Ma polnud algselt vaimustuses taaskord Makedoonia (nüüdseks Põhja-Makedoonia) külastamisest. Arvasin, et olen piisavalt näinud ja peaksin selle võimaluse kellelegi teisele jätma, aga kokkuvõttes tegin õigesti, et siiski kohale läksin. Avastada oli veel palju ning taaskohtumisrõõm oli imeline. Alati on rõõm sattuda külalislahkete inimeste hoole alla. See oli üks naljakamaid lennureise mu elus. Seekord startisime Kristiga erinevatest linnadest, aga pidime Viinis kohtuma. Ma jõudsin Kristist varem kohale, jõudsin juba end gate'i juures sisse seada ja nägin legit Kristi läti lipu värvides lennukit enda ees maandumas. Ütleme nii, et tal oleks nibin-nabin lennule jõudmisega läinud, kuna Riiast tulnud lend hilines ja ta ei saanud teisele lennule pardakaarti ning Viini lennujaam on üsna hiiglaslik. Ühest terminalist teise liikumiseks tuleb tihti ka terminali bussi kasutada. Õnneks asus Austrial Air infopunkt õige värava juures ja Kristi sai oma pardakaardi kätte. Lisaks hilines meie enda Skopje lend umbes 20 minutit. Kui Kristi oli ka mind leidnud juhtus miskit äärmiselt veidrat. Läbi lennujaama kõlarite paluti mul oma värava infolauda pöörduda. Ulme hetk, väravas olnud naine kontrollis mu passi ja küsis, kas hääldas mu nime õigesti. Paari hetke pärast olin taas vaba ning kusjuures, mu nimi oli ideaalselt hääldatud. Kristi hakkas projekti materjale läbi vaatama ja paberi nurgas oli ka Erasmus+ logo kenasti esindatud. Meie kõrval olev noormees võttis sellest aga kinni ja hakkas juttu tegema. Ausalt öeldes ta on oma pealehakkamise poolest üks innukamaid, keda kohanud olen. Suure lombi tagant kodumaale naastes otsustas poiss ula peale minna. Kahju näha, et mehed jäävad meesteks 🙃 Skopje lennujaama tuli meile vastu mu kaaskondlane Kaunasest - Darko. Olime mõlemad Leedus vahetustudengiteks. Ma polnud varem Makedooniasse lennukiga jõudnud ja enda üllatuseks oli see linna keskusest üsnagi kaugel. Esmalt suundusime sööma. Toidulaud oli rikkalik ja täitis iga lihasõbra salasoovid. Siis algas aga kogu reisi vältel läbikäiv teema - liigne külalislahkus. Kui Eestis oleme harjunud sõpradega einestades arvet jagama, siis Makedoonias soovivad kõik sinu eest maksta. See on ühele iseseisvale eestlasele aga liiga suur väljakutse. Kuna Kristi ei olnud linnaga tuttav, siis suundusime edasi Skopje kesklinna jalutama. Juhuslikult kohtas Darko oma sõpra, kes oli just kohtunud teise sõbraga, kes oli läheduses ja ta ühines meiega. Üllataval kombel selgus, et tegemist on kohaliku noore näitlejaga, kes just naases Itaaliast filmifestivalilt. Milline üllatus! Teel tagasi autoni leidsime juhuslikult eesti aukonsulaadi, nii tore on eesti lippu võõrsil lehvimas näha. Kuna päevavalgust hakkas juba väheks jääma otsustasime minna Matka kanjonisse, veelgi enam, võtta paadisõidu kanjonis. Matka oli mu lemmik juba 3 aastat tagasi, aga sügise toonides kanjon oli midagi veel võimsamat + paadisõit ise. Tegemist ei olnud isegi üldse kalli teenusega (aga viimane kord Heleriga seal olles vahetasime väga fikseeritud summad oma Balkani tripiks ja ei soovinud tühja-tähja peale raha kulutada). Kanjoni õhk oli kargem kui linnas, aga selline sügis oli siiski tunduvalt soojem kui Eestis. Päeva lõpetuseks tegime veel jalutuskäigu pargis ning suundusime minu vanasse tuttavasse bussijaama (omal ajal sai seal silm looja lastud ja ööbussist ennast välja puhatud). Sõit Prilepi möödus juba pilkases pimeduses. Buss oli rahvast täis, aga aeg möödus üsna kiirelt. Õnneks asus meie hotell kohe bussijaama lähistel, seega jõudsime omadega kenasti kohale. Järgmine päev möödus väga töises meeleolus. Hommikust õhtuni olime seotud projektiküsimustega, see-eest oli meie eesmärgiks järgmisel päeval varem lõpetada, et kogu grupiga Ohridisse suunduda. Nagu Makedooniale kombeks, küllas ka hotell meid toiduga üle. Praed olid hiiglaslikud ja kogu aeg oli tunne, et enam ei pea vastu, seetõttu tellisime õhtusöögiks tihti taimset toitu, see oli kogu grupi valdav tendents. Liha on küll maitsev, aga sellised kogused tekitavad õudu. Õhel õhtul tegime ka linnatuuri Prilepis. Kuna soovisin linna ka päevavalguses näha, siis ärkasin varem, et taaskord linna peale minna. Väga autentne ja ehe elanike kultuuri poolest. Rõdudel rippusid kuivavad paprikad. Need nägid nii nunnud välja (L) Ohridisse suundusime kahe sõiduautoga. Sõit võttis oma paar tundi, aga kena oli, eriti mägedes. Olin Ohridi järvest häid lugusid kuulnud juba Bulgaaria ajal, kuna itaallased võtsid ette tripi sinna. Seetõttu soovisin kohta nüüd külastada. Aaah, aga Ohridi linn ise on juba imeline. Olen linna täiesti armunud, tegime üsna suure tiiru külastades linna, pühakodasid, matkasime veidike metsas ja nautisime imelisi vaateid. Lisaks on vanalinna bazaar shopahoolikute meelispaik. Mõned julgemad meie grupist käisid ka järves ujumas. Ma sulistasin jalgupidi vees, aga äärmiselt mõnus oli küll, kui oleks olnud rohkem aega, oleksin kindla peale ka supluse teinud. Lisaks on linas palju kasse, aga kiisud on ju nunnud :) Kuigi veetsime linnas pool päeva, nägime peamisi vaatamisväärsusi ja ma olen valmis iga kell linna tagasi minema. See koht on imeline! Kuna tahtsime Kristiga ise oma vabal päeval Ohridisse minna, aga kuna saime linnas kogu grupiga ära käidud, siis pidime oma plaane kohendama. Meie valikuks sai siis Kosovo, kuna kumbki meist ei ole seal käinud. Võtsime hommikul bussi Skopjesse. Meie buss oli pigem vana ja vältis kiirteid, seega kasutasime väiksemaid mägiteid ja nautisime ümbrust. Meie õnneks jõudsime otse järgmise Priština bussi peale, sedapuhku oli tegemist pigem marsaga. Kuna kosovolased käivad Makedoonias shopingul, oli kõigil palju kohvreid, mis ei tahtnud kuidagi aga ära mahtuda. Niisiis, bussijaamast välja sõites pagasiluuk avaned ja kohvrid pudenesid. Meie õnneks olid meie kotid viimasel pingireal ja maha ei kukkunud. Piirini sõitsime vaid paarkümmend minutit ning siis pidime passikontrolliks bussist väljuma. Kõik sujus kenasti ja asusime sõitma juba Kosovo teedel. Milline kontrast. Meie ees hakkasid kõrguma võimsad tammid ja teede konstruktsioonid. Viimati nägin midagi taolist Kreekast Bulgaariasse sõites. Saime umbes poole tunni jagu mägivaateid nautida kui alustasime sõitu tühjal väljal. Kuna meil oli reaalselt 24 tundi, et Prištinas veeta, siis hakkasime aega kohe mõistlikult ära kasutama. Hotellist suundusime kohe linna peale. Sisuliselt on kesklinn vaid üks peatänav and that's it. Muidugi võib leida linna pealt mitmeid moošeesid ja aeg-ajalt paar skulptuuri, aga väljakujunenud linnakeskust kui sellist ei ole nagu Albaania pealinnaski. Üleüldse tõmbaksin palju paralleele kahe riigi vahel ja eks Kosovo ju tegelikult olegi Albaania kultuuri edasikandja. Kahjuks eksisteeris linnas vaid üks suveniiripood, valik ei olnud just kõige parem, aga kogu hädavajaliku mandi sai tegelikult kätte. Igaljuhul hakkas hämarduma ja meie kõhud olid äärmiselt tühjad. Otsustasime minna meile soovitatud söögikohta. Tänav tundus üsna kõle, aga söögikoht lihtsalt oivaline. Seal oli nii mõnus olla. Muidugi söögiga läksime alt, tellisime supi ja liha lootuses, et liha kõrval on ikka veel miskit, salat ja kartul nagu Eestis kombeks. Pidime pettuma, meile serveeriti kastmes uppuv lihakäntsakas. Me sõime oma roast vaevu poole. Kuna kelner kohkus sellest (äkki meile lihtsalt ei maitsenud) siis ta serveeris meile tasuta rakia shotid, jook polnud üldse paha ja poisi jutt tegi meil ka tuju palju rõõmsamaks. Rõõmsas meeleolus sattusime