Where is Phil?

A couple nights ago we went to the night club district near the beach - Arkadia.  I have been looking forward to this for years, since last time I came to the city it was winter time and this area was not really open.  We took a cab and made our way to one of the best clubs in the district - ITAKA.

ITAKA

This place was huge!  It reminded me of Rosarito, Miami and Burning Man all rolled into one.  There were fire dancers, gymnastic shows, and go-go dancers.

Gymnastics

More Gymnastics

Super Man and his dancers

We smoked hookah upstairs while drinking our wine, then we moved to the dance floor.  There were go-go dancers on a platform, and there was even a guy in a Cheburashka costume.  Cheburashka is a cartoon character from old Soviet literature.  The people went nuts!  I even got a photo with him.  It was an amazing night full of dancing, mostly to soviet hits from the 80s and 90s.  I can't believe I was dancing on the beach until the sun came up.  Only in Odessa!

Never seen such an amazing hookah!

Dancing with the hookah

Caviar

Topless woman in a martini glass!!

Cheburashka!

Dancing with my bestest girl in Odessa

Dancing 'til the sun comes out

View of the beach from the club

Walking out at 5AM, still crowded

Arkadia!

The next morning, we noticed one of our friends, Phil, had not returned.  He had been talking to one Ukrainian girl, so we figured he had gone home with her.  When 11PM that night rolled around, we started to worry.  We speculated maybe she was a hooker, or someone who was interested in harvesting his kidneys.  Of course we were mostly joking, but it was still a bit troublesome.  He finally returned the following day, alive with both kidneys.  He had made friends with this woman and had stayed in her home town for an extra night.  We were so happy to see him come home!  Now he is a legend, people from our hostel will be laughing for years to come and saying, "Where is Phil?"

Father Daughter Days

The last couple days have been terribly busy for us!  We have been roaming around the town exploring and site seeing.  We have been to the art museum, archeology museum, the beach, and seen all the sights.  Here are just a few of the photos we took.  This weekend has been all fun, but tomorrow we are heading to the Way Home to volunteer.  We are going to be taken to the clinic to get to work!  I am so excited to see what is in store for us!  

Beautiful building

On the way to the beach

Speedos

Can you see Papa on the beach, taking it all in?

Famous chair

On the town

Opera House

Welcome to my world, Papa!

My dad made it to Odessa!  Here are some photos of our excursions around town today.

So excited to meet my dad!

Welcome to Ukraine!

My biggest win today was finding a bus to take me to the airport and back to the city with my dad.  It cost less than $1 total!  Fantastic win.  I am so glad I didn't get ripped off this time!

Found a bus to take back to the hostel!

Delicious dinner at the Steakhouse on Deribasivska, the main road in Odessa.

Examining my wine

Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad

Prosciutto and Melon Salad

Showing us the meat selection

Filet mignon wrapped in bacon

Cappuccino - hot chocolate syrup, and an assortment of sugars!  OMG...

Like father like daughter

New Shkaf

Last night, I went out with my new hostel friends to the new Shkaf.  We had a fantastic time laughing about the difference between the UK, England and Britain; debating which state is better: California or Virginia; and drinking strange liquors.

Photos from New Shkaf

I had a Hiroshima shot, one that was offered at the old Shkaf.  Do you remember Japan Night at old Shkaf from My Trans-Siberian Journey?  It was hilarious to see a shot called Hiroshima... only in Ukraine.  Well, here it is!  It was absinthe, Baileys, vodka, and grenadine.  Random, right?

Hiroshima

They had a live band playing songs like Fever and other jazzy swing type songs.  Unfortunately, I didn't have anyone to dance with me.  I looked for a partner, but didn't see anyone who looked like they wanted to dance.

Live Band

Then, this shot happened.  The patron wore a helmet, then got repeatedly hit on the head with a shot that he was later prompted to drink.  I have only ever seen this before in Kiev, at the Doctor's Bar.  You might remember that bar from my old blog too.  Unfortunately, the videos got cut off at the end for some reason... which is too bad, because the video from the Doctor's Bar had fire and all kinds of craziness you would not even believe unless you saw it.  It was so upsetting to me that I had not had enough memory space on my camera that day.

Crazy shot

Fashion Show and Homemade Vereniki

I forgot to write about my last day at the summer camp!  I was in the kitchen cooking when a little boy ran in to show us his new souvenir, a dead bat.  I told him to put it down because it could have a disease or rabies - everyone, in Austin at least, knows to never touch a downed bad.  He assured me it was dead, but I told him it didn't matter.  At least get it out of the kitchen!  I brought him a bowl to put it in, then told him to go wash his hands with soap and water, which he did.  Oh, boys will be boys!

Dead bat... in the kitchen

Boys will also be... girls?  I was really confused at first when I saw one little boy dressed in drag.  Then I saw it was not just him!  I guess I had missed the part where the coordinator said we would be having a cross-dressing fashion show competition.  It was really fun to see the litte boys and girls dressed up in each other's clothing.

So cute!

Putting the moves our other camp coordinator

I love this photo

Frida Kahlo eye browns and Hitler mustache

Group photo - I think some of the dresses started falling off

Later the girls cooked vereniki, Ukrainian dumplings.  I was a little shocked they were using the dirty table outside and a beer bottle as a rolling pin, but it worked! 

So proud!

beer bottle rolling pin

Vereniki

Kitchen

My favorite camp kitty!

Final product - carbs, carbs and some Kompot

The ride home

In Odessa this morning, before embarking on my moving adventure, I finally got a chance to check out this restaurant I have been eyeing since the last time I was in town.  I ordered blini, which are like pancakes.  They were not filled with apricots and honey like I thought I ordered, but rather mushrooms and sour cream... looks like I should listen more carefully and not be so eager to agree with servers when they ask me questions.  Either way they were pretty delicious!

Blini and Expresso with milk