Trip Report from Ukraine (Kiev and Odessa)

[Dan555]

Hello.  Always been an observer, never a participant on these and  some other related boards but finally decided to take a trip to Kiev  and Odessa for this New Years with no real specific aim.  While  the possibility of meeting future wife was certainly at the forefront  of the reasons for the visit I also went with the intent of having a  lot fun going out to nightclubs, restaurants, sight seeing and  everything else that comes along with those activities.  Kiev and  Odessa appealed to me as a cities with lots of nightlife and also  plenty of agencies (particularly in Odessa) to which I could turn if I  just wanted to meet a few girls.  I must admit I have not yet  corresponded with any girls and would prefer to meet a girl on my own.   I should mention that I am relatively young at 34, have basic  knowledge of Russian and can read Cyrillic alphabet well.  
I  had ten days in total I wanted to use up in Ukraine, so I settled on  spending 3 days in Kiev and 7 days in Odessa.  Decided to use  apartments as it is something I did while visiting Amsterdam which  worked out well cost and comfort wise.  In Kiev I used http://www.uaapartments.com  to book a smallish studio next to Kreschaitik Street (Kiev's main  street) and it cost me $54 per night.  Apartment was the same that  I saw on the picture and had no problems arranging a drive to the  apartment for 120hr.  From I read on the net the standard price is  80hr but I do not want to negotiate to death and obviously unable to  hide the fact I am not a local.  Nonetheless, a good deal for a  good deal given the drive of about 30 minutes.  
 
First night, decided to take it easy and wound up at a bar called Arena  right next to Besarabskiye Market.  It is directly in the center  next to Khreschaitik Street.  Downstairs is a bar and upstairs is  a disco.  Since this was around new years time, the bar downstairs  was packed with expats.  Met two guys from US, who had each spent  about 3 weeks traveling around and meeting various agencies in Kherson,  Lugansk and Odessa.  They came to Kiev for their last leg and were  flying out of Kiev after New Years celebrations.  All the standard  issues with western women were voiced, even exchanged a few horror date  stories (everyone has at least one) and did a few shots to celebrate  the atmosphere and everything we have and take for granted at  times. 
 
Fast forward a few hours and we were upstairs at Arena's disco which  must be the most densely packed space of incredible looking women in  eastern hemisphere.  As one would imagine, a number of working  women were easy to spot - although some Russian girls surely like to  show a lot of skin.  Either way, certainly no complaints from  me. 
 
Next two nights in Kiev were spent doing more of the same.  Lots  of sightseeing during the day, despite the very cold weather and onto  the nightclubs at night.  I must mention that the second night I  met a wonderful girl named Lena, who was inside the club with her  sister and we all went out after the club to eat Sushi in a restaurant  on the third floor of Arena complex.  To my surprise, the girls  refused to accept me paying for everyone and insisted on paying for  their own.  I suppose this had to be a rule to the exception (as I  would soon confirm) and the night was ended with me receiving Lena's  phone number and a nice cheek kiss.  Next day I wasted no  time.  Called Lena and we were off to a dinner and a night out on  the town.  I had no time to waste, one more night in Kiev!  
 We went to a restaurant located next to my apartment (can't  remember the name) and then onto a new club 112 which is near Arena.   Few drinks later, Lena was calling us a cab back to my place (I  lived 3 minute walk away) and we were off.  Driver must have  thought we were nuts, since clearly we were not so intoxicated as we  could have walked just as easily but it was a fun ride for its entire  30 second duration.  Lena is a very nice girl, who I would love to  see again if I had more time in Kiev but certainly not marriage  material.  She was 23 years old and clearly not from a struggling  family.  When I asked her if she would want to visit Canada or US  to which she replied "There are lots of other places I would rather see  first".  Lena was fun and full of life, but she was not marriage  material.
 Final comments about Kiev:  Great city for anyone who is  looking for 'city' like stuff.  It is not cheap, although not  terribly expensive but certainly at least 25% more expensive than  Odessa on the whole.  Unable to say how it compares to other areas  of Ukraine.  Girls here definitely dress entirely well and appear  on the surface to be well off.  Of course, this is an illusion but  no question there are lots of wealthy people in this city.  I saw  a lot of BMW Jeeps and a number of Bentleys.  Clubs are on par if  not better than anything in Toronto and the prices for both drinks and  entrance are within reason.  Would say this is probably not a good  place to look for a wife while on a short trip.  Same as the two  guys from Arena said, they did not even bother corresponding with  anyone in Kiev and focused on other cities they visited. So, purely in  my opinion and no one else's I would say - go to Kiev only if you have  corresponded with women or if you want to see a nice looking historic  capital, enjoy good nightlife and eat at fantastic restaurants. But if  you want a quality wife with reasonably easier efforts go to smaller  parts of Ukraine.
To be  continued…..
2^nd  Leg of the trip on Odessa  to come.

