Slow and Stuck,

Sleeping Strangers

&

Socks, Shirts and Shampoo

'That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all lessons of history.'

- Aldous Huxley

THE THIRD TRIP TO THE BORDER

WITH SUPPLIES INBOUND

AND UKRAINIANS OUTBOUND


JULY 28-31


MAURITS & PETER

Our third trip can be visualised with the pictures below. Traffic can be a pain but the actual goal and final result is all that matters. This time we had 7 people in the cars on the way back and medical supplies, food and shampoo going east.


Although delayed quite a bit, it is encouraging to see the enthusiasm and positivity of the people that receive the supplies we bring, it is touching to receive the support and gratefulness from random people on the road and especially from those we drive from Przemysl to the Netherlands.


Once again it was an eventful trip, a great experience with a satisfying outcome.

Image credits : MJC / King Concepts / Kate

SUBSIDIES

IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTORS.

Driving people (8 in total together with Peter) from Przemysl to Holland means one night in a hotel somewhere.


Payment for the hotel and meals for ourselves is up to us, so finding sponsors was relevant to cover the cost for the refugees.


The trip wouldn’t have been possible without the help of so many contributors. I would like to thank them for their trust and generosity.


It is thanks to them that we have been able to execute our plan and bring 7 Ukrainians safely to the Netherlands.

The remarkable shape and design of the church on the road to Przemysl. 

01

Mark

Johan & Annie

Bas Jan

Erwin

Erik

Marinka

Jan Anne

Marten

Wess

Harm-Jan


FOR OUR LAST TRIP (WHICH WAS FROM JULY 28TH TO THE 31ST) WE ARE STILL REQUIRING FUNDS.


ON THE LAST PAGE THERE IS AN OPTION TO DONATE.


EVEN A SMALL CONTRIBUTION IS APPRECIATED.

STRECKE MACHEN

BORDER2BORDER IN A DAY

Driving in Germany can be fun. Not only are the roads well build but also are there no better Autobahn-fahrer than the Germans themselves.


Problems arise when the roads require maintenance or when there are simply too many Germans on your stretch of Autobahn. But that would be another day so we could make good time driving from Holland to the now familiar hotel in Ilowa just across the Polish border.


The first stop was Bissendorf where we were approached by a Dutch couple, also charging their Tesla, who were on their way back home. The stickers on the cars invite people to ask questions. People are sympathetic to the cause and often tell us they have donated or they have Ukrainians in their summerhouse. They asked what we had in the cars, how it’s organised and how it works with charging on the route.

Heading east and camouflage green so my guess was; military 

As usual the last chargingstop for the day was Blankenfelde. A double espresso, orange juice and a hamburger would get us to the hotel in Ilowa.


Knowing that the chances of charging at the hotel were nil as our first trip had shown, we charged to 96%. You can read more about our encounter here.


Charging to this level would get us to Wroclaw the next day, even with the little detour through the Polish countryside we had to take as a result of, yes you guessed it, roadworks. 

02

An empty Autobahn, blue sky and no speedlimit on this strech.

The woman was somewhat interested in making a trip to the border and Peter tried to convince her to take part as I will be on holiday for the month of August. They bought two Ukrainian coloured heart stickers with the Tesla logo, which was a good start.

On our way to the next stop which would be Irxleben we passed a truck with a load that you don’t see all day. Not sure what it is but sure enough it’s going to the front.


Once plugged in at the SC Irxleben it was time to vent the car. Hauling a hundred of bottles of shampoo is fine but the smell gets to you after a while.

Airing the car while charging at SC Irxleben - Germany. 

03

SLEEPING QUARTERS

A DORMITORY FOR ONESELF

Having been inside the refugee centre in Poznan, where security and access control was not as strict as in Przemysl, I was a bit embarrassed with the room we get in Ilowa. For just 60 Euros per night no less.


