Taize Berlin

Berlin Schönefeld airport, me and luggage, heavier than when going hiking. I am familiar with Berlin, summer trip seems to be like a month ago, so soon I am in Messe Süd, where many people with rucksacks are trying to find the way to the meeting venue. "Where are you from" "Estland". I get greeted in Estonian by an Estonian Reena. She explains to me what the meeting is about and after a short wait while she is explaining the same to Latvians, I find out that there are 2 more Estonians who came earlier to sing in the choir. It is 1pm and food time has just finished, but she advises me to first go to the food queue, then prayer at 1.15 and then choir practice at 2. OK. First it is singing and by some confusion I end up in soprano rows. Well, it is just for a bit, because I will hopefully play with the instruments group. Then instruments separate to different room. The venue is so confusing that I am not sure how to find the rooms tomorrow. Everybody has to play. My tune is rubbish, so bad, my lips are strange. Even after trekking >100 km Tour du Mont Blanc I could play better, or was it because I had 3 days to recover and play a lot outside on a field? We play all songs together and I hope my tune will come back. After dinner (which I had with Swedes....somebody I met in the summer! how nice!) and evening prayer, I hear Estonian, run to them and say that I am Estonian too. They are form the same parish and we can go together. Köpenick, other side of Berlin, in the East. In church we are welcomed and although the boys think we should all stay together, I had already given my form and and am told to go to a family with 3 Polish and 1 German. The host is supposed to speak Swedish and Polish. Another tram and soon we find the house. We are greeted by a German lady. Girls get one room (me on the floor because I do not mind), boys another. She invites us downstairs, but we are very tired. We decide it would be polite and so wonder down for a bit to speak with her and the two ginger cats, one like a tiger, another like lion, very furry. Eliza falls asleep immediately. In the morning we had arranged to start the shower queue at 5. When I wake up at 5.10, it is not my turn yet, so 10 more minutes. 5.20. Shower. Breakfast. Tram, S-bahn, Messegelände. We are late and have no idea where the choir practice room is. It is the same room as yesterday, but it has disapperared. Running, running, suddenly I see somebody with a saxophone case and there are other instrumentalists, so I follow them. Another practice. Dinner, evening prayer...home. Ohhh, Tuesday, I had told K, my friend who is married to a German that she can visit me. So we met before dinner and then went to prayer together. And then they accompany me on S-bahn and walk me home. Thank you! Another morning, early start, this time I am in the choir room on time. It is the day when we are separated into groups (there are 4 halls for prayer). It is the day when everybody is arriving. "Spanish, Italian, Polish, French, Russian....who else?" "Sweden, Estonia...." "They speak English anyway". So we could end up in any hall where there's English translation. I am assigned to hall with Polish, French, Russian-speakers and Latvians. The other Estonians are also there and one of the Polish. OK, lets eat, pray and play...and then play more and eat more and pray more. Some moments I was thinking that I should go and tell the sister I cannot play, I have no tune and it is not coming from anywhere, especially as there is not really a place to play on my own time. During practice times, even toilets were occupied with woodwinds and when we tried to go to some isolated place, we were always too noisy for some workshop. First day of playing, strange feeling in stomach, similar to like giving a talk but maybe even more scary. There is two of us, a French girl too. She is really good and fortunately for me, when conductor wants one to play a flute solo, they don't specify which of us, so very soon she knows she is sitting next to a chicken and unless we play two solos, she can play the single ones. I just play 2nd flute in duos. But I like duos! Especially Cantarei ao Senhor, I remember this from my first summer in Taize. Wednesday evening, we had been told that the host is taking two more people. In the near-home S-bahn station I meet Carolina, the German girl and we discuss that maybe they are English-speaking. The host tells us that thay are Spanish-speaking, from Chile and Mexico. Good! The conversation language will change! Or not, they both live in Czech Republic and speak the language (the Chilean, a talented exchange student has bene living there since August and can already speak). And Czech and Polish are similar enough for them to understand each other, only way for me to understand is to catch the few words that are similar to Russian. There are some! Tired, going to sleep, when Carolina and Sebastian are upstairs, playing the guitar. Soon everybody is there and after trying to convince myself not to take the flute out, soon we are playing and singing. Bedtime at 3, but next morning is easier, we only have to get to local church by 8.30, so just tram in same region, not travelling to another side of the city. We have prayer and then small group discussions. Me and Carolina are in group 20, but there is nobody else, so we decide to join the group nearby, without knowing it is the Italian-Polish group where one Polish teacher can speak Italian and so discussion happens in either Polish or Italian. The Polish is actually a German teacher, so on S-bahn she continues conversation in German andwe have lunch. In the afternoon I intended to attend a workshop somewhere in city, but was too late, so wondering in the event venue after the prayer, I found my self in a hall and without knowing what the topic was, joined because had nowhere else to go (or, did not want to get lost and ending up not going to any workshop). It was good! The topic, the small group that we formed, asking people nearby whether they speak English. If there was something that touched me most during this time in Berlin, it was this workshop, the group discussion. (too personal to share in public blog, so please ask) Food, prayer, S-bahn, home...... Friday morning. Prayer 8.30 in local church and then...surprise visit to a refugee centre. Unfortunately, I was not dressed stay outside in sleet and rain for long and had lost my hat two days before. Fortunately, there were some kind people, one of them shared his umbrella. Thank you Mattias! I was late going to the Messe, so no time to eat lunch, could just collect it. In the afternoon, I had to skip the workshop to go to town instead, to find an apotheka. Now I know why we learnt these dialogues about describing our illnesses. It was not self service, not even for paracetamol similar things. So, in bad German I could assemble single words into "paracetamol hot water headache fever" something. And I also bought vitamin C. In the evening, my host made me ginger tea, it helped! And chicken soup. Saturday morning. Prayer in church at 8.30, then to Messe. Lunch, prayer, then Estonian meeting in town, with Latvians. Food, prayer. It was the last day in Messe, it was the last day of the year. The prayer was beautiful, especially the light. And, finally, I enjoyed playing. It was sooo goood! I love these musicians! Even though we did not really have a common language apart from music. Evening prayer in local church. I am early and somebody asks me to read a passage in Estonian. Stupid me, I only took the English Bible that day, thinking that all group discussion will be in English anyway. Then, one Estonian has Estonian Bible, but the organisers have changed their mind. I have to read a prayer instead. So, two Estonians translate a prayer into Estonian, to read, so that three Estonians can understand it. It was many languages anyway. Fireworks by the river. We were told to go to a school (nearby?). Walk, walk, walk with many Taize people when a group of drunks start throwing fireworks at us. First I run backwards. Then forward. I lots the other Estonian. I think the best thing to do is to keep walking to the school. How scared was I! Later he told me that some people from the group also started throuwing glass bottles. Quite bad. In school, I am sure that whoever is going to Köpenick, I will go with them, because the school is very far. Trams have finished and many people disappointed that we were not told about distances. Walking was fine at first, but after the encounter with the drunk people, it got scary. Luckily, the Estonian decides to go home and then also some of my housemates. 3am, I sleep. In the morning I am told that the Polish came home at 5 and spent time in our room (but if course, I did not hear, I have been deep asleep next to somebody playing trombone too) I had told the Estonians to meet them at the mass at 9 in Messe Süd. Oh noo! I did not wake up, so just normal service in local church. Maybe better, maybe not. I wanted to go to the mass! Home, food, cleaning, goodbyes. Byebye Berlin! Next year, Rome!
Video from previous years.

