Ukraine Is Not Home?????? Yes It Is.

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: September 2, 2000 : Dear Friends: : Several comments have been posted concerning my original review of RJ Tours August Ukraine excursion. That review presented a factual documentary of my wife’s and my experience on that particular excursion. The only action it urged of anyone was to investigate any tour company a person uses to go to Ukraine carefully before he makes a selection. Nevertheless, many of the comments posted were critical of my sharing our experience and critical of my suggesting that a person thoroughly investigate the tour company he selects before doing so. : The comments that are critical generally fall into two categories. One category suggests that the Ukraine is indeed a third world country and for me to expect a bus and accommodations nearing western standards was unrealistic. The second category simply contains ad homonym attacks on my character. : I. “UKRAINE IS NOT HOME” ??????: : Robert Tomkins of RJ Tours started the thread titled “Ukraine Is Not Home” and many people added their thoughts to it. This title is ironic because for my wife and me, at this time Ukraine is indeed just that -- home. My wife and I have been living in Kiev since June 15. In fact, within the last three months I very well may have spent more time in Ukraine than Mr. Tomkins has spent here in the last three years. Additionally, I was here in November of 1997 for three weeks (during which I traveled about eastern Ukraine) and in 1998 for two weeks. Also, until my wife and I married in 1999, other than regular business trips to western Europe as well as various former Warsaw Pact countries, she was a life long resident of Ukraine. : Of course Mr. Tomkins was aware of our residence in Ukraine since I had to tell him about this status when we discussed my wife and me joining RJ Tours’ August tour. We did not need hotel accommodations in Kiev or transportation to and from Ukraine so this variation in the tour had to be arranged. Of course we strongly considered doing a tour on our own but, regretfully, rejected this option. I speak only basic Russian and no Ukrainian and we therefore thought that traveling with an English speaking group would make the trip more enjoyable. : During my experience in Ukraine, like many of the commenters, I have seen plenty examples of people in need. While I have learned that some of the most destitute looking individuals are gypsy beggars accentuating their needy appearance, it is still true that some Ukrainians don’t even know where food will come from for their next meal. : At the same time, I have seen a surprising number of people with great wealth. These are the people who drive the many Mercedes, Audis and SUV’s (the Toyota Land Cruiser (around to $45,000 US) seems to be quite popular) one sees everywhere. Not only do I see such vehicles everyday in Kiev, I observed them on all the highways our tour group traveled as we bounced along hour-after-hour through western Ukraine. It is obvious to me that Ukrainians appreciate good transportation as much as Westerners do, and for quite a few, they can and do afford it. : Actually, I am surprised that anyone would doubt that there are companies in Ukraine offering excellent bus transportation. I suppose that when Mr. Tomkins says in his post, “most times [RJ Tours’] bus is a brand new Mercedes,” he concedes the existence of such providers. In any event, after leaving the RJ Tours’ tour group in Uman, my wife and I returned to Kiev on a beautiful, new, smooth and spacious Mitsubishi bus staffed with a stewardess. Autolux (38-044-443-8439) of Ukraine operates a fleet of these buses that travel several times a day between Kiev and Odessa. The bus my wife and I rode in made the 200 kilometer trip to Kiev from Uman in slightly less than three hours costing a total of $10 for both of our tickets. In addition to Autolux, our copy of the Kiev yellow pages shows not less than 22 other private bus companies. : Naturally, Ukrainian’s appreciation of and ability to provide good service is not limited to transportation. I have eaten in many wonderful and modern restaurants, been inside several fabulous private residences and experienced excellent health care. This summer I have had all my dental work including two fillings done here. I am scheduled to have laser surgery on the surface of my right hand and left wrist this coming week. Also, soon after I arrived in Ukraine in June, I had Lasik laser surgery performed on both of my eyes. : The clinic performing the Lasik eye surgery is especially remarkable. It is called the Eximer Clinic (www.eximer.kiev.ua) and it has performed over 3,000 procedures to correct people’s vision in the two years since it opened. Eximer has satellite offices in many of the larger cities across Ukraine and even though the average cost to correct both eyes for this purely elective surgery is about $1000, most of its patients are Ukrainian. The equipment used is the same as that found in doctors’ offices around the world (mostly from Germany and Japan), and I believe the level of expertise and attention provided is at least as good as that found in Western facilities. : : There are also many Ukrainians who are so wealthy, they regularly make headlines. Nanna Antonyeva is a good example. She is a former schoolteacher from Kirovograd in south-central Ukraine. Now in her early 40’s, she owns Artemida, one of Ukraine’s largest companies. Through the privatization of over 45 government alcohol, juice and soft drink factories, she has amassed an empire estimated to be worth over $1 billion US. The vodka her factories produce are exported to Canada and the US. She also owns some significant patents that remove fusel-oils from her vodkas making them purer. Not too bad for a young woman from a “third world country” where some people believe that expectations of a decent bus are unrealistic. Ukrainians like Ms. Antonyeva expect a high level of service, are willing to pay for it, and more often than not, get it. : Of course, another basis for my expectations about RJ Tours August Tour of Western Ukraine was the promotional literature distributed by RJ Tours itself. This literature stated, “Whether a first time visitor or an experienced traveler, you will enjoy the unique charm of Ukraine.” It also promised rather confidently that, “Your perfect vacation begins here.” It went on to promise an “air conditioned bus with TV and washrooms.” It also used the word “impressive” once and “beautiful” three times to describe the hotels the group would be staying in. Absent were the words, “quaint”, “old”, “rustic”, “Soviet-style”, “traditional” and the like to tip one off to the true nature (i.e., tired, dirty, poorly maintained and unreliable) of our bus and of two of our hotels. : II. AD HOMONYM ATTACKS: : I guess the old rule of politics rings true here as well. When you can’t respond to facts with facts and you don’t want to apologize and make amends, pound the table. Or, better yet, throw mud. My wife and I heard about RJ tours’ trip to Ukraine through this internet site. I shared with Mrs. Tomkins the disappointment I was having with our bus transportation on several occasions during the tour. Nothing was done. : I then told her in a private conversation near the end of the tour in Uman that my wife and I were dissatisfied and that by her own admission, not everything promised had been provided. I also told her that I would be writing a review of this tour on the internet in the same place I had learned about the tour. In this review I hoped to at least be able to say that while the tour was not what had been promised, RJ Tours had made up for the deficits. Instead, the only consideration I received was to be given a decent hotel room in Uman (something I felt I had already paid for anyway) and to be subsequently slandered by her husband (a man I have never met in person) on this message board. : For all of those who responded critically to my original post (and I can only assume that those responses were from different individuals who are not connected with RJ Tours), I find it strange that people were offended. I merely shared my wife’s and my experience. I then urged one and only one action --- that people carefully investigate any tour company they are considering for any tour to Ukraine before making their selection. To make this task easy, I even offered to provide the names and numbers of other people on our tour who will be glad to talk about their experience. However, not one single critic has contacted me to ask for these references so that they might actually see if our experience was a subjective aberration or something felt and shared by others. For me, I think this fact speaks loudly and clearly for itself. : I see nothing wrong with urging people to carefully investigate a tour company before making a choice. Ukraine is a beautiful and rich country. I think that the last thing a person wants to do is pay several thousand dollars for a trip only to end up with a bad tour company that mars what should be a perfect vacation and experience. : Sincerely, : Richard Wilbourn : RWilbourn@yahoo.com :

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