ProBargainHunter.com

The second day in Ukraine started with a trip to a local supermarket. The place is called “Rost” and by square footage was a size of an average Kmart store but with several floors. When you get in you have to pass the gate. No shopping bags allowed behind it. The entrance hall has lockers for the shoppers to leave their bags.

First I went to the exchange booth which was on the first floor near the entrance. There were two ATM machines with a Visa logo on them near the booth. I am yet to take a closer look at them but for now I just needed to exchange some cash. To answer your question about ATM’s and currency exchange, I would not try to do it out in the street since it might not be safe. Any exchange inside a supermarket or a bank is OK. The exchange rate varies slightly from place to place but stays within 5-10% margin.

The shop selling cell phones was on the first floor of the same supermarket. What I needed was a starter package for Kievstar, the largest cellular service provider in Ukraine closely followed by a Russian owned UMC. According to May 2007 numbers they have 43% of the market while UMC has 39% (details here - rus). There are two more smaller companies but I would be reluctant to buy service from them since the coverage may be spotty.

The starter package from Kievstar costs $5 (25 Hryvnas) and includes a new SIM card and $2 worth of air time. Incoming calls to all mobile phones are free for the cell phone owner which means I just bought myself a phone number valid till June 2008 for a mere $5. If I choose to call someone out, the rate will vary depending on the type of the number I call and service plan I have. You can find pricing information online in English from Kievstar or UMC website.

In the spirit of bargain hunting I asked at the shop if they ran any promotion and luckily they did so I ended up with “Happy Spring” which has free limited in-network calling (details here). The plan made sense for me since all my relatives use Kievstar.

As I was leaving the store, I saw a couple of boys checking the receipts and people’s bags, very much like you would see in Costco. I suspect the merchandise doesn’t have anti-theft tags typical in the US.

My day ended kind of sadly. When on my way back I was walking the street towards my in-laws house, a dog ran by me and bit me by the leg. I was taken by surprise since the dog didn’t show any sign of aggression before attacking me. The dog was old, the bite was minor with no blood so a simple disinfection sufficed, but the evening was spoiled.

Seeing a stray dog is not unusual in Ukraine in rural area. Unlike the US, owners are not forces to leash dogs at all times. As I found later the dog that bit me lived in a house near by and just wondered outside as she often does during the day. Seeing a dog out on a city street however is not common probably because very few Ukrainians will let their pets in the car, and you can’t travel with one in public transportation.

This will be it for today. The next day brings me my first experience with public transportation, Ukrainian roads, internet, and more. Hang on there!