There are several spectacular churches nearby including St. Andrews with its golden spires and the St. Sophia Cathedral. Inside the first we found scarlet robed monks chanting and singing in front of the gold encrusted alter. There are no seats in the church and the faithful stand in a semicircle around the monks. It was now after 6 and St. Sophia was unfortunately closed for the day.

https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8024/2...bba78f32_b.jpgUkraine-15 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Today the weather is much better and sunny, but windy. We walked thru the Mariyinski park and past the palace, which is the official ceremonial residence of the President of the Ukraine and which is under major renovation.


https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8372/2...951888c0_b.jpgUkraine-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Next stop is at the Memorial of eternal Glory,

“The Park of Eternal Glory to the Soldiers of The World War II has a spectacular view on the city and it showcases the monuments dedicated to those who gave up their lives while protecting the Motherland. The Glory Obelisk takes the central place in the park. It was installed in 1957. At the pedestal of 26meter stella you can find a Grave of an Unknown Soldier. The Eternal Fire also reminds us about heroic deeds of our ancestors. The Flame for ceremonial opening was brought directly from the field of the Stalingrad battle.”

Also located here is the memorial to the victims of Holodomor. The monument to the Victims of Starvation Times 1932-1933. In the center of the monument you can see a bell tower in shape of a burning candle. “

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8331/2...1acbd8fa_b.jpgUkraine-18 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We then walked down to the open air part of the Museum of the history of the Ukraine in WW2. There are a large collection of military items and sculptures depicting war time struggles. The museum is dominated by the Mother of the Fatherland statue.

“The Motherland Monument is a monumental statue of stainless steel that stands 62 m (203 ft) tall upon the museum building with the overall structure measuring 102 m (335 ft) and weighing 560 tons. The sword in the statue's right hand is 16 m (52 ft) long weighing 9 tons, with the left hand holding up a 13 by 8 m (43 by 26 ft) shield with the State Emblem of the Soviet Union. The Memorial hall of the Museum displays marble plaques with carved names of more than 11,600 soldiers and over 200 workers of the home-front honoured during the war with the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union and the Hero of Socialist Labor. The sword of the statue was cut because the tip of the sword was higher than the cross of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra monastery”

https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8451/2...4f8a90aa_b.jpgUkraine-25 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8491/2...21a61db5_b.jpgUkraine-23 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8010/2...7e1f601a_b.jpgUkraine-24 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8022/2...c107033d_b.jpgUkraine-26 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8317/2...52f5fd67_b.jpgUkraine-21 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8017/2...50dcc600_b.jpgUkraine-22 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

This is where we were headed next. This is a huge complex of churches that is inside a small walled city inside Kiev. Here all women must be wearing a skirt or borrow one there and they must cover their hair inside the churches and the caves.

“Kiev Pechersk Lavra also known as the Kiev Monastery of the Caves, has since its foundation in 1051 been a preeminent center of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Eastern Europe. Together with the Saint Sophia Cathedral, it is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While being a cultural attraction, the monastery is currently active. It was named one of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine on 21 August 2007”

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8334/2...3c8092cd_b.jpgUkraine-19 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8515/2...88092dc1_b.jpgUkraine-20 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

One of the most interesting things to visit are the caves. To get there you must find the entry (ask we had to even after following the caves this way signs), which is at the bottom of a very long covered freestanding stairway. Both sides of the narrow lane are lined with stalls selling candles, honey, flowers, and other religious items. Once you have run the gauntlet there is a sign that says cave entrance. There is no entry fee, but you must buy a bees wax candle for 3 Hryvina (about .15 $ Canadian) and you will need it. Once you descend the stair to the cave system it is pitch black except the candle lights. Walking into a tunnel is like going into deep space. Along the walls are carved out areas that the monks created to display the sacred relics. Here you can see the caskets and bodies of Eastern Orthodox religious figures. It is very dark, very hot, and very crowded down here and so is not for the even mildly claustrophobic. There is a larger “room” which was crowded with the faithful and a service was going on. Most of the people are here to pray and honour those buried here. The tradition is of one kissing the relic after saying a quick blessing.