kaubatänavale. Uhh, kõik need pisikesed poekesed odavate riietega - väga balkanilik. Õnneks kehtib Kosovos euro ja arvutamisega ei pea vaeva nägema. Kahjuks ei ole võimalik paljudes kohtades kaardiga maksta ja tuleb sularaha välja käia. Mind oleks peaaegu tabaanud sularaha kriis, mistõttu hoidsin oma tungi tagasi. Õhtul aga leidsin endalegi üllatuseks veel lisaraha, mis andis järgmiseks päevaks aluse shopinguga jätkata. Viimast päeva Kosovos alustasime muidugi shopinguga. Õnneks jätan iga kord reisile minnes teatava varu oma kotti, et uue kraamiga ikka tagasi tulla. Linna avastasime aga veelgi kui jõudsime rahvusraamatukoguni, mis on üks inetumaid ehitisi maailmas. Meh, ega ta kena ei olnud, aga midagi väga hullu ka mitte. Lisaks oli meil plaan minna linnavaadet nautima ja teel sinna suurt parki külastada. Teel sinna sattusime aga veidi kahtlasesse rajooni, but still, oleme endiselt elus ja meie elundid ei läinud ka õnneks rändama. Park oli aga üks paras pettumus, üsna igavavõitu. Lõunatasime seekord peatänava lähistel ning jällegi, OMG kui lahedad söögikohad seal kõik olid. Balkani lokaalid on IMELISED! Saime mõistliku hinna eest kena kõhutäie ja võisime hakata bussijaama poole suunduma. Jälle paar tundi bussisõitu ja olime tagasi Skopjes. Skopjes ootas meid juba Darko. Et Kristi saaks ikka kogu linnast ülevaate, jalitasime veidi jõe ääres , nautisime neid imekauneid sildasid ja suundusime bazaari poole. Meil oli vaja oma viimastest rahadest lahti saada, seega saime veel suveniire osta. Lisaks tutvustas Darko meile kohalikke maiustusi, täielikud suhkrupommid ma ütleksin. Liikusime mööda turu tagaosasid üles lossi juurde, kuigi oli pime ja kogu pilti linnast ei saanud, siis ka tuledes Skopje oli kena. Et seda feelingut jätkata viis Darko meid üles Vodna mäele. Kimasime autoga ikka paarkümmend minutit, et tippu välja jõuda. Omal ajal matkasime Heleriga vaid poole peale, aga nüüd jõudsime tippu välja. Ees ootasid meid lehmad ja üks tore kutsa. Käisime helendava risti juures ära ning nautisime öist rahu. Mäelt naastes suundsuime õhtusöögile Darko sõpradega, üks neist oli võõrsilt naasnud ja neil oli põhjust pidutseda. Muidugi pingutasime oma tellimustega üle ja pidime hiljem koju rulluma. Toit on äärmiselt maitsev, aga liha toidab ning tekitab meeletu täis kõhu tunde. Paar tundi pakkus Darko meile ulualust (me saime legit oma toa Kristiga) enne kui ta meid hommikul lennujaama sõidutas. Oh, selliseid sõpru on rohkem vaja (L)
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Mul oli juba pikkaaega unistus külastada Islandit. Kogu see maagia selle riigi ümber tundus nii ahvatlev. Omapärane maastik ning öised virmalised. Minu esmamulje Islandist oli aga tühjus. Kuna jõudsime öösel, siis oli väljas juba kottpimedus. Et aga riigis üldse liigelda on kindlasti vaja "rattad alla saada". Seetõttu oligi meie esimene sihtpunkt autorent lennujaamas. Muidugi ei saanud me automaatkäigukastiga autot isegi mitte käima. Nii juhtub kui sul on vaid manuaali kogemus. Lõpuks saime siiski liikuma, aga liiklust meie ümber sisuliselt ei eksisteerinud. Umbes 10 minuti pärast olime oma majutuses. Enda üllatuseks oli tegemist kodumajutusega. Meie host pere oli aga väga tore, kass sõbralik, tuba hubane ja hommikusöök rikkalik. Järgmine päev hakkas töiselt. Kuna sirvisin lennukis programmi veel läbi, siis märkasin, et meid ootab visiit presidendi residentsi. Tundus natukene liiga utoopiline, aga tegelikkuses osutus see kõik tõeks. Pärast paaritunnist koosolekut leidsime end juba pealinna poole vuramast. Meid võõrustas riigi esileedi. Meil õnnestus temaga paar sõna juttu puhuda ja fotosid teha. Tegemist on äärmiselt toreda naisega, kes on tegelikult pärit hoopiski Kanadast. Meie visiit jätkus kuulsa lastekirjaniku vanematekoju. Meid võõrustati hõrkude Islandi roogadega. Samal ajal filmisime intervjuu lasteraamatute illustraatori ja kirjanikuga. Õhtupooliku veetsime vulkaaniliselt seismisel alal ringi vaadates. Leidsime kontinentide laamade kokkupuute koha ja suitsevaid maa-avasid. Õhtusöögil meid jällegi toideti üle. 3-käiguline pidusöök ülimaitsvate kalaroogadega oli kahe õblukese eestlase jaoks aga liig mis liig. Kuna mu soov virmalisi näha oli väga suur, siis ärkasin öösel ülesse ja käisin terrassilt õue piilumas. Kahjuks ei õnnestunud mul reisi jooksul virmalisi siiski näha :( Sain hiljem teada, et virmaliste jaoks on tegelikult olemas ka rakendus, et teda saada tõenäosust, kus neid näha võiks. Järgmine päev algas jällegi konverentsiruumist. Vaatasime partnerite poolt tehtud videosid ja panime paika järgneva plaani. Päeva teises pooles asusime intervjueerima restorani omanikku ja muidugi saime restoranis ka einestada. Isegi salatiga piirdudes sai kõht äärmiselt täis. Toit on küll eestlase jaoks üsna kallis, aga maitse on oivaline. Ühtesid parima kvaliteediga roogasid olen maitsnud justnimelt Islandil. Pärast kohtumise lõppu asusime taaskord autoga ringi kimama. Seekord mööda rannikuala., et avastada veel rohkem seismilisi alasid. Maastik muutub pea iga kilomeetri järel ja selle kulgu on võrratu jälgida. Kuna maanteel ei ole väga palju sõitjaid, võib nautida tühjust ja aega iseendale. Kuna meil olid kaks vaba päeva, siis otsustasime need jagada looduse ja linna vahel. Otsustasime minna classic turisti rada pidi ja Kuldse Ringi läbida. Nägime geisrit, mis purskas nagu kellavärk. Seismilist pinnas, mis üllatas oma imeliste värvidega, aga hingematva väävli haisuga. Nägime võimsat koske ja saime läbimärjaks. Sel päeval oli kohutav vihmasadu. Iga kord autost väljudes vettisime läbi vaid paari hetkega. Hiljem kuivatasime end autos nagu vaesed rändurid ikka. Kahjuks ei suutnud me leida kuumavee jõge, aga see-eest pakkus kõik muu meile juba piisava elamuste hulga. Väga aptokalüptiline maastik vaatamisväärsuste vahel meenutas filmiset'i ja pani mind ikka ja aina imestama. Ma ei suudaks ilmselt Islandil elada, tühi väli ei sobi minu arvates elukeskkonnaks, aga reisida on seal tore. Õhtuks suundusime pealinna. ning siis kui me seda kõige vähem ootasime sattusime liiklusõnnetusse. Kaherealisel ringteel sõitis üks kohalik noormees meile külje pealt sisse, pigem oli see riivakas, aga parajad kriimud jäid maha siiski. Ripsakas tuli just minu poolsele küljele, aga ma ausalt öeldes väga ei teadvustanud seda, see oli piisavalt kerge kõks. Kristi oli peale seda roolis muidugi veidi ebakindlam, eriti kuna meie sihtpunkt oli täitsa linnas sees. Pärast dokumentide täitmist saime ka viimaks liikuma. Käisime veel supermarketist läbi ja asusime siis kiirelt Heleni pool teele. Helen oli selleks ajaks pea aasta Islandil elanud. Kui olime asjad kuivama pannud, asisime juba veekeskuse poole teele. Me küll ei leidnud kuumavee jõge, aga ujumiskeskuse soe vesi kosutas korralikult. Tegemist on Reykjaviki vanima veekeskusega. Kuna pool ujulast on välialal, siis saime kõrvetavalt soojas vees tunda jaheda vihma kosutust. Pimenedes muutus koht äärmiselt kauniks, aga kahjuks oli seal pildistamine keelatud. Seega saan vaid oma mälestustes kohta lihtsust ja võlu meenutada. Viimase päeva Islandil otsustasime linna keskust avastades veeta. Esmalt suundusime suurde Islandi keskusesse. Käisime virmaliste planetaariumis. Keskuse katuselt avanes vaade kogu linnale ja keskus ise oli ka veel toredaid atraktsioone. Jää tuba oli üsna ekstreemne. Nüüd tagantjärele öeldes oli see viimase kuue kuu kõige talvisem kogemus üldse :P Tegime lõpetuseks paar shopping tiiru kesklinnas. Islandi suveniirid on üsna toredad. Üsnagi originaalsed, seega väga tore oli kingitusi valida. Külastasime ka kohalikku kirikut, mis meenutas mulle olemusest üht Kaunase pühakoda. Naljakal kombel saab Islandi puhul öelda, et looduse nägemiseks peab minema linna. Minu kui eestlase jaoks on loodus puud ja rohelus. Seda leidab Islandil aga vaid asulatest või koduõuedest. Nende loodus on aga vaid tume kiviväli. Õhtuks suundusime taaskord lennujaama. Enne pardale minekut lugesin veel värskeid uudiseid, kuidas Kalev Cramo sai Kaunase Žalgiriselt kotti
