Here I will present my general observations regarding the city of Odessa, Ukraine. Let me begin by saying that I love the city. I have seen Paris and now Odessa. While there are some stark contrasts between the two cities, there is something captivating about each. Here I will let my thoughts flow freely as I revel Odessa through an American's eyes on his first visit. Please realize that these are only my personal interpretations and yours will probably be very different.
One of the first things I noticed about Odessa was the architecture. It is magnificent. The workmanship that went into each detail is exquisite. But as I noticed the beautiful buildings, I also could not help but see the disrepair into which many have fallen. I was happy to see some being restored, but much restoration work needs to be done to preserve the immense beauty of the city.
Speaking of beauty, I was truly astounded by the number of beautiful women that I saw in Odessa. I was so blessed to have the most beautiful of them all by my side, but the women of Odessa are uncommonly attractive. I remember the words to the old Beatle song that stated how the Ukraine girls really knock them out. It is true, at least in Odessa. As a photographer and an artist, the facial structure of so very many of the women there is remarkable. They are truly physically beautiful people in Odessa.
Another observation is the lack of commercialization for tourists. I searched and searched for t-shirts with a picture of Odessa and some writing. I could not find such souveniers. In fact, I could not even find a simple key chain with Odessa written on it. I contrast this to every other tourist spot that I have ever visited. In Paris for example, you can find Paris t-shirts, key chains, etc, etc, on nearly every street corner. In Odessa, I could find none. The potential for Odessa to be a major tourist attraction to both Americans and western Europeans is immense. Properly promoted, and with a good advertising campaign, I believe that Americans would flock to Odessa. It could become a huge tourist spot, but they must get some t-shirts printed up!
The taxis also amazed me. My friend and I would travel by taxi for great distances to have the fare only equal a couple of American dollars. I could not believe such inexpensive taxi travel. (By the way, if you are with a native, just keep your mouth shut. If they hear you speaking English the fare can increase dramatically. I find this true in most countries.) As I traveled, I also noticed the need for street repair. Bumpy, bumpy, bumpy. It was really no problem, but I kept comparing the street and sidewalk condition to that of the USA. In Odessa, unlike America, you must truly watch your step. There are no painted yellow lines to warn you when there is a step-up or step-down. Several times while walking I nearly fell. You must watch where you step.
Another thing I enjoyed were the outdoor cafes. The weather was wonderful and it was so pleasant to sit outdoors and enjoy a drink or snack. The prices for these places were much the same that you would find anywhere.
I also remember going to the beach in the evening. The Black Sea beaches are lovely. The beach hangouts were very nice - complete with American music - from Elvis to Chubby Checker.
In the evening, I was surprised to see how dark the streets and sidewalks were in many areas. Areas that we would think were slums in America were actually filled with very nice people. I was amazed to see young women walking alone late at night along dimly-lit sidewalks. You would never see this in America. I do not know Odessa's crime rate, but I felt very safe there both day and night.
Something else that I did not understand in Odessa was all of the dark doorways throughout the city. It seems that in the city there are very many open doors at ground level. Often the doors opened to a dark hall way. It looked very mysterious. I watched people enter and leave these doorways and had no idea what was inside. Frankly, I did not have the nerve to just walk in one and see what was there.
I also remember the small jewelry shops. Standing in the door was an armed guard wearing a pistol on his hip and looking eager to use it. The guards were dressed in everything from street clothes to what appeared to be military outfits. As I would enter the stores, they seemed to really take notice of me. I was sure to keep my hands in view. Also, in those tiny jewelry shops that the women would press together against the counter for a look at the items for sale. In America we would triple the size of the shop, but there was something nice about the crowded little stores.
MORE TO COME...