Tourist in Ukraine

For the first time, I am a tourist in Ukraine. After two weeks of visiting my old colleagues all around Kyiv, I switched gears and became a tourist. My cousins-in-law and my husband came to visit and I was the guide. Big discovery: This is a great place to visit.

I first arrived in Ukraine in 1989 on a student exchange program. (I was first denied a visa in 1976.) Not surpisingly, as a student in Odessa in 1989, I was not particularly interested in seeing the official tourist things. Then in 1990 on a different student program that was based just outside of Kyiv, I was even *less* interested in the formal, organized tour forced march to the important sites. (More on those adventures elsewhere.)

May 2009 is the first time that I arrived in Ukraine with no major (formal or informal) work agenda. Andrew, Christina and Tyra had never been in Ukraine. (Nor had my daughters for that matter, however they had little choice in coming or not coming. Their cousins are here.) The Palo Alto-based Bogan-Cragholms *chose* to spend their vacation time in Ukraine. I was the host and I got to see this place through their eyes.

I arrived in Kyiv two weeks before them and from the first day, I'd noticed many more tourists walking around than in any earlier trip. In addition to the requisite young backpackers that are everywhere on the planet, I've been seeing many seasoned euro-travelers. Couples of a certain age with sensible (but not clunky) shoes, clothes made from nice fabrics, holding a guidebook.

Andrew and Christina have lived in various countries (mostly Asia) and have done their fair share of travel. I was confident that they could easily handle any local inconveniences, even with their 20 month-old daughter. Luckily, there were (surpisingly) few bumps in the road.

- ATMs dispensed cash.
- Restaurants were open. (And they served food!)
- There was plenty to see: Each day was packed with walking around historic sites in Kyiv in Lviv (and we barely scratched the surface). We were not required to join a boring guided tour to get in anywhere.
- Buses were running (You could buy tickets on the bus!)
- Cabs were available (And didn't insist on dollars!)
- Our apartment had hot and cold running water. (The laundry machine worked!)
- Stores had diapers. (And wine!)
- Flights come straight to Kyiv (No need to transfer in Moscow!)

At various points in earlier trips to Ukraine I had run into situations where each of those statements was not true.

It was fun to be a tourist. I bought a guidebook. I read it. (Excellent. Well-written. Buy it before you come.) Bradt Travel Guide 2nd Edition by Andrew Evans

When I worked here between 1991 and 1994, I once met a guy from the States who was passing through Ukraine. He was like some crazy explorer: living off the kindness of strangers. It was so bizzare to meet an unconnected American, even in Kyiv. But then again, that before the US even had an embassy here. Now the place is crawling with people from different countries. Even tourists from Japan walk on Khreshchatyk. No one is buying blue jeans on the street.

The country still has lots of things to sort out, but the basic infrastructure for tourism is in place. Here's hoping that people visit and learn about it first-hand, and that Ukrainians learn from those that visit.