So Kiev……. an Amazing place, it is a metropolis of youth with a majority of People aged below 40 speaking english, this makes my trip here rather easy. Compared to Poland Anyways.
Today i have spent the first part in a cafe called the blue lantern and as per usual i am having breakfast and a coffee …. just To make you all jealous i will list off the cost of a few items below
Breakfast $5.00NZD
Coffee $2.00NZD
Panadol / Neurofen. $1.20 NZD
Beer $1.30 NZD
Unlimited Mobile Data $4NZD
3 course meal $15NZD
Cigarettes $0.90 Cents NZ
Bottle of Vodka 1L. $5NZD
Metro Ticket to All zones for 24 hours $4NZD
Air B&B apartment for a month $200USD
Today’s excursion was relatively simple , as I’m going to Chernobyl tomorrow it’s imperative that i get a high quality camera, i have waited since i was 14 to come to this place and now that I’m hear i must make the most it!
My first mission was to get some USD as that seems to be the way tour company’s like to get paid, they wont accept there own currency … mainly because its shit. The denominations of note here are crazy, a bit like Serbia, 5 , 10,20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, and on top of that they have coins 1c , 2c ,5c …. its a bit stupid really, makes paying for items complicated, because i cant be bothered with coins i tend to collect them and on my last day i will drop them in a community fund, traditionally I wouldn’t do this but as I’m buying around 50 Ukrainian dollars for 1 NZD it doesn’t really matter… its chump change shall we say, and more importantly it goes to a good cause….. how ever i doubt if any of this money is ever reaching the people it needs in such corrupt beuqacratic regimes.
I decided to go and find an atm as if i wanted a camera i was going to have to pay cash…. i found a local BNP atm that apparently supports the Global ALliance ATMS and put my Visa card in…. a few seconds later it spits it out and says DENIED…. i think …well this isn’t good
I had bout 6000 of local currency( about 200 USD) but a camera would be about 600-800 USD for a good one…. i did a quick google search and on Saturday’s banks are open here! WTF.. handy for me tho!
I rock in to the bank and there is a que of about 25 people and head to a kiosk, its simple you put in your request and then it spits you out a recipe with a number, you wait for your number to appear on a big screen above the counter and then you make your way up to the counter, luckily my request was simple… i needed money and fast. My number was called and i headed to counter number 6 and the last who was late 50’s spoke no english! Bugger… she then dialed a number on her mobile and handed it to me, i spoke to a gentleman in France (where the bank originated from) i asked if he could take a manual credit card transaction from the Visa and he said yes… then no… then told me to go to an ATM, i explained if i could use an ATM I wouldn’t be talking on the phone but this seemed to go in one ear and out the other.
The bank teller escorted me over to an ATM and i showed her 3 times that it denies my card…. every time i put the card in my tension levels got higher thinking that each time it would suck my card in and not give it back, luckily i had good Karma on my side… i put this down to me helping out the Oman gentlemen yesterday! After another conversation with my new French friend on the phone he told me it was my banks issue and i left the bank and thought…. FUCK!!!
I stood on the street and thought what on earth am i going to do….
I pulled out my Ukrainian Cell phone and turned my Visa over and tried to call the international help number. I dialled the number to only be greeted by a Ukrainian voice i presume saying that you don’t have credit to make this call… and I remembered the sim was only good to make local calls and data ….. yet anther mistake… oh well live an learn…
I took a seat beside a water fountain and pondered on what i was going to do, i then remembered that dad used to make collect calls from Skype when my brother used to live in Costa Del Sol in Spain, a few taps later i had the Skype App and about 10$ credit on it, at least i can still make transaction on the Apple App Store over here.
I was on the grid and dialled the number hoping it would go through…. ring ring…. ring ring…. success!, i had made it through to the credit card company they asked me 20 questions and then I explained my story, the man down the phone did some looking into my Visa and said that they hadn’t even registered my card being used in Ukraine, I explained that the Chip does mail-function and he put this as the cause. He then had a look at my eftpos card and said it didn’t have the FASTCASH enabled… this is key for when overseas i asked if he could do it on the phone and he said after a tap and a click… “all done for you now sir” , i asked him to wait on the phone while i went back in the bank and put my eftpos card in the machine…. and Hey Presto i was making it rain!
I withdrew about 20,000 (1200 NZD) in local currency and stuffed it down my under ware and headed out the door feeling like a drug deal about to go and buy a Kilo of Cocaine!
I whipped out my phone and hit in “Camera Store” and walked about 2KM in the sun to a shop called MOYO, these are similar to Noel leering and sell the basics, i walked over to the camera section and the had only 8 to choose from
2 x Sony
3 x Lumix
3 x Nikon
I settled on a LUMIX and walked out with a 4K camera worth about 1000USD
It will do perfectly for my trip tomorrow!
As i was I leaving the camera my Ukrainian phone the rings and it is the tour company wanting to know my pick up address for tomorrow, introduced myself and gave him the details of my hostel, he said he would be there at 7.45 sharp for extraction to the Dead zone!.
I wander back up the streets and decided to go to the bar i had gone to last night as it was cosy, and quite with a great selection of alcohol and the staff Rocked!
The pub has no power and about 10 patrons i decided to crank up my Bluetooth speak, and everyone seemed to like the fact that we could all sit in darkness and listen to some good vibes
The beer here is fantastic, its traditionally a draft ale and is flavoursome and light. (Not in alcohol content but aromas) throughly enjoyed… well a 2 dollar beer is always appreciated
It has started to rain and its cooling of…. perfect. It’s time to go back to the hostel and play with my new Camera! In preparation for tomorrow !
So true. The only limitations we have in life are the ones we place upon ourselves. Self-belief is the cornerstone to success – so the sooner you start believing – the better. – Henry Ford
Quantum Entanglement 