Our last day in Kisumu was busy. We started a day with a bus that had TV-s inside. A total luxury! We headed to the edge of Kisumu where was located a center for young girls. It was still under construction but their will was good and they are organizing some charity events to raise awarness on women abuse. Then we went to a vocational school. They offered plenty occupations. Of course I was more interested on hairdressers. They practised on themselves, so free hair styling sounded attempting. After lunch we had our last gathering. Professors stayed there a bit longer to get input for their research. Though, who says that in Africa it never rains? It was raining every singe day we were there. At least after every rainy moment sun revealed itself again. We headed back to the hotel. But before that we went on a shopping. Well, this store we went to was rather big but I felt that it is not really fullfilling my needs. Most of the things were covered by dust and seemed that products have stayed there at least 2 years. In the afternoon we went to the lake side. As I mentioned speaking of fish, lake Victoria has a meaningful place here. We decided to get a really authentical experience and go there by tuk-tuk. Well, maybe the lake side was literally far away or the ride (squeesed on the back with 4 persons) exchausted me. But the driving time there seemed so long. Lake offered us amazing views - sunsets are always beautiful. Moreover, local souvenir master demonstrated us how he is creating art of recycled materials. We had a dinner on a really awesome place. But beside us they didn't have many more customers, though they had a huge capacity. After munch we went again to explore Kisumu's nighlife. This time it was a shisha club. Place was small and crowded but looked really awesome. Oh, and we headed back to the hotel by scooter/ motorbike. It was an amazing experience. I was rather afraid in the beginning but the ride was actually very smooth. And we both fit to the bike with Kristi 😁 To be honest, I do not even remember did we both have helmets or only one or nobody. But I remember the slight rain falling down and the adneraline spreading around my body. I would have liked to record it. At least I have some memory fragments left in my mind. Early in the morning we departed back to Nairobi to spend a day there. Since we got from Nairobi already that unforgettable airport experience we were ready for everything. Kisumu's airport is rather on European standards with one exception . Maybe the thing was with our airline but we got handwritten boarding passes. Like, for real? And our cute plane looked more like a bus. You can check interior photos below. We had to be really productive in Nairobi. We had only the daylight to explore the surrounding. Since in the dark it is not recommended to go out. After heading to the hotel we went directly to the center. We visited the city market. Souvenirs they are selling there have a real African vibe. Reagan recommended us to visit a KICC tower - Kenyatta International Convention Center. It was a good decision. View from there was amazing and reminded me a bit of Manhattan. Center itself wasn't too big, so we explored the majority of the area and had a really cheap lunch. All was meat-free but still, price for that was amazingly cheap, like a few euros. Supermarket that I visited in Nairobi fit all my needs 😊 When we wondered around in the morning I noticed one hair salon close to our hotel. In the evening I was hyped that we finished our tour quite early and that we are able to check out their prices and availability. They were ready to take us and the price was reasonably cheap. I was afraid that I need to pay the whole fortune, but nope. I am sure they asked from us already more money than from locals. But it was totally on my price range. I had this plan to get braids even before coming to Kenya, I was inspired by Tuuli Roosma, since she spent the whole time in Africa with them. Initially I didn't plan to have the whole head braid but my hairdresses had a different opinion. While we were waiting they asked us what colours we prefer and got extensions from some other place. I chose blonde and brunette, Kristi purple. We had to wait around 1 hour orsm before they started making braids for me. Well, it is not the most pleasant because it takes so much time. I sat there 2,5 hours I guess. And since they were already closing others stuff and customers came to help as well. I mean, every woman is so skilled in that. At some point I had 6 ladies around me. What a service! I looked so different but I felt joyful. It was already dark outside but at least we were close to the hotel and we infiltraded to the surrounding. Our safari started from Nairobi center. We were the first two passengers accomodated in the car. He told he gave us the best places. To be honest, it was correct because while driving there we didn't pump up and down like grazy because roads there are not the best (we were not sitting on wheels). On our way to natural reserve we made a stop to admire an amazing view but what a surprise it was so foggy that we couldn't see anything at all. But still we made photos with that foggy surrounding. Our next stop was in our lunch place. Buffet table offering essential variety, simple but efficacious. Then we turned off from a highway and started driving on a road that basically didn't exist. Nature was already changing and looked more like savannah. Even before entering the officcial reserve area some roads were blocked by masais and they collected money from drivers. And we saw some zebras walking by, like a casual thing. I mean it is for them, but I felt that I am behind a zoo wall and zebras are walking casually with humans. After arriving we had a quick meal and headed back to the safari car. We had our evening game drive and we pretty much saw all the main animals already. We were lucky to see cheetah really close. We weren't aware of that word by the way. But Australians in our car explained us the difference of leopard and cheetah. Now Cheetos chips brand also makes more sense. We spent a night in a luxurious tent. It had everything you needed: running water, electricity, mosquito net, beds etc. From outside it looked like an expedition tent 😃 We had to wake up extremely early. It was totally dark when we had our breakfast. Even when we departed from our place to pick up other it was rather dusky. We saw all our favourites once again: giraffles (my personal favourites), elephants, zebras, cheetahs buffalos. Only animals we desired to see, but it was impossible on our two day safari were hippos and rhinos. I bet they live in other side of park and we just couldn't have enough time driving there. After morning safari we headed to Masai village. Now by foot from our accommodation place. We had our personal masai security guide with us.