Aside from the outside which is radiating past grandeur the rooms are either large or extremely spacious. The place is not only convenient in the schedule as it can be reached in a day, it's very close to the highway from Germany (Dresden & Berlin) to Wroclaw and it’s also relaxing after a long drive.


We arrived early so the gate was still open and after some actual paperwork as our passport info was written, yes, with a pen on paper, into a large ledger, we were ready for a double espresso, beer and an ice-cream on the balcony overlooking the sizeable garden.

Sleeping arrangements in the refugee centre in Poznan.

Even though it’s best to stay away from three topics namely religion, sexual orientation and politics we ended up having a discussion regarding the politics of immigration and the current debacle of the refugee camps in Holland.


We agreed that the Netherlands should do better on the intake of Ukrainians, Rutte was not the best prime-minister the country has ever had but replacing him wouldn’t be easy and that ice-cream and coffee can be an excellent combination.


With a long day ahead of us it was lights out early.

Double Espresso,

Ice Cream

 & Polish Beer

The entrance with a proper iron gate and gatekeepers house

A private 'dormitory for 1' overlooking the garden and the gate keepers house.  (room #23)

SCOPE

AND HOW PUTIN GOT THE OPPOSITE

The current actions from Putin actually lead to a situation that he wanted to avoid.


He wants Ukraine to be Russia minded but it seems that the Ukrainians dislike him more than before. An insignificant example of this are the positive reactions I have received from passengers on my shirt. Also does it seem that speaking Russian, although fairly common in the past is now out of fashion among Ukrainians.


Where Putin must have enjoyed the inconsiderate and shortsighted actions of Trump as he wouldn’t mind if the transatlantic relationships would sour a little he is now faced with a stronger bond between Europe and the US. Where he thought he could drive a wedge between members of the European Union they are now more aligned than ever before. In some cases they even are more united than one might imagine.


With the Warsaw Pact (Aptly titled Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance) effectively dissolved in February 1991 Putin hoped the NATO-alliance would die a quiet death. The opposite is true. Not only was NATO expanded in 2004, with f.e. the Baltics but it also grew closer following Russia's annexation of Crimea early 2014. In fact it will even further expand as both Sweden and Finland also decided to join NATO after having been neutral or outside for a long time.


Putin wanted NATO to withdraw to its cold war borders and one of his arguments to oppose Ukraine becoming a member was that NATO would come to close to his doorstep. Again, the result is the opposite. NATO moves further east. Finland with it’s 1300 km or so long border with Russia is now becoming a NATO-member, bringing it very close to two of the most important Russian harbours, St Petersburg and Murmansk. Home of the Northern Fleet and the only ice-free harbour with direct access to the Atlantic, Murmansk is now facing both Norway and Finland in the region. 


Russia not only ended up with a worse situation from Putins perspective but now also faces isolation from the EU, the US and a lot of other countries with a devastating impact on the Russian economy and subsequently on its citizens. 


04

The Ukraine is more leaning towards the EU but get a luke warm reception. 

Russia is now facing more direct NATO-borders then ever before.

DAY 1

HOLLAND - ILOWA

For the EV owners some data from Teslafi, an API and website that tracks the car and it’s charging.

[28-7-2022]


Kilometers driven : 871

Kilometers used : 914

Efficiency : 95%

Time driven : 8:59 hours

kWh used : 179 kWh

kWh added : 203 kWh

Charging time : 3:12 hours


Charging stops at Bissendorf, Irxleben and Blankenfelde.


05

SLOW

ON BOTH ACCOUNTS.

Early breakfast in Ilowa

The background here is that old(er) superchargers like the one in Wroclaw have 2 stalls sharing one power source. So when you’re there alone you get all the power but if someone pulls up and uses the stall next to yours you have to share the 120 or 150 kW effectively halving the energy you could get if you're alone. This man clearly knew this and didn’t want to draw power so we could charger faster. "You guys do the good work" he said.


