Morning departure from Uzhgorod. The road takes 7 hours through all the Carpathians, so this route - inspires optimism. Therefore, I plan to leave early to get to Putyla in the light of day. The first part of the road is not very interesting, through Mukachevo, Khust, but then after Nizhnya Apsha and Solotvyno, Rakhiv region begins and there are beautiful mountains, the second and main part of the road runs completely through the mountains.
There was a request from a passenger, again without a photo, but 2 seats - so I decided to confirm. The call and a female voice ask:
Can you pick us up at the drunken bazaar? Because we won't have time to get to the center
Okay, drop the location, maybe there's a cafe there, I'll come a little earlier and will have coffee
In Uzhgorod, I stayed in Ungweiser, near the center. This is a great place - on the ground floor there is a brewery, a two-floor stylish pub, on the second floor - a small hotel. It reminded me of medieval taverns, and during this Christmas period, I was the only guest there, on some days the pub was closed. Knowing that it is impossible to drink coffee around at such an early weekend, I go to the drunken bazaar.
After passing the bazaar, I stop at the ATB, which is right next to the location of the cafe. I even have time to drink two coffees, and here are the passengers - a young couple of 24 years, as indicated in the Blablacar profile. The guy smokes, so we leave after a smoke break.
Most of the way we don't talk at all, the road offers snowy beautiful landscapes, you don't want to talk or listen to music - just look out the window. The girl fell asleep almost immediately.
Then we talk a little about the mountains. They are both from the Carpathians, he is from the village of Bohdan, where we are going to, she is from Pylypets, the place where I have been many times. They are surprised that I go to the mountains so often.
- Well, we grew up in the mountains, we are more interested in the cities: Uzhhorod, Lviv, Kyiv, - says the guy, admitting that he has never been to Hoverla, although he grew up relatively close. Because, in the mountains, he was so many times since childhood, grazing cattle there.
After a while, they ask to stop at the gas station, but it is such a gas station that there is not even coffee. So we decide to stay in Khust for coffee. The girl stays in the car, the guy and I go out, he buys me coffee. We speak a little bit about cryptocurrencies, mining, and similar topics. And then - the road through Khust to the Rakhiv region.
Closer to Rakhiv, the large and flaky snow begins to fall. I was ready to bring them to Bohdan, their village. Because I haven't been there yet, and it's always interesting to see new places. But I will leave them in Rakhiv because their relatives decided to go there. After all, Rakhiv is a city, and in such snowy weather, the center of Rakhiv looks especially beautiful.
I stop the car somewhere near the river, he gives 500 hryvnias and says: "Don't look for the rest, thank you for the comfort ride". It is more than plus 100 hryvnias for a trip! But I need cash - in Uzhhorod there were few places where you could pay by card and my stock of cash was almost exhausted.
I went to Uzhhorod for the first time by car, and I know very well the part of the road that left to pass: Kvasy, Yasinya, Yablunytsia, Tarariv, Vorokhta, Verkhovyna, Kryvorivnya… I have been there many times. I stop on the way to Stara Vorokhta, Kneipa u Moyshi, and take a few more passengers a short distance, so I arrive in Putyla in the dark. Twilight in the Carpathians is no less beautiful than the morning and I know I will be back here soon…