Every evening, after Arun gets off work, we walk to the Arcadia Plaza to work out. It's a gorgeous complex that comprises a luxury hotel, swimming pools, tennis courts... and of course a fitness center. You should check it out- it's pretty nice-
We 'shopped' around for gyms for awhile. Turns out that Ukraine offers free health club access to its citizens, but generally they are not maintained well, and most locals don't use them. They're really vestigial institutions from the Soviet era. There are definitely no LA-Fitness or 24-Hour Fitness facilities here. Instead, either you go to the free health clubs- or you choose an exclusive fitness center. Ours was the cheapest we could find at about $140 a month. Which, when you consider Ukrainian incomes, is ridiculous! Most of the time, we're the only ones working out.
Arun just HAD to join, even though we get plenty of exercise walking around everywhere. What can I say? He is definitely a man of routine! We are able to do weights, though, so it's worth it. We usually watch Russian MTV while we're doing cardio and crack ourselves up. So that's another glimpse into our lives in Odessa!
$140 a month! That is expensive! I am sure it's pretty much your own private gym. Glad you guys are keeping in shape!
ReplyDeleteSuggestions for another post- can you talk about religion? I would think the majority is Russian Orthodox, with a large minority of Muslims. Just curious. Hugs!