Literally, the Ferry Ride From Hell
The ferry ride from Helsinki, Finland, to Tallinn, Estonia, was only four hours long. Typically, I would think that’s not a problem. But you know what? I was wrong. The ferry ride was miserable. It was super windy on the sea, so the waves were rocking the boat a ton. The boat was vibrating and rocking the whole time. I’ve been on a few boats in my day, and have had only mild seasickness occasionally. This was horrendous.
Me, Jordan, and a few others suffered through the cold and wind in order to survive the seasickness. We were out on that deck for a good hour, trying to keep our stomachs from unleashing their contents.
After a while, I couldn’t take the cold anymore and decided to go indoors, which was definitely a mistake. I tried to stay inside but felt super sick. In attempts at feeling better, I went onto the deck, where the wind had gotten substantially worse. I honestly feared for my life out there. The wind was pushing me across the boat, making me very concerned that I would get tossed overboard. I realized this was a good hint that I needed to stay indoors.
Everyone was at least a little bit sick, but Jordan got the worst of it. The poor guy threw up while on the boat and continued to be sick throughout the night.
A Bumpy Ride, But We Made It
Upon arriving in Tallinn, we all stumbled through the city, trying to find our hostel. We were all tired and sick. No one had the patience to deal with any problems at that moment. We finally found our hostel, The Monk’s Bunk. It is settled right between a hookah lounge, a gay bar, and “Sex Max,” an erotic shop. Yes, it was in a classy part of town. Despite the strange surroundings, the hostel was awesome. It wasn’t haunted and the owner wasn’t a weird Russian/Argentinian woman (refer to my last St. Petersburg post if you’re confused about that one).
Everyone went his or her separate ways to find food. Jess, Paul, and I went to Vapiano, a little pizza/pasta/salad bar. It was awesome. They made the food right in front of you. The service was good, and the food tasted great.
We awoke Tuesday morning, ready to take in the sights of Tallinn- after eating, that is. As it turns out, restaurants in this part of the world don’t believe in opening any earlier than 11:00 a.m. What is that all about? I’m hungry. Let me eat, dang it!
We wandered the streets, weak and feeble- our bodies dragging our useless, aching feet behind us. “Food,” I whispered as I took my final breath of air and collapsed onto the crumbled, mossy cobblestone.
Okay, it really wasn’t that dramatic. I may have exaggerated a detail or two. The main point was that I was dang hungry. I was able to appreciate the beautiful city for a while, but the city began losing its charm as my stomach rumbled louder and louder. It turns out I’m kind of difficult to deal with when I’m tired and hungry.
More About Tallinn
Back on track here, Tallinn is beautiful. It is a small city that embraces its medieval roots. Honestly, the city reminds me a lot of Austria. Small town vibe, clean, chilly air, pubs lining the streets, and friendly people everywhere. As an added bonus, almost everyone speaks English fluently.
Jordan, Elizabeth, and I wandered the streets of Tallinn and took in the sights. There are several cathedrals and a few towers and lookout points. The old wall of Estonia is still standing and is a popular destination. After paying a few Euros, we climbed the crumbling staircase to the top. The view was incredible. Tallinn is so cute and quaint. The breeze was fresh and carried the scent of a nearby rain. Church bells chimed in the distance. For that moment, the world was simple.
Throughout the day, my knee had been hurting a bit. I figured it was just achy from the changes in air pressure and traveling. As I continued walking, however, my knee got steadily worse. Walking up and down the uneven staircase of the wall finished my knee. I couldn’t walk without limping. Every step hurt. The cobblestone only agitated it further. How can something as pretty as cobblestone, be so cruel and gruesome on the joints?
I had a difficult time focusing on anything but my knee pain for the duration of the day. I hate that that’s what happened, but there’s no changing it now. Everything hurt my knee, and I hated holding up the rest of the group because of my slow pace.
We checked out several cool areas and took in the city of Tallinn until it was time to leave. The group returned to the Monk’s Bunk to grab our luggage. We then walked across the city to the boat dock, ready for the promise of Stockholm.
All my love,
Madison
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