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Arriving at Borispol!
Has anyone got any experience of arriving at borispol around midnight? I bet you could get through the airport pretty quick at that time of night ;) .
Duke Uke'em, you mentioned in one of your posts about in-calls. Does that work the same as the privats in Prague, Warsaw and Moscow etc, where you enter the flat and get to pick from a bunch of girls working that particular shift? Is there a local paper or website where you can find the addresses? This just seems like an option which isn't explored very much on here!
The fact is there must be other options that the locals use, as they can't afford to pay the same prices as the foreigners. I mean do they save all the pretty girls for us, and collect all the dogs for the local boys? If I was a local I wouldn't put up with that :( . Also I guess the mafia must be pretty heavily involved in this sector, or do they just concentrate on shipping girls abroad?
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Visa
Juschtschenko announcement in german bundestag yesterday: "we think it is in the interest of ukraine to introduce a visa-free regulation for citizens of the european union in a few weeks. we want our country to be on the list of states, where there is democracy and where humanitarian standards are preserved."
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[QUOTE=Globe Trots]
Finally, on the question of language and race. I'm a fluent english speaker, and speak EXTREMELY rudimentary russian. Lets just say that it's unlikely that I'd be able to even understand a restaurant menu properly. How much of a problem is that going to be? Or should I brush up on my russian before I go over (figure I still have 2-3 months to pickup a little!). Also, I'm asian (chinese by blood to be exact). Is that going to be a problem there? Discrimination, etc etc?[/QUOTE]
I'm Asian too, speak just three words in Russian (Привет, спасибо, пожалуйста :D) and never had a problem in Kiev. For restaurant, the ones in the center have English menu, ... or just go to McDonald :)
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GandJim!
Hey Gandalf!
How's Minsk?
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Hello
Hey where has everyone been? No one is in Kiev? ;)
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I had the Borispol experience again a few days ago. Our plane came in along with one from Tripoli and another from Egypt, along with a Prague flight. The bad news was that the Tripoli flight came in first and so the passport control folks were on their total document inspection. That meant that every Libyan got at least a five minute inspection, and some were taken to another room for additional talks. That meant even more delays for all the rest of us.
Then came the all too frequent Ukrainian surprise. The "immigration forms" that were given to us in the plane, the ones used for the last few years, are no longer valid and everyone who filled one out on the plane had to go back and get new ones to fill out all over again and then stand in the queue again or jump to the front.
Are the new forms any different? No, they ask for all the same information all over again. This time, however, instead of a form with lots of ads and very readable, this one is on very flimsy paper old Soviet style toilet paper, microscopic in its typeface and I would guess many will lose it while they are in Ukraine. All that means is that on leaving, you will have fun arguing with a passport control agent on the way out that you came in legally and were registered! Isn't this a fun place?
For those of you who think that the possible upcoming visa-free travel will be an easy process, I suggest you think again. If there is a way to bureaucratically screw up something potentially good, they will find a way.
By the way, even a VIP passenger would have been hard pressed to get ahead of the queue in this situation.
Customs was another problem since they were also on a full search regime. Everything had to be x-rayed but after that you could still head for the green line.
I still got out in 20 minutes from start to finish but then I also did what most locals do, which is to jump the queues as much as possible.
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Privats
Ludovico,
You asked about in-calls. Yes, they do exist and they are very similar to privats elsewhere. As a matter of fact, recently someone has come in here and apparently set up a series of such upscale for Kiev privats that have Jacuzzis and saunas along with a number of ladies. The prices for these privats are also higher than then usual crap places that used to be used for such meetings.
Most of these privats are now advertising on such sites as uaescort.com and kiev-x.com as individuals. The pictures you see are mostly fakes, you need to go there and see the ladies, some lovely, some "goblins" as they are called here. They also can come to you and you can make the choice in your hallway or on the street.
The real problem is that at least 90% of the ladies will not speak English. For now the biggest barrier in this area is the language issue.
Locals do use this option but as always, the main point for them is to negotiate the lowest possible price, something not possible for you if you cannot speak the language. And the locals like the ladies lovely as everyone else.
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Kiev Arrival
Sounds like I arrived at the same time as Uke Boy and I had to get in line 3 times because of that chaos. Yes, The Mouse is in town and my mongering could be in check because I do have a companion, but we will see what happens.
I have an apartment near Bessarabs'ka (sp) and my first impressions (comparisons with BA) will be posted soon.
