First day in Kiev

These are random jottings from a journal I kept on the trip:

Arrived in Kiev yesterday from Munich. In Munich took the Lufthansa bus downtown to the Hauptbahnof and walked around for a half hour or so around the train station and through a parched Botanical Garden. Munich looks very rich, much richer than Berlin. Everything is sparkling and there is hardly an old car in sight.

On the route in from the airport passed the new Allianz stadium, which appears to be made out of white quilted patent leather, like a Chanel purse. Stopped at the city tourist office, where you have to pay even for a city map. The bus to and from the airport cost 17 euros. I was in the museum district of Munich but had no time to visit any museums. At least it was better than sitting all morning in the airport, which is a lot less frantic than Frankfurt.

Lufthansa switched the gate for the flight to Kiev twice and the equipment once, but we arrived just a little late. Met a nice young man named Michel on the plane--he's from Brussels but speaks English with a perfect British accent, and works in IT.

Cab from the airport cost $40, not hundreds as my guidebook said might be asked. Gave the driver a $10 tip, but still not bad. Slept through the night that first night, almost beating jet lag.