I need Advice.

[Makkin]

Hello,

  I'm 22 days out of leaving for Ukraine and I am not meeting any women so far on this trip. Do you or have you done this before? Does it make sense to visit like this?
  I have read about the back-up plan and such but for me THIS time it's almost as if the dating scene has no plan or plans.
  Should I attempt to meet women freely with the help of someone who can translate or should I use an agency in Odessa? All I've heard from Agencey talk is that it sounds like the girls may not be all too interested due to communication with other men already and that type of thing.
  I doubt that I will be in many bars but one never knows.

  Is it good to get a list or possible to find a list here for good restuarants at a reasonable price?

Makkin
 

[Bruno]

Odessa...

Is it good to get a list or possible to find a list here for good restuarants at a reasonable price?

http://www.theodessaguide.com/
http://www.odessa-guide.com/

for restaurant :

http://www.theodessaguide.com/odessa_ukraine_restaurants/odessa_ukraine_restaurants.php
http://www.odessa-guide.com/odessa_restaurants.shtml

[Darth Vader]

Does it make sense to visit like this?
 

No, it does not make sense.  Instead of going without contacts, use a good agency to write a few girls and tell them you will be in town and you would like to meet them.  That way you will be able to meet a few girls, and get their phone numbers and can keep in touch later on.

Going it alone can get you prostitutes, or even worse, a team of girls who will drug you and take everything from you.

[El Rock]

Sorry to write , but YES  it's crazy .
You will be lost  , not knowing any  Russian .
My girl friend   is in   Kiev  , speaks English fluently .
She work as a guide  , if you want  .
PM  me  and I will give you her phone number .

There  are many contacts  to be made  for help , get them here  first  .
Have someone waiting for you at Airport to take to to hotel .
Often  , all hotels are  full , and expensive .
Well over a hundred a day .

Good luck.

Eat at the  Marrakesh  Restaurant  !

[2tallbill]

If you are going to Odessa then I would highly reccommend talking to Igor (Stirlitz) he can help you a million ways.

Igor lives in Odessa and is a translator / guide / helper / etc. If going to Kiev then I would reccomend Pavel.

They can rent you a local cell phone, find you an apartment, get someone to drive you around, negociate cab fare, find someone to iron your

clothes wrinkled in your bags, etc, etc.

I would be very very surprised if you can't get several ladies interested in meeting you that belong to an agency. What agencies did you try at?

Good luck,

Bill

[Kuna]

If going to Kiev then I would reccomend Pavel.

I have comments to add to this but I will wait until the appropriate time in my trip report.

Suffice to say, WHOEVER you use as a guide in Ukraine you NEED to confirm prices and conditions of service before engaging them. BE VERY SPECIFIC!!!

Do NOT assume that a guide is any more reputable than a taxi driver.

I am not saying that ALL is bad... but you need to be very wary when parting with money when people proport to be independent and unbiased.

Fee for service means many different things to many different people!   

[Zoro]

Should I attempt to meet women freely with the help of someone who can translate or should I use an agency in Odessa?

Igor lives in Odessa and is a translator / guide / helper / etc. If going to Kiev then I would reccomend Pavel.

Yes, I agree.  Both Pavel and Igor are excellent and well worth the money I paid.  So yes, i would recommend you use a guide (them or someone else recommended here) on your trip, Makkin.  It is the difference between night and day when you are with someone who knows the "lay of the land."

 Multiple ID's

[Makkin]

Hello everyone,

  Thanks so much for the generous input. I have not used any agencey at all and never. I mean to say that I have never used an agencey for any trips ever taken to the FSU. My only trip was to Russia dn it's here on the trip report section.

  I will write Jack and see what he thinks about things and then go from there.

  I'll be back in a few seconds as I have lost my train of thought..lol I did buy the two tickets from Kiev to Odessa for 42 dollars each round trip and had them sent two day delivery so the total price for two tickets was only 103 dollars total....Now that is cheap and thanks to......Maxx(hope I got your name right?) we saved 300 dollars because we had the other tickets cancelled. Ya see this site alone has already saved me money and that's a fact. He was kind enough to send a message with the info and some other info that got me working on that fast.
  I worry about the agencey thing but I probably should not worry as I'm hoping the reputaion given here will help me find one that can be trusted. All in all I will probably go with one and see what happens.

