Baltics

(Lesley) When we first got to the Baltics I was a little worried that we had left too much time here. Really I was realizing that had we kept this part of the journey shorter, we could have returned home with enough time to still do our annual canoe trip and enjoy a little Winnipeg summer before heading back to work/school. Well, I am not regretting our time here now. We did a lot of city hopping since Ukraine and although Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have great cities, these countries are best enjoyed out in nature. Not having a car or a tent, makes doing that harder. However, Sam managed, through e-mail communications, to find a camping place that rents little cabins in our price range. We have just enjoyed a nice rural break. We stayed 5 nights in a little wooden tent. We got a couple of extra fiction books and settled in for some relaxation. There was swimming nearby in several little, but deep, lakes and there were some hiking options but the weather was so hot that we opted to get our exercise by swimming across the lake instead. The kitchen was equipped and there was a small grocery store 20 minutes down the road on foot and a big one 20 minutes away by bus. It was a lovely way to end our year on the road. Just a few days in Tallinn, then a flight back to the UK, a few more visits with family and friends and then it is back home for us.

While in Vilnius and Riga, Mhari and I managed to do some amber shopping. We saw some nice things and would have loved to have kept shopping for days but we got a few little treats, did a little Christmas shopping and left it at that. We have seen more amber here in Tallinn but the prices are higher than in Latvia and Lithuania.

We have ditched our worn out things prior to our flight to the UK. My shoes smelt pretty bad this last month and I'd been wanting to throw them out, but had kept them for hikes. My clothes have lasted well though. It really is amazing how little ones needs for a year. I'm sure that after I return I will collect a full compliment of outfits again,, but it is nice to know that it really isn't necessary.

John is quite tired of wearing the same small selection of clothes day in day out but refuses to buy anything as he knows he has more than he needs in Winnipeg. Sam doesn't mind his tiny wardrobe at all. Mhari somehow manages to get creative with her outfits but perhaps it is all her new hairdos that keep things interesting. Both kids want clothing allowances upon our return. They want to live with few clothes and bank the cash for future trips. We may just go for it. They have earned some independence and the money management aspect would compliment a lot of what they have learned this year. The trick will be figuring out what they have to buy independently and what we will help them purchase. Given that they are returning a few sizes bigger, having given away all their old clothes, they may need our help with some of the big ticket items like winter jackets, boots and shoes.

Other Baltic news or thoughts...

-I e-mailed from our bus to Tallinn; the buses here have wifi. Gotta love wifi on Estonian buses! (Wifi we pronounce Wee-fee, since our time in France)

-We travelled to Tallinn from the south east corner of the county, from Voru actually. It wasn't far from Rouge (pronounced Roogger) where we were camping. When we got to the beach in Voru it was clear to me that there was to be a triathlon there soon. The buoys were set up for the swim but nothing else was there. Then, around the corner I found things were all set up for a kids triathlon. So we figured out that it was the kids and the try-a-tri on Saturday and the adults on Sunday. I wanted to stay and watch the swim but we had a bus to catch so we left just before they began. Darn. If I was in better shape it would have been fun to participate but I am so out of shape I would have died on the bike and the run, quite literally!

-From we have learned and witnessed, Estonia seems to be a great country for cycle touring (so for that matter are Latvia and Lithuania). I am hoping one day we will be able to return and spend a month or so cycling around and camping. Or maybe we can come back and ski for a month. Like skiing in Norway without the high prices.

-While camping in Rouge, we noticed the incredibly long daylight hours. It was still very light at 9:45 pm and it would be light again long before 6:00 am. We are used to lots of sun in Winnipeg in summer, but this was something else. And of course Estonians' get less sunlight than us in the winter.

-Estonia shares a common problem with Manitoba - the mosquitoes. There are less of them here but they are about and we were happy to have our Deet repellant (which we have been carrying for 11 months now).

-Estonia also has beautiful wooden houses! We have seen them in each little town, village and city, and they look lovely.  They give the place a Scandinavian feel. Well, I imagine they do, but I haven't been to a Scandinavian country so I wouldn't really know. We could have taken a ferry to Helsinki from Tallinn, there are several crossings daily and it only cost 20 Euros, however, costs once in Helsinki are high, so we didn't bother, besides there is lots to see right here in Tallinn so we are happy with that.

In the Baltic countries, as well as Poland, we saw lots of scout troops marching about (some quite literally marching along, two abreast). Most troops had a uniform of sort: a red scout shirt, a green t-shirt and matching socks or a scarf and khaki pants. Some were all boys, others all girls and the older groups were often mixed. We saw troops camping and some were staying in our hostel in Vilnius. They were canoeing, and hiking. We noticed groups from Belgium, France, Lithuania, Germany and Poland. I spoke with some leaders in Lithuania and I was quite impressed with them and the sheer number of young people out and about, seeing the world and getting in touch with nature. There is definitely a stronger Scout culture in this part of the world. I wonder how their street gang culture is doing? We have certainly never felt threatened.

Baltics: Add them to your list of places to go one day.

Some photos: Mhari and John found a great spot for dancing during a hike; Mhari is not smoking but enjoying a salted fish snack; Our home for a week; wooden house; Estonian buses all have WiFi