[Jack]

Hello Dan, at 34 years of age, basic knowledge of Russian and being able to read Cyrillic, my advice to you is to keep doing what you are doing. You WILL be able to find the type woman you have always (or) first dreamed of.
 
What a wonderful age to be involved with the pursuit for a Russian bride and to be able to seek all Russian/Ukraine women, not only those who can speak a little English. I think many men here will be envious of you and many will be watching with great excitement your trip reports and no doubt dreaming we were in your shoes.
 
As to the Arena Club you were referring to. I wish that half the ladies you saw in the club were only working girls but in my opinion it's plus 75%. Too bad, it used to be a nice place to meet many nice ladies. With so many foreign men visiting this club now, and as you have seen the Arena Club is not so cheap, many working women are staking out this club instead of the River Palace or Moda Bar.

 
I saw the photo you posted, not sure what day it was taken although I expect early in the day, I guess around 9:45 to 10am (judging from the shadows).  Below is a photo taken of the same area but a little higher and behind where you took the photo. This photo was taken about 9pm on the 25th of Dec.

[Dan555]

My flight to Odessa is via Aerosvit and surprisingly they are using  Boeing 737 for inter Ukraine flights.  Planes have been altered to  maximize space; I am 6"3 so not much leg room but manageable for a  short 1 hour flight.  The stewardesses literally do a 100 meter  dash handing out small pack consisting of nuts and candy.  
Odessa's airport is an interesting sight for anyone.  Although I  must say it felt slightly liberating to be at an airport where things  are still done the 'old fashioned' way and planes were not landing  after every 90 seconds.  We are let out and a bus takes us quickly  to a gated area by the Airport's entrance.  On the other side of  the gate stand many cab drivers and a few signs lurking for romance  tour agencies.  Noticed a considerable number of the flight were  Western man, would even say about half of the flight which was about  70% full.  
 
Odessa is not nearly as cold as Kiev.  Sunny day but the weather  is around freezing point. While waiting for the baggage, met J who was  in town to meet a girl he's been corresponding with for almost a  year.  This was his second time in Odessa, but this time he was  coming to visit her solely.  We exchanged numbers and decided on  getting a few beers at the Irish Pub on Deribasovskaya Street.  My  luggage came and I was met by a man who was holding a paper with my  name on it.  He spoke little English but was very eager to please  taking my luggage away from me loading it into the car.  The  airport pickup was free provided by the company I used to book an  apartment.  Drive to the apartment was pleasant, the driver  telling me all kinds of various historical facts about Odessa half of  which I did not understand.  It's amazing how many people are  outside walking around in Odessa, even on relatively cold days.   Apartment turned out to be exactly like the pictures; it was  located on Ekaterininskaya Street about 50 meters away from the Irish  Pub.  I used http://www.odessaapts.com   to book the apartment and the girl Yulia that is the manager who  settled me in is quiet good looking herself.  There is just such a  disproportional number of gorgeous females in this country it is just  incredible.  I have noticed it from waitresses in restaurants to  attendants at those kiosks that sell beer on every street.  Let me  not digress.  So the apartment looks like a great deal for $86, it  is a huge one bedroom with all the bells and whistles plus balcony, and  a Jacuzzi.  I can only imagine what it would be like to stay here  in the summer, given this is a resort city.  I probed the  possibility of asking Yulia out, she speaks fine English but decided to  keep the powder dry here, at least for now.  I already have her  phone # .
It is  early in the day I decided to take a nap. It is amazing how even a one  hour flight can take so much out of you.  Odessa is an interesting  city to say the least.  I like to do a lot of research about  places I visit so I looked this one up and turns out there is a theory  suggesting that when Odessa was first settled, a lover of Katherine the  great Grigory Potemkin personally made sure that had the finest  prostitutes and courtesans of the imperial court were sent down in a  bid to attract immigrants.  The streets are filled with beautiful  women all around and there is a strong presence of upcoming New Years  celebrations up in the air.  I sense this could be a recipe for  disaster but no time to back out of it now.  
 
