Ukraine travel blog
It had been 3 months since I had been to the city, and I was wondering if I would see much change. Security was still tight; the soldiers manning the checkpoint on the edge of town were strict and cautious, inspecting our documents and vehicles carefully before waving us through. They were fully kitted out and armed, and their heavily dug-in positions lined the road. The first thing I noticed as we reached the city was the increased amount of…
When we were kids at primary school, we would ask each other deep and insightful questions like ‘what’s your favourite sport, footy (Australian Rules Football) or cricket?’ Other sports never featured in this most important of schoolyard inquiries. Depending on what season it was, I would answer one or the other. In summer, I would be convinced that I loved cricket the most, but in winter I would answer ‘footy’ without hesitation. As a kid growing up in Victoria, football…
It’s amazing what a couple of weeks will do. The last time we made the five-and-a-half hour trip to the village the countryside was snowbound. Although Ukraine’s snowy farmland is beautiful (from the warmth of the car, at least), poor visibility and icy roads had made the drive anything but relaxing. However, now a week into spring, the sun was shining, and the huge trucks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces sucked the dust from the road verge into swirling, grey-brown…
We waited at the checkpoint while the police officer, his face obscured by a neck gaiter pulled up over his nose, inspected our passports. There are checkpoints on all the roads which enter and exit the city, where the movement of people, vehicles and cargo are monitored. Glancing from my passport photo to my face and back again, the officer asked what we had in the car and where we were going. My colleague answered that we were heading to…
G’day all and welcome to the Midlife Crisis Odyssey Podcast, where not all who wander are lost, but some of us definitely are. A few of my mates asked if I had eaten a Chicken Kyiv in Kyiv. Turns out there is less Kyiv in Chicken Kyiv than I thought. I have a table for two – join me, won’t you? If you would like to see the post for this podcast, you can find it here
G’day all and welcome to the Midlife Crisis Odyssey Podcast, where not all who wander are lost, but some of us definitely are. The full-scale Russian invasion has forced millions of Ukrainians to flee their country and seek safety abroad. Those who have chosen to stay in frontline cities and towns, or have had no means to leave, are often senior citizens. This episode describes the evacuation of an elderly lady who could no longer receive the care she needed…
We had spent the morning delivering food to several small villages near the frontline in south-eastern Ukraine. There were not many people left in the settlements, just a few older residents going about their lives as the incoming Russian artillery rumbled, boomed and rattled their windows. Returning home through undulating cropping country, we came to the outskirts of one of the larger regional towns. Ukrainian soldiers were reinforcing their trenches and bunkers by the side of the road, preparing for…
We left the warmth of the village administrative office and walked out into the frigid air. It was a sullen, overcast day in southern Ukraine, and bitterly cold. Outside a generator roared, providing scarce power to light the building, and an opportunity for some of the few remaining locals to recharge their phones. Making our way down the town’s main road, we crunched through the frozen puddles, pulling our jackets tight around us. Leafless trees stood like line drawings against…
With no aid distribution planned, I found myself with a wintry Sunday off in Zaporizhia. Naturally favouring an indoor activity, I did a little online research and discovered there was a car museum in town. Long suffering readers will know all too well my penchant for antique autos, and won’t be surprised that I was soon winding my way through the grey city streets to Zaporizhia’s industrial area. I expected to find a small place with a handful of soviet-era…
It was a sunny winter’s morning in southern Ukraine as we drove through the city streets. There were six of us in the van – my colleague Alexey, two of his friends and another couple of helpers – bumping over potholed roads and lurching around downed powerlines. We were on our way to pick up a senior citizen who needed to be evacuated by train. A blacked-out city under constant bombardment is no place to be for a 80 (or…