Yalta

Sunday 13^th October

I woke up at 9am and checked the time, but then went back to sleep and dozed on and off until I checked the time again at midday! I obviously needed the sleep as well as the physical rest.

I have been to Yalta before but this time I was in a state of very low energy. I decided not to walk up any of the hills, much as I would like to see inside the Cathedral (though being a Sunday I might have had difficulty), so I just walked around the promenade. I took my laptop with me and sat in McDonalds with a crew member who had a pile of bags and cups so that it looked as though I had eaten. (For me to buy anything would have meant finding somewhere to change my money and then standing in a 5-deep McDonalds’ queue.) The internet was very unpredictable and ended up switching off in the middle of me writing something. I’m glad I did not start uploading my blog. I gave up. I wandered around Yalta, taking photos and fending off locals who wanted me to have my photo taken with their pet monkey, pet pigeons, pet squirrel, etc. – all for a price!

Yalta is the area where people used to come for seaside holidays in Communist times. Now the wealthy can afford to go elsewhere and the poor cannot afford to come. It is struggling somewhat. It is very touristy, with lots of things for children to do along the promenade. It feels light and happy and holiday-like.