Chapter 2 - Germany / Ukraine
Aug. 9, 02 8:30 AM
We arrive in Frankfurt Germany, Beautiful warm morning. Managed to get
off on the wrong side of the tram. Somehow needed to get to Terminal 2
– how? Can't cross the track! There's no train coming? I guess we
walk. A worker at the airport came to our rescue and escorted us through
part of the airport that was not inhabited by anyone. We walked down the
cement staircase into a poorly lit area, my thoughts running wild. Where
was he taking us? Are we safe? Do we trust him? Finally we came out from
the back of the airport through a set of 
glass
doors, hummm? We never went through customs? WEREN’ T WE SUPPOSE
TO GO THROUGH CUSTOMS ? HEY CUSTOMS? Guys, Customs!!!! Oh well .. We ended
up on the opposite side of customs at the duty free. OH GEE!! If not in
front of us are 5 armed guards holding machine guns, I told Roman go stand
in the far corner and take a picture of them HA! NOT A CHANCE Chicken!!!!
Shopping!! Way to expensive. Ohhh, cute shoes, made in Italy ONLY $780
Euros, sure Ill take 3 pair, ya right! Ives St. Laurent, can buy that
at home. Lets see, Cognac !! Should we splurge and buy a bottle to take
to Ukraine!! No, better wait and see what they need. BOARDING UKRAINE
INTERNATIONAL .... WE'RE OFF AGAIN.... SEE YOU IN UKRAINE ....
August 9, 2002 1:10 PM
The countryside is beautiful. I can't believe that I'm here... Looks like Canada !! Germany green, checker board fields, farms surrounded by rows of trees, hills and dirt roads leading to the unknown.. Ukraine? Is this Ukraine ??? Oh my !! Old, more distressed. Lush green hills. Lunch, consisted of cucumber salad, bun with ham, cheese, lettuce and mayo .. Tea... cookies and fruit flavoured soda water ..Hey look, salt, pepper and towelett all written in Ukrainian gotta save these. Hold on to your hats were coming in for a landing... Well, I see a lonely tarmac. Concrete runway, grass growing in between the cracks. Oh my! Several planes parked side by each. Roman, they look old ?? Covered in blue plastic, I hope they're for parts. They can't fly them can they??? They should be for scrap.
The
Lviv Airport is very old, but ornate. As I look out my porthole window
many of the buildings are dilapidated and no where is the grass cut !!
Ok, how do we get to the main building? Oh, this is interesting. A 5 ton
cattle truck with seats. Security is standing at the door of the plane
with the stewardesses checking our passports and ID. Dobriy Den, I exclaimed
... I wasn't about to let them get this old girl down.. I'm perky in Canada,
I'm gonna be perky here.. Not a happy bunch of people... very MILITARY
.. Well we passed the test, off we go!! The breeze is very warm, the sky
blue, clouds high and wispy.. The smell of the country is clean and sweet.
Inside the airport again is very, very military... no one is talking, very quiet... customs officer walked by, Roman questioned if we may take pictures .... NEE (no)!!!! The inside is built with marble everywhere.. Marble columns, marble floors with beautifully carved wood doors, windows (with bars) and benches .. The bathrooms are also in marble ... high toilets and yes they do have seats, but guess what.. NO TOILET PAPER!! It takes us about 30 min. of standing in line before we even get up to the wicket. They check our passports, question how much money are we declaring? Before we even get to Romans passport we are shuffled into another room... asked which of our suitcases were ours.. surprise...
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