PART 3 OF MY TRIP REPORT
The rest of the time in Simeiz we decided to do things on our own. I proposed to her in Simeiz and she accepted. We went into Yalta the next night to buy her ring and to celebrate. Took the boat ride along the coast. It’s a 2-hour trip and it cost about $4 for both of us. It was nice to see all the palaces lining the shore. We had a nice dinner at one of the places near the water after the boat ride. It was very nice and romantic. We had some wine and it was a perfect evening till we got the bill. Most of the cafes have the price and weight of the food. They are supposed to serve you the weight that is said but if you want more, you can order it. Our wonderful waiter took it upon himself to give us double the food including the salad. After a short argument I just paid and we went on. This was our special night. It was still a good price but I hate being used. The food was very good and so was the service except for the double portions. After that night we asked every place we went to give us what is on the menu. It still did not ruin a very nice evening. That evening we walked along the shore on Yalta and I thought things couldn’t get better then this. That night when we got back to Simiez it was very dark out. We had a walk back to our flat but there was some area’s where it was black. No lights at all. Looking up in the sky though it was so romantic. There were millions of stars we could see through the trees.
The next week we did many more things. We went horseback riding. We set it up through one of the tour companies in Simeiz. They picked us up and dropped us off after. Once we got there we had tea and then we were fitted with the right horses. Sveta had never road a horse before so it was a special trip. We were up on the hills near Yalta. We stopped at a lake where it is said, if you rinse off with the water, it will wash away our sins. So we did that but I’m not sure I washed enough! 
She just loved riding a horse. Went to the top of Ay Petri Mountain another day. Going up it was incredible. The cable car going up was simply scary! The start is not so bad as it goes just above some trees and is a steady incline. But then you get off that car and change to a new one. That is where it goes almost straight up. I was just praying that they do good safety checks because this was high. As we were going up both of us were sweating! We also thought, “how will we get back down?” The view was very nice but unfortunately we picked a hazy day to go up there. We went horseback riding on the top because she wanted to do it again. This time it wasn’t so nice with some very dirty animals and she did not like this. It was also just a ride across the plains. We stopped at a cave and went into it. It was very deep and as we got lower it was very cold. At the bottom it had icicles hanging everywhere. I enjoyed it but Sveta did not care for it and wanted to leave, so we went up ahead of our group. That day we also went to The Vorontsov Palace in Alupka. To me, it was not so impressive. I only liked the view and the garden out front. Looking at the palace with the Ai-Petri Mountain in back was very impressive.
We also went to Swallows Nest Castle. It’s a neat looking castle but much smaller then I thought. It’s just an expensive restaurant. Good thing it was closed so we weren’t tempted to eat there. It was a nice walk though and incredible to look at on the cliffs looking over the Black Sea.
Most of the time in Simeiz, we were happy just being together, so we took many walks. If anyone wants to just get away from it all and get to know a woman, this is the place to do it. It is beautiful and lots of great parks and trials to walk around. The smaller beach is also very nice. There are also lots of cafes with nice views. We thought about staying there till it was time for me to leave but decided to go back to Dnepropetrovsk for a week. That was to make sure we had everything I needed to file papers when I get back. I also wanted to see her city where she grew up. Well there really wasn’t much to see there but we took many walks.
The last day in Simeiz, Eugene picked us up for an all day tour. He took us to an old church built in a cave around 900 AD. This was incredible and I think I enjoyed this more then anything. He also took us to a “cave town” and we ate in a nice cafe before heading back on the train. Eugene was great and you can’t go wrong with him.
By now things were going better then I ever expected. She really is very caring and it’s amazing how much she would do for me. I read so many people’s reports on this group about a woman taking care of them, well, now I got to experience it and I can’t wait for more… I laughed as she would make sure my hair and clothes were perfect before we went anywhere. She would put sun block on my face & lip balm before I’d go outside. So many little things about her made this trip for me and I look forward to our life together.
I went for 26 days and I could not believe how fast the time went by. In Dnepropetrovsk we got a hotel that was about $18 a night. It was kind of nice and it included breakfast for both of us. The room also had a fan, refrigerator and TV. The last day we woke up and went down to have breakfast. After eating we went back up to the room and just held each other. It was a sad day but we just talked about our future. We left at noon for the airport and just sat there till about 1:30 when I had to leave. It was a very difficult time but we knew we would see each other again. We both tried to fight back tears but mine were gone very fast when I had to go through security and customs…
Since I have returned we talk on the phone daily. We also send SMS & email. This first week has been very difficult but I know once we get into a routine, it will go fast. She is going to take advanced English classes and already started driving school. We both know this is only the start and anything can happen. We are both 100% sure about each other but we are realistic in knowing we have a long road ahead of us. So we will enjoy our ride and we both hope it will be a long and happy life together. I found my Angel and I wish the best to all of you in your search.
Z
P.S. Photo's coming up soon....
