|
|
|
GUESTBOOK
|
|
|
|
| Author: |
|
Ulrike Hofmann |
| Date: |
|
6/20/2011 9:30:28 AM |
| e-mail: |
|
UlrikeHofmann@gmx.at |
|
Just back from a visit to Transcarpathia, organized by Valeryi and Edita perfectly, my friends and I want to thank them for the excellent help to have a most pleasant stay in Uzhgorod and surroundings. For sure, we will be back soon - there is so much to see in lovely Ukraine.
Dyakuyemo vam + do pobachennya!
Ulrike Hofmann
|
|
|
| Author: |
|
victor papp |
| Date: |
|
3/30/2011 2:50:56 PM |
| e-mail: |
|
victor@vpapp.com |
|
test
|
|
|
| Author: |
|
Sarah Livia |
| Date: |
|
11/17/2010 3:16:28 AM |
| e-mail: |
|
sarahlivia@earthlink.net |
|
Dear Valeriy,
I want to thank you for the wonderful adventure that we had with you exploring our Ukrainian Jewish roots and learning about the rich history of your country. You were patient, resilient, flexible and willing to go far off the beaten path with us. I am amazed that in the midst of storms and floods, we found our way to the site of Moshe's grandparent's house in the little village of Conyatin.
We were such an unruly, diverse bunch, speaking four different languages with two elders in their eighties, yet you always remained cheerful and helpful. It was a very important time for us as a family, especially for my mother and her cousins. This may be the last time that they will be all together. Our Ukrainian journey will allow my generation to keep our families' stories alive.
I am also grateful for the insights that you shared from your personal life. I feel as if I understand a little about life in the Soviet Union and the Ukraine's transition to an independent country. You organized a very interesting itinerary for us and we were all delighted with the beauty of the towns and the countryside.
L'viv was splendid and I am so glad that we spent two extra days there.
I wish you a long and happy life and hope that you will come and visit us in California one day soon,
Best wishes,
Sarah Livia
|
|
|
| Author: |
|
Cindy Hirsch |
| Date: |
|
8/21/2010 12:52:30 PM |
| e-mail: |
|
hirschhome1@aol.com |
|
My husband and I just got back from a trip that included spending a day and a half in the Ukraine. We chose to use Valeriy as a guide from Camellia Tour based on the positive comments found in this guestbook. All the comments are accurate and our time with Valeriy was nothing more than perfect. My journey was similar to some listed already in that I was searching my Jewish heritage in the region. I am lucky in that my Dad, a Holocaust survivor, comes from a small town in that area and provided me with a lot of information on places of importance which Valeriy then used to organize our tour together. Valeriy picked us up in his minivan from Kocise, Slovakia and immediately conversation was easy and comfortable. He was able to shorten our wait at the border crossing into Ukraine to an hour and half, which is great considering all the cars we bypassed that were waiting for hours. He made it possible for us to see the Uzhgorod Symphony Hall which formerly was a synagogue my Dad prayed in during his time at Yeshiva in that city. His suggestion to visit Hessed Shpira, a Jewish organization in Uzhgorod, turned into a very emotional experience in that I viewed a photograph of my dad and three of his siblings in a display case that was part of a room set up as a tribute to the Jews of the Transcarpathia region. My trip to my Dad's village was equally memorable in that we found older villagers who remembered my Dad and his eleven siblings and were able to pinpoint the location of where his house/farm once stood. The villagers were very hospitable and we were seated in the courtyard of what once was my Dad's home and treated to some compote drink. We were also able to see the site of the former brick factory from where Jews were then transported in cattle cars to Auschwitz and the city of Muncacheve. Valeriy was an excellent translator and had a warm approach to all those he encountered. I can't thank him enough for exceeding my expectations and providing me with memories that will last a lifetime.