“The Kiev Pechersk Lavra caverns are a very complex system of narrow underground corridors (about 1-1½ metres wide and 2-2½ metres high), along with numerous living quarters and underground chapels. In 1051, the monk Anthony had settled in an old cave in one of the hills surrounding the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. This cave apparently grew, with numerous additions including corridors and a church, and is now what we know as the Far Caves. In 1057, Anthony moved to a cave near the Upper Lavra, now called the Near Caves.” There are over a hundred burials in the Lavra.


https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8311/2...0886c8b3_b.jpgUkraine-8 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8005/2...f971e404_b.jpgUkraine-9 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8138/2...ccbf981b_b.jpgUkraine-27 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8264/2...7166b7d5_b.jpgUkraine-28 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8263/2...eec9aa4c_b.jpgUkraine-29 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8764/2...5cb9157a_b.jpgUkraine-14 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8271/2...a9d30069_b.jpgUkraine-17 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr


https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8393/2...c0c1a6fc_b.jpgUkraine-10 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8198/2...cab4891e_b.jpgUkraine-30 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr


https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8782/2...ee1706a1_b.jpgUkraine-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8138/2...f68ba133_b.jpgUkraine-33 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

From Kiev we will make our way east to Poland, but take a few days instead of going on the highway. The first day was 418 km to Rivne, but via Korosten and Sarny.


https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8193/2...0c11c067_b.jpgScreen Shot 2016-08-16 at 20.23.56 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

The road surface on the E373 was very smooth. The driving here was civilized and trucks pulled over to the verge to let you pass and if you did the same for a car they gave you the “thank you” flash.


https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8331/2...8a2cf437_b.jpgRivne CC by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8533/2...b9c26cdd_b.jpgRivne CC-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

This changed totally once you head south at Sarny. The road surface is deeply grooved and patched and there is no verge to pull over so back to aggressive Ukrainian drivers passing practices. We had booked a hotel down town that had good parking and a very good restaurant next door. We had a splurge meal of 2 large and 1 small beer, 2 borscht, 2 very good pork chop entrees, coffee and desert for about 15$ Canadian with tip.

Today the forecast is partly cloudy however it is totally cloudy, but not raining yet. We set out for a 224 km route to Lviv hoping to get in early to get some laundry done.


https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8109/2...f3120e78_b.jpgScreen Shot 2016-08-17 at 17.40.19 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8518/2...1d6f8e78_b.jpgIviv CC-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We had chosen this cheap hotel because it was close to the only laundry in town. We had not been able to find one in the last 2 towns. The road luckily was good until Lutsk since it started to rain after about a half an hour after we left. It was heavy at times and of course when we on the H17 about 75 km from LVIV, when the road surface for a big section was totally unreal. To quote Dan “horrific”. It was like a sea of massive pot holes with small strips of pavement between. The holes were full of water and there were cars and trucks swerving all over on both sides of the road. Luckily this did not last long.

Ice cream therapy


https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8842/2...07df80fd_b.jpgIviv CC-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Arriving to LVIV the traffic was terrible and this is because of the 5 separate accidents we saw in the last 6 km. They just drive too fast here. It really started to rain very heavily just after we arrived to our hotel.


Cider therapy

https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7501/2...9fea7611_b.jpgIviv CC-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

The rain did however stop by just after 6 and we walked over to the laundry to drop off all the smelly gear. It was quite amusing trying to confirm that we could pick it up at 9 am the next morning! Thank goodness for the calendar and clock apps on my phone!


https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8894/2...67749520_b.jpgIviv CC-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Today is a great day the sun is shining, the laundry is clean, and the trifecta…the bikes are washed. Again this guys did an amazing job washing them and then refused payment! Luckily there was another customer there who spoke English and we could find out what the price should be and paid him.

https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8065/2...e01381fa_b.jpgIviv CC-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7778/2...57a82789_b.jpgIviv CC by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We are headed to Gorlice Poland today in 266 km, but this will take at least 6 hours including the border if we are lucky.

https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8339/2...c5a87335_b.jpgScreen Shot 2016-08-18 at 21.27.09 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

The road surface is not to bad, except for about 25 km west of Sambir, where it is like swiss cheese. The last 15 are fresh paved.

https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8123/2...1f0125bb_b.jpgScreen Shot 2016-08-18 at 21.27.45 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8505/2...8e059a66_b.jpgGorlice CC by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8174/2...233894ff_b.jpgGorlice CC-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8471/2...f35c97be_b.jpgGorlice CC-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8169/2...93fcf368_b.jpgGorlice CC-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

When we arrived there was at least a km of cars and trucks lined up before the border crossing. We drove by the ling long line and no one said anything. It is 1330 and Im pretty sure many of them will still be here at dark.


https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8505/2...2aa1a86f_b.jpgGorlice CC-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

When we arrived to the front the Ukrainian guards came right over and waved us thru to the first gate. They again gave us the little scrap of paper with the plate number on it. Then we were let thru the gate and joined one of the 3 lines since each had about 10 cars.


https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8835/2...bc4c4ae4_b.jpgGorlice CC-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

The exit from Ukraine took 1 1/2 hours! There again was an issue with our moto “passport” or title. They kept asking why our plates are Colombian if we are Canadian. We finally got them to understand that British Columbia is a province of Canada. Here in Europe they have country plates and not state or province plates like we have in north, central, and south America. Meanwhile while we did this all the people in the cars behind us are lined up to get there papers processed, but since their cars are all trapped in the line there is no getting ahead of the person infant of them.

