Jason and Zoe's trip Ukraine: Istanbul

My colleague and on-and-off (lol) friend Jason and his sweetheart of a girlfriend Zoe (she is a brilliant baker) recently went on a trip to the Ukraine and Turkey. This was during the Euro 2012 period, so you can imagine how excited he was to be passing through during this fantastic time. And as a bonus, while South African's were complaining about freezing weather, he was in shorts and flip-flops and doing touristy stuff in those beautiful cities. Can you see I am green? Well, if not, the reflection on my face is called green (with envy). This is a snippet of his recollection of the trip as he told me about it when he came back...

Jason to me: "For my annual leave, the Mrs and I decided it might be a good idea to visit her parents in the sunny and always popular Ukraine. Not your usual vacation, but it does make for some interesting conversations:

Randomer: So where are you going?

Me: Oh, we are going to Kiev via Istanbul.

Randomer: ...Ooooh sounds great! (confused look on face - imagine someone trying to look up and see their own eyebrows)...Uh...where is that?

Me: Well Kiev is in the Ukraine, it’s a former soviet satellite state….(more eyebrow spotting)… it’s on the Black Sea (me hoping the penny drop)… eastern Europe?... they are playing the Europ football there, it’ll be on while we are there…

Randomer: Ooooh Kiev, now I know where you mean (they don’t) , the Euro is gonna be great!

Me: Yea Zoe and I are very excited, should be great with all the fans coming in.

Randomer: Yea sounds awesome, have a good time over there… blah blah, etc.

"That aside the trip took place in two parts, the first was a 12 hour stop-over in Istanbul (formerly Constantinople) Turkey, where we saw the old city (awesome - a must see for anyone). The Majority of the trip was in Kyiv (correct spelling - although most would spell it Kiev).  Kyiv is one of those destinations which is as weird as it is interesting, it’s the capital of Ukraine and to describe it would take rather a long time, so I’ll do it kinda short like: Used to be communist, now capitalist lots of rich and poor people (like SA), women are slender and pretty (no big bodied people under the age of 40), people speak Russian and Ukrainian (sounds the same to me)… Also meat is very expensive L but beer tastes amazing and is cheap, and as a bonus smokers will only pay R11.00 for a box of 20 Marlborough’s! You can’t drink the tap water but bottled water is more expensive than beer (it’s a tough choice I know). The currency costs the same as ours so it’s a great place for South African tourists to visit. Public transport is cheap and ugly but works very very well and the subway escalators are a mix between a mine shaft and a roller coaster… Yea! that about sums it up…oh yea lots and I mean LOTS of churches J. They like angels…a lot. I would really recommend going, but learn some Russian first and see Turkey, really go see it."

Me to my readers: I know you might be wondering what's wrong with this guy, yeah well he talks like that and tends to throw in all the information he knows in conversations. I just give him the look and he laughs and calls me all sorts of names (or something to that effect). Nonetheless, again someone makes me long to travel and see parts of the world. It is a dream of mine, that I should make sure gets fulfilled one way or the other (minus trafficking drugs). Enjoy some pictures he shared with me (they are stunning)!

Map of Ukraine

 Photo's from Istanbul:

The Lavra, birthplace of the Orthodox Russian Church.

A statue of an angel, one amongst many others...

Compositions of a Broken Winged Angel

I enclosed myself in-between my pretty broken wings, the cracks of my soul escaping between the crumbling pieces. Trying to be intact so my wounds could be healed and my soul returned to me. Nothing cuts deep as loss, for with loss you also loose love. I opened my heart for all humanity to see, two faced as it told stories of joy and pain.

I made room for mankind and a seed was planted on unfertile grounds, depriving it of growth for no man could water this seed. I took a step, de-planted the seed for the rain dancer had escaped to the hills, to hide from her fruitless pursuits to nourish the lands. Dry soil, dry soul, even my tears could not further your growth.

Then you came to me one night, as an angel whose wings I had plucked. You whispered in my ear 'I now reside in your soul, my pretty shattered wings will forever be inked on your back. My breath is now one with your shadow'. I looked into the universe above, shed tears that never touched the ground and said a prayer for you. The answer drifted, You are me, I am you.

I pointed my pen to the moon, and it gave me starts to guide my steps. I filled the air thick with the scent of ink, and the wind whispered my name. I summoned the heat of the sun and it glazed my skin with with wings of fire to lift me out of Lucifer's lair.

I kissed the universe and light years away a galaxy was born. I transcended gravity-less into space, and the heavens became my pedestal. I gave God my hand and the angels belowed in melodies that wrote on the devils skin. I looked destiny in the eye, and fate became my third I.

Writings of your name sit invisibly on my walls. My screams, calling out your name for I need refuge are muffled out by pride. Day in, day out, the mornings call out your name. Night in, night out, I hear your voice speaking in toungues and cease to listen. Your confused face at the beatings I subject you to haunt my twisted dreams. The questions you silently ask me, masked by your grace and care towards me. I confuse myself as I love you, yet hate you for you read my mind and feed on my thoughts. I sink and shy away everyday as you become my souls carrier and my hearts keeper. And in the madness I yearn for you kiss, to write my wrongs and make everything all write.

I write of a soul.
I write of a man.
I write of a mind.
I write of a heart.
I write of a dream.

I write because pens make way to hearts and ink never fades. I refuse to speak for voices are forgotten and humans cease to listen. I open up my heart for all mankind to see... And take a bow as mankind looks at me with wonder.