Ucrânia
A Ucrânia é um dos países mais exóticos da Europa. Tão perto, mas parece tão diferente. Devido à recente situação política, poucos turistas visitam esta terra desconhecida. É por isso que é perfeita para quem gosta de aventura, desafios e explorar algo novo e surpreendente.
Ao contrário do que a mídia diz sobre a Ucrânia, a maior parte do país é perfeitamente segura; não é cinza, sombria e sem esperança, mas cheio de comida incrível, arquitetura única e colorida, e natureza espetacular. E - é incrivelmente barato.
Outro lugar que vale a pena visitar é a península da Criméia - que possui praias, cidades costeiras vibrantes e o sem igual Castelo do Ninho da Andorrinha, situado no penhasco, que parece ter sido tirada de um desenho animado da Disney. Para visitar a Crimeia, você precisará de algumas pesquisas adicionais, já que o território agora é reivindicado pela Rússia. No entanto, é seguro e não é difícil de alcançar.
Espero que os posts sobre a Ucrânia abaixo façam com que você veja uma história um pouco diferente da que você pode encontrar na mídia da massa.
Crimea, together with Russia and Ukraine was completely absent from the attention of the media up until the recent conflict. Recently, it has appeared in western news but, unfortunately, only for the wrong reasons. It's always gloomy and grey with the post-communist, heavy architecture. However, the truth is that looking at the beautiful coast surrounded by golden cliffs and blue waters of the Black Sea, you might get the feeling that you're somewhere in the Mediterranean. For sure not how you would have imagined it! The beaches in Yalta are full of sun seekers, the town itself is so vibrant and colorful and the situation at the peninsula is stable and safe now. Not too mention its greatest attraction - the Swallow's Nest Castle.
Torn between the Ukraine and Russia, the Crimean Peninsula has been a center of tragic political events recently. Let's hope the situation stabilizes soon and the area will still become available for an ordinary traveler. I would like to put politics aside and present the Crimea here like it probably has never been presented in Western Media. I want to show you the natural beauty of the region in contrast to the grey photos you can encounter in the news.
While watching one of the Hollywood apocalyptic films or playing computer games - have you ever thought that a real ghost town is closer than you think? It is actually located in the center of Europe - in Ukraine. 110 kilometers (70 miles) from the country's capital - Kiev, very close to the border with Belarus. A visit to Pripyat is an extraordinary experience - something you most probably have never seen and will never see. It is completely different from the usual sight seeing tours. In this post I am presenting a gallery of photos of this ghost town literally abandoned overnight thirty years ago.
When you think about the Ukraine, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the economic instability, political problems, bad roads, or... nothing at all. For most Westerners, even after Euro 2012 Championships, the Ukraine still remains a black spot on the map of Europe. A place completely unknown, so close and yet so far. Few people from the west choose it as a holiday destination. And if you are looking for a little adventure, it would be a perfect place for you.
Chernobyl in Eastern Ukraine is one of the most infamous places on Earth. It used to be a normal, ordinary town, no different from thousands of others in the Soviet Union. It was quiet, peaceful, had its own theater, cinema and amusement park. People lived their life according to a daily routine until the 26th of April, 1986. In the middle of the night, a disastrous explosion shook Chernobyl. Reactor number 4 failed and ejected radioactive particles high up into the atmosphere. With the clouds and wind, the fallout was subsequently spread all over Europe, reaching as far as Scandinavia. Chernobyl and the surrounding area were evacuated virtually overnight. Only recently more and more people have started to return to their old homes. Three decades after the disaster, I visited Chernobyl and in this post I'll show you the way it is now.