I guess our tour in village lasted about 1 hour. It started with a dancing act and then they showed us the village and houses. Houses are made of clay, there is not much light inside and due the smoke I had some difficulties with breathing. Moreover, they showed how to light up a fire without nowadays tools. Our tour ended in a marketplace where women were selling their handmade products. After masai village tour we headed right away to the car and started a ride back to Nairobi. Until lunch place with safari car and from there we were located to a private car with another tourist. Though, while driving around we met our Argentinian project friends twice on safari and once on lunch place. Before heading from restaurant I almost got masai sticks. Some other girls had left it and now they offered those to us. I am wondering how good logistics they have worked out in their travel agencies, they knew exactly how many people fit in which car on which tour/ direction etc. Everyone had different accommodation and arrival/ departure time, but everything was really smooth. So, last hours we felt pretty comfortable in the car and we were able to move faster because we could pass other cars and trucks as well. Though, annoying part of the highway are trucks because the gasoline they use makes toxic smell and usually some windows were open to ventilate car. But this how the life is there. We arrived on time back in airport, even had extra time to spend there. So, we did a few more shopping rounds, though airport prices were extremely high. To be honest, I have never dreamt to visit Africa. Those three times I have visited North-Africa was totally fine for me. Yeah, I had a secret wish to explore north side of the continent more, but never though about the idea of visiting the heart of Africa. It wasn’t because I didn’t have the will to visit it. It just seemed so complicated and I didn’t have a deep mission to accomplish there. Moreover, I though there won’t be anything to see. But one day I got an offer to represent Seiklejate Vennaskond on a study visit in Kenya. Since I got the offer I couldn’t refuse on. For me all the preparation started with medical issues. I was living in Lithuania and had to figure out where I can have my vaccines. If you don’t speak a language and living in an another country it might turn into a problem. Luckily I had my support in Lithuania. On a boiling hot April’s Friday we went on a journey in Kaunas. With our lovely dresses we walked through Kaunas with frappes to visit a medical clinic. Unfortunately they didn’t have all the vaccines I needed to. But from there we got recommendations and headed to Akropolis’ pharmacy. But before that Akvilė reloaded herself with a vege burger meal. I got three shots of vaccines at the same time. Since everyone were so careful about my health after injections, I felt like a child. All the buzz made me feel really weird on that day and evening. But my medical path wasn’t over yet. I had to visit Estonia on May to receive my Malaria pills. I though my doctor visit is going to be full of questions but in reality it was quite plane. When all the health care was clarified I had to think about the clothes. Someone told that blue clothes are not recommended because some type of bug likes it as well :P Now I can say that I saw many people wearing something blue and no-one complained about anything. When you start packing for Kenya you should take long but breathing clothes with you. Before sunset those bad mosquitos appear and you don’t want to get bitten by them. And during the day-time sun can burn your white skin. Third aspect was religion and different culture that made you dress tactful. I headed to Kenya with another blonde Estonian girl Kristi. Our trip started with a bus trip to Riga, from there we took a flight to Frankfurt and from there to Nairobi. Flights with Lufthansa were pleasant and not so long as I expected. In the airport we had huge passport lines. By the way, it is worth of mentioning the length of the lines for non-EU citizens in Frankfurt airport. Europeans just walked through their electronical check point gates and had no trouble with waiting. On those moments you feel ashamed that you even are European, why there is such a huge difference? But back to Kenya. Since we arrived in the evening to Nairobi it was already dark outside and anyway it gets dark quite early. The area around airport was crowded and our first challenge was to get a taxy. We heard that uber and taxify were also operating there but since there wasn’t a good Wi-Fi connection, we couldn’t use those services. First impression of Nairobi was wide asphalt roads and a slight rain. I though that Kenya is not so bad at all until we turned to a smaller road and I saw small houses built by materials that were accessable for people by the time. We noticed people walking around and candle lights on those small houses. Everyone warned us from the dark period there and on that moment it made a sense. After entering a private gate we entered to a private house area, but still it was totally dark around. Fortunately our taxy driver called to our host and we managed to reach our accommodation safely. She told us that the whole area doesn’t have an electricity but it also meant no hot water. Fortunately she made us hot water with gas and anyway we came there just to sleep so no need for many other things. And it was really romantic, candle light and mosquito net around the bed. Next morning we had a chance to try on taxify since the electricity was back and we had an access to Internet. On our way to the airport our taxy headed to the gas station, as I understood later it is pretty much the normality there, it happened plenty times during our stay in Kenya. Our driver drop us off near in front of the departure gate but this wasn’t enough as we got to know 🙃 They led us to our flight company house that was located around 1 km away. Fortunately there was a flight company bus driving around and they gave us a lift there. It was a small room where we managed to give away our luggage and even have a breakfast. Coffee and a croissant tasted like Europe and I was pleased since with a rainy morning a hot coffee was great. Airport bus brought us back to the departure gate. After security control there was just a common area with one exit where all the people waited for their flights. Most surprising was the fact that even our luggage was transported from there. Why you even need different gates, when one is more than enough 🤣 After arriving to Kisumu we struggeled to explain where our hotel is located because in Kenya street names are not so common. Now we saw more the environment. It was surprisingly green. We also saw local's life. It is common to have animals on the road. After arriving to our hotel we met with others who were having a breakfast. We got news that our hotel doesn't have electricity neither. So, again no hot water. Regardless of that fact, Kristi was brave enough to take a shower. Then we headed to our first meeting in the ministry. It was a time full of information that we received. We even did energizers there. There I figured out how the real Kenian soul looks like. People there are really polite, kind and helpful. After meeting we headed to the lunch place. We walked there and passed through a local market. It was really packed and you could find anything from there. I could swear that one local lady there called Kristi's name, even Kristi heard that 😲 Our lunch place was actually a hotel restaurant. We had a buffet with a variety of meals. After lunch we headed outside of the city. To reach needed places we always used a minivan. Because roads have many bumps and holes, it was a fun experience. During the evening van turned to a discobus with loud music and lights. Visiting school in the village was an amazing experience thanks to the nature around. View to the mountains, holy cows and tiny chicks walking around and a thunderstorm up yonder. Such a magical place with wonderful children. Since our "lunch hotel" had more or less reliable Internet area we headed back there to drink a coffee. After that we headed back to our own hotel. We had a dinner there, a local fish. Since lake Victoria is a huge landmark in Kenya and Kisumu is located by the shore it is a must to eat fish there. To be honest, I am not the biggest fish lover but it tasted delicious. After that we headed to the local club/bar. Even though it was Thursday night, it was pretty empty. The place was following all European standards 👌 With got to know with the local beer and followed some football matches from a big screen. Night ended on a dance floor.
Even though I believed that I never have a change to write the following blog post . . . life surprised me. It proofs that if you are a good person, amazing thing are going to happen with you. Training course "You and M&E" in Estonia actually was two parted. Seminar was about to be held in Wales in September. At the first place I shouldn't go there because Estonian participants places were already occupied but thanks to wonderful Billy I was able to participate as well. The hardest part of that was the fact it all was a secret. I usually don't have serious problems with keeping secrets because I'll forget them. But with this one I struggeled a bit. I met Karolina many times and had to lie her about how boring my life would be until she is in Wales. 04.09. My travelling day started really early. I had a change to practice my driving skills in an empty Tallinn 😆 From Tallinn I went to Oslo and from Oslo to Dublin. There I had about 5 hours to spend in the city center. I got off the airport bus in front of the Oscar Wilde house. I was totally shocked because recently I started to read once again "The Picture of Dorian Gray" to recall all the deeper emotions that this books hides. Anyway it was a great coincidence and from there I went directly to the National Gallery. I was amazed by their collection. Had so many WOW moments seeing great artists work's. Then I visited archaeology museum and ended up in Trinity College. I finally got a real university experience, the real university community is way more interesting than just uni with main building and no extra curricular attractions in it. Dublin's old town is amazing and interesting as well. In the airport I met Bulgarian and Czech team. It was great to have a chat with familiar people but at that point I was totally exhausted. Late at night we arrived to Cardiff. After a short ride to our Lavernock home Billy showed us our houses. And guess what? In our chalet was already a party going on. Well, didn't have too much time to think about that because we were in a hurry to pick up Karolina and Kristi from the bus station. They couldn't suspect anything until the moment when they literally saw me standing in the bus. Karolina took it quite calmly, but at some point Kristi started shouting 😄 05.09. We should have gone out discovering Wales in the morning, but because many people arrived pretty late we got more time to stay in Lavernock. Meeting with Heleri was funny. She saw me and Karolina through the window. But her brain just refused to identify me. She just thought that girl next to Karolina is someone really similar to me. But when I went directly to Heleri, she was perplexed. It was still hard to believe what I was doing there. Because Wales blessed us with a sunny day we went on a tracking path to breath fresh ocean air. Because tide favoured us we wanted to go down to the beach. But somehow we missed the right path and finally ended up in a village (edge of the Cardiff). On our way back we finally discovered a road to the beach. Other were already there. Beach was covered by rocks and it was really inconvenient to walk there. Ocean water was cold as expected. Because our way was full of blackberries, it was kind of impossible not to eat them. In the afternoon we went to the Big Pit coalmine. Somehow we were late, even though we had extra hours in the morning. Mine was now opened as a museum. Our guide was really charming guy who guided us in the dark and cold roads underground. After gathering information about Welsh history we tried to go to the Roman Town. But unfortunately on our way there we discovered that it is already closed for that day. So, we turned around and enjoyed traffic jams around Cardiff. At first it was planned to have a national cooking night, but because people were exhausted we decided to postpone this event. Instead of that we had juts great time in the pub. There were various ways how to have fun. 06.09. We spent the whole day at youth club. We started with slight meeting games. Of course we managed to reveal to public our funniest wishes with Karolina. So, if you have a rich single friend, take a contact with me. I'll arrange a meeting with Karo and her future rich husband 😆 After meeting games we had to present our work done with evaluation and monitoring. Even though we had a time limit per presentation. The session itself took very long time. Best part of session was Mihaela's task to capture the moment after every presentation with selfie stick. During the break time we enjoyed Welsh bakeries work eating sandwiches. Because near Lavernock accommodation place we didn't have a grocery store, we used a change to visit a shopping mall. Unfortunately it took a bit too long and we were late with a bunch of people to the session. At least it was a great shopping experience, though everything is expensive there! After full day in Cardiff we started cooking for our cultural night in lovely Lavernock. We decided to make minced meat sauce with boiled potatoes. It is ordinary and easy-to-prepare meal. It's nothing extraordinary and fancy. It is just a dish that tastes good and you can consider it as an Estonian food. Because people always ask what is the traditional Estonian food. I always struggle what I should answer because traditional food here is pretty nasty 🤪 As usual Estonians were the first ones who were ready. So, we started to eat our own food until other's arrived as well. My personal favourite food was offered by Bulgarians. My quilty pleasure banitsa and shopska salad were presented. Because there was so much food and you wanted to taste everything you ended up feeling totally full. 07.09.
