To say that we're Crimean experts would now be an understatement. We've had an amazing opportunity to not just see many of the famous Crimean spots but also to feel, taste and hear the Southern Ukraine way of life. With our Passover duties over we began to play tourists.
Our first stop was in Bakhchisarai, which once was once the capital of the Crimean Tatar Khanate. The Tatar's were expelled from Crimea by Stalin but have been allowed to return since the early 90's after the fall of the Soviet Union (our car driver is a CrimeanTatar, he's happy to recount the entire history of the Crimean Tatars throughout the entire ride -- great for history, bad for translators). The area has a palace belonging to one of the Khan's, several mosques, and a surrounding town, which apparently has been restored in recent years. In fact, a Ukrainian (or Russian) movie was being shot while we were touring around. In the palace, we saw the Khan's cemetery, the Crimean Tatar museum, a small art gallery and many beautiful rooms of the palace itself. Behind the palace is one of the many cemeteries dedicated to those who died in the Great War (as Elle said in a previous post, you cannot walk a block without seeing a memorial to WWII). The palace is also home to the fountain of Bakhchisaray, a beautiful fountain which served as the inspiration for Alexander Pushkin's poem, The Fountain of Bakhchisaray written in 1822 when he visited the area.
After a very short drive, we reached some impressive looking mountains. Our trusty driver drove as high as he could and then had to stop because cars were no longer allowed. We had reached the entrance to the Uspensky Cave Monastery. Founded in the 8th century, this Orthodox monastery is incredibly beautiful and serene, it even has a holy spring with drinkable water (no idea how it tastes, we didn't taste it, no worries). What made this site even more special was that the weather was very cloudy and it felt as if we were walking through clouds.
We left the monastery walking through a forrest on a mountain. We were now on our way to Chufut Kale, a cliff city that was last inhabited by Karaite Jews. On our way we ran into pigs, cows and some friendly locals. Once we reached the top were were able to visit the inside of caves, which used to serve as holy sites, residences, meeting areas and cemeteries...according to past research these caves are over 1000 years old. A well was found here recently, one that had been sealed shut for centuries, inside the well they found etchings and writings in Farsi, Hebrew, and other languages. This was a fascinating place. At one point, while on top of the mountain, the clouds broke and we were able to see the majestic beauty of the mountain. Amazing!
After another delicious lunch of Tatar cuisine (which involves lots of meat, of course), we were on our way back to Simferopol to visit a new chocolate exhibition in the local art museum. The exhibition consisted of three rooms. Well, before I begin the intricate room description, let me tell you about the ticket price. To be admitted to this exhibition, you had to buy 20 grivna worth of chocolate (that's less than three bucks, folks). Such a hard price to pay. Anyway, the three rooms consisted of a description of the history of the cocoa bean, a room with different chocolate sculptures and a tasting room where we basically gorged ourselves on chocolate. Not a bad ending to the day, I say.
Our adventures continue in Yalta and Sevastopol! To be continued...
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