Odessa, Ukraine

By Lee | August 22nd, 2007 | 1 Comment »

I am a bit behind on posting again and the last few days have been super crazy and action packed. I spent some time in Odessa, Ukraine which is an old Soviet summer resort which is now a crumbling shadow of its former self. The other major Black Sea resorts in the Crimea, still in Ukraine, have surpassed Odessa for quality of beaches and attractions but Odessa still has that old school Soviet charm.

Odessa is a crowded beach town where tons of Ukrainians, Russians, Europeans and many Middle Eastern (especially Kuwaiti) tourists flock to in the sumer months. In the old days of the Soviet Union, it was the main place to see and be seen as the government would stipulate Russians going there for the holidays. Now with choices, Ukrainians will opt more for Yalta or Sevastopol in Crimea but Odessa’s charm is in its history and pumping nightlife.

The bars along the beach and south of the center in Arkadia are insane in that Russian techno, deep drums beat thing (which I can’t stand). The bars are also packed with tons of model looking Ukrainian women taking their clothes off for no apparent reason other than they just feel like it. It didn’t suck hanging out there for a bit even though there is always something lost in cultural translation, when you don’t understand why people do certain things, but why complain.

I mainly used Odessa as a place to just chill out for a day or so and sort out some travel details. The weather has been so hot it’s almost unexplainable and the sweating factor has been brutal. After being in Odessa and the Black Sea for the first time, I would love to go back, but I wouldn’t go to Odessa again, I would certainly opt for the resorts of Crimea or of Georgia.