Huuh, this was a day full of insane activities. Gorge Walk was the event I was afraid of the most. Water and jumping into profound indefiniteness is totally not my cup of tea. Moreover. it was an extremely cold day. Never have I ever been so cold than I was during the hike. Every ray of sunshine was a total blessing. Fortunately the instructors were funny and helpful. It wasn't really pleasant journey but it was totally worth it. Facing your fears is never a bad idea. Billy was especially brave capturing us during the hike. We had wetsuits on, but he just walked through the water crossing the river. But it was great that he did the whole way with us because now we have amazing video and photo material. I am totally in love with the place itself. I love waterfalls and green nature around it. If I had time beside focusing my surviving I just admired the nature around me and I felt inner peace that after few weeks I'll be visiting place with similar nature. I would totally hike there without getting wet 👍 After Gorge Walk I was certain that I will be sick because freezing more than an hour seemed to be harmful. My second worry was my hair colour. Just a day before coming to Wales my friend made miracles with my hair and gave them purple ombre look. But this hair colour was semi-permanent and after soaking my hair hours in the water I was sure that there is no pigment left. But for my surprise I didn't get sick and my hair still had a pinkish shine. In the evening we had another culture evening. This time we were just presenting our snacks with national symbolism. Because my presence had to be a secret for Estonians I had to figure out products that they are not going to bring in Wales and them by myself. It worked out, because we had variety of sweets. On Saturday it was Blanka's birthday and we started to celebrate it as soon as clock reached midnight. 07.07. It was a day to discover more about Estonia. It was planned to visit Maarja küla, Taevaskoja and Tartu. Because I am local I was already aware of those places and prefered to spend a day with my countryside. After allnighter it was a blessing to sleep one extra hour after breakfast before my parents picked me up. It was a warm sunny day and I used it properly. I know that you are all curious about my day I spent at home. First of all, I went to the potato field and picked Colorado beetles. Fortunately I found only one, on previous years we have had bigger problems with those bastards. Then I decided to relax a bit and sunbath with my cat :) Then I went back to work and picked raspberries, it was more pleasant work than monitoring my potato field. Among eating berries I found time to help my father with tractor repairing as well. But after couple of hours of work I gave up and went to sleep. I had sweet 4-5 hours of sleep but football match and empty stomach made me wake up. My grandpa had made barbeque and I even saw first half of England vs Croatia match. Then I drove back to Kivi talu. I don't know, did I speed up way too much, but the distance seemed so short. For Evelin I brought my cat with me. Muffin was afraid of this environment but she handled the situation nicely. Usually she becomes a true devil on a strange environment. My dad and cat went back home and I saw additional time + penalties of the soccer game. It was intriguing game with Croatian citizens with us. Actually I was surprised when I returned and saw people working on their videos. It took so much time from them and I really felt sorry about their lack of sleep. I mean, it is okey if it caused from your own will to enjoy the company but not because of compulsory task. For most of the people it was still a change to recharge their batteries at least because our team "let's stay up all night long" was smaller than usual. At least we learned from each other more. For example, Kaan is a true criminal XD 08.07. In the morning session we watched those brilliant videos. Unfortunately they are not online yet. Then we received more information about Photo Voice method. Behind that method is so succinct idea that you start thinking why you haven't heard about that before. Because I dealt with berries a day earlier I brought them with me to project as well. Heleri gave us also strawberries. So, coffee breaks were filled in with fresh snacks. We used our human resource to make "Seiklejate Vennaskonna suvepäevad" advertisment. Velislav and Kaan were great and helpful models for us. We also appreciate Zenaida's and Mihaela's help. After lunch we were divided by different target groups. I was in a domestic violence group. We put on a paper ideas how to Photo Voice should work on within this target group. It is more difficult than you can imagine, it is not easy to guess what other people are thinking and how to they react on different situations. Exciting part of the day was sauna. Totally exotic experience for most of the people. Sauna itself maybe is not anything special but cold lake afterwards make the experience memorable. It is funny to see people from south suffering in sauna, they always have more struggles than people from central Europe. People were shocked that Billy decided to go to the sauna on a traditional way. Kaan was totally surprised of the scene. After sauna was time for social games again, this time we had moved even level higher with the tasks. 09.07. On the last day we had a last activity with Andreea. We had to analyse a text and make a conclusion of it. After lunch we had more flexible schedule but our very last activity was really sweet. It was time for a last shopping trip to Ramsi A&O. Because Cristina had a birthday on a next day we had to make preparations. We made a ritual with black tea and water. If you poured tea into the bowl, it represented negative things you wanted to mention and pure water represented positive aspects. It was really emotional ceremony and the best conclusion for a project that I have ever had. After dinner was time for a last photoshoot. We walked with Karolina, Kristi, Kaan and Velislav to a bigger lake. On a sunny day it has really beautiful light blue colour. Even during the twilight water seemed pretty blue. Because there were local youth hanging out we didn't hesitate to interrupt them at the first place. So we went to the grass field to feed mosquitos. To be honest, most of the time I don't even notice them flying around but I totally understand how big problem they are for foreigners. Because Estonian younger generation didn't want to leave the place we just joined their party and made super-cool photoshoot while in the background they were swimming. Moreover, we used their JBL speaker and enjoyed their their music taste XD I am pretty sure that on a way back walking with my bikinis and wet towel I got cold (even though Karolina doesn't believe in it) Anyway, we tried to organize Cristina's birthday surprise secretly but I am convinced that she knew that we are preparing something. Her birthday arrived with a cake, candles and sangria. What else one Spanish girl can wish? :D Finally we had a proper night to dance like mads. I was afraid that this night would never arrive. Because I can truly live myself out only on the dance floor. On that evening I understood again how confusing person I am. I wish I could know myself as well what I want from life. 10.07. At the first place I had to go to the job interview on that day but I am glad that they cancelled it a day earlier. It would have been a hard task to do. I also wished that itinerary would have been longer because 2 hours of sleep in the bus wasn't definitely enough. In the airport we had to make our first goodbye round. Most of the people still came back to the city center but they put their luggage on the airport lockers. It took plenty of time for waiting for them there. And Goran surprised us all with his wideness to do check-in and avoid lockers at all :D Back in the city center most of the people followed me to my university to leave our luggage there. Then we started walking tour in Tallinn. I have somehow found a working route to follow with tourists. Firstly, Rotermanni Kvartal, then, Linnahall and Telliskivi Loomelinnak and of course Tallinn old town and panorama spot. In Telliskivi we went for eating. While sitting there we received new that most of the flights were delayed. We tried to figure out the reason but just couldn't. Participants even had time to explore Balti Jaama Turg but after that we headed directly (with some stops in front of souvenir shops) to tram stop. And it was time for a second round goodbyes. Now, only Bulgarians and Carlos were left. But because Carlos had an Estonian host they had to transport his luggage to her flat. Then we were hanging out with Bulgarians in the old town. Our famous seagull was also on his position and ready to receive all the attention. Thanks to Karolina's father we were able to move our luggage from university to Bulgarians Air B&B host. Then we went to a shisha place. Planka and Zenaida joined us as well because they didn't want to wait for their delayed flights in the airport. We were totally tired because we were just lying on the sofas. When Plaka and Zenaida left we started exploring Bulgarian and Estonian music. It was so weird feeling, after two years I finally have proper Bulgarian friends. Best thing is that Bili sent me sirene cheese and filo dough. I am eternally thankful for this gift. I had an amazing culinary experience when I went back home. For dinner we went to Kompressor to enjoy best pancakes in the town. Then Maria told us about her dream she had. I believe in this kind of predictions, so most probably Maria will move to Estonia (Y) On the freedom square we met Carlos once again because he was watching football there. But we headed to Bulgarians apartment. It was a tiring week and intense day and we were exhausted. That's why I rushed to the last bus to go back home. I definitely didn't expect this kind of project but I am grateful I was part of it. This training course seemed more like youth exchange to me. And best part was the fact that I had an opportunity to go home and recharge myself a bit. And of course the fact that I gave all my useless things to my parents, it made my luggage way more lighter. Even though I tried to avoid those bacterial sharing games I enjoyed being part of them. Even though I didn't set high expectations to the project it was one of the best. I am glad that I met all these people. And once again, I am super happy about Bili's gift. Homemade banitsa made my life even better. I am glad that most of the people can see each other in Wales again - UPDATED me as well :) 03.07. It was another rainy day. In the afternoon I had my driving lesson and somehow I arrived one hour earlier to the spot than I supposed to be. So, I used that time to transport my bag to my university main house. Thank god that it has a perfect location in the city center. After driving lesson it was time for shopping because city was full of sales. Moreover, we had to buy stuff for cultural night and coffee breaks with Karolina. Then we headed together to my uni. There are only few