentioned doormatory in StP. Absence of water during late evenings and night's has made washing and hygiene somewhat difficult. On the other hand, the staff is nice and patient with our limited ability to speak and most importantly the food has been of a good standard, almost identical in quality and content to the food at the transsiberian railway. You should remember that when it comes to the living we get what we pay for: the dormatory is the cheepest form of accomodation, and at the price of 350 Sek/day we get living, two hot meals, teaching and access to swedish speaking guides.
Finally the climate... Well! wow! :-)
Today is the last of everything. Last lesson, last frases, last break... I've almost got more of travel-fever now than before I went here.
So the lessons are over, we arrived at our last lunch by school. Our teacher amost cried her goodbye's and hopes to see us here again. Loads of pictures taken, and as a great finale of our school life here Håkan managed to get the lunch waiter (see previously posted picture) to try Swedish snuff. "Krepkij", he said.
The day we arrived several days of rain seased. Today it reappeared, with unseen intensity.
Somwhow we managed: beautiful sushi without shrimp. Maybe sushi tastes better at home anyway. :-)
We've been upgraded. Today the lunch restaurant invited u to sit in one of the tents with more luxorius chairs and benches.
Our teachers - both very skilled and they really love their work. Closest to the camera is the teacher of our group, Irina, honestly one of the best teachers I've ever had.
Altough you can look around without seeing cranes breaking up the city skyline, there is enough building projects going on to give the impression of a fast growing local economy.
Most of the new buildings seem to be of very different and much higher standard compared to the older buildings, which frequently look more like urban russian buildings, subject to traditional lack of maintainence.
The weather is really really hot today, but that apparently doesn't prevent tourists to do their favorite thing: dress up in various costumes and be photographed in tsar-like or mad-biker costumes and settings. Thease photostudious account for as much of the harbour business as the souvenir shops. Weird!
This molodoj tjelovek (young man) always lets us know our particular salad of choice is temporarily out, but he happily recommends the stolitjnaja salad - which just happends to be the most expensive salad on the menu. :-)
This must be the first time in my life I'm in a study group so eager that we by routine arrive at school 15-20 minutes before class.
"If you choose to park in a junction, always make sure other cars are able to pass"
Hardly surprising the water is warm and pleasant. Today we skipped the trip to hotel Jalta and took a bath by the harbour. The obvious flip side is less transport, but on the downside we find less good water. I suspect the bars by the beach use it as outlet for their wastewater..
Today I touched watermelons. I'm sure you people back home and some of the people at Laurids bojsensv realise why it's worth mentioning.
We found some chairs in the sun by this beach close to the town centre and started doing our homework. The hottest day so far - cant really say work is awfully concentrated. :-)
After a day at school with dative and travel verbs echat/ezzjat, we're having lunch at the usual.
If the swedish governemnts "Institute for the Peoples heath"* like the Russia dept of justice had their own troops I'd be on their hitlist by now. Au contraire to all tourist advice I had the local fast food speciality: chicken kebab. For the sake of my mothers peace of mind I spare you the details of the cooking.
How did it taste? Not much. Not much at all actually. But now you'll have a cliffhanger following my health the next few days.
Dima and Jarina. Jarina is swedish speaking and most helpful when it comes to the Jalta nightlife.
Yesterday I borrowed a kodka (washing basin) from babysjka. This morning my t-shirts smelled wonderful after outdoor drying. There's excellent service at the doormatory!
Just an hour after the previous pic and darkness is falling already. We just had dinner in the tourist intense area by the harbour. As usual in this area the payment part of the dinner offers a few surprises. According to the check I have eaten 1.5 main course which explains the generous serving, but also adds an unexpexted 20 grivn to the check - an entire meal at the equally good restaurant. We agreed we have to stop beeing robbed down here and eat elsewhere in the future. ;-)
As you noticed on the flow of postings, today has been a full day excursion. We've seen the southern coast of Crimea, from Yalta to Sevastopol, and then the tartar village of Bakhchysaray.We are now on our way home and just passing Simferopol.
On our way to Sevastopol we passed the Gorbatjev summerhouse (hidden for tourists) and we also stopped by the absolutely fascinating artwork "The defence of Sevastopol 1854-1855" by Franz Alekseevich Roubaud. The combined three dimensional painting and model constitutes an absolutely fascinating panoramic view of the batlefield of the first day of this long battle.
This entire area is of course a mecka for war historians, and as we went on to see Sevastopol and its harbour it was easy to imagine the strategic possibilities of capturing this harbour with it's belonging fleet. Around Sevastopol are great mountains combined with wide open landscapes, a terrain built for bloodshed and heroic victories.
Apart from the violent history of the area it is also culturally and religiously interesting and should be a relevant example in xurrent swedish debate. Christians and muslims are living together in (at least seemingly) peaceful coexistance. This is more than just religion, the russians and the tartars are clearly two different peoples with different culture and traditions, but at the moment thease two groups, of christians and muslims respectivily, manage to handle their differencies in parliament. When I say peaceful, I should however remind the reader that historically it has not always been this way. In fact, the question of Crimeas bonds to Russia is open to public debate and we have spoken to Ukrainians here who feel quite strongly about the issue in different ways.