Thanx for the help Cruiser,
MM
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MM,
OhmyGod, the Mouse is scampering in Kiev. Looking forward to your comparisons with BA, should be interesting. Happy hunting!
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River Palace et al
The Mouse was off and running last night with 3 Girls (one is special) in tow and we did make it to RP and others. Now I was able to do some recon (pricing etc) and talk to some talent even though I left with my own. This place, Kiev, is something!
I guess the main difference with BA is 1. Pricing and 2. Your personal preference in looks.
A Full report to follow when I get more than 2 minutes alone,
The Mouse reporting
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The airport
I had problems with the 'new' immigration form too. Except I didn't get one on the plane and had to fill mine out in the immigration hall. I was surprised it was so small and I was even more surprised that any immigration official could read my miniaturized chicken scrawl with anything less then the ability to read english (and chicken scrawl) fluently. The immigration official was surprised to see the new form too - they must have been just making the transition - this was Jan 18th. This was the first time the wave of the blue passport and that I look like a typical American didn't bring anymore then a disinterested shrug. But this is only the 2nd visa country I've been to (not that there are many for Americans), the first being Burma. The paper is a mere formality any ways, they log you in and out of the computer database when you enter/leave.
I don't know what anyone has to complain about getting into the Ukraine. It was a lot easier and quicker then getting back into the US with our ridiculous and ineffective security procedures. But of course it's nothing like breezing in and out of an EU country, the reason being is that they have their security procedures rooted in reality, they profile.
[QUOTE=Uke Boy]
Then came the all too frequent Ukrainian surprise. The "immigration forms" that were given to us in the plane, the ones used for the last few years, are no longer valid and everyone who filled one out on the plane had to go back and get new ones to fill out all over again and then stand in the queue again or jump to the front.
Are the new forms any different? No, they ask for all the same information all over again. This time, however, instead of a form with lots of ads and very readable, this one is on very flimsy paper old Soviet style toilet paper, microscopic in its typeface and I would guess many will lose it while they are in Ukraine. All that means is that on leaving, you will have fun arguing with a passport control agent on the way out that you came in legally and were registered! Isn't this a fun place?
For those of you who think that the possible upcoming visa-free travel will be an easy process, I suggest you think again. If there is a way to bureaucratically screw up something potentially good, they will find a way.
By the way, even a VIP passenger would have been hard pressed to get ahead of the queue in this situation.
Customs was another problem since they were also on a full search regime. Everything had to be x-rayed but after that you could still head for the green line.
I still got out in 20 minutes from start to finish but then I also did what most locals do, which is to jump the queues as much as possible.[/QUOTE]
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Anyone who can brings girls to RP, work the talent and then leave with the same girls he brought is my hero. You da man!
[QUOTE=Mickey Mouse]The Mouse was off and running last night with 3 Girls (one is special) in tow and we did make it to RP and others. Now I was able to do some recon (pricing etc) and talk to some talent even though I left with my own. This place, Kiev, is somehting!
I guess the main difference with BA is 1. Pricing and 2. You preference in looks.
A Full report to follow when I get more than 2 minutes alone,
The Mouse reporting[/QUOTE]
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Kiev travel log
here is part one of my kiev travel log. i had ment to keep up on it while i was in kiev on a daily basis, but we all know how that goes. if there is any interest i'll post and finish the rest.
“i am a travel girl, i travel across the world, my only friend is the bus”…thump thump thump…ah, my first night in kiev. i’m sitting in an upscale mobbed up casino/bar/strip club which has some very fine talent on display. including one silicon enhanced blonde, ah perhaps the ukrainians are more advanced then i thought.
but i am getting ahead of myself by about 10 hours or so. let’s start off at kiev’s international airport, which is about 30 minutes outside the city. i disembark from the plane and go to clear customs – ah the ukraine, is it indeed the slavic loving chauvinistic male pig dreamland? i open the door to the custom hall and enter; a 5’4 105 blonde in 4” stiletto heels and a 16” skirt in immigration official green greets and moves me to the proper line. ah yes, i think i’ve come to the right place.
