2019-11-09 Day 386 Sat

Around 0400hrs, sailing time we receive a piece of paper and told to proceed to the gate. We did so.

When I handed the paper to the guy at the gate he complained that I needed another stamp and to go upstairs. Upstairs the guy with good English told me he could not help as it was a different agent, and to ring the other numbers. I didn’t have my phone so went back to the gate. I tried to explain that could not get the stamp. The issue was the stamp was yesterdays date 8^th) the day we were supposed to sail.

He walked off and came back in 5 minutes and let us through. John drove slowly as we were not sure where we were going. A car came passed and flashed his lights and waved for us to follow. 
 

We parked and were told vehicle paperwork thru this door and immigration around the corner.

When we entered the room the immigration agent hardly acknowledge us. I shoved our passports at him and then he slowly thumbed through them. Asked for car rego stamped the passports and we exited to customs.
 

We had to wait 5 mins for a brief inspection and then free to go to ship.

Parked behind a row of rail cars.
 

We walked almost the length of the parking bay and up the lift. Registered for room key and left our passports at registration. 
 

A double bed, a couple of chairs, desk, fridge and shower & head. We were under the bridge and our porthole opened forward over looking the forward deck. A nice view.

John had an hours sleep while I did some computer work.

Off for a very authentic breakfast. Egg, sausage and pickle, with yogurt and semolina porridge.

We are called to breakfast over the speaker with a reminder not to be late. This is important as the hot food is already served and after 30 mins the tables are cleared and patrons removed…

Meet with our table mates. Andreas a 24 yr old Danish lad out on various adventures, and Atul a German guy heading out on adventures to India by land (hopefully).

We sat in the lounge/bar and did some computer work and read. About 11am we finally sailed, we watched from the top deck. Another heavy meal and interaction without two new found friends.

Asleep after lunch to catch up on lost hours last night.

A bit of a cool overcast day.

Another big solid meal. They are served with a bowl of salad which is a relief.

Sam is tracking really well from within the cabin perched by the porthole. We came just inside the international water line of Crimea….

267km Camp site  0m alt.

2019-11-08 Day 385 Fri

Outside early to shop for filling the fridge while we have a great supermarket close by. I bought two bunny backs and two legs. Will fit in the freezer better than purchasing a whole but frozen bunny. Hopefully the freezer will be frozen solid as the fridge will be off while on the ferry.

We moved EC up against a concrete barrier and attempted to re-stick the roof rubber.  We had bought nail polish remover and a fire stater liquid (probably meths) but neither worked at taking the old sticky stuff off. Petrol at least softened it, then it could be scraped  with an old credit card. About 3 hours later, cold and hungry we had completed the front and the right side to the join in the center at the back. The other side will have to wait. The fog had rolled in during the after noon.

After a shower and eating a sandwich I put a load of washing on. We then had a short nap and packed what was left in our hotel room. Checking out at about 18:00. I hung the washing over the bed to dry.

As the roads were still quiet busy and visibility was still restricted by the fog, we slowly made our way to the ferry office to pick up our tickets. Tickets in hand and instructions to come back at 2300 to the customs building.

We drove into the town of Chornomorsk at the recommended restaurant and had a great meal of salad, NZ mussels, and pasta accompanied by a glass of wine. We paid in cash to use half our remaining our UAH. Then spent the rest on diesel.

Lining up behind the semi’s at 2300 precisely we waited and waited. I lay on the bed and slept. I did walk up to customs but they said we needed the vehicle there. No chance of that with the semi’s blocking our path. 
 

Camp site

2019-11-05...07 Day 382...384 Tue...Thu

After a very long flight we arrived back into Odessa. The taxi’s wanted to charge us AU$128 to drive us to hotel. We couldn’t quiet remember what it cost to go to the airport but it was cheap. I googled the cost which was about 100UAH about AU$6 they just laughed. We ordered an Uber and although we had to wait ten minutes it cost us 103UAH, $7 I paid him 150UAH he was pleased.

Checked into the hotel and booked another 3 nights, showered and went out to dinner. I had quail again.

Bought a few items for lunches..

In Aus I had finally booked our ferry trip to Karasou in Turkey for the 10th. Just east of the Dardanelles. However I received an email back from the other shipping company and looked up their website. They had a ferry to Batumi in Georgia. We struggled with the map and times and directions of mountains and cold and finally decided to start from the east and see the mountains before it gets too cold before heading to the coast and Cyprus.

After some emails I booked our ferry to Batumi. €950. From when I first looked at the route the ferry departure had been delayed from 8^th at 2300hrs to 9th at 0400hrs

With that organized we worked on the locker seals, door seal and tidying up inside. We were not having much time outside as the sun sinks about 16:30.

To put the new bush on the table mount we had to get the table top off which meant 4 screws (easily removed) but they had glued it down which took crowbar, hacksaw and kitchen knife as well as 90 minutes. Our hardest job yet.

When I removed the rubber from the doorway there was parts of bolts and lots of dirt. Did not get time to reseal it but got the new rubber on.

