Water Park

On Sunday we went to a water park in Sudok. Of course I don't really know where this is. Somewhere between Feodosia and Simferopal on the Black Sea, for those of you who are more familiar with Crimean Geography. Which means that we drove 2 1/2 hours to play in the water for 3 hours and drive back for 2 1/2 hours. However it was a blast. We joined many of the counselors or Hope Center Staff and their families. Total their were 28 of us. We rented a bus. Ate lunch, which mostly was snacks, on the bus, and played cards to entertain us on our ride. Just as we arrived the clouds came rolling in. But we weren't about to let that stop us.

It was a joy to spend this time with our Ukrainian friends and build those relationships. I think everyone reverted by to childhood as we ran from slide to slide. Of course the favorite slide for everyone had a long line. It was also a partner slide so one person would stand in line while the other ran to another slide. They would come back while you ran to another slide, and this continued until everyone it was their turn to go on the partner slide. In fact one time I got in line with no partner at all and by the time we were done, I had 3 partners and on person in our line grew to almost our entire group. Apparently cutting in line is no big deal here. As long as the person lets you in it is fine. I felt bad for the people behind us, but they didn't seem to mind. So all day long we just found someone we knew in line and cut in. This was the tallest slide and at the top you could see that we this place is set in a cove at the bottom of mountains on the edge of the black sea. It was beautiful, but I can't take a camera down a water slide so I don't have a picture.

They had a total of 8 slides, 1 pool with fountains, and a kiddy pool with 3 slides plus fountains here. On slide went so slow, I got stuck in the middle and had to push myself down. But still got hit by the person behind me. Another slide (the kind that just go straight down). The guy at the top was trying to give me directions. I understood sit, but the rest I didn't understand. A soon as he realized I didn't get it, he shrugged his shoulders and shoved me down the slide. Another slide (innertube slide) they told us to keep our butts up, so we don't bottom out. Of course that was also in Russian and I didn't understand so I didn't follow those directions. I got yelled at for messing with the fountain in the pool, and although I didn't know all the words, I totally understood - but almost pretended not to. In any case even though I didn't understand a lot. I had a blast! And most importantly, build some stronger relationships with some of the Ukrainian staff.