i go up to the male immigration official in the typical small booth. i’m more then slightly annoyed that the wave of the magic blue passport didn’t bring a disinterested shrug and a wave as it has always done in all my travels, with the exception of montreal (i won’t even get into the <insert favorite french ethnic slur>/canadian fake odd hate of americans). from that point on i make an effort to make sure if i’m dealing with anyone in the ukraine that person is female. it pays off for me at the custom desk, where a very attractive but conservatively (for a ukrainian girl) dress girl gets my best american, “how you doing?” – they aren’t showing re runs of friends in the ukraine yet, are they? i’m not exactly smuggling two kilo’s of drugs in my body cavities but i do have around 2,000 usd on me, which is about 1k over the limit. but there is a long line of people that have to declare and no line at the non declaring area (i did say i was american, right?). she asks me how much money i have on me; i shrug my shoulders and say 500 she gives me the disinterested shrug and wave that i look for with all my dealings with immigration/custom officials. good girl. open the door and bang, i’m in the ukraine. i spot the driver with the sign with my name on it; he’s about 15 yards away. i make my way past all the drivers asking if i need a ride, walk to his car and off we go to my rental apartment where i’m about to get my first taste of ukrainian service (you can’t see my eyes roll or the sarcasm in my voice ;) – but i’m a slavophile and this isn’t my first 2nd world country so i have a good idea what i am in for.
after a quick 30 minute drive to the center of kiev in a nice small audi sedan. since the driver understands very little english i spend most of my time studying the countryside. the trip from the airport is typical of a fairly new airport, it belies the eastern european nature of the ukraine; i get the impression that i am in any western european country, until i get to the edge of kiev. construction is everywhere, which is a very good sign. but until i get to the very center of kiev i get a very 1980’s pittsburgh feel – not bad, not good. the very center of kiev is typical of any european city, but yet i feel that something is a bit off. it isn’t until later that i learn that the soviets had destroyed all the old buildings of kiev in order to indoctrinate the people of kiev in the ways of communism – funny how they didn’t do that in moscow, saint petersburg or a number of other russian cities (welcome to pseudo communism).
i couldn’t have asked for a better location for my apartment even if i had the experience of a 20 year kiev native. the location of perfect, it’s right on the corner of the main street in kiev and a few steps from the underground shopping complex of metrograd (which comes in handy during the winter). lenin himself stands guard outside my door, it’s odd in a country that was raped by russia how he is still semi revered, ah, selective history. up i go to the top floor of the apartment building; the elevator which by modern american standards is a bit shabby i later come to find out is quite the status symbol. the entryway is nice but once again a bit shabby by modern american standards. there is someone in a little office/booth about 16-18 hours out of the day, which is nice because for the first two days i had a hard time getting used to the odd combination locks on the 1st and 2nd doors. i tip the driver 5 euros (no need to for euros here), i know that is quite a bit by ukrainian standards, but the driver will probably be the one who takes me back to the airport. i want him to remember me and be on time. inside the apartment i go – very nice but this isn’t the apartment that i had booked online. very nice, fantastic location but no desk for my laptop in the bedroom, no dvd player, no english cable channels, no place to eat except for a miniscule breakfast bar in the kitchen and a oversized coffee table in the living room. oh well, i think the trade off for the location is worth it. as it turns out, the desk in the bedroom would have only gotten in the way (smirk), i can play dvd’s on my laptop, i missed two weeks of superbowl hype and iraqi election/bush inauguration nonsense, not having someplace to eat the few meals i had in the apartment was a bit annoying but ‘oh well’.
i meet the apartment rental manager he’s friendly and nice and gives me a quick run down of the apartment. he didn’t have my rental cell phone with him nor my internet access card. i tell him how important both are to me (after all i can’t work the girls without my tools), he tells me another manager will be by around 6 to drop both off. i gave him 20 usd and sent him on his way. time for a power nap.
at 720 i hear the door buzzer, right on time for a ukrainian. it’s the female rental manager and she is quite attractive. she has both my phone and my internet card. we chat a bit and i mention how nice it would be if i could arrange a tour of someone to show me around kiev. of course i was imply that she should show me around. we end up play phone tag for most of my trip there but could never set anything up. however we did have lunch one day.
it takes me a little while to get my internet card going. this was my first experience with pay as you go internet service and a long time since i had to use dial up. i’m just about finished setting my account up when i get one of the oddest phone calls of my life on my rental cell phone. i pick up the phone and the voice on the other end says (in american), “hello, did you just call me?”. now back in the states i would reply no and hang up but i’m in kiev and an american just called me on my rental phone that no one has the number to. this is just too odd to dismiss. after a little bit of small talk we make plans to meet the next day because i have plans to meet an internet date that night at fridays.