65 litres of what?

I can put tent, sleeping bag, (a few) clothes in 35 litre rucksack with food....but now going to some urban travel and I have 65 litre rucksack to fill (and sleeping bag and mat inside, because I fly)...but what have I put there? tooooo many clothes. OK I need to look normal, plus I have flute in the hand luggage and camera, but still I think I have way too many things, but then think it will be cold and pack another jumper. Off to Berlin, for Taize meeting!!!!!

French Guiana, 2010, (19. sept). [the snake encounter]

Saturday, 18th Sept
Today we slept long, until 7.30. before that I woke up several times, saw it is still dark and decided it is not morning yet. We went to the boulangerie, I had a small chocolate pastry. It was the first morning when my eyes were open enough not to need coffee and tea was enough. In addition to bread, we got an unexpected (it this even good to say in raiforest country!) downpour and were soaked. We walked around in Cayenne market, looked at fruit, dresses, earrings. Because H wanted to buy a hammock, we went to a hammock shop that was for locals. In there, a nice man told us that we will get a hammock cheaper and that K is a rich man to have three women. We also tok a picture with him in the shop and me and H bought colourful hammocks (one day I will have a place where to put it and remember this trip). We bought fishballs near the port, local Estonians' traditional food. We also walked there, saw a red ibis and crabs in the mud (it was low tide).A walk tot the hill and eating the fishballs!

