better beware
When I said that I am going to Odessa, a lot of people pukało his forehead - the same! This ride, mafia you collapse, zgwałci, sale of organs. Just do not be surprised, as you return.
came back and it's quite a long time ago, however, admit that as got off the bus near the train station, I felt a bit uncomfortable. The more that the difference between western Ukraine, some of which I walked past and the monstrous, was visible at once - only heard about Russian, not Ukrainian, it was much harder to stop someone on the street to ask directions. I went to the taxi driver to ask for the name of the street where the hostel was supposed to be the closest. He showed me everything on the map, and then suggested a course - as I heard the price, I knew that it was not be easy. In addition, said the hryvnia is not only rubles (and even then there were many) - have proposed that przeliczymy hryvnia for rubles, surprised that he wants me to Russian currency.
- But is the price in UAH, only here they say rubles.
I went to the station, immediately buy a ticket for the train to Lviv. The railway was wrapped. When I finally got to the window and I gave the date in two days, only the cashier looked at me funny.
- Sold out for three weeks on the front. Slightly
podłamana went outside. I saw a bunch of guys with colorful dreadlocks - I approached them, hoping that he can say in English, because the south - Russian Ukrainian turned out for me a bit too fast. They were from Belarus and better than in English, spoke Polish. I got from them a city map.
As soon as I moved away, people are suggesting me opadli rooms for rent. They offered such a price that did not even want to hear - up to 200 UAH, while I was preparing for bed in a hostel for 20-30 UAH. But it was damn late evening approached on foot to the center was far away, and access all explained otherwise. I decided to go with the eye of seventy or eighty- babushka, who proposed the lowest price - 100 UAH trifle.
boarded the bus, something told babushka, but at such a rate that just nodded, pretending that I understand. After half an hour of driving, I started a bit nervous - still oddalałyśmy from the center. Wysiadłyśmy at the last stop ... at the cemetery. He immediately began to imagine that he probably has a babushka son or granddaughter, who murder me, will cut and buried in a nameless grave. But I walked away. Behind a high iron fence with a gate would be closed for heavy, big key were tiny wooden houses, as in the colonies. Busy was the only one, except that any pair lived in a brick house babushkas. Besides sławojka, stove, shower in the form of suspended on wooden poles Baniak - I have not played with the scout ...
first thing I did was I threw junk and went to the bus station. At checkout I was told that no seats. I realized that I'm stuck. I was about to depart from the window and begin to combine, when the clerk called me back.
- One seat. Last.
- I'm taking.
In the only occupied house lived a young The Russian, a soldier from Siberia. Despite the concerns of relief I accepted the invitation for a beer and refreshments in the form of shared fish on a newspaper. Somehow, despite my very poor Russian, talked all night, I could not even understand a few jokes. Ubzdryngoliłam enough to sleep in a stuffy little room.
The next day was the independence of Ukraine. Russian soldier, of course, could not afford to have his Polish, single peer in the day she was alone. Walking from the street we Deribasiwskiej. Odessa is a modern, full of splendor, filled with people. The only thing that irritated is that the curvature of the Ukrainian words were addressed, in addition to the Russian was better not to use any other language - English zdradzałby "rich" tourist, Ukraine - Western nacjonalistkę, Polish - just a Pole, that is not the best.
The famous Potemkin stairs waiting for quite an interesting surprise - speeches, celebration, singing. All dressed in white, colorfully embroidered, Ukrainian shirts. Joy, pride.
the afternoon we decided to go for a little while on the beach - I had look at the Black Sea. On the way through the park, a woman stopped us - it turned out that grabs the comedy program naturszczyków shot ... in the bushes. I was not allowed to get closer, but it seemed that the whole situation comedy had to rely on the fact that the next young lady naturszczycy They reported a fruit basket, on the occasion of "accidentally" breaking off her blouse and revealing a pretty good boobs. My companion was delighted - it suddenly turned out that it really is not meant to be a soldier, just an actor ...
evening rewarded putting the wine and eventually had to evacuate to speed up the room and see if the doors are properly closed the next day ...
gentle face suddenly took on Fig babushkas - threw me out of the room at noon, so the bus to Lviv waited at the station. I ate pancakes, I got opieprz the waitress, for being asked for cutlery, and I moved to Lviv ...
photos can be found here
When I Said That I am going to Odessa a lot of people were kind of Reluctant to my idea - alone? Off you go, the mafia will be rape you, murder, sell your liver. Just don’t be surprised if you don’t come back.
