So when I thought about trips I might take while I was in Europe, I didn't even know what the capital of Estonia was. In Potsdam, I made friends with Irinca, a medical student from Estonia. So once, it was time for her to go back to her studies, she convinced me to take the trip. She lives in Tartu (the second biggest city in Estonia), but because the only airport in Estonia is in Tallinn, we met up there. That's how I decided to fly out to this little country next to Russia and across the Baltic from Finland.
Boarding the plane to Tallinn. We got to board from the tarmac. TARMAC! I felt like the president. Except better.
My trip to Tallinn was not at all what I expected. And mainly because I decided to do the Chill-Out walking tour. I met a rather drunken American, a group of Australian guys, a woman just finished teaching English in Japan and made her way across Asia and Russia, and a woman from Canada that had just divorced her husband, quit her job, and is now traveling around the world for a year. Also, my tour leader was a total hippie. The Chill-Out walking tour is run by young people who have an information tent set up, and it's connected some how with some Tallinn hostels. I don't do walking tours often... or really ever, but this one sounded cool and I wanted to learn about the city. It was so random. Our leader started out by playing a song on the guitar that she'd written while in the woods somewhere. Then we learned some about the history and some about her family. Since it was cold out, we stopped for about an hour for coffee and tea. We all thought the tour was over, but she was like, 'you guys wanna learn more?' Sure, why not? It was totally worth it, just to go to the look out point.
After another hour of walking and education, our leader ended the tour with a bongo solo. I've decided all tours should end this way.
Afterwards, I went with the other women on the tour to an Estonian restaurant/rock club. I had a very exciting meal of lentils and local mushrooms. Then we met back up with the male half of the tour group. First we went to the 'Tent party', celebrating the last day of the Chill Out walking tour information tent. I got to meet other Estonians, and we played the most random, awesome game ever. I can't really describe it, and I don't think everyone appreciated it, but we are totally playing when I get back. Then we went to a karaoke bar. My first karaoke experience in my whole life, and it was in Tallinn. Because I'd gotten up at 4:30 that morning, it was then time for bed.
Day 2 Irinca came up from Tartu to hang out in Tallinn. With her I got to see Tallinn outside of the Old Town. We went to a giant park, and I got to see the president's house. The government is trying to provide the whole country with free wireless internet access. One of the advantages of living in a small country, I suppose. We also saw an exhibit at the Estonian modern art museum and the beach. Oooo... I almost forgot, we also ate at a Cafe dedicated to chocolate. The cake almost beat me, but I showed it who was boss. Since Irinca is a med student and all she had to go back to Tartu in the evening. I thought that was it for me for the day, but then I started talking to a British guy at my hostel. So I was convinced to partake in one last cheap, and tasty Estonian beer. I decided that when you travel to Estonia you meet people that are really hard core travelers. This guy had just last year traveled to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. Everyone else I met had already been traveling since July, and were going to try and continue for the rest of the year. I think that means mostly hard core travelers go to Tallinn.
On my last day, I had a bit of time before heading back to the airport. I went to the Russian market. This was the only time I did think Tallinn was a little scary. Not that it really was dangerous, I just didn't take any pictures because it didn't really feel like a tourist kind of place. A bit later a ran into the drunken American and the Australian guys while looking at Communist and Nazi paraphernalia. They just HAD to show me the ceiling in their hostel, and it actually was a cool ceiling. It seemed to be made out of a jelly substance.
Then it was time to get the plane back to Germany.
I love you Estonia! I would totally go back...someday.
Near Munich is the Dachau concentration camp. I can't really describe what it's like to visit a concentration camp. Although I'm sure you can imagine it's not a happy day.
I'll tell the rest of my story through the animals I met. Here's the cat I met in the Black Forrest.
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