After lunch, we went to the ocean for swim (I did not want to sand my peeling skin....unfortunately). Later whan H showed her bruises, I was happy I decided not to "sandpaper" my pain.

We went to a place where sloths live! It was a nature trail with good paths, hence we were wearing dress and sandals. Soon K showed us a sloth with baby! So cute! They were quite "fast" for current time, becuse they had babies [we were told they are slower when there are no babies]. They even went from branch to branch, "jumping" in slow motion. :) :) Soon we saw another sloth. We got to a wet part and H said she saw a bothrops in similar place. Walking after one another: Ku in front, H, me and Ka. I was immediately after H when suddenly I had a snake in front of me, waist high in the air (sith sinusoidal movement). It was black (dark? dark brown? dark grey?), 3-4cm diameter and about 1.5m long (as much as a panicked person can estimate. My reaction was to scream and run bacwards, past Ka. Ka had seen it too and wanted to shout "H", but I was quicker. I have emergency reaction! We waited a bit to make sure tha snake had left and continued our walk. Scary shock. H had not seen the snake, but had strangled "into it" as she described. She walked a few more steps and then we started screaming - only then had she realised what was the moving obstacle.

We drove back towards Matoury and in a petrol station a  young boy started washing our can and talking to K. She came to the car and we went to another petrol station where he washed with pressure water. It was 2EUR, but he saw that Ka had 10EUR and said to give this too. We took him home, a village in another direction where we had to go.

Home, food, strange fruit, jackfruit. It was very strange, texture like mushroom, outside like sunflower seeds and no teste (or some taste, H did not like it). Later, an hour later we read (we were in the office.....with Internet) that seeds have to be removed outside or the room needs airing.  And that the fruit is undigestable when not boiled. Vot siis (Estonian expression, untranslatable)

Evening, card writing. Yesterday I poster 6 cards, 7 waiting for stamps, today wrote 13 more.

Oh, when buying fishballs, the seller asked whether we are Russian (maybe because in Kourou space center there are Russians) and because we did not speak English or French to each other. In Salut island, the shopkeeper had asked whether we speak English and assumed we are English, but we explained that no, we are Estonians and just happen to speak English (and some of us, French).

[where this belongs....
In Salut Island, there were many agoutis who had eaten coconut.....they managed, whereas Ka broke a knife when trying to open one!)

