8 Months In Ukraine: Yevpatoria in October, part 2

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Yevpatoria in October, part 2

As you can see, Yevpatoria is a mix of the grandiose and the mundane.

Gates that proclaim the entrance to the "old city"

Signs throughout the city proclaim "Yevpatoria- 2500 years!!" The architecture is an eclectic mix of religions and cultures.

exterior shot of a local museum

Lions everywhere- why?

One thing that is missing from this part of the city is the heavy architectural stamp of the USSR. Coming from Kharkov, I'm used to seeing it everywhere but it's noticeably absent from many of the tourist/wellness areas of Yevpatoria. Things are lighter, fancier, older.

drama theater

Yevpatoria's countless iterations (as a Greek/Tatar/Turkish/Russian Empire/Soviet/Ukrainian city) is represented here-

The sculpture museum was closed so we didn't see them up close. Lenin is on the far right.

On Lenin Avenue is a wall with info on previous rulers and city names.

I guess in a city with so many conquerors, it would make sense for religion to be so heavily represented.

There's a spot on the beach where you can position yourself almost directly between the mosque and an orthodox church.

Ad for the cafe "Mustafa" near the mosque

We even chanced upon this unusual building in the middle of a residential neighborhood.

There are two varieties of beaches in the city. The swimming/restorative kind (as seen in the previous entry) and the cement/fishing kind found near the port.

Even though the temperatures had dropped a bit by Sunday afternoon, it didn't stop people from coming out for a stroll last weekend-

Some older men were set up with fishing poles and stools, waiting to catch dinner. Fishing boats and sailboats prowled the deeper waters.

If there's tourism in the summer, then there's probably drinking in the winter. The concrete steps of the beach were littered with empty vodka bottles.

Vodka mini + bacon snack

Nearby graffiti read "Shame upon the alcohol sellers! Shame upon the drinkers!" and "Drinking doesn't kill you, it kills your kids."

The city had changed some since our last visit. These fancy signs had appeared next to places of interest-

as well as lots of these signs which translate to "from the American people" and according to the US AID website, reflect US investments meant to bolster tourism in the city.

I guess the US still has some money left. That's good news : )

It's kind of funny that I've shared all this stuff about downtown Yevpatoria with you, because the real reason we go there is an amazingly unreal spa hotel that lowers its rates at the end of the high season. If you're ever tired, stressed, worn-out, or melancholy, this place will heal you.

The spa hotel is usually deserted from October to late spring. There's a pool, jacuzzi, 5 saunas (Russian, Roman, Finnish, Turkish, and infrared), a salt cave, various showers (tropical, bucket, 360), and lots of lounge chairs. A long list of spa treatments are offered here and at the moment each guest receives a complimentary one. D got a quick massage. I received an oxygen capsule treatment. It felt like riding on top of a train for 30 minutes more than anything else :p

A room costs $80 USD/night during what they label "the Enjoyable Spa Season" and that includes a made-to-order breakfast for everyone in your party and admission to the spa complex. Each room has a tea kettle and mini-fridge, meaning we spent a lot of time just hanging out and snacking. D watched science shows on TV and I studied.

there's a grocery store about 10 minutes away

Check out what else the room came with:

You don't say!

So please promise me that when you're in need of a seriously relaxing off-season vacation, you'll remember Yevpatoria and the TES spa hotel! It's a wonderful place to explore and unwind in. Maybe I'll see you there? : )