Moldova-Sweden in a Mercedes E220 (W124)
Posted: Tue 25 May, 2010 23:59
First of all sorry Admins in case I have posted the article in the wrong section, but I hope you will enjoy the reading
After several successful attempts and comfortable trips from Eastern to Western hemisphere during the past years, now it is time for cold Eurotrip story, which I just finalized several months ago.
Route: Moldova > EU (to be read in the whole post as Eroded Ukraine) > Pooland > Lithiumania > Latvia > Baltic sea > Swengland.
3 means of transportation :
1. Car (if you can call a Mergedes E220 a car).
2. Homo sapient (Ion during navigation problems in Lvov (EU) and the customs between EU and Pooland)
3. Romantika ferry between Riga and Stockholm.
3 types of fuel:
1. ‘95-’98 year petrol for the Mergedes.
2. 3 Red bulls for the Homo sapient.
3. 40% Alchohol preferably for all the cruisers on Romantika ferry.
Leaving all the jokes on a side I would never recommend this route to anybody, especially during the winter and more dangerously driving alone. But when you were born in the United Kingdom of Moldova, where the only flights organized by the local rural state-owned international transglobal air company is to Pyongyang and Havana, then of course the only way going to Sweden is by car (bicycle was not an option).
First difficult decision – shall a take a viking ship or a Swiss knife:
However considering unnecessary ice-skating capabilities of the XC90 I opted for the Swiss knife:
1. Stage one: Moldova – Ukraine
Besides all the criticism, the roads in Moldova were in really good conditions and if you are not satisfied with their quality have a look at your lovely neighbour. I mean driving in the Western Ukraine it is a suicide for your car. You cannot even call it “driving” – it is just a game of picking and selecting the small wholes out of the big ones.
Traffic signs are missing, or I believe somebody stolen them and build him/herself a fence at home.
Entering EU (sort of) [EU=Eroded Ukraine]:
Average speed in EU (not the real EU) [ignore the hidden advertisement of Lukoil]:
Building a new highway according to the EU standards:
Ukrainian understanding of cleaning the roads during the winter:
Besides all the bad road conditions, it is a country of nice sights…
…and hospitable people: like the ones which helped with the navigation in Lvov (my igo 8 has a map of Lvov from 18th century) or like the ones in the stage two:
2. Stage two: Ukraine-Poland
I was approaching the border between Ukraine and Poland, more exactly the Rava-Ruska customs – one of the busiest customs in Europe – make sure you avoid this customs or you risk to stay in the queue for 2-3 days unless you have some shiny papers or a comprehensive reason! The colour of your passport or the number of stars on the front cover will not provide you any priority!
Stepped out the car and tried to exchange a word in Russian-Ukrainian-Czech-Polish with the poor people which were staying in the cars in front of me. I guess poor was not the appropriate word for this case. I mean how can you stay so calm and live with the idea, that it is normal to stay in the queue for 2-3 days?! And this doesn’t have any connection with the fact that Ukraine will have elections on Sunday or with the fact that Ukrainian custom authorities want to retain some foreigners in the country in order to increase the diversity and number of different nationalities in the country.
Tried to fall asleep for 30 minutes in the car and hoping that the queue of several km will be a queue of several meters. Was too cold to fall asleep so I have decided to go for a short walk to the nearest custom officer. Put my glasses on and prepared a comprehensive speech in order to pass the customs asap.
Ion:
Dear Colleague, I am studying duty law in Sweden and if you let me to pass the customs without waiting in the queue I can manage to catch the ferry from Riga to Stockholm on 13th of January, be in time on the exam which I have on 14th of January and by passing the exam I will finish successfully the university and I will serve with honour the customs authorities in Sweden like you.
Custom officer:
oh really ?! yes, no problems. Let’s go to your car and let’s try driving the opposite lane of the highway
Driving on the opposite way is the only solution to avoid the queue, however is a little bit dangerous, because those who passed the Polish-Ukrainian customs are driving very fast towards you. OK, I turned on the beam of the car and trying to scary out all the others on the highway with the fact that a nerd from Moldova is a kamikaze. I have no words how to describe what I was seeing on the right side – an immense queue, it was so *********** long, that it took me at least several minutes to drive at the speed of 100km/h the entire queue.
With the help of the Ukrainian custom officer I have passed the entire Ukrainian bureaucracy very quickly. I was even a little bit embarrassed for passing so fast and that everybody was treating me like a diplomat. I still have voice of the office in my head: “Please allow this student to pass asap, he is in a hurry to catch the ferry” :).
Polish check was somewhere more demanding and I had to respect the queue of some 50 cars and 2 hours of waiting – Welcome to EU (real EU):
The only problem at the Polish customs was that they couldn’t scan my front registration plate:
I suggested them to bring a hair dryer or to use the brain and have a look at the back registration plate – which is usually in Moldova similar to the front one.
It was already 2 AM after passing the Ukrainian-Polish border and I was driving for more than 20 hours with no brakes. Red Bull is perhaps a good energy drink, but the Recaro seats from the Mergedes are definitely not a comfortable bed, so I have decided to spend the night at the closest hotel on my way to Lublin (Poland) – which was a nice hotel at a Shell petrol station – 15 EUR per night including breakfast – what can you expect more after the Ukrainian comedy;)
3. Stage three: Poland-Latvia
… to be continued
After several successful attempts and comfortable trips from Eastern to Western hemisphere during the past years, now it is time for cold Eurotrip story, which I just finalized several months ago.
