Years ago I wanted to Ukraine, but I have never been ther because you needed a visa that time. Now my visit to Ukraine is at the same time with the unrest which has plagued the country in the past year. Also, the plane crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 and dissension between the West and Russia concerning the situation...
In Legnica I have to change bus that goes to the eastern Polish city of Przemysl
In Przemysl I stay a night in the hotel Europejski after a long bus trip of 24 hours

At night 4 AM my train goes from Przemysl to the Ukrainian city of Lviv. The Europejski hotel is right next to the station so that's easy. In the train I was controlled by the Ukrainian customs. Without asking or checking my luggage, I pass the border. I arrive early in the morning in Lviv. I walk out of the station and walk to a phone shop to buy a SIM card

In Lviv I find a taxi driver who takes me to Ivano-Frankivsk, located 130 km away. When arrived, I imagine myself in another world, there is a big difference with the country side. There are so many people on the streets, street names are written in the Cyrillic alphabet, and I need to found out where I am standing exactly for localize my hotel

In the evening it is possible in the streets of Ivano-Frankivsk to shoot with a bow on a portrait of the Russian President Putin. This will have to deal with the unrest in eastern part of Ukraine where a large part of the population will connection to Russia

Idyllic picture shot in Ivano-Frankivsk -see two dolls girls come walk-

After staying a night in Ivano-Frankivsk I go by taxi to Nadvirna, located 32 km away. This town lies at the foot of the Carphatian mountains and here begins my 17-day walk. I walk the whole day on the road towards the town Bystrytsya

In Zelena I hope to find I road accross to arrive at the red route between Osmoloda and Bystrytsya

Last night was the first in my tent in this unknown country. While searching last night for a camping spot I hear roaring in the woods while I walk up the steep path. I see a sort of hut along the forest path. The men pulling trees out of the forest with horses. Later, after I set up my tent, I suddenly hear a car passing on the road where I really not expected anyone. The car stops just a short distance from my tent. Later I hear voices in the woods and decides to pack up my tent quickly and look for another campsite. I suddenly see smoke in the woods, it is a left behind campfire on the side of the road.
It has become dark, but I fail to find a flat pitch to put up my tent.
After long seaching I found a campsite along the path and put up my tent in dark.

Unfortunately, I get lost in this big woods and walk all day in the wrong direction towards Stara Huta instead of Osmoloda. A GPS will be easy and I wil buy one for the next trek

Open area in the woods with an old barn and cows graze

Fortunately at evening I found a nice camping spot near the barn

I think because of the tarred road and picnic spots, beautiful statues along the way and more to be close at Osmoloda but I've make a mistake

After a good sleep I walk further and hope the village Osmoloda to reach. However, the paved road ends and there is a beautiful large wooden building with a huge fence where just a van has arrived. The man (kind of guard) who state remains impassive look at me right when I say friendly. Goodbye to him I walk quickly into the woods because I think here is Mafia. For hours I follow my compass through the woods on the sloping hillsides

In the woods many cobwebs hanging filled with dew droplets

The road between Stara Huta and Mount Syvulia where I'll end up after the heavy walk in the woods on the slopes

At the end of my 3rd day walking first met other hikers. They try to locate me on the map

Camping SuperSaaS found high in the mountains on the edge of the forest

I approach the East-Carpathian Tourist path that I will follow further

East-Carpathian Tourist trail between Bystrytsya and Osmoloda

East-Carpathian Tourist trail between Bystrytsya and Osmoloda

I meet two Ukrainians in Lviv that I walk to meet. They are astonished to encounter a Dutchman but love this

East-Carpathian Tourist trail between Bystrytsya and Osmoloda

The long forest path downhill, between Mount Ihrovets and Osmoloda

Camping spot in the forest 2 km from Osmoloda away to the west

Early in the morning I walk along the road between Osmoloda and Svoboda

The hiking trails are great well recorded by this type of signage and markings on trees

The day I walk across the East-Carpathian Tourist trail between Bystrytsya and Osmoloda I find 30 other runners backpack. The other 16 days of walking this trek I have bad considering four other runners backpack

I want to stabbing to come out in Svoboda and there appears here a well-marked forest lie

I walk the last 6 miles, and before I get myself into Svoboda I was myself in a river and I am looking for a camping spot in the woods

The selected forest turns over a length of 6 km to face with deep pools of water

When I get up in the morning during dusk I do not belong in my tent far away from people the forest income. It's Sunday and to my surprise, hundreds of people to Svoboda to look for mushrooms in the woods. Some people I walk by asking me whether I have backpacks full of mushrooms!

