After breezing through customs with only a slightly sarcastic sounding “good luck” from the agent, which left us wondering what he meant, we were met by our driver, translator and facilitator. They all seem very knowledgeable and competent. We were driven to our exceptionally nice 2-bedroom apartment that Olya deemed “fancy” the word she uses to show her approval for something. Ron and I agree with her. The place is very stylish and nicely appointed – it feels like a nice German hotel room just bigger. The place has TWO flat screen TVs that get CNN. Except for the hot water not yet working, nor the telephone, the internet connection not connecting and a beautiful Italian kitchen with American-sized refrigerator without a single pot or pan–– it’s better than we ever could have imagined!
The area we are in is where a lot of the politicians and diplomats live. Still there is a little left over Soviet feeling to our brand new apartment building. The entrance area is very spare and rough; almost rough shod; the elevators are small and lined with cheap Formica-like stuff; the halls look like an old public building. But inside the apartments are extremely nice. In the USA in such a building, the lobby would be elegant with granite floors and ceramic walls and maybe tall vases of fresh flowers. In this lobby there is even a small cubicle that sells water, juices and junk food.
We dropped off our luggage and quickly set off to go pick up Andry. His orphanage/school is in Bucha, a small town about twenty minutes from Kiev. Bucha seems more affluent than Vasilkiev, the town where Olya’s school was located. Both are within the Kiev region.
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