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FSU sleeper trains and Ukraine first impressions
12-30-2013, 12:55 PM
A cheap way to get into Ukraine is by train from neighboring eu countries, which you can reach with low cost flights.
Going out of the train station at lviv and I was struck by the atmosphere.
Pretty girls in cheap clothes and lowlife thug looking dudes. I was not comfortable pulling out the smartphone in front of everyone.
Locals were helpful to deal with basic problems such as changing money.
Beat up buildings but luxury cars in the street.
Russian and/or Ukrainian mostly required around here. There are hot girls, but I definitely respect roosh and others for spending expended amounts of time around here. It's a tough lifestyle choice.
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FSU sleeper trains and Ukraine first impressions
12-30-2013, 10:42 PM
^^^ Funny story. I'm impressed that they had flushing toilets! Often on trains I've found that there's just a hole that leads down to the train tracks...
If only you knew how bad things really are.
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FSU sleeper trains and Ukraine first impressions
12-31-2013, 04:38 AM
Sorry for the mistakes, I'm writing on a smartphone with auto correct.
This time of the year there are not too many tourists so I have space. I had a huge hostel dorm all for myself last night right in city center. Same story for the train, it was half full and yes it doesn't seem that easy to socialize on them.
to me lviv is like a poorer but also more authentic Budapest. Similar Austrian architecture but most buildings have not been renovated. It's not westernized yet, thanks to not being in the eu.
Ukrainian and eu flags are hanging on most touristy locations at the moment. It's surreal considering everywhere else in Europe the eu is hated upon. If Ukraine gets into the eu it will only benefit to bankers and a few local corrupt politicians. For common people prices will increase and their local companies will be bought and closed by foreign competitors, which means unemployment will rise.
Going to kiev tomorrow.
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FSU sleeper trains and Ukraine first impressions
12-31-2013, 09:52 AM
Mr Fresh are you in Lviv for NYE? any idea whot to do here tonight?
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FSU sleeper trains and Ukraine first impressions
01-01-2014, 10:53 AM
I spent new years eve in the train. I wanted to get away from the madness. In my cabin there was an Ukrainian dude. After ten minutes he pulled the beers. I said ok, one beer. Then he showed me a big luggage full of drinks. Then he gave vodka. By then the whole wagon was partying, including the crew.
At the end I wanted to give him some money to contribute for all the stuff I had drank, but he declined. Arrived in kiev with 2 hours of sleep and one of the worst hangovers. No chicks, but good memories so far.
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FSU sleeper trains and Ukraine first impressions
01-01-2014, 11:40 AM
sounds good! :-)))))))))
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FSU sleeper trains and Ukraine first impressions
01-01-2014, 04:08 PM
Can't add pics for some reason.
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FSU sleeper trains and Ukraine first impressions
01-01-2014, 04:15 PM
I have fingered Ukrainian girls who I met in trains however they were non sleeper trains.
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FSU sleeper trains and Ukraine first impressions
01-02-2014, 12:00 PM
Today I went to the monument for the mother of the nation, huge Soviet thing.
At the metro station near the monument, I asked the way to two guys. They were Turkish tourists. We talked a bit, then they asked the way to a dyevuchka from Russia. So we were four tourists searching for the way.
The girl was not ugly, but not very pretty either. She could have been pretty but clearly made no effort. No makeup, unisex clothes. A way to signal disinterest. She did not speak English, but I also think she was a little bit slow in the head.
The interesting part is to witness how the Turkish tried to seduce her. Only one Turkish was trying, as the other spoke neither English or Russian.
He presented the mute Turkish friend as his bodyguard, and himself as a businessman. True or not, I think it's an excellent way to introduce a friend who can't speak the language.
It turns out we were all at the wrong metro station, and in the metro he kinoed the girl, pretending to prevent her from falling. Then he said he was an architect working on various projects in Germany, Ukraine and Turkey. He showed pictures of luxury hotels he was building, on his smartphone. Then he pulled out a second smartphone , saying he needed one for each country. He had the most expensive Samsung and the most expensive iPhone.
He told stories of how he'd been in every city in Ukraine, and even a small village 50km from kiev where he pulled a peasant and brought her to Istanbul. He said the peasant girl was impressed by all the meat she could eat in a kebab, because in Ukraine villages they eat only flour mixed with water, and potatoes.
The girl was not biting at anything after two hours, so he figured he was wasting time. He took social media contact and phone from the girl then left. I think he did everything he could, maybe he's even on this forum.
He left and I was alone with the girl, but I knew it was not a present. A bit later she mentioned her boyfriend, but I did not care. I took the opportunity to practice Russian with her, then we splitted at the end of the visit.
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FSU sleeper trains and Ukraine first impressions
01-05-2014, 04:12 AM
Quote: (01-01-2014 04:15 PM)Greek kamaki Wrote:
I have fingered Ukrainian girls who I met in trains however they were non sleeper trains.
Were they sleeping?
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FSU sleeper trains and Ukraine first impressions
01-05-2014, 12:50 PM
I shared a compartment with a Polish girl on the way to Warsaw....I hit that. Funny considering she had an American boyfriend in the peace corps in Kremunchung.
I also banged the girl who works on the train once. I sometimes would take the whole compartment(back them 30 bucks). I had a bottle of champagne and invited the girl to come back to me after she was done checking passports.
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FSU sleeper trains and Ukraine first impressions
01-05-2014, 05:10 PM
To the experienced FSU sleeper train vets: What's the best way to handle solo travel on long-distance trains in FSU, like the trans-Siberian?
When you're on the train solo you don't have someone to watch your stuff if you want to check out the dining car or go to the can, so what do you do with your things if you're in a compartment with strangers? Passport, money, credit cards you can keep on you, but would you take things like your laptop and camera with you whenever you leave the compartment? Do you have drinks and risk something disappearing while you're passed out? Is it better to rough it in the platzcart in the hope that being among more people would make it more difficult to have something pilfered?
Last time I took the overnight train to St. Petersberg I bought out the 2 spot compartment so I could have it to myself and things went smoothly, but I kept mostly to myself. They tried to put some dude in my compartment at one of the stops, so I had to make it clear without speaking Russian that it's not happening unless they refund the other ticket.
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FSU sleeper trains and Ukraine first impressions
01-05-2014, 10:52 PM
I took an overnight train from Moscow to St. Petersburg last year. I forget how much I paid for the ticket, but I left from Moscow around 8 PM, and I got into St. Petersburg around 5 AM. Not exactly the most convenient travel schedule, but I did get some rest. The train gives you a pillow, sheets, and a blanket, so you don't need to bring your own. There are 4 beds in each room- 2 up, 2 down. I took the upper bed. I did this during the summer, so the train was hot. I didn't take this trip solo, so I didn't worry about my stuff getting stolen.
The toilet was a hole over the tracks with a faucet that I couldn't figure out.