Route: Moldova > EU (to be read in the whole post as Eroded Ukraine) > Pooland > Lithiumania > Latvia > Baltic sea > Swengland.
3 means of transportation :
1. Car (if you can call a Mergedes E220 a car).
2. Homo sapient (Ion during navigation problems in Lvov (EU) and the customs between EU and Pooland)
3. Romantika ferry between Riga and Stockholm.
3 types of fuel:
1. ‘95-’98 year petrol for the Mergedes.
2. 3 Red bulls for the Homo sapient.
3. 40% Alchohol preferably for all the cruisers on Romantika ferry.
Leaving all the jokes on a side I would never recommend this route to anybody, especially during the winter and more dangerously driving alone. But when you were born in the United Kingdom of Moldova, where the only flights organized by the local rural state-owned international transglobal air company is to Pyongyang and Havana, then of course the only way going to Sweden is by car (bicycle was not an option).
First difficult decision – shall a take a viking ship or a Swiss knife:
However considering unnecessary ice-skating capabilities of the XC90 I opted for the Swiss knife:
1. Stage one: Moldova – Ukraine
Besides all the criticism, the roads in Moldova were in really good conditions and if you are not satisfied with their quality have a look at your lovely neighbour. I mean driving in the Western Ukraine it is a suicide for your car. You cannot even call it “driving” – it is just a game of picking and selecting the small wholes out of the big ones.
Traffic signs are missing, or I believe somebody stolen them and build him/herself a fence at home.
Entering EU (sort of) [EU=Eroded Ukraine]:
Average speed in EU (not the real EU) [ignore the hidden advertisement of Lukoil]:
Building a new highway according to the EU standards:
Ukrainian understanding of cleaning the roads during the winter:
Besides all the bad road conditions, it is a country of nice sights…
…and hospitable people: like the ones which helped with the navigation in Lvov (my igo 8 has a map of Lvov from 18th century) or like the ones in the stage two:
2. Stage two: Ukraine-Poland
I was approaching the border between Ukraine and Poland, more exactly the Rava-Ruska customs – one of the busiest customs in Europe – make sure you avoid this customs or you risk to stay in the queue for 2-3 days unless you have some shiny papers or a comprehensive reason! The colour of your passport or the number of stars on the front cover will not provide you any priority!
Stepped out the car and tried to exchange a word in Russian-Ukrainian-Czech-Polish with the poor people which were staying in the cars in front of me. I guess poor was not the appropriate word for this case. I mean how can you stay so calm and live with the idea, that it is normal to stay in the queue for 2-3 days?! And this doesn’t have any connection with the fact that Ukraine will have elections on Sunday or with the fact that Ukrainian custom authorities want to retain some foreigners in the country in order to increase the diversity and number of different nationalities in the country.
Tried to fall asleep for 30 minutes in the car and hoping that the queue of several km will be a queue of several meters. Was too cold to fall asleep so I have decided to go for a short walk to the nearest custom officer. Put my glasses on and prepared a comprehensive speech in order to pass the customs asap.
Ion:
Dear Colleague, I am studying duty law in Sweden and if you let me to pass the customs without waiting in the queue I can manage to catch the ferry from Riga to Stockholm on 13th of January, be in time on the exam which I have on 14th of January and by passing the exam I will finish successfully the university and I will serve with honour the customs authorities in Sweden like you.
Custom officer:
oh really ?! yes, no problems. Let’s go to your car and let’s try driving the opposite lane of the highway
Driving on the opposite way is the only solution to avoid the queue, however is a little bit dangerous, because those who passed the Polish-Ukrainian customs are driving very fast towards you. OK, I turned on the beam of the car and trying to scary out all the others on the highway with the fact that a nerd from Moldova is a kamikaze. I have no words how to describe what I was seeing on the right side – an immense queue, it was so *********** long, that it took me at least several minutes to drive at the speed of 100km/h the entire queue.
With the help of the Ukrainian custom officer I have passed the entire Ukrainian bureaucracy very quickly. I was even a little bit embarrassed for passing so fast and that everybody was treating me like a diplomat. I still have voice of the office in my head: “Please allow this student to pass asap, he is in a hurry to catch the ferry” :).
Polish check was somewhere more demanding and I had to respect the queue of some 50 cars and 2 hours of waiting – Welcome to EU (real EU):
The only problem at the Polish customs was that they couldn’t scan my front registration plate:
I suggested them to bring a hair dryer or to use the brain and have a look at the back registration plate – which is usually in Moldova similar to the front one.
It was already 2 AM after passing the Ukrainian-Polish border and I was driving for more than 20 hours with no brakes. Red Bull is perhaps a good energy drink, but the Recaro seats from the Mergedes are definitely not a comfortable bed, so I have decided to spend the night at the closest hotel on my way to Lublin (Poland) – which was a nice hotel at a Shell petrol station – 15 EUR per night including breakfast – what can you expect more after the Ukrainian comedy;)
3. Stage three: Poland-Latvia
… to be continued