Кременчуг

Originally, my curiosity about Ukraine was piqued by the women there who emailed me. I am a skeptic. I am not one to travel all that distance driven by some whimsical expectation regarding a woman I correspond with. Consequently, I needed a better excuse than that. This is why I decided to make a motorcycle ride of it in an exotic place.

I don't know why I stopped in Кременчуг. (say: "Kremenchoog") I had an address. I guess I just wanted to prove I could find it. By then, I was sure nobody there wanted to see me. It's not that I bite, nor anything like that.

Besides, my relationship with a Russian woman in Киев was very real by then.

I was on a ride back to Киев from Симферополь in Крым. (Crimea) Кременчуг is along the way.

I had looked at Кременчуг using Google Earth. I thought I'd like to see the sculpture garden along the river.

I didn't even bother going through the door into the "ant nest." That's what I call these places. They are big concrete structures full of cells. Similar to the one I rent on Маяковского Prospect.

Also, they are similar to the "projects," a failed US social experiment. I grew up in one of those near NY City. I don't know if it has been razed yet, like all the rest of those ghettos.

But, they are still in vogue in Ukraine.

Out in the parking lot, I was delighted by the discovery of the hops growing wild all over the cage protecting the electrical transformers. Ukraine is definitely beer country. It is the biggest "bread basket" in Europe. I wonder what they do for water pure enough for beer and "wodka."

After Кременчуг I cruised through Черкассы. Черкассы was even less interesting than Кременчуг. So, I crossed the river and hurried on back to Киев.

I decided to bring flowers home to my girl in Киев. My choice was flowers tough enough to pack on a motorcycle.