Irish Pub at night is fairly packed.  I have seen pictures on the  net of what it looks like in the summer, too bad all that outdoor space  is now not in use.  Lots of English speakers inside sprinkled with  a few Germans and Scandinavians.    Not long after  walking in, met a group of three guys two of whom were travelers, one  from Norway and one from Australia.  They were traveling through  southern part of Ukraine, spending a few days in Odessa.  They  were not on a wife hunt but were just having a tremendous amount of  fun, although on a budget.  They were taking off to Crimea in a  few days, although I wondered why they would visit that area in the  wintertime.  With them was an older gentleman from New Zealand  who's had a number of extra beers and was rambling mostly about how  much he loves Ukraine and Odessa, how much he hates the Australian  rugby team and some other unmentionable personal observations.  He  claimed to have retired in Ukraine, buying a penthouse in a newly built  building for $250,000.  He admitted it was a large amount, but  claimed the equivalent in New Zealand would have cost five times more.   However, his most prized procession in Ukraine was his 19 year  old girlfriend from Fontan - an area of Odessa.  T has lived in  Odessa for over a year and certainly seemed to be enjoying life,  although he numerously said warm months are when he really enjoys it.   I wish I had an opportunity to see what his girlfriend looks  like.  In any event, I myself am unable to see myself at that age  with someone so young, T was definitely over 50.  I suppose it is  also fine to accept that people in certain parts of the world will  treat you like their significant other, if you are able to provide  security and comfort.  No doubt in my mind T knows his girlfriend  does not like T for being T.  She likes him for the big M and he  clearly is fine with it.
 
The two younger guys wanted to go to a disco and I of course do not  mind joining them.  T is done for the night and walks home.   His apartment he said was only 15 minutes away.  We decide to go  to a club called Palladium which is located on Italiankiy Boulevard  near the train station.  A cab from near Irish pub to Palladium  winds up costing 12HR (about $2), a rip off no doubt (since the ride is  only 5 minutes) but 3 of us 'westerners' can handle it.  This club  is very nice inside, much better and bigger than Arena in Kiev and for  an admission of $5 you can go to a nightclub, a restaurant, a  striptease bar and I was told there was billiards inside somewhere as  well although I did not see it.  Inside, the stage is overlooked  by more than a dozen tables.  Apparently, every night at around  midnight the club puts on a show which is different every night.   As our luck would have it, this night was a striptease show  performed incredibly well by a petite beauty.  It was very  sensual, set to music and choreographed and not at all like the  domestic strip clubs.  The club has a separate area which does  strip shows, but it is not done in the main area which is just a  massive nightclub which also serves food and water pipes for sweet  tobacco.


Trip to Kiev and Odessa to be continued…..

[Albert]

Dan, not to be negative here, but I am always amazed when guys travel half way around the world to basically hang out with some other western guys at nightclubs.

We are all different, but I much prefer to have several gals lined up before I arrive in each city.  Then, while others are out chasing various gals in nightclubs, I am attending ballet, musicals, museums and cuddling with my gals back in my apt.

I remember being in Odesa last year and seeing some of these western guys hanging out at McDonalds (which was near my apt) in evenings waiting for action to start at nightclubs and getting calls from local gals to meet at such and such a club.  Next day they would report that their main function was to buy the gals drinks and then the gals would cut out when the drinks stopped.

[dorogoyroberto]

Dan, not to be negative here, but I am always amazed when guys  travel half way around the world to basically hang out with some other  western guys at nightclubs.

Albert.

Completely agree on this point.

Roberto
Kiev, Ukraine

[Dan555]

I would disagree with the point about hanging out with other westerners  after having traveled across the globe.  I made a concsious  deicsion to hang out with the westerns on my first night there.  I  had 6 more ahead of me therefore to get the lay of the land as they say  I wanted to get some embedded knowledge from the my 'own' stand point.  That stand point being the Western man.  In any event, as you will  see I did not spend the rest of my trip hanging out with Western man.