|
|
|
| Author: |
|
Евгений |
| Date: |
|
5/12/2010 11:52:52 AM |
| e-mail: |
|
weron@bigmir.net |
|
Хотим поблагодарить "Камелии-тур" за не забываемое путешествие "Любование цветущей долины нарциссов". Быстро встретили, поселили, потом начались экскурсии. Больше всего впечатлила долина нарциссов, замок "Паланок" и ферма диких кабанов. Все три экскурсовода Иван, Кирилл и Валентин были на высоте. Мы узнали массу нового и интересного об этом чудном крае Закарпатье, а так же получили заряд положительных эмоций и впечатлений. Большое спасибо Вам за это!
|
|
|
| Author: |
|
Irene |
| Date: |
|
11/20/2009 5:05:22 AM |
| e-mail: |
|
valeriy@camellia-tour.com |
|
Trip report Ukraine Posted by: Irene1 on Jun 3, 04 at 6:25pm
Posted in: Europe
Tagged: Ukraine
Jump to last reply Flag this topic Add a Reply
Share with a Friend
Print-friendly version
I just returned from a very interesting tour in Southern Ukraine. We were searching for our Jewish roots in a region of Ukraine that had been a part of Hungary when the family emigrated shortly after World War One. (It was briefly a part of Czechoslovakia and now is a part of Ukraine.) The trip was fascinating and eye-opeing. Needless to say, there are very few Jews left in the area. Most died at Auschwitz but a few survived and either left of suffered under Stalin. The area is very rural and still seems somewhat Soviet because the economy is poor. On all the farms we passed all of the labor is done by hand. We saw lots of gypsies traveling in horsecarts. It truly seems like another world.
We engaged a wonderful tour guide whom I highly recommend who picked us up in his minivan in Budapest. He is Ukrainian and his name is Valeriy (valeriy@camellia-tour.com) and website is www.camellia-tour.com). He drove us all around the region. Valeriy speaks 6 languages and drove us all over the place. He did a great job navigating the backup at the Hungarian/Ukraine border, which you have to see to believe. He did some research for us and even found someone with the same last name whom we visited. My husband speaks Russian (which Ukrainians often speak), but Valeriy was a very good translator and was willing to take us anywhere and try to find anything. For anyone who has an interest in traveling to Ukraine, I highly recommend him. It is not an easy region to travel in if you are looking for information; we went to the remaining synagogue in Mukachevo (there had been 17 before WWII) and talked to people and looked at pictures. It doesn't help that the Soviets changed all the names of towns and we weren't really sure of the old names. By talking to some people, we were able to find the tiny village we were seeking and found a terribly overgrown and worn down Jewish cemetary that we think is where some family members are buried.
In terms of logistics, it was simpler to drive from Budapest because this part of Ukraine is so far from (500 miles) from Kiev. (Incidentally, Budapest was lovely, and also was interesting from a Jewish perspective.) The two larger cities in Ukraine we went to were Mukachevo and Uzhgorod (pop. 60,000 and 120,000 respectively). We stayed at the Star Hotel in Mukachevo which is a 4 star hotel (very unusal in that part of the world)and was quite nice and inexpensive. We had large two room suites, which were the nicest rooms in the hotel, for about $125 a night. Food was very cheap but good.
If you take a trip like this, a guide is essential and Valeriy was excellent.
|
|
|
| Author: |
|
John & Kate Meyer |
| Date: |
|
1/28/2009 7:22:29 AM |
| e-mail: |
|
jmeyer1@ec.rr.com |
|
The highlight of our visit to Transcarpathia in November 2008 was our day with Valeriy. We took the tour to the Nevitzkii Castle and the spa at Lumshory. We were most impressed with our guide's knowledge of the area's history, geography and culture. His recommendations for food and other amenities contributed to a pleasant, memorable experience for us.
|
|
|
| Author: |
|
Alexander Grinev |
| Date: |
|
12/22/2007 1:41:00 PM |
| e-mail: |
|
Grinev@t-online.de |
|
Ich bedanke mich ganz herzlich beim Valeri fuer seine wunderschoenen Ausfluege. Ich komme aus Deutschland und will immer wieder die Zakarpatje mit Valeri besuchen. Alles war wunderbar, ausgezeichnete Unterkunft und Essen. Sein Haus in Vishnevaya 16 ist sehr gemuetlich. Bitte kommen Sie zu Valerij und seiner Familie, die Tage werden Sie nie vergessen! Noch Mal vielen Dank!
