Overland with Kids

Dad’s highlight of the week:
“Watching the England opening game in a Ukranian port on a Turkish boat with a Turkish crew.”

Jessica says:
“Our family is like the cartoon The Incredibles.”

Dad says:
“Yes - incredible that we’ve got this far!”

On arrival to Ukraine we became famous with the Border Control Police and Skadovsk Port Authorites for being the first to escape without having registering our vehicle before exiting the port. We were immediately put on ‘the wire’ and duly dragged back to the compound………….

We arrived to Skadovsk (Ukraine) from Zonguldak (Turkey) with no issues via the heavy goods ro-ro lorry ferry. We had a smooth crossing and the crew on board the ship Karandiz Ulusoy-2 were excellent and made us feel very comfortable during our passage - we were all well fed and looked after. We boarded Thursday and left Friday evening around 8pm (once the ship had it’s full quota of lorries), arriving to Skadovsk approx 24-hours later. Before any lorries or ourselves could dis-embark, the process of customs control passports checks and the issuing of bill of ladings had to be completed. Only then could we begin the process of leaving water for Ukraine soil.

The process of getting off the ship involved the reverse unloading of two full floors of heavy lorries including us, then navigating a small space in pairs behind each other through customs control together with obligatory questions and vehicle searches etc. Being located on the first floor meant waiting in turn until enough lorries had dis-embarked from the bottom deck - each vehicle having to negotiate in still in reverse via a heavy duty lift to be able to get down to ground level and then finally off the ship. Luckily, we were small enough to turn around on deck and dis-embark front-facing. We landed about 8pm Saturday night but by the time we got in line it was 1am Sunday and 2am before we were processed. Given the long night, we decided to sleep rough in the customs port area along with the rest of the lorry drivers. It was probably 4-5am before all lorries had finally exited the ship. No-one left the port area during the small hours, favouring the TIR lorry park on the compound for some much needed sleep.

During customs control checks, we obtained a stamp in our passports plus immigration cards and confirmation that our caravan would be treated as one single vehicle together with Land Rover. We asked the question if there was anything else we needed to do and were told - no, that we were free to go. Anne asked Andrew about vehicle registration but the answer was a ‘don’t think so - all seems to be in order’ as the reply. Andrew had been unwell the past few days, it was late, we were tired and so we decided to leave the matter there for the moment.

The following morning, we saw each lorry driver with a brown envelope of paperwork heading off somewhere by foot inside the customs compound. We didn’t have a brown envelope, only 2 copies of a bill of lading for the Land Rover plus a stamp in our passport, so decided to follow the drivers to a small building. Inside, there were two windows opposite each other - one for money exchange where we changed up dollars we had obtained in Zonguldak. The other counter completely baffled us as we couldn’t understand the language and the tellers couldn’t speak English or understand us when we tried to ask about our vehicle registration. We then noticed a list outside the window with numbers matching each lorry drivers envelope. We didn’t have such an envelope so assummed we didn’t have to worry with this counter after all. At this stage, many of the lorry drivers were leaving the compound on foot to go into Skadovsk itself - largely made up of a busy nice beach - so we decided to follow, grab some coffee and get something to eat.

Once we’d strolled around, sat down and got the measure of the place, we thought the best thing would be to return to the customs compound, find out where the exit was and then surely we’d be told what, if anything, was missing from our passports. We were sure that vehicle registration would become apparent and help us determine our next steps. Our vehicles were parked right by the other side of the customs compound where there were some large blue doors. On asking several times we were told that these doors were the the exit so we went inside the building there where a single guard was on duty - showed our passports and immigration cards and pointed to our vehicles and the exit sign. The guard checked our passports, took the arrival portion of our immigration card and let us go. We were on our way assuming vehicle registration must have already occurred the night before.

We didn’t go far as opposite the Customs compound we found a hotel with swimming pool and secure parking for our vehicles which was reasonably cheap and decided we’d stay two nights (50 Euros per night for all of us but very luxurious with pool) . We spent the day with the children chilling by the pool and at 6pm had a knock on the door from two of the port personnel to say they’d been looking for us all day and that Andrew and the vehicles had to go back to the port immediately as vehicle registration had not been completed. So serious we were told that we’d escaped the port without doing this, that the top man in the port was waiting with questions to see how we’d managed to get out - no-one apparently had managed to escape before without first registering their vehicle.Had we travelled further afield we were told, then we would have been stopped and all brought back separately. Andrew was told to drive the vehicle back to where he’d exited - the port authorities wanted to see how we’d managed to get out (we were told later it was not the exit) and discovered the man who’d let us out surrounded by port personnel with guns. Anne and the children were waiting in the hotel meantime unaware. All got sorted eventually along with a 20 Euro administration charge and a 3-hour wait. We were lucky we didn’t get a hefty fine really as we felt the responsibility fell with us though the port authorities assumed the error instead. We were lucky and moreso that we hadn’t already moved too far afield!