months left until I can enjoy beauty of this building. When we arrived in front of the Russian Culture center only Mihaela with her baby and mother-in-law where there. We were afraid that others do not show-up on time but fortunately they arrived alltogether to the meeting place. Our next stop was in airport. We had some parking problems and in total we waited for missing participants more than we supposed to do. After picking up all Bulgarians as well, we were ready to start our journey to Kivi talu. In two hours we spoke practically about every topic you can imagine. We totally took an advantage of speaking Estonian all that time. After dinner we did a first meeting round to get to know each other more. To be honest during the first nights I wasn’t the most active on society point of view. I had totally different expectations about the project because I have had already too many projects during the year and I didn’t want to add one more on the list. My aim was more like to manage the project a bit more. To learn how to handle a project on my own. Because now I am in a stadium where I felt that I should contribute a bit more to the community and write a project on my own. Because I had that mentality that I am not one of the participants I was at first inactive during the free time activities as well. 04.07. We started our project with proper meeting games. For example we had to fill in our paper version Facebook page and find new friends according to it. We had to retell the facts what we picked up while having those meet & greet conversations. Everything went quite ordinary until Billy told us a secret that someone is pregnant. And in the end of the project we had to figure out who she should be. After intriguing secrets we got basic knowledge about Erasmus+ by watching the videos and having a discussion about youth pass 8 key competences. Do you see a connection between Hawaii islands and youthpass key competences? Both of them have 8 different üksust. So, with paper boats participants had to travel around those islands. Before dinner we had to solve mission impossible. It was the hardest one I have ever playes. There were so many extra rules and tasks were also unusual. There were plenty of ways how to fill in free time. By playing ping-pong, jenga, darts games, badminton etc. This evening we had our first reflection group. We shared our thought about the day. After that I showed surrounding to Elif and Velislav. And again, I went to bed super early. We discussed with Kristi that we are already too old for this project things XD 05.07. On the next day it was time for profound understanding of the topic as well. In general, what is evaluation and monitoring. And what methods to use to improve learning process. Weather in Vardi changes always quickly but fortunately we caught a right moment during lunch break to pick some wild strawberries. Right after our photoshoot by the lake it started raining. So, we were quite lucky. And Karolina was double lucky, because she almost fell into the water. Fortunately Kristi saved her on a last second. Best part of that sad accident is the fact that I captured the moment when it all happened. Even though it seems to be pointless situation it was a big thing for Karo, she mentioned that incident in her reflection group as well. Probably everyone knows that negotiation is not easy part of collaboration. To submit that participants had to make a play where they had different roles in orange trading situation. It was educating task but for me it didn’t involve all the group members. If only one person is going to represent your group following all the plot might become boring. I was late for my reflection group because I went for a running and discovered forest nearby. But when I returned I discovered a change on our group work. From now on we had to draw our position on the Blob tree to represent our learning progress etc. 06.07
We had more practical work to do and learn. Like what is the input and outcome of all the monitoring and evaluation progress. I liked the storytelling part when we imagined that we have to keep up a bonfire to survive in Estonian woods. Even though it was a training course we had active games and energizers all the time. Helena had recovered from her illness and Heleri was finally with us as well. Now we had two babies in the project. A total blessing. In the evening we had intercultural night. Bad thing about that was the fact that we had 13 different countries. We tried to put a time limit for a country presentation but in the end it all took way too much time and we finished with presentation about midnight. Estonian team is fault of long "time to shine" moment as well. Karolina and Kristi had a great idea how to integrate people to our culture by making tasks for them. And then we had culinary part as well. Was it caused by exotic snack and drinks but somehow we started playing weird Turkish game. We gathered together the younger generation of the project and had so much fun. Even Billy was surprised while seeing us. Zeinaida's application made the night last forever. It is really hard to explain that but nobody from us didn’t want to go to sleep. Okey, at some point we lost Turkish girls but in general we were duff. We even enjoyed first morning hours by the lake screaming out loud some weird Portuguese phrases. It was so cool night. I consider it to the best night I have ever had during the Erasmus+ project. 01.06 First day of June hid more natural spots on our timetable. Firstly we visited a huge tree Gigante Buono. Even local school kids went there to study more about nature. Then we went outside of Sersale again to walk to another waterfall. It was with a really good access but waterfall itself wasn't so high and powerful as others that we had seen. But it was enjoyable to take last days with easier pace and enjoy more the surrounding. I discovered old mill ruins and explained how it was constructed. Even though I do not study a lot in university I remember the most important things. In the afternoon we saw how to make soap out of weird ingredients like ash. The most important part of soup making was mixing. It was physically harming - a good alternative workout exercise. Unfortunately the soap was too liquid when we left and we couldn’t bring piece of it with us. I started annoying people with camels story. Those brain games and anecdotes were popular during the project. We also visited a gelateria. We saw the whole ice cream making process and the right ice cream machine. Best part of that visit was of course degustation. Wild strawberry ice cream reminded me taste of Estonia :) In the evening we had an Italian cultural night. We got an overview of Calabria and Sersale. We all received souvenirs of Sersale and ate good Italian homemade food. Locals had cooked a lot of delicious food for us. And by now we were able to dance tarantella and sing along all the folk songs. After dinner in information center we started preparations for Erasmus party. One club literally made an Erasmus+ party and even a poster about it. Huuh, karaoke parties never can end well. And also this time. I wanted to sing something so badly that I end up singing L'essenziale. I hate myself because it is way too difficult song for me but I still want to perform it :P Two years ago I did kind of the same thing and probabilmente solo Heleri e Quirino ricordano quanto è stato male. And free alcohol is even worst thing that make you do stupid things. But even though I couldn't hear my voice at all I somehow survived those 3 minutes and the support from locals was amazing and heart-warming. At least I finally had a change to dance along club music. 02.06. Last project day was a total bureaucracy. We still needed to deal with our train tickets and to collect and print all our invoices and travel tickets. Because we only had Mihkel's computer it took a long time. At some point Mihkel went away for a period of time and came back with a camera. Better sooner than later. He didn't have anything to record anymore because we had visited all the great places already but at least for his next trips he has it already waiting. Weather was again cloudy, so it was great to make a tour and photographed architecture. I was lucky that I went back home before rain started to flood the streets. Rain was actually really refreshing but after that all the heat was back. In the mountains the weather is totally unpredictable. At least I got free time to rest. It is not a right project when you do not need to sleep during the day XD I realised that I lost my T-shirt. I have no idea how it is possible but it is lost. Allora, quando trovi la mia maglietta nera "Eat, Move, Sleep" scrivimi :) Even though I thought I'll skip evening activities I found a power to join with others. I don't know why but I became mentally tired in the end of the project. But I am more than glad that I participated in friendship rituals activity. And I saw so many similarities between Estonian and Italian rituals. All other Italians that I have met are usually more than far from nature. I would say that they even hate everything which is related with living nature. So, that's why it was great to relate with Sersale citizens. For some reasons Liis and Mari mixed their wine. Calimocho is pretty well-known Spanish cocktail but this recipe hasn't reached France. I mean, the reaction of Guillaume seeing Liis pouring coke into her red wine was priceless. And even though we played a trick to him I guess Gui still consider us as his friends but really impolite barbarian friends. Gianni and Guillaume left us right after the dinner. It sucks when people start leaving, everything will be so quiet. We tried to make a farewell party but because audio system didn't want to cooperate with us our party was over soon. I said goodbye to all the people around me and made a last tour in the town to enjoy yellow lights around the area. Night ended with latte shots. 03.06. In the morning Fabrizio gave us a lift to the Lamezia Terme train station. It was time to say goodbye to our active Italian soul as well :( From Lamezia we headed to Naples. Surprisingly the train arrived on time but we still arrived later to Naples than planned. First impression of Naples wasn't great. Immigrants have occupied the area near train station and trash is litarally everywhere in Naples! I though that trash mafia days are over. Oh, and there are many homeless people walking around. Maybe the environment change was too drastic: from cute small Sersale to metropol Naples. Anyway, after short city walk and pizza stop (this family restaurant was funny) we went to a museum with Meriliis. Now we had to say goodbye to Jane because she had to leave to the Rome soon. The entrance was free because it was Sunday At least one good aspect of Sunday :) I loved the exhibitions in archaeology museum. There were so many connections with my university frescos and my countryside manor. There were 4 paintings for why I even visited the place and it was amazing to find them finally. There was also a concert in the museum. It was comic: musicians arrived late, conductor looked like Filipp Kirkorov and they haven't practice enough before the concert. This was total anthropological experience. After cultural experience we went to discover the old town. Narrow streets were great and made a special atmosphere. And there are so many churches hidden between the houses. Because old town looked almost the same we decided to discover seaside. And there are many castles around the city as well. At some point we were walking on a crowded street along the seaside. From there we saw a sunset and view to Vesuvio. In Italy you wait for the bus for a long time and the point where you are ready to give up on waiting it arrives. So, we had to run to the bus with Liis. At least it was worth it, we got another free ride because bus driver was lack of tickets. Night ended in a cafe in our neighborhood. 