Transcarpathia Travellog

August 2006

We set out on 22 August at 4:30 p.m. in Lengenfeld, Vogtland, Germany. Fourteen people in two mini-vans and a car, with our luggage and lots of relief supplies and gifts, packed to the roof. Our route headed southward via Vienna and Budapest, and on to the Ukrainian border. We kept driving by night, making several stops to refuel or change drivers. At 3 a.m. we reached Budapest. We crossed the Danube, with a view to the brightly lit city center. Although we still had a long distance ahead, this was a worthwhile place to pass through. It’s not every day you drive through Budapest at night. After a long, almost sleepless night we crossed the border of the European Union at 9 a.m. on the 23rd. I began this trip with few expectations or preconceptions. I had really no way of predicting what there was in store for me.

While on the way to Aklihegy, our actual destination, I gathered my first impressions. At first glance the country did not seem as poor as I had thought. But at second glance I saw how striking the differences were to Germany. The first thing I noticed was the poor condition of the roads. Often the roadways consisted more of potholes than pavement. Many drivers disregarded the rules of the road, and most of the vehicles were old Soviet-era Ladas and horse-drawn wagons. The cities had contrasting images of old, decrepit houses alongside colorful huge mansions. In the countryside the inhabitants offered for sale the produce from their fields and gardens along the side of the road. The region was flat and had few trees, with the Carpathian mountains along the horizon.

Just in time for lunch we reached Aklihegy. I had the feeling we had arrived almost at the end of the globe. Twenty Ukrainian volunteers were waiting for us, and they had a typical Hungarian meal prepared (Transcarpathia comprises the Hungarian-speaking part of Ukraine). I found the Hungarian food a little lacking in what I was used to, but it was good. Our communication with the Ukrainians went better than I thought it would, partly in German, partly in English. Or with hand gestures.

Over the next few days I collected more impressions of this country. Whether we were exploring the nearly untouched natural surroundings, or visiting the two nearest big towns, Mukacevo and Berehovo, this country held increased fascination for me. We also had lots of time to relax, meet the people, or listen to the word of God.

On Sunday we attended a worship service. In the local Reformed church it is still customary for the men and women to sit separately, which would be almost unimaginable in Germany. That afternoon we got a lesson in Ukrainian mentality — don’t look at everything so narrowly. We actually wanted to go to a meeting of young people, but when we arrived, no one was there. The young people had never been informed.

I made use of some free time to have a closer look at a village with another female German volunteer. Since we were always traveling by car, I found it difficult to form a true picture of the area. Now we had the opportunity. At first everything seemed a little depressing. The houses were tiny from our point of view, often only a single story. They were furnished simply and without ornamentation, no color on the exterior or red tiles on the roofs. But there were vine trellises over the entrance roads and enormous flower beds in the gardens. And there were benches. In front of every house was a bench on which the residents sat with their neighbors in the sun and chatted. On these benches they create community and pass on their traditions, and undoubtedly share the latest news. There is no hint of the hectic or stressful behavior we often practice.

We encountered a large herd of cattle, which precisely at 6 p.m. came in from grazing and blocked the street. But nobody was bothered by it. Beginning on Monday the weather got gradually worse. We headed towards the Carpathian mountains, to Königsfeld, where we spent two days and nights. We were put up in a hotel which was not quite up to our standards, but it was sufficient for me. The rooms were furnished with the bare necessities, but there was not always warm water.

It rained almost constantly, so that the hiking trip we planned had to be cancelled. We visited the Catholic church and saw a typical store where the cashier stood behind the checkout and figured up the prices with a slide-rule. We explored by car the neighboring vicinity. The roads were soft-surfaced and in poor condition. While passing by unsupported wooden bridges and houses and tin roofs, I could also get an impression of the Carpathian villages.

We left Königsfeld on 30 August. It took us a long time to find a suitable place to eat. But according to the Ukrainian mindset—there is time enough for everything. So it didn’t bother anyone that we didn’t eat till 3:30 p.m. On the last day before our departure the weather in Aklihegy was very bad. Cold and wet, simply uncomfortable, especially when eating outside under merely a roof shelter. We made use of the day by taking the time to present gifts to our Ukrainian hosts or packing a few of our things.

On 1 September under a brilliant sunshine and summerlike temperatures we departed Ukraine. On the way we stopped in Berehovo to buy some melons, then we headed homeward. After a long trip by night via Hungarian and Austrian superhighways, we reached Lengenfeld refreshed and in good health at 11 a.m. For me it was a spirit-filled and worthwhile time, full of impressions and experiences. And I can only say I would gladly do it again.

Stefanie Schmidt, Pulsnitz