brent009

Great questions.

1. I have been fascinated with the topic since it blew and it was 'on my list'. The bravery and self sacrifice those people made to contain it was beyond bravery.

2. LOL the old Soviet propaganda is still in Prypat. But it is so strange to just see the entire town empty and rotting.

3. It was more than I expected. It was a warning that this shit needs to be taken seriously but also that it is a technology we can use.

4. Standing right up to Ractor 3/4 and seeing the radiation levels climb but think it was worth it just to see this one of a kind place on earth.

If you have that strong an interest you should go see it. it's worth it. The bus ride up has a pretty cool video from the Soviet POV on WTF was going on. Lots of cool info.

Yes and they were told 'no prob no prob' then 10,000 busses came and orderly evacuated the entire town of 53,000 within 3 hours.

Communism actually working... LOL

No so much. Vegatation is weird. A entire pine forest is red and many (most trees) are covered in a moldy yellow stuff.

They kill most ground animals so they can't track radiation out but the bird they said they leave alone.

A herd of wild horses roam the area though...

Yes the only valid way is with an approved tour. They have a official from Ukraine department of tourism (such as it is) who guides you through the proper checkpoints (3 of them in and out) and gives you the usual useful info as you go along.

Without an approved tour you would have to sneak in and they really hate that since that woman did it several years ago and blogged it.

Wow so your grandpa went through it. Very cool what does he say about it?

Cost was $180 american for tour and I liked the Tourism official so I gave him 40 cause no one else tipped. (Europeans.... sheesh and they say Americans are bad) so $220 for the whole thing.

Bring water and stuff to drink. They give you lunch near the reactor.

It was calm. But it was unnatural. Both totally engrossing and a surreal feeling