Well – I did come back some time ago but I have to admit that when I got out of the bus from Soroca I was a bit unsure. The difference between west Ukraine that I had traveled through before and this huge city was amazing. Everyone spoke Russian not Ukrainian and it was hard to stop anyone to ask for directions. I asked the taxi driver – he showed me everything on the map and then proposed to drive me there but when he said the price I realized that it would not be easy there. What is more he gave the price in roubels not hryvnias (and it was still a lot) so I offered paying in hryvnias surprised by other currency.
- But this is in hryvnias we just call them roubles in here.
I went straight to railway station to buy the ticket to Lviev. The queue was long and while I reached the window and gave the date, the woman inside only looked at me unfriendly:
- Sold out for three weeks.
Slightly stressed I went outside. I saw a group of boys with colored dread locks so I approached them hoping that they spoke some English cause the south – eastern Ukrainian Russian was a bit too fast for me. They occurred to be from Belarus and spoke better polish than English. They gave me the map of the city.
When I moved forward I was surrounded by a group of people offering rooms for rent. The prices exceeded those I expected around four or five times. But it was late, the evening was almost there, center was too far to walk and no one was giving clear directions about how to get there by bus. I decided to follow a seventy or eighty years old babushka who offered the lowest price – 100 UAH.
We got into the bus – babushka was telling me some stories but she was speaking so fast that I could only nod to pretend I understand. After half an hour of trip I was becoming kind of nervous – we were getting really far from the center. Our stop occurred to be the last one – next to the cemetery. I had a quick vision of babushka’s son or grand son who would wait out there to cut me into pieces and burry in the nameless grave but I followed. Behind the tall, steel fence with the gate opened with a long heavy key I saw little wooden houses – like on the camp. Only one of them was taken and there was some couple living in the babushka’s regular house. And a wooden toilet, kitchen, plastic can filled with water as a shower – it was a long time since I had played a scout girl for the last time.
First thing I did was leaving all my stuff behind and going for the bus station to buy the tickets. And the first news was that there were no places. I was close to brake down when the lady behind the counter called me back and said:
- One place. Last.
- I will take it.
In the only taken house stayed a Russian soldier from Siberia. The invitation for a beer and fish that he served on the old newspaper was a relief. Despite my weak Russian we talked the whole night – I even managed to understand few jokes. I dunk enough to manage to fall asleep in the small, stuffy room.
The next day was the day of independence of Ukraine. Russian soldier could not let his polish, lonely companion to spend such day by herself. We started sightseeing from Deribasivskaya street. Odessa is a modern, rich city filled with people. The only disturbing thing was the fact that using any other language than Russian was not a good idea – English would mean a “rich” tourist, Ukrainian – western nationalist, Polish – simply a person from Poland which also was not best. On the famous Potiomkin stairs waited a nice surprise – lectures, celebrations, singing. Everyone was dressed in white, embroidered, Ukrainian shirts. Happiness, pride.
In the afternoon we decided to go on the beach. While we were going through the parc some woman stopped us and invited my companion to join a tv program which was shot in the bushes. I was not allowed to come closer but the only comic element of the scene seemed to be while a person from the street was handling an actress a bucket filled with fruits, “accidentally” plucking her blouse and showing pretty nice boobs. My companion was delighted – it occurred that he never wanted to be a soldier but an actor…
In the evening I repaid with a wine and after a while I had to quickly evacuate myself back to the room and check if the doors are properly closed… And the next day the gentle babushka’s face changed – she throw me out at twelve with the luggage so I had to wait for the bus at the station. I ate bliny, made the waitress crazy by asking for the fork and left to Lviev…
Photos you can find here
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