a sleep-deprived wander through Poltava's strange, quiet streets
the numbers on the screen don't mean much until you're standing there, breathing the cold air, watching your breath curl like cigarette smoke. 132144... 1364126377... i don't know what they mean either, but they felt important when i first saw them. maybe coordinates. maybe just random digits. doesn't matter now.
i just checked and it's 4.69°C... there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. the humidity's sitting at 65%, which makes it feel colder than it is. like someone left the fridge door open and walked away.
anyway, i landed in Poltava with nothing but a backpack and a half-charged phone. the kind of place where the buildings look like they're holding their breath. soviet-era blocks standing next to pastel-colored churches that look like they belong in a fairytale no one remembers anymore.
*the food - someone told me that the local borscht here has prunes in it. PRUNES. i haven't tried it yet because the idea still freaks me out, but apparently it's a thing. you can find it at this tiny basement place near the October Park. no sign. just follow the smell of dill and damp concrete.
the people - overheard a drunk guy at a kiosk saying the city's haunted by a ghost train that only appears on nights when the temperature drops below zero. he swore he'd seen it. i stayed out late looking. didn't see shit. but the idea stuck with me.
if you get bored, Kharkiv and Kyiv are just a short drive away. but honestly? don't rush. Poltava's the kind of place that rewards slow walking and bad decisions.
"the best coffee in town is at that place with the broken sign. you'll know it when you see it." - some random dude in a leather jacket, probably lying
i spent an afternoon at the Field of Poltava museum, which is basically a glorified shed with a few rusty cannons out front. but the guy working there spent 45 minutes telling me about the 1709 battle like it happened yesterday. passionate. unhinged. i loved it.
random tips:*
- bring cash. nobody takes cards at the good places.
- learn "spasibo" (thank you). it goes a long way.
- wear layers. the weather here lies to you constantly.
and yeah, the numbers? still don't know. maybe they're a code. maybe they're just noise. but i like to think they're coordinates to somewhere only i can see.
more local tips here if you're into that sort of thing. or don't. wander blind. it's more fun.
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