Day of the Triifids

Skadovsk dock which on arrival late evening and as night fell, became likened to something out of ‘Day of the Triffids’. The amount of mosquitos, insects and bugs as big as cockroahes smothering the deck and all of the windows was unbelievable. We closed our cabin window in the nick of time on seeing some insects creeping through. The crew told us that this was mild compared to some days and that usually it was alot worse. Jessica and AJ immediately changed into long sleeved tops and trousers tucked into socks to be prepared for running the gauntlet past the deck at any time.

More on Shipping and Immigration

Having docked at 8pm Sunday - there were tons of jelly fish and people on the very busy beach. We were still on board at 11:45pm awaiting our call for off-loading. All vehicles were strapped down with iron chain links front and back to anchor them during passage. On leaving Zonguldak, all passprts were retained by the shipping agent and then handed to Ukraine port customs. Questions about purpose of visit and immigration cards were issued alongside passports which must be filled - one entry, one departure per adult. Each child then entered against each parents immigration card. Children do not retain their own immigration cards.

Culture Shock in Skadovsk

The Ukraine really surprised us. We were expecting a similar landscape to what we had seen in Moldova but were very wrong. Having followed the route through Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria, we were expecting a conservative, depressed communist scene immediately on arrival to Skadovsk. Instead, having arrived from Turkey and it’s more Muslim culture and modest dress code, we landed to very Westernised scenes - everyone in bikinis, shorts and drinking plenty of beer and enjoying the busy beach and amusements. There were plentiful restaurants, bars, night clubs and fun fair type stalls there. At night, the music, clubs and drinking really comes alive - angel wings, and mini skirts and multi-coloured test tube cocktail drinks all urging it’s clientele in through the many night club doors. The place would give Ibiza a run for it’s money! Many of the young girls here are beautiful, many almost Scandinavian looking with their blond hair and blue eyes. In the day it is a mecca for families and children who can be spoiled to death with fun water slides, bouncy castles, mickey mouse & elephant shaped candy floss (amazing to see), shopping for gifts and lots of attractions. We decided to stay in a hotel locally (just opposite the TIR port and right next to the beach but far enough away from the night time noise) complete with swimming pool for a couple of days. During our time there - Jessica and AJ had some real wind down time and fun - they died and went to heaven during our stay - and it was all so cheap. Throughout the Ukraine, cigarettes are approx 1 Euro and beer approx 0.60 Euros to give an idea. Throughout one day of the children having go’s on everything - some several times over - we don’t think we spent more than 10 - 15 Euros on all the attractions combined . Compared to prices when the fun fair comes to town in the UK, we thought - for the price you pay - better off coming to Skadovsk for the money.

Vehicle Attraction

Our vehicles in Skadovsk attracted alot of attention so it was good to be able to remove them from view in the secure parking area of the hotel.

Immediate Differences

Unlike Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria and Turkey - there are no horsecarts and donkeys here roaming the streets here but plenty of affluent 4×4’s amidst the very old classic cars and trucks of a bygone era. In our hotel, a lady sleeps on a comfy couch in the foyer through the night - originally there to report on the comings and goings of guests, - her role now being security guard and caretaker through the night-time.

There are blocks of flats and buildings from old times but they are not so high-rise and quite prettily disguised somehow by wide tree-lines streets and beautiful abundant flowers everywhere.

Skadovsk

Skadovsk is a small town mainly consisting of a long beach area at it’s front, a town, school, shops, homes and a few hotels. There are some wheat fields and agricultural areas further out. There is also a museum. We were told that a man called Skadovskiy and his family from which the town is named after was responsible for developing the area and arranging for the port area to be dug out by hand some years back. He built the town with huge wide streets, forcasting that big vehicles would one day need to use them and invested alot of money and time in the area including agriculture. We were told that he and his family were killed in Romania and all but one family member survives/survived. We tried to do a google search to find out more but couldn’t find anything. The place is really teeming with flowers and blooms whereever you go. It is a very bright, pretty place. We were told that until 10 years ago, the place contained many identical communist style blocks and bulidings but now that people are richer, much nicer and more plusher apartments have been built and developed. We met a lady called Natalie who could speak English with her son Ilya along the beach front before we left. She told us that Skadovsk enjoys 3 months of good summer (very, very hot here) but outside of this, it is really quiet with not much to do. The place does not attract many foreign tourists except for Romanians, Bulgarians and Turkish. Foreigners such as Americans, English and Chinese prefer the Crimea as there is more interest there. It is impossible to understand the language and the menus as all in Cyrillic with virtually no English spoken though, we did get lucky e.g. with Natalie, now and again. A phrase book is essential. Children are now starting to learn from 1st grade. In winter it is very windy and temperatures reach -2. In our view, it’s worth spending a couple of days in Skadovsk during summer before moving on.

