Ukraine: Koblevo

Koblevo is a resort town on the Black Sea coast. It’s also an opportunity to travel back in time to the Soviet Union days and the beachgoing of the USSR days – everything is mediocre and average and bleak and drab and cheap. Waterfront hotels are semi dilapidated but still packed with people, restaurants are packed with drunks dancing to the 80-90’s Soviet pop music and an occasional Modern Talking tune. The water is greenish with a hue and smell of staleness, the beach is gray, and the sea is very shallow and wave-free. But it’s a beach nonetheless and people from all over Ukraine flock here to relax on a budget. You can relax on a beach chair (pay extra) and then touts will come and sell you fresh corn nobs and Black Sea shrimp (the size of a hand nail, that are impossible to eat or digest).