Mail 11 - June 9th
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Mail 11 - June 9th |
June 9
I have returned to Kiev from our excursion to Nikolaev. We took a night train (ii hours) and arrived in Nikolaev at 6 am. We sat until 10 am, waiting to be seen by the Director. He is a small, strange man, and kept touching me. Since I need what he can give, I had to be nice. Not in my nature! At least he wanted to make an honest woman of my - he proposed. I think he was more interested in my citizenship, than beauty, however. After his approval, we took a taxi an hour into the villages surrounding Nikolaev. We waited two more hours, received a decree, found that the Court papers are wrong, and need to be sent via train from Chernigiv. Again, we wait. We sat in the heat and stench of this ugly port town. Finally, when we could leave, there were no trains. Not from Nikolaev, or Odessa. No buses, no planes. Dima, our translator, was ready just to hunker down and sleep in the train station, but I was wanted at home by my THREE children, so bribed a taxi driver to take us to Kiev. For $100 US, he drove us the 8 hours (at 120 km per hour) to Kiev. I sat, cramped and sick, in the back of a diesel Rabbit for all of the 8 hours, with only one 5-minute bathroom stop. However, I am back. Many times I thought I would die in a car crash or the car would break down in the middle of nowhere, but I made it. I went from the Chernigiv region, far north, to the Nikolaev region, far south in 36 hours - not a trip I recommend to anyone. Here's my joke: What does Southern Ukraine look like? Northern Ukraine. I must admit, for about 3 hours I really did revel in the flat, green beauty of the land; but then my sore behind, dirty hair, TB-like cough and leg cramps got the best of me, and I was back to being cranky. Today we go to the medical offices for Nelly's health certificate, and try to get into the US Embassy. They do not process orphan visas on Fridays, so if we don't get in tonight, it will be Monday, and we will leave here on Wednesday. We are homesick and tired, and ready to come home. Bella and I are on our way to Tiko Market, and she is happy because I have agreed we will take the bus. She LOVES the crowded, lurching buses - no idea why. But, since she loves them and they are only ten cents, by bus we go!
Thank you all for your calls, cards, emails and support. More later - Love, Liz