He inquired further what it exactly was we did as he only guessed from the signage on the cars and my shirt (see also here) that we were involved in helping Ukrainians. We explained to him what we do and he thanked us more than once while informing us that he was from Wroclaw and on his way to visit family. He said that as he had been living in Switzerland for the last couple of years he noticed a difference in the Polish society. They were worried and determined. The country was flooded with Ukrainians but they’d do anything to help them defeat Putins people.


Driving slow allows you to take a better look at what passes by. This one got my attention and I slowed down even more to peak beneath the wrapping. All I could see were the typical tanktracks so in combination with the long tube I figured it was some kind of weaponry. Driving it east seemed like a good idea to me.

A special transport on the road to the border.

Starting the day with a early breakfast we had a relaxed beginning of a day that was filled with accidents, roadworks and delays.


It started while driving to Wroclaw. The sat-nav showed a busy supercharger at Wroclaw with one charger out of order. As they only have 4 it meant that there was a 25% reduction of capacity. As it already had shown to be a busy charger as during the last trip there had been a waiting line of 4 cars, this was not a good sign. When we got there it turned out to be no problem. Empty stalls with 1A not functioning.


After we had plugged in another Tesla showed up, parked but didn’t plug in. As he exited his car he told us that he had seen the stickers on the car and didn’t want to draw power from the charger so we could charge faster. We were doing good work and he was not in a hurry so we’d get all the juice.

SC Wroclaw : "You guys do the good work"

SHAMPOO

CHARGING AND AIRING

After having delivered a car full of shampoo to Caritas in Poznan with the teslawensrit crew a couple of weeks ago we now had some space left after we loaded up with medical supplies donated to Peter and food from the Albert Heijn actions some weeks ago. For more info please see my previous blog here.


So as we were not complete full the rest of the space was filled with 5 boxes of shampoo. 20 in each box so a hundred flasks in total. Having spent a number of days in the smell of shampoo I have to admit I prefer driving food or socks as they are odourless.


With a small detour to the south supercharger in Katowice which has 4 stalls but was completely occupied by only three Teslas. This is where I met my new friends Maksym and Andriy during the previous trip which you can read here.


But where I had few friends this time.


A German Model X owner with an opinion and an atitude.

Opening the trunk, windows and front doors at the Katowice - North supercharger led to a question from another Tesla owner that came in shortly after. Yurii as he introduced himself was from Ukraine. Running a family business with operations in both Ukraine and Poland he was now living in Kraków and trying to run his company from there. He also thanked us for the work we do and with a thumbs up from his wife we had another ‘customer’ for the Ukrainian Tesla heart.


To our surprise we learned  that Yurii knew Sergey, the first proud Ukrainian owner of the blue-yellow Tesla heart from the previous trip. Read more here.


Loaded up on both energy and caffeine we continued our journey heading for Rzeszów.

06

Loaded with medical supplies, food and on top of it all; shampoo

I admit that the set-up of the chargers is horrible as the cars barely fit into the parking spaces and the charging cables are short making it a challenge especially for less than average drivers. It turned out we had two of those there at the same time when we pulled up. A model 3 owner who had parked across two spaces leaving a German with a seriously ugly Model X no other option than to also park rather strange.


Our frustration was thus directed to the poor man as especially Peters battery was low. Peter was able to park on the grass to plug in. Something we learned the last time as you can read here.


I decided to head towards the north supercharger which is about 5 kilometres away. We could see in the car and on the app that it had only 1 charger occupied. Getting there the one car was gone and we had the place to ourselves.

SILENCE

STANDING STILL & AN EMPTY ROAD 

After working our way through Kraków where the horrendous traffic on the highway forced us through the city which although driving was only a little faster than indicated by the sat-nav when sticking to the original route. But you get to see a bit of town. Which isn’t that bad as normally we only see asphalt, guide rails and other traffic. An off course superchargers.