|
|
|
| Author: |
|
Enanny |
| Date: |
|
6/23/2007 11:58:20 AM |
| e-mail: |
|
Enanny@fodors.com |
|
Author: Enanny
Date: 10/05/2005, 01:56 pm
Thanks to Irene's posting, we contacted her tour guide,Valeriy Shevchenko (valeriy@camellia-tour.com and website is www.camellia-tour.com.) He provided us with the most marvelous experience in southern Ukraine that one could hope to have.
Valeriy was very prompt - picking us up in Budapest and taking us to Ukraine. He made us feel comfortable and welcome in the places from which my husband's family came but where we did not know the language or the land.
We had some special requests because my husband was searching for his "roots". Although Valeriy is not Jewish, he had contacts with a Jewish agency out of Uzhorod with a branch in Muncacheve. The organization is is Hesed Shpira;web site www.hesed-shpira.com. Together, they provided guided tours through the sites of Jewish interest in these towns. Valeriy stayed with us throughout all the questioning and research, providing much needed translation because they did not speak English and we did not speak Russian or Ukranian. He took us through the towns of my husband's family, questioned local people, and provided translations.
We would not have been able to learn or understand anything without his help.
In addition, he helped us to find restaurants, gifts for our children - anything we wished. This man is truly a gem and a gentleman.
If you are traveling in the region, Valeriy will make your trip fun, stress-free, and memorable.
|
|
|
| Author: |
|
Irene |
| Date: |
|
6/23/2007 11:40:26 AM |
| e-mail: |
|
Irene@fodor.com |
|
Author: Irene1
Date: 06/03/2004, 11:25 am
I just returned from a very interesting tour in Southern Ukraine. We were searching for our Jewish roots in a region of Ukraine that had been a part of Hungary when the family emigrated shortly after World War One. (It was briefly a part of Czechoslovakia and now is a part of Ukraine.) The trip was fascinating and eye-opeing. Needless to say, there are very few Jews left in the area. Most died at Auschwitz but a few survived and either left of suffered under Stalin. The area is very rural and still seems somewhat Soviet because the economy is poor. On all the farms we passed all of the labor is done by hand. We saw lots of gypsies traveling in horsecarts. It truly seems like another world.
We engaged a wonderful tour guide whom I highly recommend who picked us up in his minivan in Budapest. He is Ukrainian and his name is Valeriy (valeriy@camellia-tour.com and website is www.camellia-tour.com). He drove us all around the region. Valeriy speaks 6 languages and drove us all over the place. He did a great job navigating the backup at the Hungarian/Ukraine border, which you have to see to believe. He did some research for us and even found someone with the same last name whom we visited. My husband speaks Russian (which Ukrainians often speak), but Valeriy was a very good translator and was willing to take us anywhere and try to find anything. For anyone who has an interest in traveling to Ukraine, I highly recommend him. It is not an easy region to travel in if you are looking for information; we went to the remaining synagogue in Mukachevo (there had been 17 before WWII) and talked to people and looked at pictures. It doesn't help that the Soviets changed all the names of towns and we weren't really sure of the old names. By talking to some people, we were able to find the tiny village we were seeking and found a terribly overgrown and worn down Jewish cemetary that we think is where some family members are buried.
In terms of logistics, it was simpler to drive from Budapest because this part of Ukraine is so far from (500 miles) from Kiev. (Incidentally, Budapest was lovely, and also was interesting from a Jewish perspective.) The two larger cities in Ukraine we went to were Mukachevo and Uzhgorod (pop. 60,000 and 120,000 respectively). We stayed at the Star Hotel in Mukachevo which is a 4 star hotel (very unusal in that part of the world)and was quite nice and inexpensive. We had large two room suites, which were the nicest rooms in the hotel, for about $125 a night. Food was very cheap but good.
If you take a trip like this, a guide is essential and Valeriy was excellent.
|
Add your comment
|
|