Anyway, after the warsights in Sevastopol we went to Bakhchysaray to visit the palace if the Khan.This wouldn't have been half as interesting without fresh memories of chineese architechture. I'd describe it as a miniature version of the forbidden city in Being, but with arabic scriptures on the walls and with minaretes and a small mosque integrated into the buildings.
And - to perfect this day of many cultures and moods - we saw the Uspensy monastry - a russian orthodox church which has climbed far up the hills. So did we, and made it just in time for service. We stayed for a few minutes, but I can guaratee I understood nothing of the ceremony apart from the fact that there was a lot of reading of the scriptures going on.
After this final attraction of the day, the afternoon was concluded by a tartar dinner (cheese-pie, or omelet) and (just now) a short walk in Sinferopol. I am sure the lot of us will sleep tight tonight.
This little fellow came up to me on the hill of the Uspensky Monastary. It was quite windy and the kitten sat down between me feet to find shelter. It liked being scratched the wrong way (like Walter), and had I lived here I am sure I'd brought this orphan home.
(Yes - I lnow you are not supposedto scratch unknown cats, let alone bringing them home, but I am a grow up with licence to bend my rules. :-))
Unfortunately (:-)), due to brilliant weather with loads of sun, mobile camera conditions are poor.
By the scene of the battle of the. white brigade we came across a collectuon of Ww2 tanks and guns. Here is the T-34. I know one of you will be inerested so I shot loads of other pictures of tanks and artillery too.
Aparently Upplandslokatrafik are offering an extended service no. 700 to Sevastopol. Get on the bus and join me here Uppsalabor!
Arrived at Sevastopol harbour. Russians are still quite present here. If you are interested in military history you should probably plan a few days stop in Sevastopol. :-)
Now passing the fields of the Crimean battle on our way south to Sevastopol. Here's where the germans of stripped of lives and resources on their way to the defeat in Stalingrad, all according to our guide. I'm sure the gothenburgian footballer will add a comment explaining the essentials of Sevastopol and southern Crimea during WW2?
Today we had falukorv and a special kkind of crop they eat here a lot. I think it's wheat and that it is typically Ukrainian, but that's all hearsay from fellow Swedish students Jan and Johan. They serve it warm and soft, seemingly without fat, so I guess it's boiled.
Surrounded by helpful people this pic from earlier today is as much an illustration as a funny sign. Right now I am eating in a restaurant where the waiter, who speaks no english, happily provides me with russian words explained by gestures.
This afternoon Ive been managing on my own, since I cancelled trying wine in Massandra because of my cold. Everywhere I meet smiles and helpful attitude. I don't mean to be rude to russians other people, but Jalta is by no means eastern europe as I know it. Is it because it's Ukraine? Because it's Krim? Because it is a city built on tourism? You tell me!
Weekdays and weekends are alike in the tourist week of Jalta according to our guide Jarina. Here at least is the city of Jalta by six today, as shops were closing and in the harbour, where this pic is from, nightlife is preparing to wake up. Weather is, as you can see, otjlitjnij - excellent.
This trip delivers more than it's required share of pleasure so far! The climate is just wonderful, the scenery is great, people are nice and food is good and avaliable at reasonable rates. Standard is overall good despite the short anekdotes I tell you about our living here at sovietnij dom. (Did l mention my bed is killing me? Different story.)
Anyway - with the language too I'm ready seing progress. It is really true that "living the language" is a great method. There's no room for being cowardish - and except for excellent teatchings at school reality keeps playing it's tricks on us: How do I by shampoo and nostril spray? Where can I get hot water? What's the woman telling us when we lost our guide in the crowd?
And obviously we are making some progress. Today at the tartar market I told a salesperson "Ne panimaio - ja ne govorjy po russkij" in quite high pace (I dont understand - I don't speak russian). The man looked slightly confused for a few moments while I speeded on along the street.Then I heard him calling behind me, still in russian, "You do. You do. Mister!"
So I guess he's right then? I do?
This afternoon we have seen everything from churchills bedroom in the palace of the Jalta conference to this beatiful viiew of the southern coast of Cromea seen from the top of the mountains. Weather is on top (it's hot!) and the sights are beautiful!
We get good food at the soviet style student home. This morning - sausage, rice, bread and tea with loooads of sugar. Now it's time for class. This is day number three and this morning I managed to communicate with the housekeeper. "Is there hot water in the shower today?" This apparently turned out good enough to make babysjka decide that I now spoke russian, and she rewarded me with 10 long sentences in russian. Unfortunately the reward didn't include hot water.
It appears our school isn't quite the university, but the elementary school pictured above. We're all in all 5 swedish guys being the students. (Iventus also hsots 9 other people. "The tourists.")
I'm glad to be on the right side of that line. It's worse at school. We are three in my group, we're the B-group. On the other hand we have a great, nice teacher. She works at the university and seems to be genuinely interested in teaching.
Anyhow, next lesson is tomorrow - right now we're having a beer before the beach.
Finest quality of spare parts - this is the bottom screw of our doorknob in the student home. This is a bit like timetravel - there are two women with huge fake blonde haircuts watching the entrance and wanting to keep our keys. When our guide saw the bathrooms he said - 'ooo! Eto sovjetskij tyalet.'
It is the east. l'm not complaining, I am just letting you know.
The luggage system isn't quite uorking so a group of 50 americans got their luggage piled up on trollies