But we weren’t done for the day yet. When we approached the town of Tarnów which is half way between Kraków and Rzeszów traffic came to a halt. And as usual after a while doors opened and people started to wander, sit on the railing and talk to each other. The remarkable thing this time was the silence. Normally cars are rushing by on the other side of the road but there was nothing. No car in miles. Empty highway on one side and a full one on the other. Full of cars that didn’t move at all. For a long time. 

After having been roasted on the asphalt or sitting in a airconditioned car for about 45 minutes we started moving again. It took about 5 or 6 kilometers before we passed blue strobe lights, policemen that tried to wave traffic thru and a white blanket indicating at least one fatality.


Catching up with Peter we discussed the strange phenomena of making all traffic stop for such a long time and we concluded that it must have been a serious mishap so the German approach of putting up big screens around the accident would actually made sense to keep the flow going instead of slowing down to watch.


Driving a little over the allowed 140 km/h to catch up, we arrived at the supercharger in Rzeszów where another disappointment awaited us. 

07

The rare sight of an empty highway.

I send Peter a picture of my view and he replied with a fairly similar image. At least he had some flowers to look at. We were separated in Kraków where his (newer) sat-nav software gave him a different route than mine. And both being stubborn we drove slightly different roads through town entering the high way on the other side of town with about 5 minutes difference. The newer version was better or I was unlucky with some trucks backing up onto my path and managing to make traffic stop so they could make their turns. The empty highway on the other side was hard to resist. When do you have the opportunity to stand in the middle of a highway without running the risk of being hit by a car traveling at high speed or being 'aproached' by the people who would get out of one that would stop in such case. One that has some blue lights on top.

SCARE

PETERS PLUG PROBLEM

An unusual occurence; waiting to start charging

That would have been the case if the car couldn’t be charged. We just had completed our charge, had a meal in the nearby hotel and would be on our way to Przemysl and Medyka for the last leg of the day. We could make it to Medyka and back to this charger without any problems, but not being able to charge meant that once back in Rzeszów Peter’s car would have to be repaired before being able to continue the journey. No way of knowing how long that might take. We couldn’t risk that with the passengers. There was only one option. See if it would charge with the plastic piece put back in place by hand.

The inner piece broke of clean.

08

At the end of the second day Peter had a bit of a scare.


Arriving at the supercharger behind the Blue Diamond Spa & Hotel we were confronted with an unpleasant surprise. All stalls but one were occupied so I had to wait. Already late getting there it looked like we had another set-back. But our worry was short-lived as one of the Teslas pulled out and I could charge while we had a bite to eat.


Upon finishing the charging of his car Peter pulled the plug out of the car and along with it the inner part of the charge port. It broke off and was still on the plug. Whoa, we have a problem I think he said.

A normal, all be it dirty Tesla chargeport.

Let’s see if it charges and if it does, we’ll be okay, I said.


The only question then is, can the charge port close in case it starts to rain?


Before putting it back Peter removed some broken pieces and when he plugged in it started to charge. We were on our way again.


With all the traffic jams it was running late and the people from The Canada Way were wondering what time we’d be getting in. It would be around 9:15 PM and dark by the time we got there. 

STUFF

THAT WILL FIT IN 2 TESLAS

09

The Canada Way warehouse at the Ukrainian border in Medyka.

After having exchanged some info on how to get the best shots with a drone and an explanation where the goods would go, we got back on the road to the hotel in Przemysl.


The Academia Hotel is not as historic and relaxing as the villa in Ilowa but the bed was okay and the shower worked so we had no problem sleeping.


Before heading up to our rooms I had a coffee and a beer while Peter was drinking a juice on the terrace at the small cafetaria on the banks of the San river that runs through town.


The second day had seen a bit too much delays but a good final result. 

All goods unloaded and on pallets.

The warehouse we were heading towards is just a couple of hundred meters from the actual Ukrainian border in the small village Medyka.


