We got into Kiev without incident and waited for Dan in the centre of town just next to the train station. Taya quietly disappeared for a while and brought back a jug of water for all of us.

Taya seemed like an incredible girl who thought about every detail but was shy and didn’t accept any crossing thank you. She seemed to always be in the background helping, cooking, taking picture and taking care of us. She didn’t talk much but there was an unbelievable caring that seemed to be behind it all. I didn’t say much to her and she didn’t seem to say much to anyone but im not sure what it would have been like without her in the background.

Dan finally arrived and we had to say goodbye to everyone again. My eyes teared up and once again it was hard to part. It is hard to believe that we see these people or only a couple of hours but it seems like we have known them for a lifetime. I was sad to see them go but I know that one day our paths will cross again.

Finally after all his time we met Dan who works directly with foccus and lives here in Kiev. He is a kind individual who talks softly ad seems very cautious about every what words he chooses. It was honestly weird to see him move because the only time we had seen him was in pictures and on the internet. I can’t say enough good things about what he and Norma have done for our trip and for us too. It seemed like the seamless transitions from one centre to another must have take months of planning.

Anyway just as we sat down for a coffee it started to pour rain like I have never seen before during the trip but we still ate outside and talked for hours. After the rain we walked to the train station and took the train for Dan’s house where he offered us a bed for a couple of days. We got onto the train without incident but it got a little wild on the exit.

The doors opened as doors of the train should have but this time we were met by 10 old ladies with scarves over their heads. I felt like I was back in LA and I had just walked into a gang of hoodlums. I pushed Emmanuelle to safety and handed her bike down to Dan but when I turned my back to get my bike one of the babushka pushed to the right of my bike that blocked her path. She looked to the babushka that was second from the door and signalled that there was an opening. I positioned my bike at the door and blocked the doorway of the train. The babushka that slipped past me yelled something in Ukrainian that sounded like "get him". I was rushed by two babushkas on the right while another one threw me off guard and I stumbled to regain my balance. Two other babushkas grabbed my bike out of my hands and threw it from the train like a bail of hay on the ground. I spun around and tried to run but I was hip checked by the babushka behind me towards the door. Then two other babushka came out of nowhere like ninjas and slammed me into the side where two or three could pass. I yelled to Emmanuelle and Dan “save yourselves its too late for me” but my voice was drowned by the high pitched screams of the babbas. Just then I was then caught off guard by a sort of gi-goe kung fu grip to the upper left forearm and was throw to the ground next to my mangled bike. In this moment I flashed back to my outdoor survival training at school; “Beware of the pack instinct of wolves” no that’s not it, I thought. “Move slowly when confronted by venomous snakes” too late! “When attacked by bears run downhill or play dead” damn, no hills so I played dead and slowly lurked towards the outer ring of the pack. Time passed and I managed to get up on my feet with my bike and made a run for safety.

Okay exaggerated a little but in defence of the ladies who attacked me, they have a total of 1-2 minutes to get on the train and find a seat so anything that stands between them looks like a huge obstacle between them and their homes. Even if I was not there is always a mad dash through the doors.

Anyway we then went to the market where we bought our dinner for the night. We were too tired to eat when we got to Dan’s house and elected to go for a quick nap before we went out again to see the town.

We were too late for Dan to pick up a parcel from the UNDP office but we did have a great tour of the town of Kiev. We saw the parliament, changing of the president, monuments and some beautiful panoramas. We then went for dinner in a cosy little restaurant which was situated in a back alley seemingly to hide from the tourists. The place was filled with journalists and this is where we met bill, a biker that travelled from Vancouver to Montréal and had heard of us through the rotary club. It was weird to be 2000 km from home and someone in a smoky little restaurant says “ah yea I heard of you” like he was an old friend.

We tried to get some publicity but the night was already too long and they were on the last couple of rounds of drinks. We will go to the museum tomorrow but I’m sure they won’t be awake by that time.