Now Boris,
Talking about Odessa does anyone remember all the fuss about going ashore? you had to take your passport / Seamans book ashore and hand it to a Russian Guard dressed up to the nines 7ft tall 3ft wide who looked down at you the looked at the picture in the passport then the same thing about three times, when he was happy that it WAS you although he was never told how to smile he would hand you a paper book or rules that you must not break i.e. no selling of anything including American $, jeans, 'T' Shirts or anything western. Your I.D. passport etc they kept until your return If you did and they were watching and following you they would lock you up and throw away the key. The other strange thing was apart for nothing to do was at night any busses and the one or two cars you see on the massive roads all drove with no lights on but maybe flashed them at junctions rather strange you might say. I could go on but I think you get the picture but that was in the 70s and I am sure that has all changed not that I am planning to rush back though. John.