04.06. Our mission on that day was to conquer Vesuvio. Liis had gathered some information how to reach there. Our first stop was in Herculaneum. Because Marilind lived nearby she walked there. We had a breakfast on a cafe next to a train station. Mihkel strated morning with lasagne. ˇWhen we were full of food we were ready to start our hiking. We tried to catch bus nr 5 but it didn't appear. So, one private bus stopped and offered us a good deal. He was ready to drive us to a half way with half price. Actually it was a mistake because the way up there was fucking long and there were some busses and cars appearing behind the curve all the way. After walking more than one hour we reached the ticket place. We were rebels and chose a trekking track to go up. Even though it was forbidden we took that non-touristic path. It was worth it because we saw more nature than many other people on the top. We made a buzz when we arrived on the top, the lady was really surprised and didn't understand how it is possible that we came from that side. Volcano itself was a bit disappointing for us. Crater was closed not like what you imagine when you think about volcano. On our way down we tried to find a bus but they all were too expensive and the way how the system worked was rude. Taxi mafia is a right term how to call it. So, we called to the driver who drove us there and we made a good price. At the same time we started walking down as well. Salvatore was really our saviour. After 20 km hike it was time to eat once again. This time we chose a restaurant next to the morning eating place but it was a mistake. Everything was there really expensive. But we were hungry so it actually didn't matter. After lunch we had to say goodbye to Mihkel because he needed to go back to Lamezia Terme to catch his flight. Because Meriliis didn't have much time to visit Pompeii anymore, she headed to Herculaneum ancient town. We also walked there with Marilind and saw the complex. Then we split and I just walked around the town. Surprisingly I met Liis once again and we went back to Naples together. In the train station I visited book and music shop to make my dream come true. About four years I had a wish to own Marco Mengoni CDs. Now I finally had this opportunity. I bought 3 different albums and they are probably the best souvenirs I have ever bought. After refreshing shower I was already on a sleeping mode 9 pm. But then I thought why I even bought tickets back home for tomorrow if I now just waste the time. Actually at first I planned to spend only "Una notte a Napoli" but life wanted to extend that time. Anyway, I decided to try Couchsurfing hangout to meet some locals or other travellers who want to explore the area. Gerardo was a best guide, he knew many historical places and popular places among the youngsters. We also visited a place where youth celebrate their birthday on an open-air area with a beautiful view. He introduced me a real Neapolitan culture. For example, I didn't have any information about Liberato before. I don't regret that I went out for my last night even though I was tired as hell. 05.06. Travel day fortunately didn't start too early. So, I got rest from yesterday. Because we already knew Italian train system I recommendet to Marilind pick an earlier train to reach our airport bus station. Because the train was late we still got enough time for our flight. Naples airport is a way better than Malpensa's one. It has enough shops, plugs and comfortable chairs. To be honest, I slept all my way to Milan. I literally fell asleep as soon as we entered the air zone and woke up when we landed. Well-spent time because after munching in Bergamo's airport I couldn't sleep anymore. Even though any other day had been hot as hell our arrival evening weather was cold. Thanks Estonia for a great welcome present :P It was good to be back home and eat black bread instead of panini again :) This time I want to thank an occasion. It is totally a coincidence with whom Seiklejate Vennaskond makes partnerships. I am glad that this time they cooperated with Terra di Mezzo and particularly that project was held in Sersale. I had been looking for this kind of small town in my mind for years. I always wanted to find something similar but to be honest I didn't even know what I was looking for. But now I know! And I am pretty sure that without Erasmus I couldn't find this place. There is now even a community page. Yes, it was a totally different project comparing to my previous experiences but this was totally a thing I needed most at that time. I figured out what I want from life and how to receive them. Now I can say it out loud as well. I definitely want to buy a property in Sersale. Moreover, I want to return back as soon as possible. Mainly because I see similarities between Saku and Sersale. I have had an idea to write a project on my own about a year but I was lack of ideas about the topic. Now I have a vision and concept to follow. So guys, I'll start writing a project and the venue will be Sersale! I want to say big thanks to the local community. They were supportive instead of the fact that they didn't speak perfect English. And Terra di Mezzo organization that they hold Calabria flag high. They are actually doing a hard work to promote south of Italy. And special thanks to Jane for making so many photos that I can in my blog as well. Sersale è l'essenziale :) 28.05. Day was dedicated to eatable plants. So we followed the health road in the center to pick some flowers and other plants (for example dandelions) Because Romanian team had to present their culture in the evening they didn't participate in this activity. Actually it felt so lonely when one team was missing. But while others were collecting plants we discovered another cherry tree of course we attacked it with Estonian girls. After first round of harvesting we moved on to Monte Grozze continuing our expedition. Some local ladies joined us, they gave us pretty nice tips how to cook some kind of blossoms. Until the lunch we decided juts to chill in the nature. I was literally sitting under the bushes because I needed to spend time in the shadow. Sun was already too damaging for me. In the afternoon we washed all soiled plants. On the second part of the day we visited another waterfall. Cascata Campanaro was with easy access and beautiful as all the others. Before the dinner we had Romanian night. They presented us their culture via videos, songs and dances. It was hard to catch those steps but somehow the whole room were trying their best to dance those traditional dances. "Dragostea Din Tei" was a real party starter and then we were ready to eat all those sweets they brought with them. In the restaurant we tasted dishes made out of our collected plants. Actually the bread with some kind of green butter was surprisingly tasteful and frittered blossoms were great as well. For our surprise Romanians started cooking crepes to make our night even sweeter. 29.05. It was a really special day because it was Marilind's birthday. I had bought balloons and spread them in our room. We started our activity with a hike. Every time it is easy to go down to waterfall but it is hard to walk back. Anyway, Estonians always leaded the group and our group preferred walking instead of driving a short distance with a car. I guess it is in our blood because I have noticed the same tendency on my compatriots during my other projects as well. Singing competition continued while Carmine started singing Funiculi' Funicula' and changed the lyrics. He sang Jane instead of Jammo. So smoothly Jane were put into the song. After another panini experience we got some free time to discuss what we are going to do in our cultural night but it all took much more time than we expected and we missed the flute making workshop. Estonian cultural night went perfectly. Kahoot made a real buzz around the participants. Italians showed their skills and won the quiz. Wife-carrying competition seemed so silly but was actually really advertising. After our special dinner with birthday song and delicious cake we headed back to the information center. Night continued with Italian traditional music and dances. Tarantella - it is easier than you can imagine. You just need to jump like a grazy. It was really intense day but in the end I guess Marilind had an unforgettable memories. 30.05. We had another day on the beach. This time we went further and reached a nice resort Le Castella. As the name already refers, this place is popular because of the castle which we visited as well. Historical castle made me think about the life years and years ago. The life they had was totally different and the reason why they even fight for was insane. After culture we had a relaxation part on the beach. I liked this beach more because of the sand. But at some point the sand turned burning hot and it was impossible to walk on it. But some people still played volleyball, I have no idea how. I can only imagine how crowded the place is when it is high season. At least we visited the place with a great weather and a few people. To enjoy even more the sea we went to a boat trip. It had a glass bottom so we saw fishes and corals. Bravest ones even got an opportunity to jump into the water. At first the tour should have been longer and far from the coastline but because of the windy weather (actually I didn't notice big waves) we only were close to the shore. After beach we wandered around in the city. This place is totally devoted to tourism. A boulevard was full of shops selling souvenirs and beach equipment. I am content that I have reestablished my ability to sleep in different situations and places. For a while I struggled sleeping on strange places but this trip changed everything and I got sweet one our sleep in the bus on our way back. Swimming is always so tiring. In the evening we drove uphill and found ourselves from a courtyard with a pizza oven. They were already making food for us but we had a change to contribute as well. We put the top of the pizza and tried our best to put them into the oven as professionals XD This place had an amazing view to a night Sersale. Somehow Meriliis's creativity unfolded and she started telling stories that meed out of box thinking to solve them. 31.05.