The Crimea

Time against us as usual, we decided we couldn’t set out Westward across the Ukraine just yet without having a very quick peek Southbound at Crimea. We weren’t that far and as Andrew was very interested in Yalta and it’s history (Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin met together in Livadia Palace during post-war Europe), it’s shipping links with Varna in Bulgaria and the Charge of the Light Brigade during the late 1800’s which occurred there - it all just added to the temptation to make a trip there. Driving from Skadovsk, we were reminded of very similar style homes and agriculture to that of Moldova. Lot’s of ladies in headscarves but otherwise still very relaxed and westernised in terms of dress code. The real difference being the abundance of people sitting by the roadside selling jars of honey, fresh cherries, flowers and other home produced fare in the blazing hot sunshine. The roads aren’t too bad in Crimea - bumpy and uneven in places but turning into excellent condition the nearer you get. En-route, the wheat fields abound everywhere and they are absolutely massive. We have never seen such wheatfields on scales such as these before. The Crimea itself is made up in large of the Crimean mountains so plenty of steep winding roads to navigate which our Land Rover & caravan continue to complain about. Approaching the Crimea itself, we were met with affluence and beauty - very much a rich man’s playground where past rulers had their palaces and homes.

Yalta

Yalta is a main centre piece in Crimea and we had little time so headed there to get a taste. We realised, although beautiful, that we may have been better off elsewhere if time were permitting but it wasn’t. We idn’t get a chance to do anything other than to walk and wander around and get to grips with place. This suited us fine but in Yalta and it’s surrounds there is a huge amount to see and do - Livadia Palace itself, Swallow’s nest castle, Palace of Yamir Bukhara, an Aquarium, zoo, parks, botanical garden, Field of Fairy Tales, Vorontsov Palace (designed by the same chap who designed Buckingham Palace as an English escape by the sea), the city of Sudak with it’s medieval fortress and Massandra Palace built in 1889 and which Stalin used as his summer residence. There are also some red caves nearby worth visiting and there is a mix of Turkish and Greek history as well as plenty more we don’t know anything about in and around the Crimea. Historically, the Crimea was a summer place for the privileged and affluent but it was recognised that the population of Russia needed somewhere to holiday also - in absence of being granted visas to go elsewhere. All around are palaces and well-to-do elegant buildings and churches mixed with the old style Soviet style blocks. The city of Yalta itself is fronted along the Black Sea with a large port area for passenger ships and boats of all shapes and sizes. Around the port is a romantic maze of steep winding streets all drapped beautifully with huge mature trees, greenery and lots of flowers all leading far up into the mountains. There is also a de-rigeur statue of Lenin in it’s port square (we found one in Skadovsk also). There is a small river - almost stream like running through. You could spend alot of time here and money, let alone visiting the rest of what the Crimea has to offer. The sea front also houses things like a bouncy castle for children and some fun things to do but these are not as overly intrusive in the way that Skadovsk offers. Due to lateness of our arrival to Yalta and failing to find a campsite, we used hotel stay again (our 3rd time in total since leaving UK). Cost was approx 40 Euros for all four of us in a sprawling hotel with restaurant, bar, swimming pool with mountain views and a huge room with all the facilities you can dream of.

Since arriving in the Ukraine it has been searing hot - too hot to sight-see - so a day in the pool was had before a downpour of rain to cool us all down and enable us to get out and about. In Yalta, we felt that we could be anywhere in the world and never imagined that this time last year we would be sitting on the Crimean coastline in the Ukraine. Such a hard life!

Annoyances

Mosquitos are still a constant problem.

Bonuses

The upside in Yalta being the fact that there is something very special about watching the city emerging with the sun at dawn and then twinkling with lights in the evening at sunset - very pretty. It is hard to believe that the Ukranians had a hard time as little just 10 - 20 years ago - the tide has certainly turned from all we’ve seen so far.

Vehicle Issues

Land Rover has been very poorly. Fuel pump / starvation problems worsening and causing us serious problems - decided we need to get to a mechanic as soon as possible.

Hints and Tips we’ve learned along the way

Outside of the customs compound in Skadovsk, across the road is the same shipping agent we used from the Zonguldak side should shipping transit in the opposite direction be required (i.e. Ukraine to Turkey) - English speaking also. Outside customs control, turn left and walk for a few minutes - not the first road turning but the second - you’ll find a cashpoint and opposite this a kiosk selling cigarettes and drinks. Or, turn right to the cafes, restaurants, hub-bub and beach - a stones throw away. Across the road from customs exit - is a nice hotel with secure parking, swimming pool and nice rooms (no English spoken) - room was approx 50 Euros for one night for all of us - quite a luxurious splurge but well worth it after being on the ship and the TIR port for 3 days. Skadovsk is a great place to chill and get your bearings with language and environment for a couple of days but we reckon a couple of days is enough unless your young and into night clubbing till dawn.

The mechanic in Zonguldak ferry TIR port is the best - there is nothing he couldn’t tackle in our view and he was so friendly and nice (no English but there are a couple of Turkish people who can). You’ll easily find him - just say the word ‘mechanic’.

After Eastern Turkey, the first thing we about Ukraine is that it has proper toliets (no holes in the floor!) and nice usuable hot showers- not marked, stained or dirty - even toilet roll !!! Bliss!!!! But there are still a fair share of dirty holes to be found - especially any public facilities - hold your nose and close your eyes!

There is an abundance of flowers and blooms everywhere you go.

 

Diary (Blog)