the Parnu money crash disaster!


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August 26th 2009
Published: August 26th 2009
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Parnu - Estonia - 26 August

it is 11.45am as I start this, sitting at an outside table at the Cafe Piccadilly - which is supposedly a wine bar, but which also does minor food and coffee. So I just had some ham and mushroom quiche - for breakfast really, as my hotel, Hommiku Hostel, did not supply breakfast - mid you for 600EKr for a single room one cannot have everything. It was easy enough to go and get pastries and coffee for breakfast after all - this morning was a little savoury but I suppose it is almost lunchtime. The reason for such languid time frame is because I was hoping (with no specific info) that there might be a bus around 11.30 - not only is there not one, the 12 noon to Tartu does noo seem to be running today either - so an enforced wait til the 1pm 'Express' - which is really only slightly faster - maybe 2h15m as against 2h45m - which might make up for my later arrival - hopefully there will still be cheap rooms around. However if Parnu is any guide, and accdg to the lovely receptonist Vera at Hommiku the season is almost dead - must be the crise economique or what someone here - the guide in Laheemaa - was simply calling the “disaster” I think.

Now as to the other thing - lets call it the “Parnu Disaster” I arrived here (Parnu) on bus/ferry from Kuressaare at about noon 24th - found the Hotel Hommiku - settled myself and went around the corner to Georg's cafe for some breakfast - left hotel too early to get it. In usual practice I keep some small money in my pocket and readily accessible - then the wallet with bigger cash and cards in an outside velcro pocket of my camera bag - which goes everywhere. Anyways about 4pm back at the hotel and discovered that I did not have my wallet anymore! Naturally hunted high and low, turned my other bag inside out knowing it was not there. It seemed the only possibility was it falling out” at Georg's somehow when I had something to eat there - although I do not even remember opening that velcro pocket as no need as had small cash to pay for food in my pocket. I dont think it was really pickpocketable due to the velcro pocket. I had in actual cash only about 50AUD equiv. in Kroons - 190AUD and a 50 Euro note - but obviously the 2 credit cards were the big ticket items. Thanks to Vera at the hotel I rang ANZ cards in Mebourne to cancel - “lost and stolen” cards - your call is important to us - yeah right, an 11 min. wait (mind you 12.30am in Mebourne). I was able to suspend the ANZ debit card on line - was largely relying on the debit card as it was charged with about 2700Euros so can (could) get cash in local currency out of ATM and use as credit card against funds - for those fine dinners you have been reading about. Vera advised going to the rather grand Hotel Parnu as it is open 24hrs and using a phone there to call collect. This I did around 12.45am - and the desk guy - who I had asked about this earlier and said he was on later - thanks a bunch Ahto, you're a champ - could not follow the reverse charges concept, altho his English was good - some countries have specila numbers for the operator -and just suggested I call directly and keep it down to 3 mins - I said it was definitely not a social call! So called sister-in-law Lynne at 8am EST and asked her to tfr me $1600 via Western Union - had done some web research and this seemed to be the case in Estonia - unlike Iran as my brother John found out recently! Anyway went to bed about 2am somewhat less than relaxed. However when I woke up there was an email from Lynne with the WU ref. no - all I had to do was collect it. All 3 banks nearest said no - banks unlikely anyway - so down to main Parnu Eesti Post - post office - and simply had to wait 20mins (it came with a fax sheet from another city here Viljandi - but at least it arrived and I was solvent again - although somewhat more cautious about the money thing and where it is located. I do not really do the concealed money belt thing relying on my wits and sensible behavious - if you are really going to get robbed-robbed, with guns and knives etc - hiding it aint gonna help. I will probably need another $2000 or so to complete this trip in the style it started - and I naturally do not want this "grand tour" to stop because of this hickup. Also decided that I did not want the whole amount at once as that large cash situation does create a security problem.

Fortunately I still have my passport! and all my camera gear and my laptop so can send this msg from either my room wired to the Net or from a public wee fee (as they pronounce it here) - maybe I will go to the park down the road to send this where there is a signposted free hot spot - aint this a civilsed country of 1.3 million people - E-stonia indeed. Dinner that night - as without money you cannnot eat and a few other things - was rather simple as I only had 90Kr left - and spent 40Kr on quite nice local version of a kebab (thats 100g of meat for 40Kr - 60Kr if you want 200g! - in a sort of cone shaped wrap of bread with lot of garlicky mayonnaise and pickled sort of capsicum stuff on top. in a way, one of the best kebabs I have ever had - certainly in the most unusual circumstances. But the WU parachute arrived the equiv. of about $6AUD was not a lot - although coffee is normally about 15kr here and pastries around 7 or 8Kr so breakfast while awaiting Eest Post was possible. Did you know Estonians drink the most amount of coffeee in the world?? - about 10 cups a day. It does tend to pot coffee and a more mellow blend though.

better sign off and get that bus! - more from the next wee fee spot - I am freeloading from some unlocked cafe network here somehow

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26th August 2009

Keep going bro!
Hi Mike, As always a detailed account. Food sounds good, the kebab's! They are up on the wee fee! Your little machine sounds great. Keep well, Love The Huddo's.
26th August 2009

ooops
Did you check back at the cafe? report to police? lucky it was not that much cash...and you managed to cancel both cards.

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