After parking the car and saying hello to the people of The Canada Way, a humanitarian aid organisation that would bring our supplies to those that needed it the most inside Ukraine, we heard a high pitched noise from above.


One of the guys had a drone and had been following us from the main road all the way to the warehouse. Unfortunately it was dark so the video would only show two sets of headlights making turns on their way to the parking lot. A nice welcome which should have been a nice shot had we arrived a bit earlier. 


It’s amazing what will fit into a Tesla if you really load it up. They had two pallets ready but had to get a couple more as all the stuff wouldn’t fit on two of them.

DAY 2

ILOWA - MEDYKA / PRZEMYSL

The Teslafi data for the second day

[29-7-2022]


Kilometers driven : 730

Kilometers used : 829

Efficiency : 88%

Time driven : 10:13 hours

kWh used : 162 kWh

kWh added 164 kWh

Charging time : 2:42 hours


Charging stops at Wroclaw, Katowice-South & North and Rzeszów.

STORM

& POWER OUTAGES = WORRISOME

The third day started with a bright sun and a trip to the Lidl to pick up some supplies for the road. As the hotel room didn’t include breakfast this time and paying 17,50 for a cup of coffee, yogurt and some less then appealing croissants seemed a bit much, so we made it to the McDonalds for a double espresso. So far so good. 


While enjoying an early morning in Przemysl my phone lit up for an incoming message. Expect heavy rain and strong winds. Risk of power outages.


Uh ... what .. ? That’s not good news when driving a Tesla. Being roughly 1500 km from home and not being able to charge isn’t fun. But we figured that it couldn’t be that bad and went to the refugee center to meet our passengers. 


There had been some last minute changes as a family of four had not arrived in Przemysl on time so we had a family of three instead. An older lady had difficulty walking so we also had to fit a wheelchair. From previous trips we had deduced that safety-belt rules seem to be slightly different in the Ukraine as not everybody is always putting them on.


With the help of the translator we asked them to wear them at all times. if not for their own safety then for sure to prevent us from getting a hefty ticket from the German Polizei. It all worked out fine and after half an hour we said goodbye to Irene and were on our way.


10

11

The bracelet to enter the centre at Przemysl. (for the story click here)

SLEEPING STRANGERS

WOULD YOU SHOW THE SAME TRUST ?

It always surprises me that the passengers sleep a lot in the car. I’d say that during the first day they sleep more than half of the time.


After having done 5 trips to Poznan and three to Przemysl is still seems unreal that you get into a car driven by a complete stranger and fall asleep.


I find it comforting as well as remarkable that people you have never met before and very likely will never meet again spend time in your car while sleeping. It’s also quite a responsibility they entrust you with. They trust me to drive safely and make sure they get to where they need to go without any problems or accidents.


I’ve wondered a couple of times if I could do the same ? The fact that I asked myself that question a number of times shows you that the answer wasn’t so clear. In what circumstances do you need to be, to be able to do what they do ? 


SICK 

NO, NOT AGAIN .... PLEASE 

Charging at Rzeszów

12

Our first stop on the fourth day would be Rzeszów again and the first leg would be about an hour and 15 minutes.


This time it was after half an hour that I got the question to stop. Looking behind me I saw the little girl holding a plastic bag against her face.


No, not again I thought and started to look for a safe place to pull over. I radioed Peter that I had a spewer and would have to stop. Luckily there was a gasstation just 1 kilometer away so I pulled in and stopped gently.


It wasn’t as bad as the last time and after a few deep breath and some water we could all breathe again. Her mother asked me to open the trunk so she could get some anti-car-sickness pills.


Soon we continued our journey and passed the Rzeszów airport with the impressive sight of a dozen patriots lined up and clearly operational as there were people around and lots of other equipment parked nearby.  When pulling in to the parking lot where the superchargers are located we had the place to ourselves.


With coffee from the nearby hotel, orange juice and croissants from the Lidl in Przemysl we had a late breakfast in the sun.

STUPID

BUCHAREST 2008

Was it smart to push for NATO-membership of Ukraine ?

13

Many people not only blame Putin which is of course correct, but also point at the US and the EU. And there is some truth to that. During the Bucharest 2008 summit NATO-allies welcomed Ukraine’s and Georgia’s aspirations for membership and agreed these countries would become members of NATO. This very likely fuelled Putins fear, frustration and fury.


Statements of the US, that “Ukraine would be able to join” and that “threats from Moscow do not change our position”, haven’t helped and some people argue that this is one of the reasons for the war in Ukraine at this moment. One could argue that a neutral Ukraine might have prevented Putin from moving in but at the same time is it up to the Ukrainian people to make their own decisions.


Electing Volodymyr Zelenskiy is not sign that they enjoy a government who’s ears are in Moscow. Earlier Russian signals were given during the protests on Maidan square in 2014 where Putin pushed Yanukovych to crack down on the demonstrators. With deadly force including rooftop snipers. And later that year, when a new government was installed and Yanukovych had fled the country, Putin moved into the Crimean peninsula and ‘helped’ the independent fighters in the Donbas. Something that could have given the US and the EU some clues as to how Putin views the situation.


Looking back it is my conclusion that it was stupid to make statements like the US-diplomats made. It didn’t change anything in the procedure that Ukraine had to follow if and when it wanted to become a NATO-member and it rubbed Putin the wrong way.


It’s likely to be the first point to be conceded by Volodymyr when he meets Vladimir at the negotiation table.


SLOW

ACCIDENTS, ANXIETY & ACCEPTANCE

When we were approaching Katowice on the return trip, all traffic came again to a standstill.


When people started to exit their cars and either wander around or sit on the railing I thought it would be nice te send up my drone. It’s a small DJI Mini which is flight-ready in a minute or two.


Flying forward didn’t learn me much. An almost endless line of cars. All parked to the side of the road to let police cars and firetrucks through. In fact two firetrucks came rushing through at remarkable high speed. Not a good sign.


Bringing the drone back I handed over the controls to the little girl who was excited to fly a real drone. We managed to land on my hand and we let it take off again out of hers.


When a second drone appeared 'in our airspace' so to say it was time to ground ours as although it remains a small change, two accidents wouldn’t be fun at all as it might crash on the opposite lanes where cars were speeding by.


After about half an hour later traffic started to move again and slowly we krept past firetrucks, policemen and a car upside down on the other side of the railing. Some speed this one must have had.


Without further delay we reached the supercharger in Katowice - North where we had to get our coffees through the pouring rain. 

14

All west-bound traffic was stopped 

Learning to fly

No problems for Peter and his charge port challenge so after having charged up sufficiently to get to Wroclaw and our coffees finished we headed west. 


In Wroclaw we charged the cars and had a nice pizza as well as some juice, coffee and cola. After packing up the left-over pizza we headed to Zary where we had a hotel for the night. We arrived in good time so we could still have a coffee, beer or juice and a chat before getting to bed.

DAY 3

PRZEMYSL - ZARY

The Teslafi data for the third day

[30-7-2022]


Kilometers driven : 720

Kilometers used : 749

Efficiency : 96%

Time driven : 7:53 hours

kWh used : 146 kWh

kWh added 147 kWh

Charging time : 2:20 hours


Chargingstops were made at Rzeszów, Katowice - North and Wroclaw.

SOCKS

WHAT THEY CALL IN HOLLAND 'EEN HELD OP SOKKEN' 

I drive on socks. I admit it’s strange, but if possible I take off my shoes. On these trips I wear clogs.


Not the wooden ones, although that could be a nice Dutch-touch for the passengers but something like Birkenstock style. Easy, not fashionable but practical.


Many passengers look but say nothing. Once when saying goodbye one of them shared that he thought it looked rather weird, driving a Tesla but walking on those things. But he also said “you have strange shoes, and driving on your socks is unusual but you drive like Schumacher.”


Other inquire, usually on the second day; “why do you take off your shoes ?”  My reply is always the same. “I’m not walking so I don’t need the shoes and on socks you have a better feel for the pedals.”


One lady offered her opinion while we parted ways at the refugee center in Utrecht. “Morris she said, you are an unusual man with your shoes and driving on socks but you have a good heart and a great car. Thanks for driving me here safely.”


It was done through a translation-app so we can’t be sure about the word unusual. It could have been something else. 

15

Make sure they are whole and clean.

STATUE

A FIRST MONUMENT FOR VLAD

Another sign of how Putin views the world and what historic perspective he applies is the erection of a statue of Prince Vladimir the Great in 2016 just outside of the Kremlin walls. Volodymyr (Vladimir in Russian) was the 10th century ruler of Kievan Rus, an empire and territory spanning almost to the Kola region in the north (Murmansk) including large parts of present day Russia, Belarus, Poland and stretching to the south in Ukraine and Moldavia.


As Kiev was the capital at the time, the original statue of Volodymyr the Great is overlooking the city from a hill top since 1853. It was therefor that the Ukrainians reacted quite strongly to a statement on Russian state television that Putin had unveiled “the first monument to Vladimir the Great.”

16

Vladimir the Great just outside the Kremlin walls


They send a kind reminder @Russia with a picture of the real Volodymyr in Kiev. Ukrainians consider Volodymyr as the founder and father of their nation so Putins claim raised tensions again between the two countries.


In a way both are right. Volodymyr’s empire broke up and both Russia as well as Ukraine originate in Kievan Rus.

The original (from 1853 so likely the very first) statue of Volodymyr the Great in Kiev, Ukraine

It is clear that Putin has a somewhat distorted view of the past but listening to his speeches and statements one can deduct where he is coming from and also where he is heading towards.


The fact that Ukraine wants to be independent and is leaning more towards the west than to the east is not only concerning from a security perspective if you look out of the Kremlin west wall window but also worrying if you aim for a return to the past where great Vladimir rule ‘the world’.


One thing you can’t deny the stone-cold-autocrat in the Kremlin is that he is consistent. One should only listen to what is said and not what the West wants to hear.


The writing is on the wall so let’s hope we don’t end up with another iron curtain.

SALUTE

RECOGNITION & GRATEFULNESS

Checking out of the hotel in Zary we had another positive and supportive experience. The drinks we had with a couple of the passengers the night before were on the house. The front desk manager who was Ukrainian was impressed by what we did and decided to help.


It was a sign of gratitude like many we receive during a trip. Whether it’s a man at the supercharger who handed me a special 5-euro bill and started to express his thanks in Polish that means a lot to me even though I didn’t understand a word he said. The girl with the stamp from the first trip. Read it here.


People that give me a thumbs up when they see my shirt. (see more here) Or people like Martijn & Moniek who sponsored us a bit by buying two Tesla hearts. The man not charging so we could load up quicker. A waiter at the van der Valk in Blankenfelde who is by now recognising us and is rushing over to take our orders for coffee and orange juice. 

The invaluable 'valueless' golden 5 Euro note

17

The hotel in Zary with a kind and considerate front desk manager.

And last but not least the passengers. Hugs & kisses as well as lots of Ukrainian expressions of gratitude. Many of them have tears in their eyes when we say goodbye even though we only drive them from one place they” don’t know and don’t want to stay to another that is unfamiliar and about which they are uncertain as well.


Maria one of my passengers expressed it well I think. “It’s OK to go to Holland as there is work there but I don’t want to go there. I want to go home.” And this was after she had shown me pictures on her phone of their destroyed home with no wall on the left side and a scorched couch on the right. 


SMOOTH SAILING

HEADING HOME WITH NO TROUBLE 

Day 4 was as uneventfull as you can wish for.


