Odessa

[Neyzen Tevfik]

CAT !

Don't you know how to hold a paintbrush and a tube of oil paint?

Or, didn't you have the budget to buy one?

I would build a complete desk with all cohices of colors and brushed to attract these beautişes to my desk, so that I could be able to paint them myself !!!

Tsk ! Tsk ! Tsk !

What a pity

Carpe Diem

Went to the nude beach yesterday for the annual Body Painting festival which is held on 2 May every year. Unfortunately, they moved the festival from the city to the beach because the organizer has some legal problems and wasn't around to make sure it came off as well as normal. However, while the body painting part was not as significant as normal, the weather was beautiful and the nude beach was operating at what was said to be about 10% of normal considering it was a beautiful sunny day, but a little crisp to be lounging around with your pecker in the air for my taste. However, the cool air did make for a lot of headlights on high beam, if you get my drift.

I've intermingled the shots of the bp with the nude beach just so you can get a flavor of the afternoon. I'll most more shots in the photo gallery.

[Schlonger]

Wow - would have been drooling all down the beach!

Went to the nude beach yesterday for the annual Body Painting festival which is held on 2 May every year. Unfortunately, they moved the festival from the city to the beach because the organizer has some legal problems and wasn't around to make sure it came off as well as normal. However, while the body painting part was not as significant as normal, the weather was beautiful and the nude beach was operating at what was said to be about 10% of normal considering it was a beautiful sunny day, but a little crisp to be lounging around with your pecker in the air for my taste. However, the cool air did make for a lot of headlights on high beam, if you get my drift.

I've intermingled the shots of the bp with the nude beach just so you can get a flavor of the afternoon. I'll most more shots in the photo gallery.

[CA Traveler]

Went to the nude beach yesterday for the annual Body Painting festival which is held on 2 May every year. Unfortunately, they moved the festival from the city to the beach because the organizer has some legal problems and wasn't around to make sure it came off as well as normal. However, while the body painting part was not as significant as normal, the weather was beautiful and the nude beach was operating at what was said to be about 10% of normal considering it was a beautiful sunny day, but a little crisp to be lounging around with your pecker in the air for my taste. However, the cool air did make for a lot of headlights on high beam, if you get my drift.

I've intermingled the shots of the bp with the nude beach just so you can get a flavor of the afternoon. I'll most more shots in the photo gallery.

[Your Dog]

IS Odessa far from being like Prague with all its Expats?

[CA Traveler]

People are always asking… “When I visit Odessa, do I stay at the beach or in the city center?”

I have tried to answer the question, but I realized that it is very easy for me to make bad assumptions about the level of knowledge that may exist about Odessa and its geographical make up.

So, this is a short summary of the advantages and disadvantages of booking a hotel or apartment at the “beach” or in the city center. Of course, each of us has different ideas of the perfect holiday and the priorities of your trip and holiday will help you make your decision, but if you make some bad decisions based on a misunderstanding of Odessa and the realities of both the City Center and the Beach area you may wish you had understood the facts beforehand.

Before I begin though, this question of Beach vs. City Center is really only valid from mid-May to early October, because in the months between the beach area can be a ghost town and other than going to a small kiosk or market if you make the mistake of staying in the beach area, you will be very lonely indeed.

To begin, if you look at a map of Odessa, (http://www.travel-2-ukraine.com/info...ssa-screen.htm), you will see that the city center is typically defined as…

On the North, Primorskaya Blvd. On the East, Pushkinskaya or Polshaya Street. On the West, Preobrazhenskaya/Soviet Army Street. The South is a bit more fluid, but certainly no further than Panteleymonovskaya Street near the train station, but in reality, it is really Troitskaya or Zhukovskogo.

The city center can easily be covered by walking in 15 or 20 minutes even if you take the most extreme distances and stop to window shop along the way.

AND, by everyone’s definition, Deribasovskaya, which is a pedestrian street running East to West, is the well-defined “CENTER” of the center!

From Deribasovskaya, you can be at a beach in about 10-15 minutes walking, but honestly the beach is more a family beach and is close to the port and is not one that you would set as a destination.

