Here we go!

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So, the adventure really begins!

I was up at 5.30 this morning to catch the plane from plymouth to Gatwick and then onto Tallinn here in Estonia. I made the trip fine, however, my baggage obviously wasn' t so fortunate and hasn't made it as far as Tallinn...

After filing my lost baggage report at the airport, I attempted to find my way to the hostel. I took a bus that looked important and hoped for the best. The bus took me through some pretty ropy looking neighbourhoods and past numerous sex shops and what I assume are brothels down to the harbour. Tallinn is used by Finns who come over from Helsinki (100ks over the water) to buy cheap booze. And boy do they buy - I saw one guy with a fold-out trolley filled with what I thought was 10 crates of Gin. Turns out I was right, but that Gin is a make of beer. I wander what you'd get if you order Gin & Tonic in a Finnish bar?

I managed to find my way to the hostel in the old town just using my homing senses and some very dodgy instructions. This has to be one of the best hostels in the world... My room has a cinema projector screen in it and shows films - Napoleon Dynamite right now (I have taken the chance to get to the computer), meaning I can just lie in bed and watch. Of course, I'm not here to watch films, but it's pretty nifty anyhow!

I found a terrace in town after phoning home to let everyone know I'm alive and met a table of Finns who I had a chat with about their booze cruising (they come 5 or 6 times a year) and astonished some dutch people by chatting in dutch! Then off to find some food. One of the guys from the hostel reccomended a place in the train station as a good place to get some local style scran.... Turned out that this was a Russian run kebab shop that seemed to be popular with some interesting looking fellows and some properly old Estonian women who, I think, had been sat there all day. So, out with the Russian for the first time and.... It worked! I managed to get myself a plate of I don't have a clue what! I was given a ticket at the till and told to goto the kitchen to be given it. The "kitchen" had a floor like an ice rink of grease and a a very large lady trying to squash the girl who was cleaning (I think) behind the meat freezer.... The girl escaped and hid behind me to stop the woman throwing things at her... Aaahhh - work place banter! Anyway I ate up my reheated egg, steak that was no way made of steak, warm salad and cold chips all covered in warm mayo and headed back for the hostel - If I can survive that food without getting ill, I can survive anything Russia real will throw at me!

I might goto Tartu tomorrow. We'll see what the luggage situation is 2moz.

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Comments

[daisy]

lost luggage aaaah!
o bobsie, i lost my luggage wen i went 2 edinburgh 2nd time round. i tort that was bad. but i take it back, now that ur stuck estonia with zero pants and toothpaste. i hope it appears soon my love! missin ya loads and it wil b so weird goin bac without u there! tho this thing is ace, so i can find out wot ur up to! had the best summer ever, off 2 corfu on monday too to round it al off:) and im single again so i dont hav 2 behave myself hehe love ya loads speak soon x x x x

[daisy]

p.s......
....bring me bac some of that beer/gin. its sounds interestin lol

[Kati]

Brothels
Brothels in the harbour? What a load of crap!

[Bobsie]

Well Kati, who ever you are, the brothels I saw were not in the harbour as you believe I suggested (which I didn`t), but in the run down areas on the edge of town. I only believed them to be brothels due to signs in the windows offering "24 hours sexy massage" and the like. It would indeed be a "load of crap" to suggest that they were by the harbour. The waterfront area was quite pleasant when I went for a look, with people fishing and a nice view from the fortress thing. Hope that clears up any misunderstanding.