Now only the roof seal to do.

I had contacted @screwfred via Instagram, (we had met him briefly in Mongolia) He was in Georgia and would be in Batumi just for the night of Monday 11^th.

Hotel

2019-10-14 & 15 Day 382 & 383 Mon & Tue

More clean up. Outside lockers and inside. Emptied the toilet flush water (to avoid freezing), measured voltage of heater but it didn't tell us much. Changed out the fresh water filter. Packed those things we needed to take back. John measured the locker rubbers and the door and ordered it. 
 

Paid for 24 days of parking and received a small discount. 90UAH per day AU$4

Cleaned out the hot water pipe again. The one under the sink and behind the fridge has a built in strainer and gets clogged with  white and clear stuff. Ever since we gave the system it's first vinegar wash.

Left EC feeling a little apprehensive leaving her in an exposed position but the best we could do.

Asked the hotel to book a taxi for 11am to the airport and ask for the driver who drove us to the ballet.

We would be back on Nov 5 for another night in this hotel.

2019-10-13 Day 381 Sun

Happy Birthday to me!

We spent the morning on computers, then started the clean up and some maintenance. Washed loads of bedding and towels even that not dirty just giving everything a good wash. Fridge was emptied and had a clean out, the old stained rubber mats thrown out.

 Dressed up and took a taxi into the city centre and the ballet theater. We wondered around outside in the square. A lot of people outside enjoying the evening. Lads on BMX bikes and skateboards, doing tricks in an around the strollers. 




Inside the old theatre was amazing. Gold paint lavished on the ornate carvings. Boxes on all sides with an ornate, embroidered “curtain”. 

We took lots of photos as the other people were doing. 
 

The first ballet was traditional and quiet delightful. The second “Carmen” was modern with Spanish inspired costumes. Amazing.

After final curtain fall we wandered around inside the building. An old building lovingly restored.

We went for a walk and found a spot for a drink and desert. 












The place had a live band and we were informed that the minimum order was 300per person about AU$20.

A bit more of a wander around the streets then a taxi back to hotel. A lovely birthday.

Hotel

2019-10-12 Day 380 Sat

An earlish start as we wanted to get to our hotel in Odessa while the sun was still up.

We bumped along the rough road until it became unsealed and smooth. Here we could travel at 80km/hr. Once again it became sealed and rough. Slowly, as we closed on Mykolaiv it became of a better quality.
 

From here we were on the main drag all the way to Odessa.

Finally got around to getting all the mud off EC.

A ski jump into the water??

 Kite surfers out and about

 Reading!

We came close to our track from Nov 15 2018. 11 months ago.

Through the city to Arcadia and our hotel. Very busy time of Saturday afternoon. Finally found the accommodation but the security guys would not let us through the gate. Instead we parked on the road side.

I went up to check-in. A lady let me through the door and I showed her my booking. She let me through the next door and said floor 2. 
 

I walked up but only the door to the balcony the next 3 flights just the same, door to balcony. I ventured out to the balcony it and found another door back in at the other end of balcony. I retreated down 3 flights and exited to balcony finding the entrance to the hotel. I managed to book in. I noticed John coming with another load so went out to meet him so he didn’t haven't to “find” the hotel.

 

A nice little one bedroom apartment. 
 

We parked EC in the opposite hotels car park. At a cost of 90UAH (AU$5.50). John parked under a light with the bum hanging outside the car park. A good place for her while we are in Aus.
 



A long hot shower, city clothes then out to dinner. We went to the shopping centre and found a nice restaurant. I had quail which was the nicest I have had. Three halves of large fat quail.


 
 John had a so-so duck burger.

And we tried the Black sea mussels which were rather overpowered by their sauce.

188km Camp site
 

2019-10-11 Day 379 Fri

 Some friendly locals

Back the way we had come then around the top of the inlet (Kherson) and back down the other side.

This lighthouse taken from the southern coast

This same  lighthouse taken from the Northern coast

We chose the coastal route and that was a good road until the road once again turned north.

The last section to the camp was rather slow. The slow road was worse.

  A remote camp site on a large section of very wet beach.

We camped in daylight so went for a long walk along the beach. Returning after sunset.

A really nice evening especially being our last in EC for a while.

131km Camp site  20m alt.

2019-10-10 Day 378 Thu

When John was out taking his camp photo he noticed that the other tracks had barriers across them so our decision last night to stay put was a good one.

South to Melitopol then west to the Black sea coast.

 

Large onion plantation 

being hand picked .

 

An unloved vineyard.

 

 

And much loved cabbage.

 

We drove out towards the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve. Our map showed the area as sand but it was well covered with vegetation. we struggled once again to find a camp on the coast. No tracks out to it. The road was good until the turn off to another reserve on the south coast of spit.

Now the road was full of pot holes and slow. So we would not make the end of the spit. 

Our little track to camp site.

  

 

However we finally found a little fishing spot overlooking the reads and the estuary.

Another site had a large pile of bottles in the middle of site. They had piled them but not removed them. 

341km  Camp site  23m alt.