Published: October 27th 2010Europe » Estonia » TallinnSeptember 3rd 2010
From the Riga main bus station next to the central market I took the next departing bus to Talinn, Eurolines bus cost me roughly 8 dibdobs, about $14. It was gloomy when we left Riga and got worse, it rained through the trip, we stopped at some picturesque town somewhere for 5 minutes, I did not catch the name, actually I did not know when we crossed into Estonia as there were no checkpoints. It was past 2pm when we arrived in Talinn, took about 4 1/2 hours. I left the bus terminal and followed other tourists across the street and somehow found the tram line only I got on the wrong train, it was going the opposite way, a kind woman who spoke only Russian told me to get off the train and go the other way, I understood that hah! sign language mostly.
I knocked on the driver's door and she pointed me to the sign below it says the amount I need to pay her. The tram is not very wide and so when it was crowded it was hard to stand on the middle aisle, but 7 or so stops later my stop came ,Baltijaam, the
train station, I followed instructions from the hostel I wanted to stay and I made it to the old town and found the hostel, only they are full! The woman running the hostel (Flying Kiwi Backpackers)was kind enough to come out with a map and showed me where there are hostels nearby, she recommended Alur hostel on Lai street, dorm beds here are 130 dibdobs or $13 so I took it, the Baltics is not cheap. I was assigned to the 12 bed dorm, not bad as it is very big room and we have toilet inside and another one just outside the door.
As I walk in the room an aggressive American woman asked me if I want to do a pub crawl tonight they need 5 people and there is only 2 of them so far, I told her I shall think about it, I just got there and haven"t found my bed yet even, geez... I chose a bed in the corner and I heard a hello from the other side, a young Mexican dude from Monterey, Arturo is quiet but friendly, we got along quickly and got to practice some Spanish with him. As it
is very cold and dreary outside I hang out in the room and chill with Arturo. later I went to Rimi to grab some takeout dinner. the old town where I am now looks interesting but i cannot be bothered to walk around when it's cold, then later in the eve it rained! it rained the whole night and I woke up to a drizzly morning.
It was 10am when I forced myself out of bed to do some food shopping at Rimi, bought my food to cook for lunch and dinner. made lunch in the nice and big kitchen in the hostel, no one is cooking so I have it to myself. Then I braved the elements and walked around town for 1 hour, when it drizzled again I came back to the hostel and just bummed around, newcomers came in the room, a couple of guys of Indian heritage, sounds like they are American but they don't mingle, and a weird young couple, I think they are Germans who keeps talking in baby language type tone, annoying! They were in bed for most of the night, I walked in on them at one point, I think they
were doing the wild thing! no shame this weirdos!
I stayed indoors most of the day and after cooking my meal turned in early for the night, the only good thing I did today was do my laundry in the toilet sink. Went for a walk into the old town the morning was sunny so took advantage of it when it got gloomy and cold I went back to the hostel, nothing eventful quite bored of this weather already and can't wait to go back to Riga.
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