Continental Odessa

... eating alot of in Ukraine, since I can get a good fill for about 8usd. Reasonable enough, compared to the midwest.<br><br>There were some great people in my hostel, Anthony's Place, a new hostel in Odessa. More older type of people, but of course, none as old as I am. We sat around talking about wine, my friend from Italy is an absolute conoissure. And an older Polish ...

... fishing fleet. It is my understanding that the Black Sea has had some environmental problems for many years and fishing is not done there. On the bus to Mykolaiv, my seatmate asked me for my autograph!! Odessa was to be my next stop, but plans changed and I will try to visit Odessa at Christmas. &#1042;&#1086;&#1079;&#1085;&#1077;&#10 89;&#1085;&#1089;&#1100;&#1082; 20,000 I got dropped off on a street ...

We finally made it to the beach. We paid a little bit of money to get a chair and umbrella, but it was less than 5 dollars. The day was really hot, around 104, but we have to remember that there is no humidity so it doesn't feel that bad. The water is really cold so it made for the difference. We would hang out on the beach and get some sun then jump back into the water to cool off, but getting there was a great feat. The enterence to ...

... came on the bus and asked to see the contents of this woman's bag. He asked if she had cigarettes...she said no...vodka? only 5 liters which I am allowed to bring. Ok well open it up! Turns out there was only 5 liters inside.....THIS bag...but then in her purse was another 5 and in another bag another 10. OK EVERYONE OFF THE BUS!! Oh ****... The ladies desperately tried to hand us bags of vodka to claim so they wouldn't be charge taxes on them but we stood ...

... Now I can click-clack with the best of them, though I lack the confidence to wear them with my pant legs tucked in. Not quite a local yet. Odessa, on the Black Sea is a nicer city than I might have imagined, and I much prefer it to Kiev, though it lacks tourist attractions. The city's main claim to fame is it's mafia, whom you don't exactly come to see. Never fear, though, corruption abounds in the form of police, who ...

Wherever I go downtown of Odessa, everywhere huge billboards and lightboxes are staring at me. Western-style advertisement dominates the whole city picture. On this poster glued to a little newspaper shop Italian glamor girl Monika Bellucci promises to "give more". I ask myself - what does the West ...

... you are that there is a statue of Pushkin for every man, woman, and child in Odessa, they clearly don't quote the right figure for the number of stairs on Potemkin Steps as I counted three times and each time got a different result (none of which matched the official one), and we found the San Greal, or Sang Real if you will but you probably won't you Council of Shadows operative. SOFIA, it's so simple! We also walked through the wishing arc and over mother ...

The menu at the restaurant at the top of the Potemkin steps assures me that "We do eat this in Odessa!" lest the casual diner have any doubt. Among the delicassies offered, "Stake of the ocean trout on the potato chips pillow with beacon" and "Horse reddish sauce" (made from a strawberry roan?). Tiramisu is on the dessert menu: "Dessert of shaked up cheese (Marscipone) and cookies impregnated with cognac and liquor" (the fate of many college girls worldwide). I ordered a plate ...

... The menu includes "potatoes baited in their jacket," "stewed mutton into pungent sauce,"duck baked with some apples," "young pig filled by chicken, tongue, bacon, veal," and a wide selection of Ukrainian, French, Spanish and Georgian "vines." (One of my favorite bits of Ukranian English was in an ad for a strip show in my hotel "What's Going On" magazine -- "Private dance and 10 private-rooms for pungent feelings" -- maybe those Ukraine girls really do knoock you ...

... and...) **CUSTOMER SERVICE is DEFINITELY NOT THE SAME in EASTERN EUROPE as in the UNITED STATES!!!!! Instead of the "Customer Always Being Right"...the "Customer is Always Wrong!!!"** I can't begin to describe the hassles involved in booking a bus trip in the Ukraine...but...suffice it to say...following 3 or 4 visits to the bus station, I did find myself onboard a bus bound for Odessa--albeit with no receipt/ticket to ...