If you think coach class is cramped, don't take a bus to Donetsk

1. The Solitary Cyclist. On the road to Donetsk.

2. The bus station in Donetsk.

3. In front of the van that transported us from Kramatorsk.

4. Olga, Nikita, and Kostya in front of the cafe in Donetsk.

5. Olga and Kostya waiting outside of bus to see us off.

6. Mash-up of people in the front of the bus.

[Robin]

This morning we woke up and I made breakfast (real scrambled eggs vs. the version that the hotel makes that was just eggs over hard). We had already gone through the laborious process of closing the apartment's front door (two doors, both with two sets of deadbolts to engage), when we noticed it was cold and gray out. We decided to go back in and pack an umbrella at the last minute and then had to race up the street to take money out of the ATM in anticipation of our trip to Donetsk.

When we arrived at the bus station to my great dismay our bus was actually a minivan. There was also a large line of people outside it and I immediately started dreading the idea of traveling for an hour and a 1/2 in the back of a swaying van. As my family can attest, I have been known to get a bad case of motion sickness in the backseats of cars that have no access to air. We almost bailed on the idea of going to the city in the anticipation of this unfortunate situation.

Fortunately, our sense of adventure prevailed and we managed to load into the van such that we ended up with two seats together and I was in a window seat. Phil got the bad end of this deal because there was no room for his legs and he had to sit sideways. Plus he had a man leaning over him who was carrying sticks of some sort in a plastic bag. Once the seats were filled that didn't seem to dissuade anyone from getting on...no, as long as there was room to stand sideways in the aisle, that was plenty of space.

[Phil]

Yes, when we first got to the bus station, it seemed like everyone in the parking lot turned to look at us. We then sort of uncomfortably stood around and tried to figure out if the small, dirty van was actually our bus to Donetsk. As the minutes passed, it appeared that it was. Meanwhile there were a bunch of vaguely unhappy-looking guys standing around smoking, drinking beer (it was before 11AM), and spitting. I sensed that Robin was out of her comfort zone. I, too, felt like this was a really bad idea. But then we both agreed that it was an adventure, and in the spirit of The Amazing Race, we decided to board the dirty van. Like Robin said, once we got actual seats, everything was pretty much okay, that is if you don't mind Russian electro-pop blaring from the speaker right above your seat. Robin later said that she didn't even notice. I couldn't help but notice, however, especially the song that was about being a dentist in the hospital.

[Robin]

I spent my time looking out the window, we passed a few towns, but mostly fields and fields of black soil or crops. Outside of the cities, it becomes a rural landscape very quickly. I actually saw a guy pulling a bucket up from a well and later a small boy herding a group of cows down a path.

When we arrived at Donetsk, Kostya, his wife, and son were waiting for us. We then took yet another minivan into the main part of the city. This time we were the ones standing and when we first got in, I said "I don't think there is enough room for all of us". But with Kostya's prompting we stepped up and on and some people moved over enough for us to find a handhold. Afterwards, I stood in amazement as the van stopped an additional five times, each time with more people getting on. We were REALLY packed in there like sardines; there was no room in between one person to the next. The idea of leaving some personal space apparently is not a worry here.

[Phil]

Yes, I was pushed closer and closer to a seated young woman who looked annoyed or alarmed each time my coat or messenger bag made contact with her person. Meanwhile, it was really getting hot and crowded in there and I could feel a bead of sweat on my forehead that was sure to fall in the lap of this sensitive girl. I spent the next several minutes simultaneously trying not to bump against her or, god forbid, sweating on her. When we were finally at our stop, I vowed that we would take a cab back to the station, no matter how expensive it was (not much [$4], as it turned out).

So we exited the minibus and headed into an enormous market. I thought the "Big Market" in Kramatorsk was big, but it was dwarfed by Donetsk's. There were hundreds of stalls, tables, and small shops selling mainly CD's, DVD's, books, office supplies, and software. Mainly we looked at books, since Kostya's son was on a quest for some Spiderman comics or books about pirates. Robin and I ended up buying a little puzzle that spells out "Nastya" and a few well-illustrated recipe booklets ("Borsch", "Russian Salads", etc.). Each one was about a dollar. After an hour or so at the market, we went in search of the Arizona steakhouse, but as usual, the guidebook was out of date. Instead, we stopped and had some dessert and drinks at a little cafe near a park. By this time, it was time to return for our 4:30 bus back to Kramatorsk. I was silently praying that it would not be another dirty van.

[Robin]

I ordered apple strudel and hot tea with honey at the cafe. A perfect accompaniment to a rainy day. We had fun getting to know Kostya's family. They are really nice people and their son, who is seven, was very cute--saying thank you, etc. in English to us.

Our minivan back was slightly larger and Phil and I got the first row of seats in the van. Once secured our seats, I went back out and talked to Kostya, Olga, and Nikita until it was time to depart. Nikita made a paper airplane for us and gave it to us as a parting gift (very sweet). They stayed and waved good-bye until our bus pulled out. We remarked to one another that this was another cultural difference--once Americans drop someone off, we are gone... we don't wait for the bus to pull out.

[Phil]

Yeah, I told Robin that I sort of remember from one of my Russian literature classes that the entire family will go out and wait with the departing guests until they have embarked. Only then will they leave the train station, bus stop, etc. It could have also been because Kostya and Olga are exceedingly polite and decent people, which they are. In any case, it really touched us.

The ride back was more comfortable because of the larger size of the vehicle, but they still packed in as many people as possible. The little median/island between the driver's seat and the passenger's seat eventually acommodated 5 or 6 young Ukrainians, who seemed nonplussed about being packed together. There was like an unspoken understanding not to mention how close they were to one another. Robin tried to get a photo, but all that came out was the heads (see above). Another interesting thing about the bus trips is how casual and helpful everyone is, in a very understated way. Someone will say from the back of the bus that he wants to be let off at the next crossroads, and someone will relay that message to the driver, who will then pull over. And people get on and off at all sorts of places that do not appear to be actual stops. They'll just squeeze in, yell out their destination, and pass their money through the passengers to the driver. I never heard anyone say, "Do I look like I work here?!" or anything like that, which I would definitely expect in America.

When we arrived back in Kramatorsk at 6PM there was a steady rain. We stopped in at the apartment briefly and then went to Premier for some soup to warm our bones. We hope that one day we can make Kharcho Soup and Borsch that at least holds a candle to the soups we've had here.

[Robin]

We are looking forward to seeing Ana tomorrow morning and delivering her new puzzle gift. We also got some encouraging news from Kostya that we might be able to accomplish Ana's passport, visa and id, etc., in one business week. I'm almost scared to even say this, as everything here seems to hit a roadblock the minute you think it's smooth sailing. Anyway, if it happens, we will be the happiest people on the plane on the way back.

[Phil]

Yes, if all goes well, we should be back on around Oct. 27th. Cross fingers.