[lawman65]

Gentleman,

I too just got back from Kiev, and it being my first time there... I was quite amazed at all the beautiful women there. Truly pleasant to the eye. My girlfriend was getting somewhat jealous, but I told her I am just looking at the menu, but not ordering anything. I  now have this crazy idea to find a job there and live so I can really enjoy myself.

[Dan555]

Three of us  decided to celebrate New Years a day early and asked the host to give us a  table.  The club was slowly getting  crowded and having our own table made the most sense.  There was no charge for the table, possibly  because our young Norwegian friend is quiet good looking and he is the one that  did the talking with the hostess.  Now,  remember what I said about Arena nightclub in Kiev?   Particularly the part about the space being packed with gorgeous Russian  girls - all that is taken back because this place is like Arena on steroids.  The place is flooded with gorgeous girls.  Young, old, there is a wide range in ages.  Any taste in women's beauty could be  satisfied here and then some.  We waste  no time and our liquored up Norwegian gets up to a nearby bar and invites two  girls to join our table.  Both are  absolutely stunning, to a point where I would never ever in my life imagine  talking to one of these girls in Canada or US and I am not an ugly  guy.  I would say I am slightly better  than average looking, in good shape but these types of girls are only gotten by  NBA players in US or men that look like movie stars.  Perhaps I could get flamed here about some  personal insecurities but I have been on this planet long enough to know what I  can and can't have back at home.  Anyway,  one of the girls is having a conversation with the Norwegians, or I should say  attempting to have a conversation while the other one is giving the term 'chain  smoking' a literal meaning.  She is  glancing around, probably looking for a familiar face so she can get away from  the table.  I attempt with some weak  humor and fail miserably.  This is not  the girl for me in either case.  I think  she is too good looking, and probably a bit too young.  I decide to leave the Australian and Norwegian  for a little while and roam around the club.  
       
      Walking  around this place I am getting some looks but mostly from teenagers.  I should mention that I look relatively young,  so they probably mistake me for a 28 year old which is what most people tell me  I look like.  As I am walking around, I  make a number of observations that prove to be true for Odessa no matter where you go.  
      [list=1]  Unlike North American       nightclubs, lots of girls are here with their parents doing pre New Years       celebrations but it is not uncommon for families to go to nightclubs       together.[/*]Age range is quiet dramatic       with the youngest probably around 14 and oldest in their late 50s.[/*]A number of couples are inside       with their kids, their range ages from 5 to 10 or so.  Keep in mind this is 2am we are talking       about, nonetheless the kids appeared to be having an incredible amount of       fun dancing and watching the show.  As       I come to find out later on, it's quiet common for people to bring their       kids along to an establishment such as this in Odessa.[/*]  [/list]       
      The place  has lots of bars and just as I am about to return to the table I notice a young  girl sitting alone in the corner, smoking a cigarette of course (almost all  girls here smoke, although they smoke those very slim cigarettes which I find a  bit more feminine than smoking regulars).  She is clearly interested in talking to me but  as something Lena told me in Kiev, is that Russian girls NEVER EVER come up to  a guy.  They never make the first move  and the most you will ever get is a look (smiling is not considered proper in  all cases).  She also told me that the  best way to meet a girl is to forget all hesitations and cheesy pickup lines  and to just come up and say Privet (Hello)!  Usually I am fairly shy when it comes to  meeting girls in situations like this one, but given the hours of the night and  number of beers consumed I feel invincible and decide to give it a shot.  Vika turns out to be even more beautiful up-close  than I thought.  She is 23 and originally  from Odessa, although she now lives in Kiev.  She is certainly glad I am talking to her, and  one of the first things she says to me is how there is a drastic lack of  quality men.  Vika has left Odessa when she was 19 and moved to Kiev to, in her own words, "to start a new  life".  Her mother lives in California and she is  awaiting her visa clearance which she said will take another two years.  When asked about why she did not move to US  with her mother, she asked me to guess.  Of course, I knew right away what that reason  was.  Typical first love story, she  stayed back but the love never became anything more and they are no longer together.  She said she's very lonely in Ukraine  now and wants to move to US primarily because of her family, not the economic  status.  I should mention that Vika  speaks perfect English; she works as a translator for a dating agency in Kiev.   One  thing I must say is how amazingly close you are able to get with a Russian girl  right off the bat, in contrast to a Western girl.  They appear to be so much more personable, and  so much less self centered and concerned about the opinion you will form about  them that on numerous occasions I felt that I was able to establish a better  connection from talking to some of these girls in 30 minutes than I did with  some of my months long relationships in US and Canada.  Vika is staying in Odessa  for another three days, she is staying at her Aunt's house and then she is  taking a train back to Kiev.   She came to spend New Years with  whatever family she has in Ukraine.   Clearly though, she is not from a  struggling family since she has a real job that pays her fairly well and her  mother sends her money periodically as well.  Vika has lots of interesting things to say.  She is very much plugged in with the marriage agency industry due to her  profession and when asked about her opinion in that regard she says that  generally men that travel to Ukraine expect women to fall down to their knees and  worship them but in reality, most of these girls know their value and just like  with any woman, they needs to be seduced and turned on before she they are genuinely  attracted to a man (as opposed to his money).  She said she has seen a number of marriages to  foreigners work out and a few of her friends have left the country on this  basis and seem to be happy, one living in London  and another in Minneapolis.   Out of curiosity, I asked her if she  sees this industry dying out in the long run (assuming Ukraine and other FSU  make economic progress) and she responded saying that if anything, marriage to  foreigners will only increase since despite the average GDP steadily going up  past few years, it is a result of a few oligarchs and other wealthy individuals  skewing the statistics.  She claims the Orange revolution has only further pushed the poor to the  bottom and created an even further contrast between the massive number of poor  people and the few privileged.  
       