The reason the City Center is the hub of Odessa is because that is where you will find, not only most restaurants, clubs, concerts, museums, Opera House/Philharmonic, hotels/apartments and shopping, but also it is the architectural and historical pivot point for all of Odessa. Outside of the center, you may find some interesting things, but the center has it all. Just walking around the tree-lined streets admiring the architecture, that is if you can take your eyes off of the mini-skirts at the top of those long, bare legs, which is French and Italian you will be amazed at how Odessa seems to come alive in the warmer months with outdoor cafes everywhere, but even in the coldest months the city center is still alive and active. If you don’t do anything but spend a nice two-hour lunch at Zara’s pizza or one of the many outdoor cafes on Ekaterinskaya, you will thank your lucky stars that you came to Odessa… It is both relaxing and motivating!

The “beach” area on the other hand has its own set of geographical milestones which you must be aware.

On the same map, you may be able to see that the Odessa beaches run from North to South for many miles. What is critical for you to understand is that from Primorskaya Blvd and the Potemkin Steps in the City Center all the way down the coast is that Odessa is built on a bluff overlooking the Black Sea. As an example, on the map you will notice a cable car going to one of the beaches. That should validate many things that I will tell you since we all know they don’t build cable cars for a 10-meter trip!

With that in mind, the beaches in Odessa are not like you may think of when you think of Hawaii, Florida or California or even along the Mediterranean where hotels, houses, cafes, restaurants are built right on the sand or across the street. Around Odessa, with a very few exceptions, EVERYTHING is build on the bluff or back from the bluff. The actual Arkadia beach area is one of the exceptions… HOWEVER, not all of “Arkadia” is down on the beach and in fact most is on the bluff and primarily back from the beach. To get to the actual beach area, from the streets above you must make a long downhill stroll to get to the beach level which includes the clubs and restaurants or you must climb down, and up, stairs from the top of the bluff to the beach. BUT, what is important for you to understand before you make a decision to stay at the “beach” is that you can stay in so-called Arkadia, but still be a 10-20 minute walk to get to the sand! This is not Southern California or Thailand where you roll out of bed and wiggle your toes in the sand as you have your first cup of java!

It can be very deceiving when you look at photos or hear descriptions of a hotel or apartment and be told that you can see the beach or the sea from the apartment! We have apartments now that have views of the sea, but I would never consider suggesting that you walk 10-15 minutes to get to the water!

Now with that understood… Let’s look at the Beach vs. City Center!

As stated earlier, the city center is the year-round hub of activity in Odessa. Every day and evening, Deribasovskaya and the surrounding streets are packed with people… enjoying the city, sitting in the outdoor cafes, sampling the many restaurants, shopping, and, of course, girl watching! This area is Odessa and if it is not experienced you will miss the real Odessa! From the center, you can be at Riviera Beach in 20 minutes and Arkadia in 10 minutes by car. Cost of a taxi to either place is about 20 UAH, $4.

The city center really speaks for itself and it is not necessary to elaborate too much more about its role in Odessa life!

The actual Arkadia beach area offers two things… The beach in the daytime and the clubs at night beginning at 2300 or midnight. Of course, you can also find restaurants/cafes along about a 150 meters stretch of the boardwalk along the beach, but that is basically it.

If you stay at the beach, I would expect that the primary rationale is it is more convenient to be there for the clubs and beach instead of the city center. However, please consider these facts…

The Arkadia beach is a nice beach, but in Odessa it is generally accepted that the “best” spot is a private place called Riviera Beach which is further south down the coast from Arkadia. Remember that further south is generally accepted as better because it is further from the port which means cleaner water. The cost of Riviera is 25 UAH, $5, which includes a chaise lounge and use of an umbrella. Depending on when you arrive, you could be right down at water’s edge. They have attendants who will bring you food and drink, all reasonably priced. This beach also has a café and a separate swimming pool. You can even rent jet skis and take an airborne parachute ride if you choose. If, like most westerners, you too decide that the Riviera Beach is where you want to spend your days, you may decide that instead of walking 10-15 minutes to the beach, you will take a 5-10 minute taxi ride to Riviera Beach to spend the day.

