Estonia: Prettier than Latvia, but only by a little bit

There was a shimmering moment of hope just now that I might be able to use my Estonian couchsurfer's memory adapter stick to upload the photos I've taken so far, but the USB gods were against me. Alas, you will have to suffer through another of my wordy descriptions.

This update comes to you from Tallinn, the seaside capital of Estonia. I arrived here late last night at an apparently remote coach station, since my couchsurfer Marion had no idea where it was when I texted to ask where I should go. After about forty minutes of confusion and constant nervous glances at the shady characters prowling the empty parking lot, I bit the bullet and hailed a cab. As we wound our way through the darkened city streets, I smiled a little and appreciated the situation I found myself in. A few months ago when I went to Chicago for my French visa I had never independently used a form of public transportation besides the U of M buses, and I remember being afraid to summon a driver in the comfort of my own country, language, and currency. Now here I was, all alone in the back seat of an Estonian taxi, trying to divide 50 krones by 15-point-something euro to decide if I was being totally gouged for the base rate, and I knew something about me had changed. I am halfway across the world with no sense of direction and approximately three vocabulary words at my disposal, and I am proud to say that I have lost touch with the fear that that should engender. Maybe I'll eat my words when the Scandinavian part of the voyage begins and I find myself stranded in Norway somewhere, but right now I feel like I can handle anything this trip throws at me.

So anyway. I don't think I told you much about Riga, so we'll start there. I was met at the bus station by George, who led me back to his and Lina's apartment and gave me a map of Riga ("You should keep this with you," he advised in slightly Russian accent not unlike that of the animated bat in the movie Anastasia. "Otherwise you might go to Old Town and get lost... forever.") I didn't end up getting lost in Old Town, though, because most of the time I spent there was with them. George wandered around with me for the first night while we waited for Lina to be done with class at the University, and on the second day both of them showed me around and told me the amusing stories of the buildings and monuments. After the Old Town tour we walked around an adjoining area of Riga that boasts some really incredible Art Nouveau style buildings. I took a bunch of pictures, so until I get them up you'll just have to believe me when I say that they weren't quite like any building facade I've seen before, and by this point I think I can safely say that I've seen a lot.

At the end of the second day I packed up my stuff and went off in search of the bus to Tallin, Estonia, accompanied by George, who wanted to make sure I correctly navigated the three straight blocks from the apartment to the station. Like all of the other Eastern European men I've encountered so far on this trip, he insisted on carrying my bag. Little did he know that I've been accumulating trinkets from every sidewalk market in the Baltic States, so he may've regretted that show of chivalry. "Don't talk to anyone in the bus station," he warned as we passed a woman screaming unintelligibly in Latvian. "They are crazy and they want to steal your money."

He bade me farewell and I found the Estonia-bound bus without difficulty. It was a four-hour ride to Tallinn, most of which I spent watching the progressively funnier music videos that were playing on the ceiling-mounted TVs. It started with current music, detoured briefly to 80s selections including Can't Touch This, Jessie's Girl, and Sexual Healing, then seamlessly transitioned to Sexy Back. I shook my head grimly as I realized that even in Estonia I could not escape Justin Timberlake.

After the cab adventure I made it to Marion's apartment in Tallinn, where she welcomed me graciously and made me midnight tea and omelets. This morning she walked with me to Tallinn's Old Town, which is probably one of the oldest and best preserved historical sites in Europe. Much of the city's defensive walls, towers, churches, and other buildings have been meticulously preserved, giving the area a distinctly medieval feel. Marion had to work, so she left me to wander the streets. In Riga, George and Lina had told me that one of their favorite things to do in Tallinn was to climb to the top of the highest church tower in Old Town, which was the tallest building in the world in the 16th century and is still accessible only by its original spiral staircase. I bought my dollar-fifty ticket and bounded gaily up the first few stairs. About forty seconds later I was out of breath and clinging to the rope handrail for support. I did make it to the top though, banging my head on a low beam as I exited onto the narrow viewing platform, and spent a few minutes enjoying the panoramic views of Tallinn and the sea before descending the stairs anew. Once on ground again, I headed to a former cannon artillery tower humorously nicknamed Fat Margaret, and toured the maritime history museum now housed within it. Then Marion met up with me for lunch and we ate some traditional Estonian pancakes- she got one with fish inside, while I opted for a honey and banana concoction. Deeelicious. In the afternoon I did more wandering but then I was kind of tired so I made my way back to Marion's apartment, where I am sitting now. Tomorrow I leave bright and early for Helsinki, which is apparently a short jaunt away by ferry. Probably won't update again until Stockholm, though, since I'm not staying overnight in Finland and won't probably have computer access.

Goodbye, Baltics. Next stop, Scandinavia!