Blogs from Odessa, Ukraine, Europe - page 3

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Europe » Ukraine » Odessa September 25th 2009

What a palaver! We left Sulina intending to travel up to Chisinau in Moldova. Tourist Information in Tulcea had said we needed to get a bus to Gelati to do so, but this proved troublesome. So, we took the hydrofoil along the Danube from Sulina to Tulcea from where we took the small local bus to Gelati. This took us through rural Northern Romania where the grape harvest has just begun. The narrow country roads were bristling with horses and carts full of baskets of grapes or winter fodder. Getting to Gelati also involves a 15 minute ferry across the River Danube which is not included in your bus ticket. Once across the river we had to negotiate with a taxi to get into the town as there appeared to be no buses. The Lonely Planet ... read more
Distances from.......
Lucky Statue
Potomkin Steps

Europe » Ukraine » Odessa April 26th 2009

Hello! My name is Darina. I live in Odessa, Ukraine. I adore travelling, no wonder I'm here)) In my 19 years I've visited plenty of countries, mostly in Europe and North America with my parents. this time next week i will have been in Spain!! so I will write something)))... read more

Europe » Ukraine » Odessa October 27th 2008

Travel tip, don't go to Odessa at end of long journey, or late October when tourist season has waned and it gets dark by six. Be prepared for power outages in some parts of the city, no one eager to speak English, and non-Western toilets. Keep sense of humour and try to impart it on the locals....or not..... Disclaimer: Do not judge any place by my experiences. I'm floating through Eastern Europe on a pilgrimage to see lands from where my grandparents came. I purposely have changed from in-charge professional to one who is floating around, getting lost, finding what I should and musing along the way. Odessa is a strange city; bit of a summer party town, kinda like Miami beach, only in Eastern Europe standards. Don't fly into Odessa at night unless you have ... read more
My fav photo
Odessa Steps
Cruise Ships

Europe » Ukraine » Odessa September 7th 2008

Waiting for the taxi cab larissa called for us took forever, a bit panicky now as we need to get to the bus station on time, drived came and all the time he was driving he was on the cell phone screaming at someone and we almost got into an accident, he got us safe but charges more than the agreed price saying were supposed to pay for the backpacks as well, argued with him but really futile, he wont open the back of the car we cant get our things if we dont pay him, gave him the money and cursed hm as he sped off! Really hate taxi drivers, everwhere in the world theyre the same. Found the platform bought tickets we were given customs form by the driver and we are off, bye ... read more
BALAKLAVA
BALAKLAVA
BALAKLAVA

Europe » Ukraine » Odessa June 22nd 2008

Rule number 1: For woman - rule number one when going out at night - dress hot, very hot, the hotter the better. Mini-mini skirts, skin tight jeans, spandex, thongs, skin tight dresses and no bras. Do guys dress hot? Umm, sorry, I was distracted, what was the question, again? Rule number 2: It’s always a safe bet to err on the side of stylish, brand name designer clothes. Dolce and Gabbana, Chanel, Gucci. The average income here is quite low. Doctors make $250 US per month. I asked Max how the women here can afford such beautiful clothes and he said either they spend all their money on clothes and going to the salon once a week, work extra shifts and hours or get a “sponsor”. Perfect nails, hair, make-up if you are going out ... read more

Europe » Ukraine » Odessa June 15th 2008

The Greeks originally settled this part of the Black Sea. History explains why there are no wheelchair users.... read more

Europe » Ukraine » Odessa June 12th 2008

Odessa is proving to be a very interesting city. In many ways I suspect it is similar to what Prague might have been 15 years ago. It is still emerging from the shadows of communism and embracing capitalism (and corruption). The city is only two hundred years old. Catherine the Great decided she wanted a port on the Black Sea so sent her army here to defeat the Turks and build a modern city. Architects and builders from Italy and France were brought in giving the old part of the town a distinctly European flavor. The old part of town is beautiful. Parts have been recently renovated, gorgeous; parts are being renovated and parts are rundown and awaiting restoration. The city is being reborn. Present day Odessa is the major seaport for Ukraine with a modern ... read more
Katherine Square at night - statue
Lovers Locks
Mother-in-law Bridge

Europe » Ukraine » Odessa June 1st 2008

So we knew it wouldn't be easy. Brad bought the Lonely Planet guide to Ukraine and here is it's advice to wheelchair travelers: Disabled Travelers Even Kyiv, the best-equipped Ukranian city, is not that friendly to people with disabilities. The rest of the country is worse. Uneven pavements, steep drops off curbs, holes in the road, lack of disabled access to public transport and very few wheelchair-accessible hotel rooms mean the only way to have an enjoyable time would be to come on a tour catering specifically for the disabled travelers - and these don't exist. Good thing I don't read Lonely Planet guides - I'm having a blast! We caught the plane to Odessa today. Kiev is the capital of Ukraine but the airport does not have gates and you disembark on the tarmac. I've ... read more

Europe » Ukraine » Odessa October 19th 2007

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 ... read more

Europe » Ukraine » Odessa October 7th 2007

We had every intention of making up for yesterday with an active day today. However with a nice, comfortable, and quiet room we managed to sleep in again. When we did get up, breakfast took the best part of an hour, so we left for the catacombs around one. We were told that at the main station we could either join a tour or get a bus there and join a tour. We walked around the station for a while and couldn't find the right bus, so we ended up settling for the very cheap option, the tour. The tour was in Russian but the girls at the hostel assured us that we weren't missing much anyway. We boarded the world's oldest most rickety looking bus and waited for a long time. Considering the tour was ... read more
ОДЕСЬКi КАТАКОМБИ
Plaque Outside the Catacombs
Wheat-a-bix Stones




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