Остання мандрівка Україною - вирушення | A final wander around Ukraine - setting out

I am once again in motion, with my cheap, missing-a-few-parts yet somehow still functioning laptop in tow.

I tend to enjoy blogging most when on the road; when there are trains to be boarded, bridges to be crossed, miles to be logged. Perhaps I enjoy life most when on the road. Anyway, I have a month left in Ukraine and I'm headed west, to the mountains and the heartland of some of Ukraine's most famous cultural traditions. What better way to end my two-year stint in this country than by soaking up a few more trips on the overnight train?

The itinerary: 

 Kyiv: Ukraine's capital city. Epicenter of the Revolution of Dignity. 

4 hours by train from Cherkasy

I'm in Kyiv over Easter weekend to take in the architecture and the great cafes - and to attend the final edition of the Swinglandia swing dancing exchange! At the moment, I'm writing this blog from a hip coworking spot called Urban Space 500. They serve avocado toast and matcha lattes and they offer drinking water for free. 



I'll write more on Kyiv soon, after I've enjoyed my next couple of days here. For now -  some shots from the platzkart ride that started this trip. What other way to start my travels around Ukraine than a pre-dawn trek to the train station and a few hours' sleep on the platzkart?

Kolomyya: Heart of Hutsul culture and crafts. Not shy about its history of resistance. 

15 hours by train from Kyiv. 

I'm headed to the western city of Kolomyya to visit the famous Pysanka Museum (museum of traditional Ukrainian Easter eggs) and the Hutsul Museum (The Hutsuls are Ukraine's "mountain people", an ethnic group that has lived for generations in the Carpathian Mountains and whose distinct language and traditions have influenced much of western Ukrainian culture.)

Yaremche: Outdoor adventure and ecotourism destination. Encircled by mountains on all sides.

1 hour by bus from Kolomyya

I'm lucky enough to have a work-related opportunity in Yaremche, where at the invitation of another Peace Corps Volunteer I am delivering a presentation to national park staff about souvenir production and sales. The organization I work with in Cherkasy does an amazing job partnering with local artists to create products that help boost local pride in the city - local pride that can ultimately be channeled toward caring for the city's architectural and natural heritage. We hope the national park can find a way to do the same!  

I'm also trying to squeeze in a horseback trek through the mountains. I wouldn't be me if I didn't ;-) 

A Hutsul pony I was delighted to meet on a trek back in 2017.

From Yaremche it will be another 15 hour overnight train back to Kyiv, and a bouncy few hours on the marshrutka from there to Cherkasy. I plan to blog regularly throughout this final tour around Ukraine, so I'll be delighted if you read along!