Andorra. short after-conference weekend trip

some pics of this trip So, hiking has changed me so I can manage with a small suitcase for a week (semi- smart clothes) and managed to put hiking stuff also there (and a big empty rucksack as laptop bag)! I took a coach To Andorra! The night the conference ended, I had looked on Google map which part has less roads and more nature, Arinsal! In Andorra la Vella, I knew I had to take another bus to Arinsal, but this was a bit later, so decided to but food (because siesta time was approaching and I was not sure how much food I can buy from Arinsal. Also, I had no idea from where the local buses go. Finally, bus stopped in Arinsal. It was only one main road there and finding my accommodations (yes, because I did not take tent to the conference) should not have been difficult. It was. After putting my super-basic tourist vocabulary to test, I found it. I was asked whether I want a room with view to the road or mountain. What a question! I also asked what time is breakfast, but it was too late, so I had to leave before (because days are short in October). I got a map and asked recommendations of where to go. They are good people, showed me on the map some nice routes. I started the walk. Under a tunnel, then a bit of uncertainty, then the walk started to make sense, up, up, up, up. I did some calculations in my head, what time I should turn back to get down before sunset. First part of the walk was easy, or at least so it seemed to me. I arrived at a beautiful lake, then a refugi. Half way up, the streams were a bit froze and a bit of snow appeared. Frozen cold blueberries, I only realised I had entered winter wonderland when I thought about it and decided it might be food idea to put some warmer clothes on, I only had been wearing the fleece! (with rest of things in the backbag). Yeh I had a bit of shock therapy too and because this blog is public, I cannot write it here. Coming down, I was a bit late (no worries, the forest bit was relatively flat and I had the GPS trace from going up, so could follow the same route back. I am still convinced it is more dangerous to be in a city and come home from uni at 11pm than to be in forest). Suddenly I heard a noise. Or no, it was not a noise, it was music. Afterall, Friday night. But.....it sounded like a tribe is sacrificing somebody. Brain check....I hope I do not have altitude sickness..... this is Europe....this is a catalan country.....they like snails and nice food...not eating humans. OK, maybe it a party, good percussion, maybe a salsa party! But it was not this kind of village to expect official party. So I switched off my light, just in case. Walked, walked, walked in dark. They were not cannibals, it was cows with wooden bells! little cows, big cows, a cow orchestra! In the car park I found a lost-looking person. Yes I knew all too well that this can be a trap (what world I live in!), but not in the mountains and he was really looking on the map....and since I had a map AND GPS, I thought at least I can ask if help is needed. He was planning to go to Coma Pedrosa the next day and was planning and wondering how long it would take. I said I had been to the refugi and bit higher. I thought I dont't mind some company and going a bit higher again next day, since the previous day was rushed (I only started in the afternoon!) I thought after all this walk, I could do with nice food (I had had lunch, and had enough food for dinner, but would be nice to go to some warm place. The only place that was still open (it was a small village) was next to my accommodation. I had not brushed my hair since the conference the day before, had been hiking.....went to ask what time they close. In 1 hour. I could have a shower, put on some non-waterproof, non-windproof, not-ancle supporting clothes and shoes. I asked, whether I should change or can just enter like a hiker. They waid a hiker look is fine. Had a good meal and a glass of wine. Walk again.......a bit higher. Made mini-snowman at 1655 and had lunch there. Going down, I was really in pain. I had pain in the morning already, due to no training for weeks before the conference. At the end I was limping, coming down sideways because it was less painful to flex the knee. Lets blame the lack of walking poles! Going down 1500m is bad! (up is OK). I hate walking without a tent, I was thinking I could just put the tent up and make a cup of tea in the stove if I had it. No, luxury hiking nad staying in B&B is not for me! Went back to village....had shower, put on a skirt and went to have a meal and wine again! Last night. The previous day I had asked about Coma Pedrosa. It was same people so I could tell them I went....not to top, but just until the snow got bad, 2655m. Next day, breakfast and then bus to Andorra la Vella. I bought postcards and stamps to Europe (and they were surprised I am Estonian, not English). A bit of walking around, window-shopping...and I had my coach to Barcelona Airport. Flight was a bit delayed and Easyjet has a special terminal that is faaaar away from the main building. Freezing weather in Luton, finally Birmingham. Andorra is a beautiful country....would like to do a week-long walk there.

French Guiana, September 2010 (16-17 sept)

Long due post...... continuing from where I stopped a year ago! Thursday, 16th Sept We woke up at 5.20 and left home at 6, to get going before the traffic jams. Long way driving and the first stop was the hill of monkeys. Started walking when Ka's flipflop broke. Us 3 continued while she went back to come via another, shorter, way (it was a circular route). Nature was beautiful and I was the last one of us. Suddenly I saw a snake, or I thought I had seen is, went back half a meter to check who or what if was. It was a well-masked brown one, 30cm from the way we had walked. I showed to H, who had read THE book (about poisonous animals in French Guiana) and she thought is might be bothrops. Ku took a few pictures of it. After that we were more careful and walked slower. St Laurent du Maron was a town by the border of Suriname, only the river Maron separates them. The town is a prison town, but seems the most beautiful from the ones we had seen so far. Colourful houses, friendly people. Bought some food before returning home and then wrote a mountain of postcards, because I had promised to send to a few people. My legs are burnt, red. Skin is still intact and I use lots of cream. Friday, 17th September Woke up 5.20. 7.20 was our ship from Kourou to Salut Island. First, King's Island, where the conditions had been the best for prisoners: a few hours of work and they made sure nobody escaped because this would make the living conditions more harsh. We walked around the island, ate lunch by the ocean (baguette and quite liquid camembert). Ku opened some coconuts. Ku and Ka also went swimming, me and H watched and took photos (I watched because my skin was already peeling away and was very painful, not a nice time to expose it to salt). Another ship took us to St Joseph's Island where solitary prisoners had been kept. The ship could not go close, so we etered the island by small boat. Walking again, this island had signs everywhere "Do not go out of the path, dangerous". Going back, others were sunbathing on the ship, I covered my legs with a green towel that was constantly trying to escape due to strong wind. At home we played board games. Jam bread with cheese, tea.....I do not remember more because wrote about this day the day after. Oh, I took many pictures of palm trees and ocean. To be continued [yehhh it will be until 27th Sept]

Tour du Mont Blanc and Taize 31 July 2011 - 14 August 2011

coming soon

Tallinn day 2

Because it is a bit strange, I posted something in my personal blog