Thanks,

Makkin
 

[Makkin]

Hello,

  Thanks everyone again for the info and as time permits I would like to ask specific questions to people if they would be so kind as to answer them. I have questions in regards to restaurants and pricing. I have read that like western Europe the bread for dinner is not free and in Ukraine/Odessa the meat is measured in grams/weight so it's important to ask for a specific weight of food itemwjen ordering?
  I plan to visit the food establishments but I'm interested in "AuthenticUkrainian" as that's the reason I'm going to Ukraine. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Makkin
 

[Mir]

Hi

I believe it was me who told you about the cheaper tickets to Odessa but thanks anyway

Now maybe I can save you some more money.
Personally I don't believe in paying guides.However I would recommend booking an apartment and airport transfer in advance and the agency who does that for you can give some basic info to get you started.
But then that is my openion and it is up to you to decide.
good luck

[Mir]

And if you want authentic Ukrainian then get yourself invited to the home of a Ukrainian couple,get your lady to cook for you or get her mother/friend to invite you over.

[Jazzyclassy]

    Going it alone can get you prostitutes, or even worse, a team of girls who will drug you and take everything from you.          

agree 100% absolute truth

and I mean wake up people , you still think Ukraine to be something fairy and magically nice, you are mistaken , if you are going all alone for such amount of days for cultural excursions you booked and so on , then it is great, but if you go just not knowing where to go that is so naive and sincerely stupid to me:)  am even laughing here out loud watching old respectful guys with education with position in their life who are ready to do anything just to challenge themselves in order for some forbidden lust pleasure and unknown exotic satisfaction.

God you really then do not know where to invest your money and your life is completely boring if you go to Ukraine for 22 days without any particular aim and goal

 I might be sounding hush but better go to gym ,  try and find some distraction in your own country and a nice pretty woman will come alone herself

It is just so sad that men do all those  unknown trips  find there big problems and then write huge stories on the forum how awful Ukraine's are how tricky and cheeky they are,

it is like nobody ever told you anything about the risk you take , while going nowhere

I was reading this author's post and was really impressed in a stupid way , like how adult men can think like that , maybe I am completely wrong and it is cultural differences and bla bla bla, but you know if I had like some millions and had time to travel I would better just buy excursion tours to the countries am interested  in and never would go just like that without any contacts and any safety .

I am sorry for my speech do not take it too seriously am just emotional:))
and can not express my thoughts the other way , though I am trying to

Jazzy, always impressed with  new  things people do which she can not understand but is trying so much to understand

[Turboguy]

Jazzy,  I have read what were probably your last three posts, this one and two in another thread.   I am sure some people could read them and think you are not in a very good mood today but I read a lot of truth and a lot of wisdom in them and think you have made some good points.   They were all great posts.

Hello,

  I'm 22 days out of leaving for Ukraine and I am not meeting any women so far on this trip. Do you or have you done this before? Does it make sense to visit like this?
  I have read about the back-up plan and such but for me THIS time it's almost as if the dating scene has no plan or plans.
  Should I attempt to meet women freely with the help of someone who can translate or should I use an agency in Odessa? All I've heard from Agency talk is that it sounds like the girls may not be all too interested due to communication with other men already and that type of thing.
  I doubt that I will be in many bars but one never knows.

  Is it good to get a list or possible to find a list here for good restaurants at a reasonable price?

Makkin
 

Hello,

  I'm 22 days out of leaving for Ukraine and I am not meeting any women so far on this trip. Do you or have you done this before? Does it make sense to visit like this?
  Makkin
 

I have not done it intentionally and no it does not make sense.   If you have a good plan, yes then it is fine but you say you have no backup plan either. 

Makkin,  If I go into my office and just tackle the pile of work at the end of the day I find I have done nothing.   If I go into the office and sit and make a to do list of the things I should do and start crossing them off as they are completed I can sometimes be amazed how much I can get done.

I think the same applies to a trip like you are planning.   You need to have a plan and to be organized.  Yes, you could probably drift into a city and look up an agency and have some success.   Yes, perhaps the girl sitting beside you on the plane will be single and available or the girl on the barstool or the one walking down the street.   There are guys like jb who found great success without even trying.   Most anything in my life if I don't try I get nowhere.  I don't even think you can be a tourist successfully without some plan of what you are doing. 

Sit down and ask yourself.   What are the goals for your trip?   How are you going to achieve them?  How can you effectively use your time and maximize your chances of success?   Plan out your days and decide what to do with each to not find yourself wandering aimlessly around the central city wishing you were meeting the beautiful gals that are walking past you.

If your goal is only to eat authentic Ukrainian food what are you doing here?   (Sorry to be blunt but I guess I have been hanging around too many RW)   Yes, they often charge for bread and the grams are listed for the meals but in most cases it is take it or leave it not order by size.  Sometimes there is a choice just as you can order a 10 oz or 14 oz steak here.   If your only goal is to eat some real Ukrainian food I have a feeling there are men who have Ukrainian wives who for $ 50.00 would be happy to cook you a meal and save you a lot of airfare.

[timothe]

I don't know if I agree with the last post, although I've always lived my life more like the "hare" than the "tortoise".  You don't need an agency to meet women in the Ukraine.

