Some words about Crimea from australian guest It was a long trip from Volgograd to Simpheropol mainly due to the unfriendliness of the Russian and Ukrainian border guards. The Ukranian guards asked a fellow Ukrainian traveller and myself to descend from the train and onto the platform in order to look through our luggage because they suspect us to be drug smugglers because we spoke English. The border police did not care if the train departed leaving us stranded. Of course they found nothing but it was very unpleasant. From the train station in Simpheropol I walked to the Hotel Ukraina, it was about 3 Km – one way of keeping fit I suppose! The hotel is very central but suffers two problems. Firstly the room was dirty and smelly. The toilet for my floor was located next to my room. Secondly my room faced a very lovely and well kept park in which a bar/restaurant had been established. Come 2100 hours though it turned into a blasting rock bar with the music lasting until 0200!J |
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I was sad to leave the shores of Crimea, with its sea and mountains
and venture into another city with its dust and smog. As I said bye to Crimea I knew that
I would return to its shores. I arrived in Simpheropol, the capital of Crimea, by train from Volgograd. There are 4 different room prices at the Hotel Ukraina depending on your nationality: Crimean, Ukranian, Russians and everybody else (i.e. me) $US20/day – breakfast not included! Also not included is the cost of a shower, an extra US$1! A tourist information centre is located on the ground floor of the hotel but it had no maps of the city and the staff spoke no English. Also located on the ground floor of the hotel is a butcher stand where you can buy meat, sausages and cold cuts of meat! The post office/telephone exchange and bank Aval [cashes Travellers’ cheques at 2%, provides VISA cash advances at 3% commission] are located respectively on the right and left hand side of the hotel (if facing the hotel). I found the staff at the telephone exchange not very friendly. There is also a private telecommunication company next to the Bank which although charges fractionally more, has much more pleasant staff.There is very little to see in Simpheropol except for parks, which are well maintained. I could not find any sign or ruins of the ancient Neapolis city. I liked Simpheropol: I found it a very warm city, lovely green parks, leafy streets, warm weather, cheap and good food. |
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