Oh, what a detailed report! Thanks a lot! I see you are still being impressed by this trip. Don't have much to ask since you've already told almost everything.
Anyway, I'll just write some info from almost this side of border.
You know, I find 15 Euros to a cop to be too much, I guess a local could have corrupted him with 3 or 4 Euros, but I'm probably wrong. Anyway, this is 'normal' both in Russia and Ukraine, that's why drivers are not afraid to get penalty. Also, some funny tricks allow to avoid a penalty ticket or another cop corruption, such as long range headlight flashing. Flashing a few times in 1-2 seconds from a car going on the opposite side means cops are near in front of you and behind the car that flashes that has already seen them, so you should decrease your speed. :P This used in the whole exUSSR, AFAIK, so keep in mind.
It's a surprise for me there's no crossing between Ukraine and Romania to the south of Moldova, I'll keep it in mind. I thought there could be a bridge or ferries... Well, I guess you should have not tried entering Transnistria since it's quite strange separatist region using old Soviet time ideology, so I'm afraid you would have been sent back or even got arrested for a while. I don't really know which visas they need to allow entrance. I may find this info if you need it again, though.
You are right about the poverty and small pensions... They are smaller in Ukraine than here, which is making old women to act this way. Too bad.
You easily figured out the difference in Ukrainian regions, and the difference in their local ideologies. Yes, Lviv (here we call it L'vov in Russian, may be you heard this variant too) is the most Western city in Ukraine, which is quite expected (it was in Poland till the World War II and used to be under the 'western' influence). Kiev (sorry, Kyiv
) is the capital, which is getting quite modern and developed, but the province... It's the oasises of Soviet time standing still both here and Ukraine. It's like different countries. Additionally to that Crimea is more 'Russian oriented' (they don't want to study Ukrainian, there are more Russians etc.) that is in fact old time nostalgia too, that's why they keep soviet names. JFYI, in big Russian cities communist street names are mostly replaced with 'tsarist' ones except of the names given to the places built during the Soviet time. However, they are still remaining in the provincial regions. Something similar, right?
Well, don't forget about the Lenin & you pics!