The middle of the forest village of Svobode during sunrise

The middle of the forest village of Svobode during sunrise

In Synevyrs'ka Polyana is a shop where I get some eggs, drink and tomatoes for sale. I could eat after days have given alone. Macaroni and instant soups The village is shabby, I see a lot of houses, but only a few cars. The main means of transport old mopeds

Continue walking from Synevyrs'ka Polyana to Synevyr where I hope to take direction Mizhhir'ya the intersection

In Synevyr I leave the dense woods and I come across a more open landscape with hills and visit beautiful vistas! I ended up in the Transcarpathian Tourist path that I continue to follow Volovets

Along the way, I regularly see a shepherd with his flock of sheep and dogs. So for me the path where a man is subtracted. Almost by a dog of his moped I descend down and walk so to be sure with a wide berth.
The Transcarpathian Tourist path lies through the town Mizhhir'ya that I have been in the distance lie. I hope that there's route designation will be so I come good in the forested mountains beyond good the town

Arriving in Mizhhir'ya I soon discover that I should not stay here too long, but at least, at the bus station where I got a bottle of Coca Cola and water can buy dehydrated happy everyone looks shabby. I am approached on the street and even a bottle of Coca Cola bear will not go unnoticed because it is apparently too expensive for the local population. Exhausted from the overly long walk today I walk on quickly and am happy when I am on lampposts in the street marking the Transcarpathian Tourist trail again see those straight to the bridge over the river Rika leads me into the woods. At home I had higher up the mountain a clearing in the woods where I saw steeply up a beautiful camping find after a steep climb

In the morning I am pleased with the eggs that I have saved

It amazes me, but after a week of walking, it still has not rained. At night the wind, blowing day it hardly.
In the morning hours, hangs a thick layer of fog in the valleys where I look out

Fungi on a tree lit by the sun that shines between the canopy

Forest path that I follow up further to Borzhava from Mizhhir'ya

Regularly lie the steep trails. No exception is when you are 1-2 km 25% or even 30% slanting upwards

From the woods up above to have arrived in the mountains I walk miles through the fully covered with blueberry plants mountains.
Unfortunately, I see no water but after the humid night the grass is wet, and I know soon with a washcloth to collect a cup Latto Matiatto and soup ready to make What a liter of water The vast majority of the blueberries in random but I regularly see people who are suffering throughout the day to be the last picked. I see people with buckets full

Transcarpathian Tourist trail between Mizhhir'ya and Volovets, hiking trails here too perfect set

Beautiful campsite found with a great view. In the evening a group of people walking back down the mountain, they picked blueberries all day. In the morning I see the same group of people begin to rise again over the path

Sunrise seen from my tent

Continue walking on the footpath to Borzhava the Transcarpathian Tourist Volovets

At the end of the afternoon I arrive in Volovets I 2 nights in Victoria hotel will stay

View from my hotel room right next to the station Volovets.
After a small search arrived at the hotel I say in my best Ukrainian that I want to stay for 2 nights. Speak English, they really do not. There is also a restaurant where I have eaten well
It cost me only 6 euros per night and good meal in the restaurant 3 euros little

The same brand of beer that was in Russia where I was back over 14 years for sale

The town Volovets is shabby, these are the roads and most of the cars that are driving his old Ladas

'm Walking after 7 days arrived in Volovets through me food supply around here so a new stock for the coming week

After two nights in the Victoria hotel to have morning stayed I walk from the town first a bit along the track towards the west

As in Romania, Ukrainians do not know how to deal with nature. Dirt is located along the roads, rivers afvuildumpplaatsen his true self and a public dump thousands of pounds of plastic is open in the forest

From Volovets I leave the Transcarpathian Tourist trail and walk over the mountains toward the elongated valley where Zhdeniievo located

Uphill hangs a thick fog, but luckily the marking of the trails again top best

I searched for hours through the woods but fortunately remains dry

After 14 kilometers road walk, I stab at Pashkivtsi back into the woods. I am looking for the blue route but get lost. After a grueling journey through the forest walking on the compass I come right out in the open plain Preluka where I find a great campsite

Continue walking through Lyuta, Vyshkaen and Kostryna towards the Slovakian border

Exit at Velykyi Bereznyi towards the Slovakian border.
A few kilometers before I arrive at the border to Slovakia, I halted in a village by a soldier. He wants to see me passport. At first I think to be dealing with a bandit who wants to run but then I see his baton, pepper spray and gun hanging. It surprised him that I am a Dutchman in me shorts strolling through the Carpathians walking. After some calls that commits I may go and get a hand as well. I seem apparently no danger to be ...