My friend wants me go with her to Kiev sometime this year. I have been considering for a while until someone I know on other bulletin-board told me about the situations in Kiev/Ukraine and that he wouldn't go there without a bodyguard. He gave me several good ideas such as hiring a bodyguard to go with us to Kiev and probably an interpreter/translator for me. Now Reba has just provided links, I plan to check it out. Thanks, Reba.
Hubby visited the Kiev area. Crime and corruption is a problem. You really should have a local person that you trust be your guide.
Most of the private homes are like mini fortresses, with high walls and locked gates, and guard dogs.
The gasoline was not pure. Drivers had to filter it with cheese cloth when they filled their tanks.
The toilet paper is rough brown. It doesn't have a hole in it to hang up because people carry it with them. Bring your own TP if you want to be sure of having some. Whatever you don't use, leave the rest with your host.
It's traditional to give a personal gift to people that you visit. Bring some small American treats with you. Hubby took lots of Ivory Soap bars, pencils with erasers and little plastic sharpeners for the kids (they were sharpening their pencils with knives), nice ballpoint pens, small gardening tools, etc. It depends on if you will be visiting city or country folk. But they usually like any luxury item from America. Just don't take any contraband. They are very strict about what you bring in or take out of the country.
They don't have lots of public restrooms, so plan accordingly. One church that Hubby visited still used an outhouse. It had a window so you could greet your friends when they walked by, ha, ha.
Don't drink tap water. Don't eat anything grown or fished from the Chernobyl area (it's illegal and deadly). Be sure the sour cream is fresh before you eat it.
I hope you like potatoes. They are served with every meal. But they don't cook them in variety--no french fries, hashbrowns, or potato chips.
Postal service was bad. None of the people in Kiev used their mail boxes because all mail would be stolen. They preferred to use couriers to hand carry mail and packages. Often they asked travelers to carry mail with them to the USA to mail for them.
Hubby and his friends left from the American South when they went to Ukraine. They were used to smiling and greeting strangers. The Ukrainians were not used to that, and would look at them suspiciously. The Christians that they stayed with and worked with were friendly to them but strangers were very wary.
It's been a few years since Hubby was there but our friends that just came back from Ukraine a few weeks ago said that it hasn't changed much. Buildings and roads keep getting older, and they don't get replaced.
When Hubby's group rode in cars at night they noticed that the drivers rarely used their car lights. It was hard to get replacement parts, so they "conserved" light use. They only used them if there were no street lights. They also took their windshield wipers off the cars when they parked in town, and kept them with them so they wouldn't get stolen.
Police were very harsh there. If they tell you to "come here", do it quickly. They have no "Miranda Rights" to worry about. Have some cash ready in case they offer to let you pay your "ticket" on the spot (really, it's a bribe but don't call it that). If you don't comply or give them back talk they can beat you, no questions asked.
Despite all those things, Hubby enjoyed his trip. All the guys in his group enjoyed it. Two of them were so touched by the people that it inspired them to become missionaries after. One couple went back to Ukraine as permanent missionaries there. The people really are great once they know that they can trust you. They are also very hospitable if you are invited into their homes. They will give the visitors all the best food, and scrimp for themselves.
