Black Sea Novy Privoz Odessa

... 20g of vodka". I then figured out that he must be a RAGING alcoholic who basically lives at the train station. So he helped me find it and I gave him 30 grivna (a little bonus).<br><br>The train cabin was very small with 4 bunks. I shared it with 3 other guys, and it was an 8 hour train ride from 10pm to 6am. I was able to sleep the whole way luckily, or I would become claustrophobic in there!<br>

... car. Bunks were stacked three tiers high. I liked the highest one. There was a Czech girl traveling with her boyfriend and she kept crying a lot. She had blue eyeshadow. During that trip I read a book set in Mongolia about this guy who had a magical map. When he opened the map he could see what was happening ...

... European influence. I had breakfast with Chuck from my Russian Language/Community Development classes and he told me that Mykolaiv in soviet times was a closed ship building city. It was very secretive and allowed only the workers in. In 1992 at the fall of the USSR in a city with a population of 300,000 people, 50,000 workers were laid off. It surprised me to not see one boat in the harbor. Not even ...

... in Serbia the Cigarettes and Vodka are much cheaper than in Romania and smuggling these goods is very common. When I boarded the bus (with these other four British travelers) we didn't quite cue into the fact that everyone minus one guy our age were old/older ladies. The one kid our age came up to us and in his best attempt at English tried to tell us that we were sitting in his seat. We just kinda shrugged him off knowing very well that the idea of a ...

On my walk through the city I discovered at least six people of middle age - sleeping? - or drunken? - or both? Locals have a tendency to make jokes about it - the guy had one too much, or - tomorrow he will be fine, let him have some rest ...

... dealings. But the center is slowly regaining the glory it once had and there's certainly a lot more history here than in any city I've seen recently. I unfortunately am going to have to scrap my plans to go to Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky as my train is at 6:30 in the evening tomorrow, but at least I'll have another opportunity to take in some of Odessa. Now I just have to hope that the weather cooperates . . . I've already had enough rain, thank you very much!

... the shortest distance between two points. We'd come to a line of traffic that wasn't moving and he'd just pull into the opposite lane and pass as many cars as he could before encountering a car coming in the other direction who would be leaning on his horn. Then he'd muscle his way back into the other lane to the expressive consternation of whoever he cut off. We weaved in and out so many times that I think we spent most of the trip in the ...

... of hotel at 8." Booked, I guess. Dinner was one of the most interesting multimedia experiences I've ever enjoyed. The restaurant was empty except for one other table where a family group of eight or so were celebrating (a birthday?) -- much toasting and late arrivals adding to the pile of flowers behind one woman's seat. Restaurants here are usually fairly empty. No one makes reservations. The reason being that people can't afford to eat out here except on very ...

Sept 1st is a special day (Teacher's Day) in the Ukraine--the first day back to school! The day prior...I kept seeing people buying flowers all over Chernivtsi (Ukraine)...and...I was beginning to wonder in Ukrainians were the most romantic people ever! But..alas...the flowers were for the teachers! So...Sept 1st all the students dressed in their best navy-blue uniforms...the girls with hair done up in white ribbons and ...

Circus and had picture made with my grandmama and another young girl my age and her grandmother. My grandfather gave them money as you could tell they were poor and were carrying around a chicken. They tried to give us the chicken in return, but we politely declined.