      It is close  to 3am and the place is still being packed!  Vika is enjoying her martini and I am getting  wasted on my 16^th beer.  She  clearly likes me, there is no question about that whatsoever so I decide to  call it a night and invite her to grab something to eat.  Of course she says yes and I walk over to the  table with the young guys and find the Norwegian to be furiously making out  with his girl while the Australian is still alone claiming he wants nothing but  to be left in peace tonight since the real celebration is not until tomorrow night.   He also is clearly too drunk to even  attempt to start a conversation with anyone.  I tell them I am splitting and exchange mobile  numbers and make tentative plans to meet up for New Years celebrations.  Vika and I are off, into a cab and with her  suggestion wind up at a Mexican restaurant called Esterella (not sure about  spelling) which is a very nice place in the center, one of many which is open  24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  I vaguely  remember what I had to eat, but amazing whatever it was did not cause any  stomach problems.  The bill comes, I pay  and with all my might ask Vika to spend the night with me, using the excuse of  how my apartment is only 2 blocks away.  She jokingly asks me what we are going to do  at my apartment to which I replied that I will give her further English lessons.  She laughs and we are off…….
       
      Trip to Odessa to be continued.

[Albert]

That restaurant is Estrellita on Ekaterinskaya street.

I went there a few times because it is one of the rare places in Odesa where you can get something close to a 'western' style breakfast.  They have a menu item called 'Lumberjack' (I think) that consists of 2-3 small sized pancakes (not blini) and some bacon.  They also know how to make scrambled eggs.

[corp]

Dan Great trip Report, I am looking for more of it, I may be in Odessa in a few weeks.
(after the cold snap... I hope)

[Dan555]

Morning is sunny and the air is crisp.  Vika looks quiet amazing  in the morning without the make up.  Russian girls definitely wear  much more makeup than their Western counterparts and appear to be so  much more feminine.  Even their hands feel lighter and different  than the girls I dated in Canada.  We decide to get some breakfast  and go to a placed called Fonaki which is like 50 meters from the  apartment in which I am staying.  
 
