–Then there was CHOP
The wagon only took us around 10 km or so, probably less. It stopped in a train station named Chop. Pight above the name station’s name was the Ukrainian Flag. As we left the wagon, I realized we were headed towards customs. The customs officer was shocked to see an American passport. We realized later that not many Americans pass by that station. In the old soviet train station we had to wait three hours. Shan and I realized this may be our only opportunity to use a relaxing restroom and relieve ourselves. Now, I apologize for the next things I mention, but the bathrooms were disgusting in this particular station. The toilet–if you can call them that–were squatters, which meant you had to pop down and do the deed. If you could get passed that then you also have to deal with the flies and the poop that was smeared around the toilet. I couldn’t do it. My bowel movement decided they could wait after seeing that mess.
I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and changed my shirt. As I was leaving I saw a man coming in. The bathrooms was also unisex.
As the waiting began to get to us, a man approached us, probably around his early 50’s carrying a backpackers bag, and asked us in Russian if we were Japanese. I’m like “no buddy,” hoping he would leave us alone, sure he seemed harmless but you never know. He began talking to us in English. Asking us questions, answering question. He was a Croatian who had liven Ukraine for 7 years, traveled most of his life meeting different people along the way. He was also going to Kiev but he was taking connecting car to another town which was 5 hours away from Kiev. To our surprise, he turned out to be a really nice man who helped register our tickets. He also offered us food, and even though we were starving, we politely declined. After waiting, what seemed like a lifetime, we got on the train and found out we had beds, how very cute, three small bed in each compartment, there was already somebody on the bottom. Realizing this Shan quickly claims the second one, so I got stuck with the top one. At least, we were finally headed to Kiev.
