Yalta in the Crimea, Ukraine

I think this was the first time I had been met on arrival at the train station. It was a nice feeling to be looking out the train window to see my Russian friends Alex and Masha and their friend Michael waiting to collect me. I thought it was odd that Masha was carrying a toilet seat! Turns out it was new. Still seemed odd. ;)

Yalta was great! We all shared an apartment rented at the cheap Russian-speaking rate ( memory had it at 4 x $8 U.S. a night )
We did some hiking for some great views. Even had an impromptu night swim in the black sea.

Odesa, Ukraine

June 16-18

Part of the distancing from Russia is the spelling of Odesa with one 's' or so I'm told.

My border crosssing into Ukraine was interesting. I had reserved my last two blank pages for a Russian Visa as per requirments. The Ukraine border agent took out my 'do not use' stickies - I motioned to get my passport back and put them back in while trying to indicate it was important... he took them back out, I put them back in and insisted on escorting him and my passport to the office where his superior officer (who spoke english) told me the first officer now wanted to stamp my face. I didn't ask for clarification. They explained no other pages in my passport had the requisite space to put an entry and exit stamp next to each other as was their policy. I asked them to make an exception and they offered to take a 60Euro bribe. I turned them down flatly and waited for them as they reconsidered. They decided they couldn't make an exception and it was then my decision (I had told them quite honestly that I might instead go back to Romania). I decided out loud that the Russians would probably make an exception once they heard that Ukraine "didn't want me to visit them". The Ukranians nicely put their stamps as close to the edge as they could on my second-last blank page. I walked back to the waiting bus where I was met with many surprised faces... they had assumed I wouldn't be joining them and I have to admit I pushed my luck.. a bit ;)

Odesa was great. Should've got to he beach area soon as there's more than the beach. Front Page Hostel was unmarked and I had to phone them
to come down and get me. It had gotten late and I was considering an overnight McDonalds campout if this, like the first hostel I tried to find didn't exist anymore (despite still being listed on hostelworld)!

Chisinau, Moldova

June 14-16, 2009
A short stay in the smallest hostel yet... a bedroom with 3 bunk-beds and tv. You had to cross a front entry/computer/checkin area and then the kitchen where the elder couple slept (in another bunk bed) in order to get to the bathroom. It was really a one room apartment in half a house.
The room had 3 occupants who I tried not to wake with my 7am arrival. They were replaced that evening by a central american turned Canadian who was there to meet his internet girlfriend in the flesh. I understand they got engaged soon after. He's much older than she is; a 20-something single mother.
Turns out there's a brand new hostel in a huge house... oh well. I went to visit it at least. It's near Mall-dova.. yes that'd be a shopping centre.
Not much for tourist sights... but it's a unique place in its own right. Hope they can find some prosperity.

Brasov, Romania

June 11-14, 2009
"Just might be the best city in Europe"... or so their motto goes. Hard to disagree though as it is a very nice place complete with a Hollywood-type "Brasov" sign ( zoom in behind the church steeple picture).
I visited one of the three castles with Dracula connections nearby... tenuous connections at best and the actual count wasn't all that evil.

Bucharest, Romania

June 9-10
Quick stop in Bucharest... maybe should've spent a day or two more but everyone seemed to be breezing through. The Canadian consulate is the ugliest I've seen! Bucharest lays claim to the biggest building by volume in the world? Maybe the biggest residence?? Google it if you care... just made for a good picture.

Varna, Bulgaria

June 5-9,2009
YoHo hostel had an interesting pet... Mexican Salamander. Lungs and Gills.. but once out of the water for a day(week?) it loses the dual ability and is lungs only... evolutionary step in one animal.. cool!

Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

June 1-5,2009
Nice fort on a hill complete with light show... but only on nights where enough tourists pay $12 each to have it happen... usually a bus tour group. My backpacker friends and I had to wait a night or two ;)
Used cool open source (free) panorama software called hugin. Google it...