Ukraine: Odessa, the city of dissapearing hostels | The Family Without Borders

The Family Without Borders

The Travelling family

Ukraine

Likes

Odessa, the city of dissapearing hostels

Babushka offering a room near Odessa railwaystation (Ukraine)

After being cheated by “babushka” we decided to go through our list of hostels which we found online. For a while we thought none of them is existing!

Camping at the water (first liman, then sea) is lovely but after some days one really need a real shower with not salty water! And because we stayed few days in Odessa (waiting for visa to Russia + waiting for Polish presidential elections) we decided to stay in the city.

First move: train station with babushkas offering flats and rooms for rent. Believing that we are not stupid, communicative enough and that people are good – we went into this pack of babushkas and eventually took one to our car. Like a poor fish caught of the hook we stuck to promised vision of lovely flat with washing machine and internet – from tomorrow on – and just for one night going to other flat. Ja ja ja… We drove through all the city, arriving to even nice house with a garden and then realized that there is no other flat – from tomorrow on. And maybe we would really stayed in this one for longer – but… Babushka simply cheated on us and we simply didn’t like the feeling.

So… Let’s find a hostel. From our old travel guide and internet we had a list of 5 places (called youth hostel). Luckily having a map of Odessa, we started checking one by one. None was existing!! I started to believe that train station babushkas “mafia” has really strong influence in the city and do not necessarily like the idea of youth, cheap hostels. Only on the next day we found a good place to stay. Also – so called – hostel. Flat with a nice girl living there and taking care about guests.

Back to hostel feelings, meeting funny people from everywhere, talking talking talking. Good from time to time!

Odessa is nice. Diverse and lively. And people are much more relaxed and smiling. Our backpack to carry Hanna could make a carrier here – so many people stopped us to ask where to get it from!

But Odessa is also easy to fast discover. Guy with a monkey on Potemkin Stairs, man with a crocodile on passage Prymorsky, another one with a snake on the way to Arkadia Beach, very funny chairlift to Otrada Beach, City Hall in the sun, crowded with very different people City Garden, Tyoshchyn Most (mother-in-law bridge) and babushkas at the train station.

Colors and sounds.

As a good Polish citizen I applied in Polish Consulate in Odessa to be able to vote during presidential elections. And i did vote!


Our first book is out!

We have published our first book (for now just in Polish:) about our Central America Trip.
See, read and order here »

4 Comments

  • Posted June 26, 2010 at 12:31 | Permalink

    Hello !

    I am Jean, one of the funny guy of the hostel ! happy you get your visa ! go russia go !

    Reply
  • mama
    Posted June 29, 2010 at 19:35 | Permalink

    A my razem z Brożkami serdecznie pozdrawiamy z Ciechocinka. Poproszę o zdjęcia Haneczki z ząbkami i z włoskami. Buziaki!!!

    Reply
  • Posted January 12, 2016 at 14:04 | Permalink

    hostels in hyderabad

    Reply
  • Posted September 8, 2016 at 08:18 | Permalink

    I am sure that Odessa is different now, after 6 years. Apparently, since Crimea is no more, all Ukrainians rushed to Odessa for summer holidays. Heard of many nice beach bars and cafes. I am going there soon to check for myself.

    Reply

Post a Reply to Jeannot Laps Cancel reply

Your email is kept private. Required fields are marked *