We can all agree that the Arkadia beach clubs are the best clubs to go to during the warmer months and they can be packed! But, the real question to ask yourself if you stay in the beach area… A 10-15 minute walk during the day to get to and from the sand may be acceptable, but after I’ve been drinking all night do I really want to walk home in the dark from a beach club, perhaps with company, at 0300?

So if location and convenience are your two highest priorities, are you really accomplishing anything by staying at the beach? This is especially true if you have to take a car to and from the beach and take a car home from the clubs! Add on the extra cost of the Arkadia beach area accommodations during the summer and it may not be your final decision!

If you look at the “beach” area with these facts, you like most Western travelers, will probably decide that unless you have your own car, even if you don’t plan to drive home from the clubs, or speak the language fluently, the center is really the best place to call “home” during your time in Odessa.

[Rodney Munch]

Hey Max,

Me and a buddy of mine just came back from Odessa a couple of months ago. Was first time trip for both and now we are in the midst of planning a return with the 'vengeance' trip for either late July or early August. We were also debating as to stay in the center or Arkadia but for now are leaning more towards Arkadia only because we already did the center thing once. Plus, there is the sweetest apartment I am looking at: http://www.odessaapts.com/ind_apartment.asp?ID=90

With a jacuzzi! So it just makes it all that much more tempting. Our tenantive dates right now are July 19th to Aug 3rd. We are also considering taking a trip to Yalta for a day or two but will decide once there. PM me if you would want to meetup.

I plan to make my reservations very soon!

Any sugestions on which apt services to use? Typical rates?

Is central really better than out near arcadia?

It's a "Vacation" with "benefits" so i plan to do a lot of lounging arround near the water when I am not execising back in my room .

A/C is a must.

[CA Traveler]

Brian Maloney... Tried to respond to your PM, but your box if full.

[CA Traveler]

M2... Whether you choose to be at the beach or in the center is really your choice. Most westerners prefer to be in the center because it is still the hub of activity with more restaurants and shopping available, plus there are many clubs in the center. The beach clubs are nice and are located at Arkadia, but the best private beach is not Arkadia and so you must take a car to that beach anyway which kind of defeats the purpose of being at the "beach".

In addition, the prices for apartments in the center are typically much less than at the beach because there are more apartments available in the center AND therefore more competition, plus the landlords in the center can keep rates lower because the season is longer and they don't have to make a year's worth of income in a few months.

Which apartment service to use??? If you have followed this thread for very long you would know my answer immediately! Instead, I will refer you to my posting in the Classified Ads section for Ukraine... Log on to the website posted and all of your questions will be answered!

If you can't locate it, PM me and I will give you the information without making another bladent plug for my business.

In any case, beach or center, I'm sure you will have a great visit to Odessa. IMHO, there is nothing better, er... almost nothing better, than sitting in an outdoor cafe in Odessa and watching the girls walk by... it is a continous stream of beauties that will soon have you realizing the exact "meaning of life!"

Have fun!

I plan to make my reservations very soon!

Any sugestions on which apt services to use? Typical rates?

Is central really better than out near arcadia?

It's a "Vacation" with "benefits" so i plan to do a lot of lounging arround near the water when I am not execising back in my room .

A/C is a must.

[Max Two]

I plan to make my reservations very soon!

Any sugestions on which apt services to use? Typical rates?

Is central really better than out near arcadia?

It's a "Vacation" with "benefits" so i plan to do a lot of lounging arround near the water when I am not execising back in my room .

A/C is a must.

M2... July is heaven in Odessa. Weather is great, beaches are crowded with hot chicks and the streets are a constant parade of beautiful women in mini-skirts and bare legs!

It is never too early to book the summer trips to Odessa. That applies to air/train and hotel/apartments. Last August I had to return to Moscow with an urgent medical problem and I could not get a train or air seat out for a 10 day period. Apartments are typically booked as well.

Hotel vs. Apartment... in the FSU, Russia/Ukraine, apartments are the way to go. Hotels are expensive and restrictive in terms of your special guests. Book an apartment in the center and you'll enjoy your trip much more than any of the hotels.