You could go to icq.com and search for English speaking women in the city where you are travelling.  Spend some time and talk to these women...you may find one or more willing to offer translation for free or for a very small amount.  You may also find your guide.  Look for women, not men, as they are less likely to rob you.  (I was not really concerned about being setup on the internet....but some may disagree.)

Next...put in a small advertisement in the local paper in the city which you are travelling.  Create a "dummy" email address and refer all inquiries to that address.  I always travelled in Russia so I don't know the major news outlet in Kiev, but you can probably find out the major newspapers on the internet in less than one hour, including at least one with some English speaking people.

I've done exactly what I've suggested to you and I managed just fine.  In fact, I met some great people I would have never discovered had I simply done the "sterilized" full service agency route.  And I had a lot more money to spend how I pleased.  (in my case, I spent waaaayy too much money on the woman I met and spoiled, but that's another lesson entirely  )

Good luck to you.

[vwrw]

From Jazzyclassy:
I might be sounding hush but better go to gym, try and find some distraction in your own country and a nice pretty woman will come alone herself.

It is better for WHO? If it is better for you or I/O…then do it so! But please, do not teach other people how it is better for them to find some distraction. It is not your business to decide what is better for them. 

From L/C:
 am even laughing here out loud watching old respectful guys with education with position in their life who are ready to do anything just to challenge themselves in order for some forbidden lust pleasure and unknown exotic satisfaction.
God you really then do not know where to invest your money and your life is completely boring if you go to Ukraine for 22 days without any particular aim and goal

L/C, you disagree yourself here. He has aim and goal…that is to challenge himself.

From L/C:
I was reading this author's post and was really impressed in a stupid way, like how adult men can think like that, maybe I am completely wrong and it is cultural differences and bla bla bla, but you know if I had like some millions and had time to travel I would better just buy excursion tours to the countries am interested in and never would go just like that without any contacts and any safety.

LOL…No, it is not cultural difference. It is difference of personal development. If you had millions you would have other personality and as a result other desires and aims. Keeping head above water in business, being a high earner, being successful professionally…it changes person, his mentality. To understand how adult one can think like that you need to become professionally successful woman WITH lots money, not just imagine it.   
L/C, you see, when a person had/has overcame a lot of different challenges then absence of contacts and safety does not stop him because he knows he will overcome it as he has done before. On the contrary absence of contacts and safety only makes his trip to be more interesting and exciting for him.

[Natalia]

You could go to icq.com and search for English speaking women in the city where you are travelling.  Spend some time and talk to these women...you may find one or more willing to offer translation for free or for a very small amount.  You may also find your guide.  Look for women, not men, as they are less likely to rob you.  (I was not really concerned about being setup on the internet....but some may disagree.)

I would be more sure that a man will rob you is less likely. You will hardly find a fluent English speaking woman just spending her time in the internet on icq and waiting for you to come, most likely she is working and not having free time to translate you for free or married and her husband will never allow her to go out with you. 
If you hire a professional guide or use the agency, they will be interested in helping you as much as possible. They know for sure where to find the best restaurants and where to exchange money with the best rate, etc.
For some reason lots of foreigners think that they will easily find someone talking English to help them in Ukraine. But it's not so! Maybe one of ten people in big cities of Ukraine like Odessa, Kiev, Kharkov can speak English sufficient enough to help you. Sure it's up to you, but i would advice to make arrangements beforehand, in such way you will avoid a lot of difficulties and misunderstandings. Although if you like extreme rest, you are welcome to come to Ukraine!
I don't want to frighten you and say that Ukraine is bad, it's just not like USA or other European countries, the mentality and way of life are much different, that can be a kind of shock for a foreigner.
If your main reason for coming to Ukraine is still finding a nice lady for marriage and not just have fun and try "borsch" - find a good agency and let them help you.

[BC]

  Should I attempt to meet women freely with the help of someone who can translate or should I use an agency in Odessa? All I've heard from Agencey talk is that it sounds like the girls may not be all too interested due to communication with other men already and that type of thing.
  I doubt that I will be in many bars but one never knows.

Time is short but I think you should work on an 'in'..  something that gets your foot in the door with like-minded folks.. it could be your type of work, hobby or other interest.

Look for fora or google contact info for common FSU folks with similar interests. Look at Agencies last.

[groovlstk]

You could go to icq.com and search for English speaking women in the city where you are travelling.  Spend some time and talk to these women...you may find one or more willing to offer translation for free or for a very small amount. 

I met my wife in this manner after exclusively using agencies and free personals for two years. Don't put all your eggs in the agency basket, diversify and spread out, there is no single method that will guarantee you won't be fleeced.

[Jazzyclassy]

     It is better for WHO? If it is better for you or I/O…then do it so! But please, do not teach other people how it is better for them to find some distraction. It is not your business to decide what is better for them.             

