Crimini! I am in the Crimea!
Trip Start
Aug 21, 2004
1
5
8
Trip End
Sep 16, 2004
Balaklava,
Ukraine
Thursday, September 9, 2004
Known for gorgeous stretches of mountains-meeting-the-Black Sea...beaches too!
The Mediterranean-meets-Russia!
Known for "super-secret" Soviet Military installations...complete towns-a-off-limits to all but the highest-security-clearing dudes...
An interesting mix!
I LOVED THE CRIMEA!
I LOVED "Ai Petri" and what I affectionately termed "TatarLand".
I LOVED Balaklava and the picturesque little Greek-Island-like-harbour and seaside cafes...and the remote little beach beyond accessible only by small boat shuttle or strenuous cliffside hiking...
I LOVED the stunning coastal vistas--cliffs sliced off by the deep blue sea beyond.
I LOVED knowing that there are so many places that I missed this time around, that I am excited to see "next" time! Wine caves and monasteries, castles and palaces...coastal villages and villages high up on the rugged coastal mountain range...volcanoes...the variety of cultures...variety of food.
The Crimea is a step away from the Soviet mindset and general depression that hangs like a dark cloud over each individual.
The Crimea attracts foreigners...attracts wealth...attracts opportunity--yet Yalta seems to be the magnet--leaving so many other wonderful places open for the adventurous to discover!
The Crimea is a peninsula--hanging like a pendant from a chain--and somehow a world away from the rest of the Ukraine. Here, vacationing dominates--a break from the reality that is Eastern Europe.
The Crimea is somehow Ukraine...somehow Russia...yet neither as well!
I loved it! Wish I could have stayed longer. Wish the weather would have been better. Wish I had somebody special to share the experience with!
:) Paul
p.s. "TatarLand"--this wind-swept plateau atop Ai Petri--hanging in the moving mist up in the sky. Here, it feels like you are in Mongolia or some such place--food cooked in the open in large skillets and pots--smoke and steam everywhere. Dark skins, dark hair dominates. Kabobs and soups...sweet wine...fireplaces warm the insides of these military-hut-shelter-looking-places. Outside, recline on mats next to low-lying tables (if you can withstand the chill in the air). Ride a camel, ride a horse. Have your picture taken with a Brown Bear Cub or Pig. Welcome to TatarLand!
p.s. As for "super-secret" Soviet Military installations--how about a submarine-repair-facility bored into the rocky hillsides--a mile of canals forming a looping arc through a small mountain to house and repair such submersibles!
