On the Road Again...

The ten day waiting period is up and it was time to hit the road for Kerch.  I had heard horror stories about the roads outside of the cities but it wasn't too bad.  We were able to move along at a good clip.  It was just bumpy.  Nothing Dramamine couldn't handle.  Here, see for yourself.  I know it looks like the camera is moving more than the car but trust me.  I was trying to hold that thing as steady as possible.  The movement you're seeing is a direct result of the bumps we were hitting. 


It was nice to get out in the country.  Things are starting to come back to life in Ukraine and the fields are just starting to turn green.  The trip consisted primarily of fields with some typical homes interspersed between some small towns.  In many ways it looked like the Midwest in early spring.  The difference was that in place of corn and beans there appeared to be grass and grape vines.  It really was an enjoyable ride.  Bumpy, but enjoyable.


When we got close to Kerch we passed through what I would call a beach town complete with houses that people who had been to the outer banks of North Carolina might recognize as beach houses.  They stuck out like sore thumbs amongst the original homes but none the less they were there.  The only thing missing was a Dunes or Beaches with bright neon signs proclaiming sales on non-absorbent beach towels and 0.99 sunglasses.

on the right, a beach house, the left, traditional homes

Beach house under construction

I can now say I have seen the Black Sea

 

even if it was overcast and cloudy

One thing I noticed about Kerch, even the small part I saw, was that everything appeared clean, brighter, and more ornate.  This may be because Kerch is considered a hero city.  (A large number of people died defending Kerch in WWII) or it may be due to the tourist $$$ brought in because of the black sea.  Either way, it was fun to see the different decorations that were scattered around the streets.  It was almost like a scavenger hunt looking for the decorations and trying to get a picture of them.  Unfortunately I missed more than I caught but here are the few I caught.

While the character below might not be a decoration, he was most certainly in the middle of the road and quite determined to stay there.  This was at a railroad crossing and this fella was slowly trotting down the line of cars looking into each and every one of them.  I got this shot because Yivginny was talking to him.  He was smiling so while I didn't understand what he was saying, I'm sure it was light hearted.  Shortly after Yivginny finished his conversation, the pup trotted off the road and on his way.

There was nothing special about the government building we had to go into to complete the update of Julias' birth certificate.  Just a large concrete structure.  It was a bit anti-climatic but this was the last step in the process prior to starting to work with the American government officials and, it went off without a hitch.  We went in, dropped the paperwork, went to lunch, picked up the paperwork and went on our way.  I was advised that this was not typical and that the process can sometimes take days so I was very grateful that all it took was a lunch hour.

The Last Ukrainian Government Building I will walk into to complete Julia's Adoption

So now I will wait until Monday.  That's when we submit our paperwork for our passport and hope for the best.  If all goes well Julia and I should be home before April!