The hills are alive

Up the mountains we went.

After going with Jasson and Laura for a quick hike to show them the view of the night before, we said goodbye to Villa Maria and headed for the hills – quite literally. To do so, our remarkable guides took us to a ferry up the mountain.

Just getting to the ferry was yet another cool experience. Since all the towns and villages around here are built into the mountain, we drove as far as possible and then parked the car to continue the trek to the ferry. ( I was convinced that there was some body of water we needed to cross because that has been my only experience of “ferries” but in this case, ferries are for the air – not water or land. ) On the way, we passed various street vendors, including someone selling fire-roasted corn on the cob. I didn’t get any but is sure looked good!

The ferry ride was awesome! Laura led the way, Jordan and I squished in with our large backpacks, and Jasson gripped a support beam for dear life. It was refreshing to see him – the entertainer and expert – out of his element (talk about always pushing your comfort zone). Well Jasson, we definitely appreciate it!

My head has been in the clouds before but never quite like this! It was about a ten minute ride up, over treetops and into the clouds. Imagine your first experience on a chair lift – then multiply it by at least ten times as the trees become specks and the village a blur of distant colour. This was my experience.

At the top, there was a damp chill in the thin air, air that was filled with cloud and the sound of wild dogs barking. We couldn’t see very far and we felt our of breath quickly (similar to the feeling after climbing up stairs when you’re sick and weak from a cold), but we made our way into the mountain nature reserve. Here we saw and climber huge smooth rock: placed and polished by glaciers years ago.

After exploring and taking some photos, we took refuge in the ferry shelter. Fresh honeycomb served as a delicious snack as we reviewed our route, plan and key phrases for the next few days. Jasson and Laura caught their last ferry down while Jordan and I set out for a place to camp.

We passed a hotel, a small church, a few campers and some Beware of Bear” signs before finding a place to settle. Our resting ground consisted of a flat area close to a creek and the forest, but only across a large field from a villa. We figured it was a safe enough place because we saw the remnants of a few previous campers’ (although in hindsight, I guess this could go either way . . . ).  For dinner, we made delicious pitas with salami, mushroom and tomato (freshly cleaned in cool mountain stream water). According to Laura, any clear, running water would be okay to drink so I figured it would be okay to wash veggies in. Both Jordan and I drank some of the water – mostly just because of the novelty of drinking out of a mountain spring – but I insisted on purifying most of it.

Be were both exhausted after dinner and a less than fruitful hunt for campfire wood so we ended up falling asleep really early (I remember it still being light outside). We woke up and talked a lot though – about school stuff and our ideas of all things.  It was nice to focus on something other than people in our lives and Beyond Borders (an opportunity that I am grateful for but which also comes with a lot of challenges). It is also very comforting to know that we are each so passionate about our studies that we teach each other and talk about it far, far away from school. I hope more people can find their passion as well.

Our conversation came to a sharp halt when Jordan thought he heard a bear. He simply stopped talking and I could feel his concern. We were both silent for a moment and then I quietly grabbed my whistle. I was afraid - even though bears usually become disinterested if you don’t move, or get scared away by a lot of noise. Mainly, my concern was that there is only one exit to the tent so we were out of luck it that’s where the bear was. (Plus, a bear has claws to make a who wherever it wants and we didn’t exactly have a knife handy.)  Also, it was dark and I didn’t have my contact lenses in or glasses on so I would not be able to see the bear, Jordan’s expression/gesture or even my escape route clearly.

After long moments of sitting in silence, Jordan took a look around the tent. He didn’t see anything so we figured we’d be okay. We had a couple more scares throughout the night but the barking of wild dogs felt like a protection. In the morning, we decided our scare was a false alarm – maybe other people walking or more dogs. Nonetheless, we hiked up to the hotel for the remainder of our stay on the mountain. The bear scare was part of this but so was the cold temperature and lack of food. Camping certainly helps one realize how important essentials such as warmth, shelter and nourishment are. I enjoy camping or a vacation but wonder what it would be like if that were home . . .

The walk to the hotel was beautiful, as was the 4-hour detour.

