A tourist in Ukraine.

I've made it through Ukraine. It had expansive farm fields, soaring mountains and scary drivers. Ukrainian drivers pass at every opportunity. Sometimes choosing the middle of the road to squeeze between who they are passing and oncoming traffic. I think that if you drive like this for long enough passing a cyclist within inches doesn't feel that close. Well it feels close to me!

On my way to Simferpol and the Crimea coast I had stopped at a small outdoor market for supplies. A man approached to say hi and and within an hour I was a guest of honor in his home. Showering, doing laundry, and being fed more than I could eat. The next day his son took me to a nearby battlefield where he proceeded to dig into the hillside and find 4 types of shell casings and a 1941 German penny, which he gave to me as a souvenir.

Next was Simferpol, where I met my parents! They flew out and drove a dozen hours from Kiev. Catching a ride with Eugene, our super knowledgeable and entertaining tour guide for the week. I left my bike for most of the week in Simferpol while we toured the coast by car. We visited a cave city made by people on a hilltop, an actual cave made by water, a Russian Tsar palace, more battlefields. Normally I spend hours or days looking at the road and scenery before getting to these types of highlights. It was a pace I'm not used to but easy to adjust to and a welcome change.

Eugene took me on a treasure hunt near the cave city. Using his GPS device I tracked down a bottle of wine he had hidden 5 years earlier. We also went wine tasting and before leaving town Eugene invited us for more wine and dinner with his family. It was all lovely and the sites were beautiful and the coast was beautiful and if you need one more reason to visit, Eugene's daughter, Nadia, organizes a big music festival every year (www.sosedniymir.ru).

On my way towards Kerch and the ferry to Russia I met another cycle tourist. The first I've seen in a while and the first I've biked with at all on this trip. We biked together for an hour or so before heading different directions. It was a fitting end to Ukraine. The roads rarely had a shoulder and were in rough condition, but the camping was great and the sights were pretty and the people were always friendly.