Russia House | Trip Reports | Part 3
Part Three: Posted to the Russian Women's List
Other Reports: One | Two | Four |
Hello Everyone,
Sorry for the delay in posting this report, the third installment of my
experiences traveling to Lviv and Odessa, Ukraine. I've been doing my yearly
dance with the IRS and trying to find a way to pay taxes and still afford to
go back in April to visit Halia and Elena.....OK....enough of my rambling....
Part 3
I slept in little spurts on the overnight train (#26) from Lviv to Odessa.
You can see train schedules in Russian and English at:
http://gamayun.physics.sunysb.edu:8080/5/STATION
I used EFA Tour for my train trip....you can contact them at:
Tickets for an entire compartment were 50 USD each way and were booked by
Anatoliy Borys of the Duet agency in Lviv.
I watched the cold, white landscape slide by as the train gently rocked
through the Ukrainian night. I wondered what awaited me in Odessa.....another
new experience and another wonderful lady, I hoped.
I arrived at the train station right on time. Svetlana, Steve Markos'
interpreter, was waiting for me with her father and they took me to the
apartment I would call home for 8 days. She took me on a walking tour of the
city to orient me and clear some of the travel cobwebs from my head. We used
the minibus system, which Sveta uses all the time, to get to and from
downtown. It is efficient and less crowded than the buses and cost 2 hryvnia
for the both of us each way.
Later in the day I said goodbye to Sveta and called Tania, who would be my
guide and interpreter for my stay in Odessa and who would introduce me to
Elena. I arrived in Odessa on Christmas Eve, January 6, and wanted to get
Elena a modest gift. Tania suggested that Elena and I do a little shopping
and she and Peter, who would drive for me and become a good friend by the time
I left, picked me up and took me to Elena, who lived all the way on the other
side of Odessa. (Side note.....I had made my apartment reservations before
realizing where Elena lived....better planning on my part would have given us
more time together. I will rent one nearby for my next trip)
Elena lives in an apartment building right next to a brand new McDonald's
(with drive thru!). We were met by this smiling lady at the door who was
talking excitedly in Russian...(Elena) and I had my first taste of what I
would grow to admire over the next days....a sophisticated, elegant, humble
lady. She lives very modestly and has decorated her apartment
beautifully....I was immediately impressed by her creativity. She introduced
me to her lovely, although quiet at first, 15 YO daughter Irochka and then we
were off to the outdoor market to shop for a hair dryer (my gift....so much
for surprises!)
Later that evening I enjoyed a lavish dinner with Elena and her family....she
has an older daughter, Inna who also joined us with her husband, Sergei, and
their daughter, Svetlana.
We ate and toasted until the wee hours of the morning......I danced for the
first time in many years with Elena and appreciated her patience with me.
Tania (the interpreter) gave me a taste of what I would come to admire during
my stay; her amazing ability to interpret fluidly and in real time. I almost
felt like I was talking to Elena directly. Guys, if you find a gem like
Tania, treat her well......she refused to charge me for her help because, she
said, she was there to help Elena. When she gets a web site put together, she
will get a shameless plug from me because I think she's the best!
Back to Elena......she really impressed me with her sophistication. She is a
doctor who, with her doctor ex-husband, worked for the Soviet military during
the construction of parts of the Trans-Siberian railroad. She now works as an
ambulance doctor in Odessa.....a noble but poorly paid profession. I was
shocked at how poorly the FSU values their medical professionals. Elena
continues to hold her head high and is very independent and provides well for
herself and Irochka.
I saw much of Odessa with Elena.....a walk on a wintry beach on the Black Sea,
a ballet at the Opera House, a tour of the Sea Port and a show of poisonous
reptiles from around the world (I'm a herpetology buff). Thanks to Tania and
Peter, I saw much of Odessa I never would have found otherwise. Everything
was an adventure......Peter would always take a different route between my
apartment an Elena's and show me new things. I think I saw all sides of
Odessa, good and bad.
Another side note.....if you hire a driver, get one who comes recommended by
someone you trust....I was so fortunate that Tania found Peter. I could
devote a trip journal just on my adventures and conversations with him. What
I'll say here is that I think it is best to negotiate for a driver's services
for the whole time you're there....it's usually less expensive. I paid Peter
200 USD for 7 days....which, in the end, was much less than his help and
influence were worth......Peter, gas for the plane is on me, friend, if you
haven't sold it by April. And, have you eaten any more "reptilians" for lunch?*grin*
Some tips......get a good, current map of the city and spend some time
studying it. I found one at a street kiosk and paid about 3 USD for it. Take
extra time to take tacky tourist pictures....I didn't and am sorry about that.
Also, while I was there, the hot water was shut off from midnight to 6 am,
sometimes later.....so be prepared.
Some places that I really enjoyed.....the Opera House; the Music and Comedy
Theater (saw a great operetta there); the Circus (beautiful building and
another great story for another time); the outdoor markets, especially the
flower market downtown; the Catacombs (does anyone besides Peter know these exist?!).
I really liked Elena and her family and had Tania make arrangements for her to
study English with a tutor. I think that we can have a better understanding
of each other when she can talk to me, even in a simple way, alone. I hope to
achieve this on my next trip, hopefully in April.
The one thing I will never forget is how that sophisticated, elegant lady
stood outside my train window on the platform in the cold and mist, pressing
her hand to the window and telling me with her eyes what her lips could not say.........
And I was off again.....this time with a bit of I call Stalin's revenge (thank
modern science for Lo-Motil) for the trip back to Lviv and home......I think
I'll add one more part to this story in a future post out of respect to Halia,
the lady who would meet my VERY early morning train in Lviv. I hope these
stories do not ramble too much and, if you have suggestions for what I should
or should not include in future posts, I would be appreciative. And, "thank
you" to the members who answered my questions about Elena's citizenship. Until
next time.......
Pat
Russia House | Trip Reports | Part 3