as it turns out my internet date ends up blowing me off, and no, not in that good way. hmm, getting blow off by an internet date in fridays…i look around me, yes people are speaking ukrainian, i’m in kiev, not the us. my apartment is just across the street from fridays so it’s no big deal. i also chatted up a few people at the bar while i was at fridays so it wasn’t a complete waste. so i head back to my place and give my new american friend a call. i get him on the phone and it turns out he had just made plans for the night. but he would be more then happy to meet me at his apartment. leery but game i had for his place which is only a few minutes away.
i make it to his place we talk a bit about his experience in kiev, it turns out he has been there for six years. he asks me what i’m looking for in kiev, i tell him short term or long term, lease, rental or buy i’m game for it all. it seems like he isn’t too much in the p4p scene but is more of a serial dater. he is quite nice and friendly and we end up spending a lot of time working the bars in kiev. but that night he is busy and he has his main girl friend coming over. so he hands me off to two other americans he knows. one of whom has been in kiev for ten(!?) years, i can only imagine what kiev was like in 1994!
we ended up going to the dnipro strip club first, that is what my opening paragraph alludes too. it was an off night (tuesday or wednesday) the place is nearly empty but the talent on the stage is still top notch. i watch a few rotations and settle on this tight body energetic brunette. one of my new friends talks to the waitress and the girl comes over to the table. she was hot, but not the hottest girl in the club, but she had the best demeanor about her. she spoke english ok and after some small talk i finally cut to the chase, she said 400. i replied in amazement, ‘400 what?’ my friends had already told me that the going rate was 300usd at the club so i knew this place wasn’t cheap by kiev standards, but at 400 i could pull talent from a us strip club. sure it would probably only be for a mechanical hour but hey, i already knew i could get anything i wanted at the river palace for 150usd and principal was at stake. besides i like to go p4p with an option that it might go a little bit beyond that and the more i talked to this girl the less i was getting that vibe. besides, she must have been crazy for not being interested in a young good looking american ;). so i sent her on her way after she finished her drink, i paid the parties tab and off we went to the river palace.
ah, the river palace, what can i say about that place that hasn’t been said already. first off, it’s a river boat or i should say river ship, it’s too large to be called a boat. but having a permanently moored ship, boat, barge serving as a casino/bar/club/disco is common in europe. it’s quite nice, about mid scale for an american club/disco. i never went to the casino section of the ship but spent most of my time in the disco and a little time downstairs in the sports bar watching american football during the play off games. the staff was accommodating and almost up to american standards of attentiveness. the selection of girl was quite large and varied. regardless of what anyone else might say i didn’t see or encounter a girl who wasn’t available for p4p. but then again as i already mentioned i am a young handsome american, 150 and me…who could resist ;). i really wasn’t all that interested in being charming or funny to get a good deal, i was however more then willing to be funny and charming for mind blowing sex (and it worked). i’ll never understand why guys go to the rp for anything other then p4p action when there are other clubs in kiev where they can play the big white hunter. during my time in kiev i went to rp four times and had five girls. each experience was better then the first with the last one being a threesome. two of the girl i had were pro’s (one being a kept girl stepping out on her daddy – she said 1k/month didn’t cut it) and three were semi pro’s looking to make a little coin. the threesome was one of the most mind blowing experiences of my life. i woke up around 10 in the morning with two very attractive girls snuggling on either side of me. the living room and bedroom looked like a bomb had gone off. drinking glasses, bottles, clothes and used condoms were all over the place. ah the memories…thank you oksana 1 and oksana 2. however, some of my friends have reported so-so experiences from rp, so beware the caveat; your mileage may vary.
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Cruiser,
Keep up with your report. It is always fun to read the experiences of others who come here on short stays. Even we long-timers can always learn a thing or two.
As for the airport experience, Americans do breeze through immigration at home since there is a separate series of officers waiting just for us. All others have to go to another area and then also be fingerprinted and other nonsense that in the end won't help stop any terrorists but will stop some tourism.
I talked about Borispol because it can sometimes be very chaotic, something that you apparently did not experience. Four flights coming into such a small airport at one time, and one of them from a non-European country can lead to very long delays and lines unless you know how to work it. The new customs forms just make it that much more chaotic.
As for that mere paperwork formality, yes, you can lose it and still leave the country. However, be prepared for a ball-busting time from the border guard when you do exit. I have seen it and heard it more than once as I was leaving with others next to or nearby me who lost their forms. They do like to let you know who is in charge at that point...
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Cruiser,
Nice report. I am going to Kiev next month. Can you tell me who got you the apartment, phone and internet card and at what rates? I would be interested in them too.
Happy hunting