Next two  days, including the New Years are spent virtually entirely with  Vika.  Her time in Odessa is limited because shortly she must  return to Kiev for work and train tickets are already bought.  New  Years eve, while deserving a post on its own is spent with Vika first  at a restaurant on Deribasovskaya street (Ukrainian Kitchen) and a  nightclub called Amsterdam which is also very close to where I am  staying (within walking distance).  The club's entrance for New  Years Eve is 50hr, which is of course a high fee but given the occasion  I suppose it fares well in contrast to clubs in Boston charging a  minimum of $150 with terrible open bars.  Vika is a very talkative  girl.  She certainly does not run out of things to say, and  particularly on New Years eve after a lot of shots have been consumed  she expresses to me her desire to get away from her current life, start  over in California and hope she will one day find the love of her life.   She is very emotional and I can see there is a lot on her mind.   At any rate, we spend an amazing night together, half of which I  do not remember but nonetheless wake up in my own bed along with Vika,  not remembering entirely the cab ride home.  Drinking vodka  Russian style can't be good for your health, although it's not any  different than my frat days in college.  

Vika has to catch a train in the second half of the day.  We  broach the subject of marriage, relationships and I can tell Vika wants  it all, although I am not entirely sure she is grown up enough for it  all.  I suppose I am in no position to judge, but she is excited  about her move to US in a couple of years more than anything else.   I can see myself married to a girl like Vika, but certainly we  would need to spend a lot more time together.  Unfortunately this  is not possible, even though I went as far as to consider switching my  flight back to Kiev a day or too earlier but since I already prepaid my  apartment in Odessa and the cost to change the flight ($70) along with  the hassle associated with it is just not worth it.  I will  undoubtedly return to Ukraine and I will visit her then.  She has  an e-mail account; obviously a phone so keeping in touch will not be a  problem and as of this writing that has proved to be true.  We  correspond on a regular basis, although I try to stay away from writing  long letters that try to explore how she feels about me and things  along that nature.  I would like to date a few more Russian girls  before making a serious commitment to anyone and writing such deep  content letters only sends the wrong message in my opinion.
 
The night that Vike leaves I decide to take it easy and call it a night  early.  I am exhausted from going out, drinking more than I have  anytime recently and also constantly focusing to try to understand and  learn a bit more Russian.  I decide to get a good meal at a  restaurant at the Irish Pub; by the way the food is absolutely  excellent.  Then back to my apartment with a bit of TV and a long  night of sleep.
 
Next morning I receive a phone call from J whom I met at Odessa  airport.  He is free and wanted to know if I wanted to do dinner.   We make plans and I decide to spend the day sight seeing Odessa.   The center is fairly large, although the area with all the major  attractions like the Opera Theater and Deribasvksaya is conveniently  condensed.  It is very pleasant to walk the streets here in  Odessa.  The contrast in lifestyles is absolutely amazing when you  see old babushkas begging for change and people driving Range Rovers.   Clearly there are a lot of wealthy people in this area and as  Vika told me there is a growing class of wealthy people but it is  overshadowed by the poor getting poorer.  She also told me how  apartments on Deribasvoskaya Street, only a few years ago used to cost  $50K and now those same apartments are over $200K.  I do not know  if it is an exaggeration, but I saw two Hummers in Odessa, lots of BMW  and Mercedes and most of them are driven by fairly young people.   The contrasts are seen in all the buildings around.  In the  center, some buildings appear to be in horrendous shape, appearing like  they are not far from a collapse while those same old historic  buildings next to them have been freshly renovated with all new windows  and furnishings.  Aside from life contrasts, the women in this  city are absolutely unbelievable.  Virtually all of them appear to  have that inviting look in their eyes, although maybe it's just my mind  messing with me. 
 
I meet J at a restaurant inside Athena gallery which is a brand new  mall type of complex in the middle of Odessa (next to Deribasovskaya  Street).  It is a modern mall inside, while outside it maintains  the historic architectural consistency with the rest of the city.   There is quiet a bit of vacant retail space inside, I wonder how long  it will take for economy to really explode in this area. 
 
Evening out  with J and conclusion to Odessa  trip are coming.  

[Zhena]

[user=682]Dan555[/user] wrote:

Morning is sunny and the air is crisp.  Vika looks quiet amazing in the morning without the make up.  Russian girls definitely wear much more makeup than their Western counterparts and appear to be so much more feminine.  Even their hands feel lighter and different than the girls I dated in Canada.  We decide to get some breakfast and go to a placed called Fonaki which is like 50 meters from the apartment in which I am staying.  
 
