It was an early start today walking through Amersham in the pitch black, pitch black myself and getting this Chiltern Line train into town. A couple coffees later and by Liverpool Street I was in that lucid state of being very tired and very awake simultaneously thanks a second coffee...

Rob arrived just in time to get the train bound for Stansted. Had a decent catch-up laugh etc and it seemed like we were in Stansted in seconds. Stansted was ultra-smooth, no dramas at all. Security sublime and although I hit an energy low before boarding it was still a pleasant airport journey. Which I happily told the Civil Aviation Authority in a survey.

It seems an annual tradition for me to now sit next to a vomitting baby on the way to a European capital. This time last year it was a Malian boy on the Eurostar to Kings Cross, now a Ukrainian girl. Still, other than the occasional cry, it was a good flight. The Ryanair plane was surprisingly spacious, and I had a window seat affording spectacular views of the snowy plains of Poland.

Landing and immigration were all smooth, as for the most part was getting money. Changing in the airport a more reliable way of getting money than ATMs. We then took the skybus, nothing special - just a bus called a skybus, into the centre of Kyiv.

It became yet another adventure trying to find the hostel. On the arse-melting bus ride I managed to work out that the final stop of this bus would take us near the hostel. Unfortunately, Ukrainian data wasn't as helfpul as Turkish data in actually pinpointing where the hostel was...

We searched and searched, knowing roughly that the hostel was next to a big flat block opposite the ministry of defense and near a brothel that judging by the signage had apple-related fetishes. After a visit to McDonalds to use wi-fi to work out directions we were still at a lost on our return to the scene of the crime. Then, with the wonders of google translate and the kind help of a local shopkeeper, managed to find that the entrance to the hostel had been staring us in the face the entire time.

A massive sign - Vshokoladi - next to a block of flats, with a very clear large staircase. Yes, this hostel is in a basement! Still, means it is very warm. It's a bit of a Soviet bunker but very warm and good wi-fi. Does the job I guess.

I've only seen Kiev in the dark so haven't come to much of an opinion. The streets are icey, and snow is thick in the uncleared patches. The light pollution is severe, but it isn't really busy. Also, people all look in very good shape and seem to be the type to give cold vibes but actually on interacting warm and friendly.

Can't wait to discover more of Kiev and Ukraine. It's a fleeting visit, but am sure will be one of my most memorable trips.

Laters!