First of all nobody is teaching here,second  the person asked for Advice, if you are not attentive and please be polite think what are you saying!think before you post anything be so kind:)

   LOL…No, it is not cultural difference. It is difference of personal development. If you had millions you would have other personality and as a result other desires and aims. Keeping head above water in business, being a high earner, being successful professionally…it changes person, his mentality. To understand how adult one can think like that you need to become professionally successful woman WITH lots money, not just imagine it.   
L/C, you see, when a person had/has overcame a lot of different challenges then absence of contacts and safety does not stop him because he knows he will overcome it as he has done before. On the contrary absence of contacts and safety only makes his trip to be more interesting and exciting for him.
         

and here you wrote nonsense " if absence of contacts and safety does not stop him ", why then he is writing here at all dear Mr or Mrs or whoever you are:p?????? If his mentality is such of a higher level cos he is rich according to your thinking, then am sorry why he writes stupid things about his trip and asks for advice?
Believe me money wont add your brains!:) and more over will make them blind
 so relax and drink tea:)))

And I assure you be calm this person wont follow my advice cos by his posts you can slightly understand as how you put that his Mentality of being a wealthy man:)))
Wealthy men will never go and risk their fortune in order of something they never experienced , on the contrary some of them enjoy comfort and stability and Safety(you did not like this word so much ..)

[LEGAL]

I was reading this author's post and was really impressed in a stupid way , like how adult men can think like that...

Jazzy , you should know as Master of psychology that it is not   polite and it is not professional to discuss the position and ways of person using such style like you use, especially when a person asks advice, tries to understand and tries to find the best  decision for him or her.
It is not good business to discuss the  intellectual faculties of person saying "stupid"


Olga.

[Makkin]

Mir,

 Thanks soooo..much and I remembered the picture you posted but failed on the name here. I apologize and you can be sure that will never happen again..lol I owe you a beer or twelve at this point.
  Thanks again

Makkin

[Makkin]

Hello,

 Actually I do have a plan to meet the burned child and my friend who is coming along with me has people to meet and such so I would not say I don't have a plan..lol I am just interested in meeting a few ladies at this point and am doing what it takes to do this.
  The 22 days is actually the amount of time till I leave for Ukraine at the time of the post. I am not staying there for 22 days. I apologize for the mis-understanding.
  I'm a big boy..lol realistic,not an expert..someone who is real about the situation.
  I'm on page 14 of Kuna's reprt and appreciate his experiences being put here for all to read. I've decided to read it all before posting anything if I do post a reply but I can say I've enjoyed it very much.
  No I not close to being an expert about anything here but I did travel to Russia alone and was LUCKY to have a really wondeful time. I suppose  if I am a good person it might help me in someway but I do have reality logged in my brain at all times.

Thanks,

Makkin

[Jazzyclassy]

      It is not good business to discuss the  intellectual faculties of person saying "stupid"

       

Oh well I did not say anything which could  hurt him , that is my opinion and why should I be apologising for that? when, there are people here who say anything  they think is right:)

   It is better for WHO? If it is better for you or I/O…then do it so! But please, do not teach other people how it is better for them to find some distraction. It is not your business to decide what is better for them. 
   

so  the discussion is free and the author of the topic new the reaction of people by posting his request for advice

   No I not close to being an expert about anything here but I did travel to Russia alone and was LUCKY to have a really wonderful time. I suppose  if I am a good person it might help me in someway but I do have reality logged in my brain at all times.
       

Nobody is doubting about that , just people are different even if I had loads of money I would not go to the country without being prepared , so  am answering your  topic question , Do what you think is right for you and do not ask for advices cos it is inevitable you will get controversial  advices which you probably wont like so count on yourself only

[Jazzyclassy]

     I am just interested in meeting a few ladies at this point and am doing what it takes to do this.
                       

Oh yes ....now it should be clear for everybody , a few ladies? is that how you call  some very doubtful traveling  in modern language

similar with Mr.Prohorov (some new russian business man ) in French resort , he was also meeting a few ladies:)

[Makkin]

Hello,

  I am not rich. I'm not sure if that was intended to me but to clarify things I'm just your normal average " JOE"..lol
  I don't have the Mercedes in the garage and do not have an attitude in life that would suggest abything like that.

  I figured that I would encounter some hard statements along the way here from people who assume to know my situation. I really appreciate all the advice but please think of me as a person you might like to go to a baseball game with and talk about the game,players,statistics..etc.. I'm so normal and boring at times that if you went on an outing with me you would just think you went with a family member or somebody along those lines. I like people and am always willing to help you if possible.
 
  I just finished talking with Jack and he is gonna help us organize for the trip as well as the apartment and such. He knows a lot about the dating,apartments,etc.. Hopefully the trip will be fun and educational for my RICH arse..LOL