I slept very, very well. The room was extremely quiet and the temperatures perfect.
Whilst checking out the front desk employee told me that there was a problem with the charge that previously was to be included in the room price – it now wasn’t as ‘the boss’ had seen the cable and now wanted payment for the electricity consumed.
Fair enough, I thought.
So… what would the price be? I had paid 3000₴ for the room, parking and breakfast – around 50 CHF… the hotel wanted to bill the charge at 1500₴!
Time to whip out my phone and get ready for some serious negotiations!
To cut the story short. In the end I didn’t pay anything – the website below was part of my argumentation points. (Yes, I know that this isn’t consumer pricing, but it gives a hint that what they are asking for is rather above what I was able to charge via the cable and also what they would be paying themselves.)
With this early-morning roadblock out of the way, I was ready to…sample some more energy drinks!
The first few dozen kilometres are on pristine roads and perfect temperatures – pure pleasure.
Interesting little factoid is the GB/T DC connector being advertised here. It means that the amount of chinese ‘direct-imports’ which don’t have a Type 2 Combo but rather a GB/T AC/DC are high enough to merit their own charger!
For the geeks among us: GB/T doesn’t combine AC/DC but rather has two sockets: AC on the vehicle side is essentially an inverted Type 2. Mechanically, an adaptor would work but GB/T AC has a slightly different setup with regards to signalling on the PP/CP, CC/CP respectively. Do the Ukranian drivers all have this active adaptor required to charge from a normal AC source?
Whilst pondering this I felt the need to get another hit from the ‘petrol’ station.
And off I went again. The Carpathians were waiting.
And there they came into view. The photos just don’t do the view any justice.
Aaand it’s time for our favourite section: undefined bakery items from other countries!
Today I got myself a Vatruschka!
And: who wouldn’t want some ‘Extra Life’?
Let’s do this!
And finally, I’m back to nature, no mobile reception and no traffic.
Loving it!
Also, seeing the many little houses people were living in – many times without electricity, or plumbing, with a draw well and some cows was very grounding.
I really enjoy the moments far off from everything. No reception no noise no traffic. i stop from time to time just to take in the absolute stillness of the moment.
After I had crossed the main hill range… decisions, decisions: either direction Mukachevo and Uzhorod or Lviv and Kiev 😉
And then, back to the lower altitudes, continental heat enveloped me and made life hard again.
Which made the following few hours even harder: the interminable wait at the Ukranian/Slovak border.
I was informed that the Ukranians let 7 vehicles enter the border zone every 45 minutes! A quick count of the vehicles in front of me came to 24. This meant I had a 2+ hour wait just to get into the border checks!
After the next 7 vehicles had entered the border, I left my TWIKE and went with a few other drivers who had invited me to have some coffee to an air-conditioned coffee shop around a kilometre away.
The coffee and conversations were great!
We headed back to the border to move our cars again.
After some time, an official came to give me another of these control slips without which you may not enter the border control zone.
I then made into the border control zone and all the way to the border post itself.
Then, again, I learnt something: I had thought that USAID usually was providing humanitarian help to the poorest of the world .. but no: the entirety of this border post was paid by USAID! … and stickers and plaques everywhere advertised this prominently. hmmm…
The checks were extreme this time.
I had to unload everything.
Lift up the TWIKE to look at the cavity around the front wheel.
Open up the battery bay.
And discuss AT LENGTH (this added around 45 minutes) why my Swiss motorcycle number plate doesn’t correspond to the vehicle designation code (motor vehicle, not motorcycle) in my grey vehicle card. (I was already fearing a similar situation as when the UK authorities made me aware of the fact that my emission code was wrong)
Also, I was asking myself, what if this code is indeed wrong? Would they not let me enter into the Slovakian border control point and send me back to Ukraine?
In the end all was good and I was sent on my way to the Slovak border post….
Where i spent another 90 minutes. This time I even had to open my luggage which was thoroughly rummaged though and all my ‘special’ cables and ‘EV emulator‘ box got much attention.
Also here, everyone was super friendly and curious…at a glacial speed. I get that this is a Schengen outer border and I’m just used to super-efficient Swiss official processes.
Finally, later afternoon, I was back in Europe and set out to get to Kosice by this evening.
From here, the drive will be a happy mix of hills in the Carpathians.
Later that day, on the outskirts of Kosice, I got into the first rainfall of the whole trip – what a difference! It was just a few minutes but it did immediately cool everything.
At my hotel, there is no air con, but free parking and charging. With the rainfall earlier, temperatures are ok and I’m convinced that the night will be ok.
I set out to discover Kosice – Slovakia’s second-largest town….and well worth a visit.
Most of the old town is traffic free and this adds to the overall appeal of the place.
I get myself some local specialities and enjoy the cool air of the evening – and get back to the hotel rather late… and decide once again against writing an entry but rather go to sleep early.
So, what are the stats for today?