This morning we had an option: wake up early and visit cheese factory or just sleep. Because I am addicted to cheese I chose the first option. So did all other participants as well. It was another family business. It was a small factory but it was enough for the citizens and people nearby. It was weird how mozzarella looked like a clue on the first stadium but in the end it still tasted like heaven. In the breakfast Meriliis made a fatal mistake while ordering latte instead of cafe latte. This is a typical mistake that an Estonian tourist do in Italy. After breakfast we headed to the northern part of the reserve. This nature there looked more like Estonian one. So, I felt like in home already. On our way we saw many ruins which were so romantically covered by nature. Now imagine that Colosseum were in the same conditions centuries ago inspiring many 19th century writers. Carmine but us again into extreme conditions. Actually just walking through the river wasn't nothing but walking on the unstable rocks was a challenge. The weather was cool and somewhere there was even a thunder. We walked some more and then Carmine did something that made me mad. We just walked uphill to see a huge tree and then down again. So, we made a circle. It would have not been a problem if this information would have reached me before. Then maybe I wouldn't choose this piccola giro. This time we had kind of buffet lunch. We had an option what to but between our bread. And the eating place was next to the planetarium. This area was full of tables but at that pint only we were there. In the evening we had museums visit. Firstly we went to ethnobotany museum. Local students also have classes there which is really cool because there is equipment to do small research. Then we went to the church. It is great that we were walking around people who had keys that opened any doors :D Wooden altar was great, reminded me one Estonian masters work. And the second church was even more amazing. It is not so incredible as in big churches, but still. And there was also represented Francesco's work. It would be an amazing feeling if your work is presented in local community. Our last stop was in municipality house. There were hanging historical photos of the town and another museum. It was full of everyday life items. We went directly to Bulgarian night. Their hospitality were amazing and all the food they had cooked for us made me want to visit Bulgaria again. It was our last dinner with Carmine because he had to left the place because of his child baptising. He put all of us an Italian name and made a rhyme out of it. After dinner we went to the Irish pub. It was difficult night for me I felt that end of the project is near and I was a bit nostalgic. This night they had a live music in Irish pub (like we had already every night in our restaurant) But all Sersale had gathered together once again. This time the audience was even younger. Many high schools students started to talk with us. Fortunately they spoke in English. And one thing that shows how lovely and sincere people live there is the fact when they invite you to their pizza oven to cook. I mean, it is a bit silly but it shows that people there are different from people who live in big cities. I hope citizens of Sersale never lose their purity. 24.05. This project certainly was a relief for me. I started my travel day in university. I did my drawings until last minutes and still couldn't finish them. Then I hurried to the airport. I met with Marilind already in the airport and saw Meriliis in the plane. In Malpensa airport we had to kill about 4 hours. It wasn't the best airport to hang out, but fortunately there was enough shops to do shopping because I forgot my bikinis at home and had to find new ones. Fortunately I found new swimsuit and my vacation was saved. Our second flight went quickly and soon we arrived to Lamezia Terme. Gianni already waited us with Jane. We all got pizza to eat. What can be a better welcome present arriving in Italy than eating pizza. In the bus we needed to wait for Bulgarian team. Romanians had already arrived. So we went outside to make first meeting circle. It was high humidity in the air. I was afraid that all the time it is going to remain like that. When all the participants were together we headed to Sersale. On our way I opened radio, finally the possibility to listen to Italian music has arrived. I already heard many familiar artists. Haha, and tunnels stopped all the fun. We arrived to Sersale like superstars. Group of locals were waiting for us. To be honest, I don't remember who came to greet us on the first night. Just too many new faces. Struggling with our accommodation took some time. But finally we got a room on a second floor with Marilind, we shared a bed. We were not aware of the fact that also in the downstairs we have a toilet. So, everyone came upstairs to use toilet. First night there was freaking cold. So, we had to heat up our room. Sounds ridiculous that you come to warm Italy and you are freezing while sleeping. 25.05. We had a breakfast in our houses so after balcony brunch we headed to the main square. We got our first coffee experience. Meriliis and Marilind were obsessed by ginseng coffee. Well, the first meeting between group leaders took some hours. At the same time we were discovering the streets close by with Estonian girls. It was a hot day already and we felt the temperature even more when we hiked up to the church. Magnificent view to the town made us creative because we though about games we can play within the group. We had a lunch on the top of the hill/mountain as well. At first paninis felt a good choice to eat on a hiking. Soon after eating Carmine's father arrived with his goat Fiocco di neve (snowflake) Because people were just sitting there and waiting for next activity we decided with Estonian girls to discover the area. On our way down to the town we discovered some cherries and of course we couldn't resist and had to pick them as much as possible. They weren't fully red but tasted already sweet. Because in the noon all the shops and gelateries were closed we went back home. Somehow we got a dog. She randomly came into our house and were super-friendly with us. I named her Fiorella. Fun fact is that now everyone calls her like that. My legacy definitely lives on in Sersale. I have done one good thing in my life and thanks to me one stray dog has a name XD In the afternoon we met with mayor. We had an opportunity to introduce ourselves. and hear about others. And they an article about our project to the local newspaper. We also visited a local shop and noticed a poster about our project there as well. We were totally superstars. First dinner we had on a pizzeria. But because we didn't have any locals on the restaurant we waited for them and killed time by playing ninja game with Estonians and Guillaume. Mișu occupied Jane's camera and made couple of random photos. By the way, first day under the sun was harming for Jane's skin. I was glad that I survived first day without getting sunburn. They brought us many Margheritas already and suddenly even more tasteful pizzas. So, you definitely wasn't prepared to eat all of it. After pizza orgy we headed to a local party. I guess it is the weirdest party I have ever seen. Band was playing in front of the bar and people were hanging on the street. It was a first time when we met with locals. To be honest, Italian pick up lines were really candid. "Vieni con me?" is pretty extreme one but yeah you never should give up and try this method. 26.05. Morning started as usual in the piazza. Day was dedicated to plants that are used to color things. After breakfast we headed back to the mountain church. Carmine's father had already prepared a fireplace and water for the first layer. We put white T-shirts in the pot with some plant roots. Then we went by cars to the Canyon Valli Cupe. We started our path without knowing how hard it actually will be. All the way down was actually easy and also walking along the canyon. And there were so many lizards (L) and we looked so funny with our orange helmets walking there. But the way uphill was exhausting. Down there we gathered bark and on our way back to the monastery we picked yellow good smelling flowers. Carmine gave us a real off-road experience. We discovered the beautiful view of the reserve. Mountains make landscape so much more interesting. For lunch we had paninis again. While eating Mișu showed his Romanian skills and Romanian guys had to practice Estonian. I have to mention that Romanians can speak Estonian really fluently, without any specific accent. Then we went back to the natural chemical lab and finished our shirt coloring mission. In the evening we went to the wedding dress exhibition. We were like VIP guest, they had reserved the whole row just for us. Erasmus was like a magic word in the village. I loved the exhibition idea. Usually a pride wears wedding dress only once in a lifetime but it takes so long time to choose the right one and it is a pity if it stands in the closet for next 30 years. And local models had a connection with dresses. It would be so nice to wear your mother's or grandmother's dress. After fashion show we looked around in labor museum and headed to planetarium. Actually the planetarium was funny but at least they tried to create something cool. This evening we had a dinner in a restaurant near by. Suddenly locals started gathering on the stairs and singing. At one point every national team had to sing something as well. We chose Raffaella Carra's notorious song Estonian version. And at some point we were surrounded by regional songs and then appeared a guitar and more singers. In front of the restaurant we made a spontaneous singing festival. I call Sersale a singing village. I guess all the citizens can perfectly sing and play some musical instrument. They should make a TV show orsm. about this talented place. 27.05.
Thanks to our great group leader we were able to sleep a bit longer and around 10 o'clock we went to the seaside. Actually I couldn't sleep long because 7 o'clock beautiful church bells melody woke me up. Fortunately Radio Italia is playing amazing music on Sunday morning and I didn't regret my lack of sleep. Oh, and after I understood that this church music was a holy call to me for visiting church like normal person do on Sunday. I just ignored it :P Beach was beautiful but a bit rocky. Even though nobody from locals didn't come to the water with us we didn't hesitate to swim in Ionian Sea. First time swimming in the sea this year, yeey. Romanians found a ray orsm. and started with anatomy class on the beach. Jane went for a walk but because we didn't have an information when we should go back she was lost by the time we were ready to live. But thanks to phone is possible to find every lost soul and after five minutes we were ready to leave. Then we went to a new place where to have a lunch. It is amazing that around Sersale are many dining places. For our luck, we didn't have bread anymore, we had pasta instead. Carmine showed us how to make coffee without coffee beans and other useful culinary tips. Then we drove a long time until we stopped. We had a beautiful view from there but then we started our way down. We passed some fences but actually there was a reason why they were there. I saw about 100 ways to die and understood why we had a life insurance. I handled the situation pretty calmly but Mihkel came without footwear and Jane wore a dress. It was a pity that they didn't warned us about their plan to visit a WILD place. Canyon itself was amazing but full of shit XD Anyway, after that extreme road all other paths felt easy breezy. I was content that I was alive even though my legs were scratched. After that hard hiking tour we needed some refreshing. So, we demanded Inferno visit. The way there was long but place itself nice. We had another opportunity to swim and jump into the water. I just couldn't throw away the idea of Dall'Inferno by Marco Mengoni when someone mentioned Cascata Inferno. I wouldn't say that the place was hell but it was inspiring and maybe the place inspired the song as well. I see a similarity by cascata water and a phrase "Tu sei acqua che scorre nel tempo". Chissà? Anyway back in Sersale we though that we should visit shops with Jane. But hell no (inferno ovviamente). On Sunday everything is closed! We already had suffered under that siesta habit. We usually had break during the lunch as well but it was kind of impossible to visit gelateries because they were closed :( In the evening we had another singing festival on our restaurant entrance. I showed to Liis Fy Faen dancing moves and no matter that Marilind and Jane had never heard the song it became haunting them as well. My humming is annoying and I know it :D And party continued between Estonian and Bulgarian team + Guillaume in Irish pub. They didn't offered any ciders instead of that only good beer and we all received free gifts from staff. Two bracelets and a keychain. Totally a superstar life, free gifts and a lot of attention. |
AuthorMy connection with Erasmus+ projects. Youth exchanges and training courses. Archives
January 2020
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