Justin-Klein.com – Life of a Traveling Programmer

Kiev. No litter, no strays, no deteriorating buildings. A first-class city by anyone’s measure.

The feeling of Kiev couldn’t be more different from Odesa.

First, it really is a major urban metropolis – like Belgrade – with clearly a lot of wealth behind it. Although Odesa did have its few glitzy corners, in general it really didn’t feel all that first-world: stray dogs roamed about, beggars held out their hands, and countless locals loitered the streets in ripped, stained shorts. It felt like the “raw Eastern-European city” you might envision. But here in Kiev, litter-free boulevards are lined with big hotels, occupied by well-dressed pedestrians, and trafficked by expensive Western sports cars. It truly looks like a different country.
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A short rest stop on the way from Odesa to Kiev.

Although Ukrainian minibuses are frequent, convenient, and remarkably cheap (a four-hour ride costs less than $5), the biggest problem – aside from the lack of suspension which makes sleep a near impossibility – is that they have absolutely nowhere for luggage.
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Ordinarily, I wait to do my “observations post” until after finishing a given country’s narrative – but because Odesa felt so different from the rest of Ukraine, almost like a second little country of its own, I’m going to split things up and handle it ahead of time.

But first, a few points I’d like to reiterate about this unique city’s reputation (from Odesa: Hotspot of Hedonism):

First, its nightlife; Odesa is known for going wild until dawn nearly every night of the week. Second, its women; described by countless observers as some of the most beautiful on earth. And third, its visitors; Odesa is renowned as a top hangout for vacationing Russian mafia (due in no small part I’m sure to the previous two points).

So with those in mind, let’s get started with my Odesa observations. General Ukraine observations will follow a bit farther down the road. Continue reading »