Finally after all this the customs official wanted to look in the luggage (first time in 59 countries) and we rode ahead to the next window. By look I mean we opened the pannier and the dry bag and he looked without touching for about 3 seconds.

Next to get back into the EU and the Schengen zone. Here they accepted the Titles, but were again confused with the whole Colombia Columbia thing. It was much easier to explain to the Polish officer as he spoke English. After he sent Dan on to customs he wanted to chat about our trip, route and plans. When I said we were going to the stans he said “ you know there can be big trouble there” I said we always take safety into consideration in planning the route and current events play into that. Putin is escalating on the eastern border of Ukraine and of course we did not go to the Crimea. He said of course not “it is Jurassic park there”. He then really wanted to know if anything bad had happened to us in Ukraine, I said no nothing and he was surprised. In fact other that the small shake down we had at the Honduras border we have had nothing bad done to us! Despite everyone telling us we were going to be shaken down by Ukrainian police every day they did not even give us a second look for the 9 days we were there. We had no issues. People were just really nice to us. The Poland entry was a quick 30 minutes.

https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8318/2...1dfdaf99_b.jpgGorlice CC-8 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8584/2...f09c08a2_b.jpgPoland-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr


Once you cross the border it all changes. The road is smooth, there are curves and hills. You can read the signage, which helped when we found a nice restaurant 10 minutes later for a traditional lunch.


https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8281/2...2a985a67_b.jpgGorlice CC-9 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

From the border to Gorlice (Gor-leet-se) it is another 2 1/2 hours (211 km) of good road, but one half of the way is on the busy 28. Arriving to the town we stocked up at the LIDL since our homestay had a full kitchen. Yeah home cooked meals.


https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8450/2...8b35d902_b.jpgGorlice CC-10 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We had met Rafal on the ferry to Iceland and he is in fact the one who told us about the Schengen zone. He lives in Copenhagen and krakow and since he is in Poland now he invited us to stay with him. We only had to get to Krakow in 132 km, but since we had all day we did a loop into Slovakia and planned to visit the salt mine at Wieliczka as well.


https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8309/2...0636298e_b.jpgScreen Shot 2016-08-24 at 19.26.59 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We rode south directly from Gorlice to Bardejov Slovakia.

https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8056/2...e2b53f37_b.jpgKrakow CC by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

This is over a mountain pass with a nice set of switch backs on both sides. So nice in fact we rode back and did it again. At Bardejov (which has a very nice market square) we turned almost immediately and headed north west towards Krakow.


https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8482/2...2238a5e9_b.jpgKrakow CC-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8124/2...99950899_b.jpgKrakow CC-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8199/2...46d501f2_b.jpg

https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8056/2...8bdd0cb5_b.jpgKrakow CC-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8133/2...d2bbc768_b.jpgPoland-31 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8054/2...6ee63b88_b.jpgPoland-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We arrived to the salt mine just after 430 and the next English tour started at 5.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8745/2...ca0dabb7_b.jpgPoland-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

At the Danilowicz Shaft you walk down 66 levels on the 350 wooden stairs to the first level of the mine at 64 meters under ground.
https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7788/2...afedb638_b.jpgPoland-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8032/2...16fb74a9_b.jpgPoland-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8240/2...d4a5a39f_b.jpgPoland-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

“The Wieliczka Salt Mine opened in the 13th century, the mine produced table salt continuously until 2007, as one of the world's oldest salt mines in operation. Commercial mining was discontinued in 1996 due to low salt prices and mine flooding. The mine's attractions include dozens of statues and four chapels carved out of the rock salt by the miners. The older sculptures have been supplemented with new carvings made by contemporary artists. About 1.2 million people visit the mine annually. It reaches a depth of 327 meters and is over 287 kilometers (178 mi) long. The rock salt is naturally grey in various shades, resembling unpolished granite rather than the white or crystalline look.”


https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8437/2...b3025025_b.jpgPoland-9 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr