Visiting the ghost town - Pripyat

First impression after entering the exclusion zone is the sensation of emptiness. And, of course, the difference from other places in the Ukraine, full of colors, like: blue waters of the Black Sea in the Crimea, beautiful orthodox churches in Kiev, old town in Lviv and ancient Roman settlement in Sevastopol. Pripyat seems deprived of colors, like a black and white film. It's a bit strange because there's plenty of trees and grasslands around, so green and full of life, especially in the summer. However, you won't come across any ordinary residents.

Pripyat is completely abandoned and you can clearly see it strolling down the streets of the city. Where there was a swimming pool, now there's some bushes and the birds building their nests. Chernobyl zone is a perfect example of what would happen if humanity simply disappeared one day. We think we rule this planet but actually we are nothing in comparison to the power of nature. In around thirty years, the buildings started to crumble, the streets to vanish and the once illuminated neon lights - to rust. The branches stick through the broken windows, birds and small mammals have regained their original piece of land that had been taken over by humankind.

Usually, the tour operators don't allow visitors to enter any of the building because of the danger of collapse. I was really lucky because our guide allowed us to enter a school and a kindergarten. What I saw there cannot be compared with anything what you see outside. Notebooks and personal belongings were still left on the desks, many pipes and metal rods sticking out of the walls, gas masks strewn all over the floor. Totally outlandish sight.

It is a bizarre feeling to experience all this in real life, knowing that this is not a horror movie set but the reality. It is a thing for people who like the different side of traveling, not just pleasant views and beautiful monument. Anyway, it's an extremely interesting place to see.