With good weather, normal traffic and no accidents we travelled the know route. Blankenfelde, Lehre, Emsbuhren and Utrecht.


We had coffee at Blankenfelde which was our first stop. Earlier Peter was adament that he needed to stop in Bersteland, just across the German border, as he didn't want 'to run empty or close to it' even though I knew he could make it to Blankenfelde. The Tesla software is so conservative to avoid any issue, complaint or (in the US case) claims that they play it super-supersafe. Always an easy bet, but one that Peter never took.

18

The Blankenfelde supercharger at the van der Valk hotel.

In Lehre we ran into another unusual military-like vehicle loaded on a truck. Not sure what it was but it looked impressive.


After a stop in Emsbuhren for a coffee or a drink we headed to Utrecht where we arrived half past six.


The drivers of the truck wouldn't reveal much about the vehicle or the destination.

DAY 4

ZARY - HOLLAND

The Teslafi data for the fourth day

[31-7-2022]


Kilometers driven : 872

Kilometers used : 928

Efficiency : 94%

Time driven : 8:15 hours

kWh used : 181 kWh

kWh added 1074 kWh

Charging time : 3:31 hours


Chargingstops were made at Blankenfelde, Lehre and Emsburen.

The final page is once more some work of art by Leonora Yanko and Lera Litvinova. These two young Ukrainian artists not only make incredible paintings and other works of art but they also have shown compassion, commitment and engagement with the Ukrainian people, their surroundings and complete strangers like we were when we met in Ilowa. They support the people who fight on the battlefront with half the proceeds of their art so buying a painting also buys them a chance at their freedom. 

SEE

DESTRUCTION OF A COUNTRY

BY V. PUTIN 

19

Harvest by Lera Litvinova - 2022 ®

'untitled' by Leonora Yanko 2022 ®

And even though Robert Motherwell was right when he said “art is much less important than life but what a poor life without it.” it’s also true what Camille Paglia stated that “a society that forgets art, risks losing its soul.”


To me both the passengers that we drive to Holland and the artists we’ve met while doing so represent Ukraine. From what I’ve heard and experienced a beautiful country with friendly as well as hospitable people and free charging if we ever get there.

PATRON

MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE WITH A SMALL AMOUNT

20

Our third trip to Medyka and Przemysl was in the weekend of 28 to 31st of July.


I would like to ask you to help me and make a small contribution   Even € 2,50 or 5,- will help to provide for food and lodging of the refugees.


Please click on the link or scan the QR-code and donate a small amount (or bigger, which in this case is better).


You can also use PayPal.


Or you can transfer through Bunq-bank.


We pay our own cost and I will use the donations to pay for beverages, snacks, toilet use, meals and hotelrooms of the passengers. 


Upon return I will again write a 'blog' about the trip and experiences.


If you have any questions feel free to mail me at ukraine@rerunstrategy.nl

THANK YOU !

For Dutch people scan with your camera or QR-code reader

For International donations please use 

Balance

For a trip bringing 8 Ukrainians to Holland we (Peter & I) need about € 1.000,- to cover for the cost of food and lodging.


The current balance is € 590,-  [ Aug 7th - 20:00 hours ]

Unfortunately does the omwua-foundation not have an ANBI status. The registration has been submitted. 

Curious about our first trip to the border.


Please click here.

Read up on the second trip to Przemysl and Medyka.


Please click here.

Tesla support


I like to express my gratitude towards Tesla who is proving me with free supercharging.

Maurits JC de Jong


Herwijnen  /  Medyka  /  Przemysl 

July 2022


Image sources:

Maurits & Peter

wikipedia / @Ukraine / Lera Litvinova / Leonora Yanko

DORES/shutterstok.com / openpetition.ue / redbubble/maxwell05

Disclaimer

All funds that are still left after the conclusion of our trips will be used to support two Ukrainian families we are still in contact with.