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]