Unlike many of my own personal detours, this one was planned and not the result of getting lost or taking a “short-cut.” Instead of heading straight to the hotel, we used our precious daylight hours to check out a lake. On the way to the lake, though we found a cave so of course we checked that out too! We climber up to this tunnel of a cave, went in far enough for it to take a bit of a bend. It looked like the tunnel went a long way but we didn’t want to stray too far from the path. I’m not sure if it was imagination or instinct but I began to get a bad feeling about going any further so we got out of there.

 (With the reading I’ve done in my Beyond Borders classes and the preparations that have gone along with this journey, I can’t help but get a little bit philosophical here - we caught a glimpse of the cave but didn’t enter too far for fear of straying from the set path. There are new adventures and lessons to learn from leaving the beaten trail but that also means diving out of security and into the unknown. It’s a time for considering risks and gains and tradition plus guidance won out. Plus, that are many adventures and lessons on the path, too.)

The lake was a couple of bridges, bends and hills farther. It’s turquoise waters lay beautifully in a valley between two hills, calling for each hiker to take a dip. As tempted as I was, the air was cold and the water probably cooler so I refrained. After a few photos, Jordan and I headed for shelter.

It rained on the way back but that was okay – the temperature wasn’t too bad and the rain felt kind of nice. Plus, when it came down hard, it gave us an excuse to stop and rest. (Those packs take a bit of getting used to, especially for someone who spends a lot of her time studying back health!)

< Tip from the trail: Engage that core! It’s easier on the shoulders, a good strengthening exercise, and – once you learn to breathe with a tight core – a lot easier >

We made it to the hotel before dark and had enough time to get cleaned up before dinner closed. It was while Jordan was showering that I realized I had not really been alone just to think/read/write since my run on the morning I left Ontario. It was nice to just breathe and clean up a bit but I was good to go again before long. I thought I was a person who needed space but I’m realizing that I need people even more. People make me feel alive and motivated – they are my energy source and outlet.

Maybe it’s my passion for nutrition, maybe my desire to share my experiences and the influence of European culture, but whatever the case I’d just like to warn you that I will now be describing the details of dinner – so  skip this paragraph  if necessary. Mmmm.

For dinner, we had the restaurant to ourselves and a nice whole roasted chicken to eat – complete with the bone-breaking tools often served with lobster. We actually asked for lamb first but, when our waiter came back with a lemon instead, we figures chicken was a safer bet. For sides, we had bread (let’s just say it was a bit more solid than the bread from the farm), wine, a fried corn dish and were asked if we also wanted ‘chips’ (french fries). In eastern Europe, it’s popular to have meat with a side of carbs, carbs and carbs. Good thing I brought those delicious veggie bars! (Okay so they’re not exactly delicious – but the starving stray dog we fed one to managed to choke a piece down . . . and stopped begging for food.)

Dinner was great. Before we left the restaurant, I brought the waiter some Canadian pins and maple suckers. He was delighted and, in return, brought up peanuts and more wine, of the homemade variety. (Thank you Judy and Marvin!)

Even though we ended up making friends with the waiter, the next night wasn’t so great.

The first thing that went through my mind was the homemade wine, but I didn’t even have a full glass so that couldn’t be it . . . must be the altitude (1.5km), travel and my body doin’ its thing.

We had only planned on staying one night but since I wasn’t feeling up to par, we decided against going any higher. Besides, the hotel was cheap and a comfortable place to nurse back to health. By the afternoon, I managed to get up and hike up one of the smaller peaks with Jordan before dinner.

When I’m not feeling well, it takes some extra effort to climb the stairs and so, even though my cardio is pretty decent, I really felt the incline. I didn’t like being slow but Jordan had no problems waiting for me. When we made it to the top, we were both hungry so my habit of packing snacks came in handy. We had some trailmix and some of what you could call a protein shake but neither of us were hungry enough for one of those veggie bars (which tasted remarkably like tar). Even the dog we fed wasn’t too fond of it!

WE started our descent just in time. I realize my hand get really cold and white very quickly and that when I’m cold, tired and hungry, I tend to get tense – even if it’s at the top of a beautiful mountain. Part of this whole experience is about self discovery, and one of those discoveries is that I get quiet and then silently cranky even sometimes before I realize I’m uncomfortable. Seeing as Jordan realized this before I did, it must be a noticeable change from my norm – something I need to be aware of in Ukraine and something I am thankful for since it is an indicator of the way I project what I am thinking to those who are close to me.