The electric trains here are great. I can’t believe it has taken me almost three years to realize that. Even though they take a long time to get from point A to point B, they are clean, cheap, and the large windows provide great views. I wish I had learned about them earlier, I would have taken guests on them… it is a great way to see the countryside.
A few weeks ago, 11 kids and educators from Good Shepherd and I took an “electrichka” to Izyum to embark on a 6-day hiking trip along the Donetz river. It was a beautiful hike with plenty of great views, nice places to camp, and opportunities for swimming. It was approximately 25 miles, which we hiked in 3.5 days, and we ended up in picturesque Slavanagorsk. It is the rather-famous location of an Orthodox monastery in the hills of eastern 
Some of the kids didn’t think that hiking was necessarily “rest and relaxation” but nonetheless it was a great way to tire them out a bit. We carried our own food and supplies, so the backpacks were a bit heavy, especially the first couple of days. We only hiked near 2 villages along the way, so sometimes finding bread and water (we didn’t have the nice water filters hikers at home have) were a bit difficult. But it was great to get out in the countryside a bit and escape the noise and daily routine.The last night brought thunderstorms and the following day we were soaked as we waited for the electrichka to take us home. It was a little uncomfortable, but good that it happened on the last day.
Dave