[CA Traveler]

M2... July is heaven in Odessa. Weather is great, beaches are crowded with hot chicks and the streets are a constant parade of beautiful women in mini-skirts and bare legs!

It is never too early to book the summer trips to Odessa. That applies to air/train and hotel/apartments. Last August I had to return to Moscow with an urgent medical problem and I could not get a train or air seat out for a 10 day period. Apartments are typically booked as well.

Hotel vs. Apartment... in the FSU, Russia/Ukraine, apartments are the way to go. Hotels are expensive and restrictive in terms of your special guests. Book an apartment in the center and you'll enjoy your trip much more than any of the hotels.

[Max Two]

Hey gang,

You guys have been busy!

What is the scene like in july these days?

Any sugestions on which hotels to book that are close to the action that time of year?

How early should I book?

[CA Traveler]

Gladiator... don't write it off yet. The pro-scene in ODS is very well developed IF you calculate "well-developed" by the number of girls, but it is not in your face in a commercial sense like in some places. The key is who you know and that is the entry into the ODS world of P4P. If you show up in ODS without having a contact, you will probably have to start your search on Deribasovskaya or some of the clubs. What I find is that if you meet someone on Deribasovskaya but you don't like them, ask if they have any other girlfriends.

Let me know when you come and perhaps I can help you with your plans.

[Gladiator]

Thanks guys for the feedback.

In that case, I think I should forget about non-pros and stick with pros/semi-pros, which isn’t an issue; but from what I’ve read so far the pros’ scene isn’t very developed yet in Odessa, is that right?

Can you really rely on having a night out in the clubs and finding a good pro? By ‘good pro’ I mean a cute pro between 18-25 yo, with good attitude and with BBBJ included.

Sorry for all the questions, but even after reading most posts here I have some doubts, mainly due to the fact that I see most guys that have fun in Odessa speak some Russian, which isn’t my case.

[CA Traveler]

UB... I pretty much agree, but I think there are many opportunities to set up some meetings with English speakers before you arrive if you take an approach that you are here for more than a 3-7 day holiday. Last couple of years, I have had great success on www.luckylovers.net and I've heard fo good success on another site, missingheart.com or something like that. On those sites you have an opportunity to select girl who speak English and then you can go from there. Of course, there are scammers like on any site, but I hooked up with a 19 y.o. last summer who I wound up taking to ODS for a month and later to SEA for a week on the beaches. In fact, I actually had too much success because I found I couldn't keep up with the desired meetings and active correspondence required to keep them on the hook... It soon becomes a full-time job in itself.

That said, I have found that more people seem to speak English in Kiev than in Odessa, but it is easier to get your hands around Odessa as a city because you can walk every place in the center very easily and the trip to the beach is a very simple step.

I also find that many girls who do not speak English will at least make an attempt if you make an attempt at Russian. At the very least, one should learn the alphabet. If you know the alphabet you will quickly find that many Russian words are the same as English but if you don't know the letters it will be difficult to realize that.

However, the problem that I'm having now is that more and more things are being either advertised in Ukrainian, which is a similar but slightly different alphabet... OR they are using Cyrillic script which is totally different from printed Cyrillic. Damn!

[Uke Boy]

Gladiator,

With non-pros, your chances of success are at best minuscule if you do not speak some Russian. That applies not just to Odessa but to all of Ukraine.

That is not to say you can't succeed. The going will be much more difficult. The problem is that while the local ladies are spending some time learning English, the comprehension or use of English by them is generally very poor. Many just do not feel comfortable in their level of comprehension or use of English.

Your best chances are if YOU learn basic Russian (or a higher level) before you get here and then try to have some primitive form of communication with her primitive English.

With waitresses and shop assistants, forget it. Russian only is the only thing that they will be comfortable with.

As I said in another post, if you do get here expecting freebies to fall your way without proper preparation, you had better have plan "B" in place, namely the pros. There is a slightly better chance here that some pros might have better English skills.

This is not an English speaking country and it will be a very long time before the younger segments of the population become more comfortable with basic English. Rodney's Polish was a big plus for him. However, if you have English only, count only on very limited success and if you do not have the time, you may find even no success may be the result.