My first time in Kiev

For 24 hours in Kiev (aka Kyiv) now, and I haven't had a decent meal yet. OK I am not going to starve because I bough some chocolate bars and cheese slices at local late hour grocery stores together with bottled water (could not find any bread).

The closed I got to a decent meal was at a Chinese restaurant (Ukrainian version / NO chopsticks).

Is dificult to use "clasical" restaurant due to the lack ao any indication I could read.

A slot of street vendors sell very fatty and not particularly tasty food.

The hotel restaurants have a menu I can not understand, and no buffet, not even for breakfast.

The room itself is OK, much better that I would have expected for an hotel belonging to the Ukrainian ministry of the young and sports.

SAT+cable TV with at least one understandable channel (BBC news).

The bathroom is OK, but without soap (or shampoo). From the 14th floor I can see a LARGE stadium. I believe the hotel is mainly used by players and there are always a lot of security people in the hall and corridors.

No problems getting local currency with my visa card (Cash advance) at local machines. I hear, however, about problems with foreigners bank cards. The dollar is happily accepted everywhere, but not the euro (what does not make any economical sense, is probably a more profound felling).

At the conventions things stated well with a couple of government ministers talking to an enthusiastic and largely Ukrainian audience.

No Internet station (let alone wireless network) but I've found a nice store that sell relatively fast Internet access by the hour. Their computer even have a USB cable to connect my gadgets :-)