Day 208 - Rostov Russia to Dzhankoi Ukraine - Thurs
19 Sept
GirlRob woke in dark couldn't sleep, so caught up on emails - iGadgets are great to use in dark without risk of waking sleeping partner! BoyRob knew when he washed the vehicle yesterday in buckets of water from dam that overcast would turn into rain... and sure enough, it became quite heavy once on road. Fuelled up for last time in Russia to delay paying 20% higher prices in Ukraine. Onto isthmus, first glimpse of Black Sea as cross bridge on Taganrog Peninsula. Arrived at border, sub titles of signs and posters in English, many officials had a little English, very helpful, and smile "welcome to Ukraine!" We were asked “Tablet?” and pulled out amenities bags with vitamins. “No No! Medicals?” the tallest officer said, and we opened the drawer with aspirin. “No No! Narcotic?” then mimed syringe. He gave up when we pulled out first aid kit and empty syringe in trauma kit. They led a drug dog through the camper, then “knife, guns, rubber bullets??” By then we were all laughing as he waved away our vegetable knife. They looked in battery locker, water inlets, lower lockers, and back box – very thorough check. Once through Immigration and Customs, we paid R100 - for processing paperwork?? for quarantine spray on wheels?? Will have to ask Marina to read us the receipt one day! All done under an hour, then on to 3rd party insurance R2315, better than Miles’ recommended price, but the three Dodgy Sisters serving in the demountable spilt coffee all over our rego paper, lucky it’s the final quarter of the trip. Thanks to Miles’ info, changed our money at the booth we would otherwise have missed. Went in search of simcard – the Sisters had wanted to sell a .09MTC card for R350, but got .15 for R400 from chap across road in a proper shop who spoke English and set up card – hopefully will give us a week in Ukraine.
GirlRob woke in dark couldn't sleep, so caught up on emails - iGadgets are great to use in dark without risk of waking sleeping partner! BoyRob knew when he washed the vehicle yesterday in buckets of water from dam that overcast would turn into rain... and sure enough, it became quite heavy once on road. Fuelled up for last time in Russia to delay paying 20% higher prices in Ukraine. Onto isthmus, first glimpse of Black Sea as cross bridge on Taganrog Peninsula. Arrived at border, sub titles of signs and posters in English, many officials had a little English, very helpful, and smile "welcome to Ukraine!" We were asked “Tablet?” and pulled out amenities bags with vitamins. “No No! Medicals?” the tallest officer said, and we opened the drawer with aspirin. “No No! Narcotic?” then mimed syringe. He gave up when we pulled out first aid kit and empty syringe in trauma kit. They led a drug dog through the camper, then “knife, guns, rubber bullets??” By then we were all laughing as he waved away our vegetable knife. They looked in battery locker, water inlets, lower lockers, and back box – very thorough check. Once through Immigration and Customs, we paid R100 - for processing paperwork?? for quarantine spray on wheels?? Will have to ask Marina to read us the receipt one day! All done under an hour, then on to 3rd party insurance R2315, better than Miles’ recommended price, but the three Dodgy Sisters serving in the demountable spilt coffee all over our rego paper, lucky it’s the final quarter of the trip. Thanks to Miles’ info, changed our money at the booth we would otherwise have missed. Went in search of simcard – the Sisters had wanted to sell a .09MTC card for R350, but got .15 for R400 from chap across road in a proper shop who spoke English and set up card – hopefully will give us a week in Ukraine.
Rain cleared up, sat outside to have a sandwich in a patch of sunshine on Black Sea beach with scrap iron, tyres, dorries, pigeons and seagulls. Road patchy compared to the good Russian road that led up to border. Fields tilled, dried sunflowers or maize/grain. High rise apartments like Russia. Stopped by a police checkpoint, they kept asking for documents, glad we had 3rd party one to show.
Cafe for dinner, toilet had choice of two cubicles, one with full nude and second with 3D nude.... no English speakers, typed in “beef and vegetables” to iTranslate in Ukrainian, and got steak and salad - pretty close! Fully dark by time found camp in field by railway line at Kostiantynivka, suburb of Dzhankoi. Got hold of Miles on mobile, will meet in Simferopol in the Crimean Peninsula on evening of 21st to discuss winter storage issue – there has been promising correspondence with a chap in Austria who says he can winterise for longer than the allocated 6 months if we are found to need essential repairs, 500 Euros total, secure undercover storage, keep batteries going, has access to mechanics and parts dealers. Sounds a more all-round/secure offer than Turkey given the amount of time we have lost/have left.
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