Always take a camera

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Hi all.

Looks like I´m gonna be putting my entries in late afternoon, so tadays will include last night and so on. A little complicated but I'm sure you get the picture.

With that in mind, last night was awsome. I returned to my room to find I now had a decent room mate; an old Finish guy called Emile who had come to Helsinki from northern Finland to play in a Chess Tournament. When I came in he was practicing a with his woden board, so after introducing my self I challenged him to a couple of games. Needles to say I was slaughtered. Both times he had me beat in less than 20 mins despite letting me retake every other move saying 'I think manybe this is not so good´. Leaving Emile I decided to head to the Casino to blow a little bit of cash, but on the way I noticed a large tower of black Smoke rising from the Train station. As i approached it bacame clear that one of the massive warehouses by the station was on fire, so I stopped to watch along with maybe 2 or 3 thousand locals. I finally made it to the Casino for 9 and was soon 50 euros up on the blackjack table. Happy with having beaten the house, I was on my way out when I saw the roulette table. I had to do it. 50 euros on Red.... Black, you lose. I left with my head in my hands and as I walked down the back streets a lone trumpet player was playing the blues. I fitted so well I changed streets to pay him and listen as i walked. However this change of direction brought me to a club i had seen a flyer for earlier in the day. The Ice Bar. An entire bar made of ice in an industrial cooler set to -10. I went in for the free drink that came with the ticket and chatted to the waitress and a couple from america for a while. Just when I tought it was overon the way backto the hostle the market square was full of over 100 classic american cars at some kind of midnight road show. All of this with no Camera.... Lesson learned.

Dont worry its all alot simpler from here. Spent most of the day at the Helsinki Zoo, getting a load of good pics. Highlight had to be the Black Bear which came right in front of a huge glass pannel scaring some young kids half to death. Also saw a load of other stuff but a picture paints a thousand words. In theafternoon I read my travel guides in the park and got badly sunburnt. Nice one. Only I could come to Finland and get sunburn. Never got round to the city tour as I have seen most of the good stuff already and decided it was a bit of a rip.

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