... in response to a couple more questions..., posted by MNKenr on Aug 17, 2002My Russian and Ukrainian is far below basic. My partner had to deal with the police-- bless her soul. She was magnificent.
I believe that, yes, they would hunt you down and throw you in the clinker if you didn't stop.
I was lucky with my car-- I reserved their lowest priced auto trans one, but it wasn't available so they gave me a free upgrade to midsize.
I totally agree that there are more cost effective ways of traveling and you hear everyone advise that you get a local driver, but I couldn't do that. For me, driving ourselves meant we were free to be ourselves with zero interference, set our agenda, change it on a whim, make our own discoveries, and experience the country hands on. You do risk, however, that you will drive each other nuts.
You had a question about vandalism: I should have mentioned another thing. Every night we tried to park our car behind someone's gate. It seems that in many towns and cities there are gated parking lots with security where you can leave your car overnight for a small fee (a few dollars). This is wise to do if you have a nice car. We didn't take many chances. Just ask around for the local secure parking lot. In most of the places we were (like Lviv), this was available. Your lady can ask around for you. However, one time we were in the middle of nowhere and we stayed at a hotel that was kind of rowdy in the bar downstairs. However, there was no damage to the car although I parked right outside the front door.
I did bring my international driver's license that I got from triple A and the cops did peruse it each time. I am glad I got one.
It was my pleasure to pass all this on. It should be realized that driving there is much more dangerous than here. Still, I hope some might find this a way to bond more deeply with their loved ones and have some unforgettable positive experiences.