Next two days, including the New Years are spent virtually entirely with Vika.  Her time in Odessa is limited because shortly she must return to Kiev for work and train tickets are already bought.  New Years eve, while deserving a post on its own is spent with Vika first at a restaurant on Deribasovskaya street (Ukrainian Kitchen) and a nightclub called Amsterdam which is also very close to where I am staying (within walking distance).  The club's entrance for New Years Eve is 50hr, which is of course a high fee but given the occasion I suppose it fares well in contrast to clubs in Boston charging a minimum of $150 with terrible open bars.  Vika is a very talkative girl.  She certainly does not run out of things to say, and particularly on New Years eve after a lot of shots have been consumed she expresses to me her desire to get away from her current life, start over in California and hope she will one day find the love of her life.  She is very emotional and I can see there is a lot on her mind.  At any rate, we spend an amazing night together, half of which I do not remember but nonetheless wake up in my own bed along with Vika, not remembering entirely the cab ride home.  Drinking vodka Russian style can't be good for your health, although it's not any different than my frat days in college.  

Vika has to catch a train in the second half of the day.  We broach the subject of marriage, relationships and I can tell Vika wants it all, although I am not entirely sure she is grown up enough for it all.  I suppose I am in no position to judge, but she is excited about her move to US in a couple of years more than anything else.  I can see myself married to a girl like Vika, but certainly we would need to spend a lot more time together.  Unfortunately this is not possible, even though I went as far as to consider switching my flight back to Kiev a day or too earlier but since I already prepaid my apartment in Odessa and the cost to change the flight ($70) along with the hassle associated with it is just not worth it.  I will undoubtedly return to Ukraine and I will visit her then.  She has an e-mail account; obviously a phone so keeping in touch will not be a problem and as of this writing that has proved to be true.  We correspond on a regular basis, although I try to stay away from writing long letters that try to explore how she feels about me and things along that nature.  I would like to date a few more Russian girls before making a serious commitment to anyone and writing such deep content letters only sends the wrong message in my opinion.
 
The night that Vike leaves I decide to take it easy and call it a night early.  I am exhausted from going out, drinking more than I have anytime recently and also constantly focusing to try to understand and learn a bit more Russian.  I decide to get a good meal at a restaurant at the Irish Pub; by the way the food is absolutely excellent.  Then back to my apartment with a bit of TV and a long night of sleep.
 
Next morning I receive a phone call from J whom I met at Odessa airport.  He is free and wanted to know if I wanted to do dinner.  We make plans and I decide to spend the day sight seeing Odessa.  The center is fairly large, although the area with all the major attractions like the Opera Theater and Deribasvksaya is conveniently condensed.  It is very pleasant to walk the streets here in Odessa.  The contrast in lifestyles is absolutely amazing when you see old babushkas begging for change and people driving Range Rovers.  Clearly there are a lot of wealthy people in this area and as Vika told me there is a growing class of wealthy people but it is overshadowed by the poor getting poorer.  She also told me how apartments on Deribasvoskaya Street, only a few years ago used to cost $50K and now those same apartments are over $200K.  I do not know if it is an exaggeration, but I saw two Hummers in Odessa, lots of BMW and Mercedes and most of them are driven by fairly young people.  The contrasts are seen in all the buildings around.  In the center, some buildings appear to be in horrendous shape, appearing like they are not far from a collapse while those same old historic buildings next to them have been freshly renovated with all new windows and furnishings.  Aside from life contrasts, the women in this city are absolutely unbelievable.  Virtually all of them appear to have that inviting look in their eyes, although maybe it's just my mind messing with me. 
 
I meet J at a restaurant inside Athena gallery which is a brand new mall type of complex in the middle of Odessa (next to Deribasovskaya Street).  It is a modern mall inside, while outside it maintains the historic architectural consistency with the rest of the city.  There is quiet a bit of vacant retail space inside, I wonder how long it will take for economy to really explode in this area. 
 
Evening out with J and conclusion to Odessa trip are coming.  

Dan,maybe i missed something,but let me ask u-how old are u and how old is Vika?

About Odessa,u noticed right. Very proper describing.

[Zhena]

Sorry-I found out,Vika is 23yo.