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Published: December 13th 2007
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Odessa Park
A wedding in the central park in Odessa Arrival, couchsurfing and check-in
The train pulled up in Odessa at dawn, disturbing my sleep. Exhaused, I headed upstairs to the station waiting room, paid the 3 glivna entrance fee and fell asleep on the comfy chairs for several more hours. Then back downstairs, for some negotiating to get my bag into left luggage. And then into town for some breakfast. I'm supposed to be meeting Katerina to have my first couch-surfing experience at 3 pm. Until then, I walk the town, seeing the important stuff, having some breakfast, coffee and lunch at the various places. There's a lot of restaurants here, but its more expensive even than Kiev.
I meet Katerina a little early, and it turns out she's not been able to meet me before 3 because she's been at school. And school doesn't mean university, she's lied on her profile and she's actually 16. And I'd be sleeping on her parents couch. So we go to a cafe with some friends and have a drink, and I thank them for their time, but I've got to get the train back. At the station, I pick up my bag and call Olivier, who was supposed to visit here the day I left for DP, to ask what hostels are good. His news is great, he's in the Black Sea Backpackers right now, and its great, come visit. 30 mins later I'm back in business with the Belgian.
The hostel is rather strange. The sharply-dressed receptionist demands payment in dollars, I only have glivnas and euros, so glivnas will do. But there's no change. So I take change in the form of beer, at the pretty tasty conversion rate of 5 glivnas a beer (and they're cold too!) We meet big Dutch, little Dutch, Scottie and go and get some dinner.
Dinner consists of
The Best Kebabs I Have Ever Eaten. They really were this good. 15 glivnas got a fine kebab stuffed with tasty meat, veg and great yoghurty sauce. I ordered seconds but my belly refused to process orders from my mouth about 3/4s of the way through and I had to stop. Even big Dutch couldn't finish.
Back at the hostel and it's change of receptionist time, with the short and sharply-dressed black-haired receptionist being replaced by a taller hot blonde sharply-dressed receptionist, to the great pleasure of one of the residents who gives her a big hug. Amused, myself and Olivier drink some of my change before being guided to a music bar by the black-haired receptionist who's just finished, and turns out to be quite friendly. With us comes Scottie, Big and Little Dutch, a Norweigan and a Latvian. Since the club is charge in and rather pricey, we decided the only way to keep costs down is to be traditional, and drink straight vodka. We order a bottle, and a few waters to balance and get to work.
2 bottles later and the Dutches are ready to dance. The receptionist has headed for home, jokingly writing us off as alcoholics. Norway and Latvia are flagging, Scottie and Olivier are getting friendly.
By the bottom of the next bottle, Scottie and Olivier are dancing pretty close and myself and Little Dutch are dancing by the stage with some locals. Big dutch is trying to convince Latvia and Norway they need more booze.
The bottom of the fourth bottle sees the end of the night. Olivier and Scottie are tongue in tongue. Little Dutch is helping Big Dutch have a puke outside. Norway is cheerfully helping Latvia out the door, and I square the bill at 100 glivnas a head. Outside, leaving the lovers behind I steer Dutches and Latvians home with the help of Norway. Then its time to go out again, but Odessa lets us down big time. Taxi drivers refuse to take us anywhere except sex clubs, all I want is some damn dancing! Begrudgingly, I head back to bed, with a courteous good-night to the receptionist.
20th October, A Day in Odessa and a family journey
A late wakening sees Olivier and Scottie sharing a bed, and after some brekkie, I form the 3rd wheel on the bicycle by walking down to the ferry with them. Fortunately for them, I actually know where the ferry is :D
Once we've said goodbye to Scottie, we head for some lunch. Since the place Olivier has in mind is quite far away, we get a quick snack to cover the journey and then across to the other side of town to a restaurant that's both excellent and cheap, with a remarkably cheery waiter and great design. We eat until full and the chat over coffees and beers that last for hours.
Another cute hostel receptionist (at our hostel) has told me of a circus that's on every Saturday, but when we go to find it we discover that its both small and not on today. So we buy some beer at a stand and drink it in the park. Then back to the hostel, another beer and it's time for me to catch the train to Lvov, a 13 hour journey. Yet another hot hostel receptionist is at the desk as I say goodbyes to big and little dutch (who are rocking-out in their fantastic camper van) and to Olivier before going first to the market and second to the station.
At the station, a wedding is boarding my train, but my cabin is shared with a young family. I have an awkward conversation with the parents in broken russian and english for about 15 minutes until their little girl chimes in from the top bunk, speaking almost fluently! Certainly an ambitious kid, she acts as the translator for an interesting journey, and eventually I head for a badly-needed early night's sleep.
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