Sweden (Norrkoping & Stockholm) August - September

I arrived Skavsta airport around 10+pm, so I decided to spend a night here since it was difficult to get a lift during midnight.

Norrkoping was a small city but beautiful. It was peaceful and lovely. I was very surprise the people that I met 40% have visited Malaysia. It was awesome. I ate delicious cake at a spectacles shop for their 50 years anniversary. I also ate a homemade chocolate which was 3x3x2cm which costs 25 sek (RM15). There were many Somali refugees at the town and most of them did not have a job and get subsidizes from government. Refugees from worldwide without a job had become a heavy burden for government and Swedish. It was a controversial issue now.  

Stockholm was a beautiful city. I love its archipelago very much. Since I bought a three days ticket (250sek) for public transportation in Stockholm. Therefore I just hopped on and hopped off all the public transportation to visited all the site-seeing. I visited islands by islands by bus instead of boats haha. The card can be used for ferry too. 

People that I met

Anna was a woman who had some emotional problem. However she was a very kind woman. The first and foremost was her credits for my cooking. Hahah She was so kind to accompany me waiting for a car during hitch hiking from Norrkoping to Stockholm.

Mats. It was not a good couchsurfing experience. We were lack of communication but I believe he was a gentle man. We have bad communication before my arrival and it maybe one of the reasons that we lost interested to have culture exchange. I supposed to surf him four nights but he changed his mind last minutes. I supposed to borrow his bicycle but he told me he need time (one day) to repair his bicycle (since I only have two full days, I decided to buy three days ticket instead of waiting for his bike). I dislike or hate the way he writes to me “if we cannot make a deal, I will cancel my hosting a day before my arrival while I suggested that in the last minutes. It was too rude and I felt a little bit hurt.

 Norrkoping

Stockholm

Finland (Helsinki) August

I never planned to visit Finland. However during my journey hitch hiking from Riga, Latvia to Tallinn, Estonia, the driver had inspired me to visit Finland. Therefore I decided to have one day trip to Finland. I took the earliest ferry ( 8am) to and latest ferry (9.30pm)back which were run by Viking Line. 

Finland was much expensive than Estonia.

Finland was beautiful because it was surrounded by sea water and its archipelago (around 310 islands) was amazing. The city was not too big. I have a bad experience with the hawker at the central market, I wonder he was not a Finnish. His selling goods were low in quality but cheap. I requested to have a ‘new’ one which look better. Then he started ‘bark’ for at least 5 minutes (such as..China  people always…I was so angry and told him that I was not from China..but the man just kept barking), I really feel disgusting to stand in front of his stall. This was the only bad experience I had in Finland.

By the way, Helsinki Cathedral was quite impressed. The architect, Engel seems to be the Goedhi in Barcelona. However, Goedhi’s architect was extremely impressive.

Before leaving Finland, I tried to find a man for culture exchange at the park. Therefore I talked to a man who was sitting alone on the field. I was surprised that he used to be an exchange student to Malaysia. We had some simple and short culture exchange. It was nice for me to talk to a Finnish before leaving the country.

Estonia (Tallinn) August 2013

Tallinn Old town was worth for one day visit. It was surprised to see the monument of the previous Soviet Union leader, Yeltsin. Estonians were grateful to him who supported the independent of Estonia. 

Peeter and I did bike outside the old town. He was very knowledgeable. While we visited stadiums, cathedrals and heritage buildings, he explained the design of architect from Gothic, Baroque to renaissance.  

I fall down from bike. At first, I felt just fine. However my right foot was extremely pain and I totally cannot walk. Peeter wants to bring me to doctor but I rejected since I didn’t have medical insurance and I feel it was caused by the swollen of muscle instead of injure of nerves or bone.

People that I met

Peeter and his mother.

Peeter had divorced and was practicing applied polygamy. He had a stable relationship with a Ukraine who married to an Estonian. While her husband was out-station, she came to him.  He was very open to his lifestyle. The huge discrepancy between us was I emphasized on loyalty and faithfulness but he preferred honesty. He was honest to all of his sex partners about his relationships with others. He did not belonged to anyone but public. Hahaha however he was really a good man. He respected me and treated me good.

His mother was wonderful. She bought a very ugly and lousy house last two years but renovated to a new brand house with a big garden. We ate a lot of marvelous Estonian traditional foods in that afternoon.

Traditional Estonian Food

Latvia (Riga) August 2013

Riga had a huge population of Russian. Orthodox was strong, Lithuania had more Catholic believers. They are going to use Euro next year so I decide to keep their money for souvenir. 

River Daugava was not so clean. Cycling around the river was a wonderful experience, I lost my way though. Cycling was quite dangerous since the pathways of cycling were not well-established. While I cross the bridge on Brivibas Street, there was a light pole so I slow down but the coming cyclist just in speed (he should be the one to give way) and then I was too scare and had no choice knocked to the gate and fall down. A female passenger who passing by just used index finger to point up that my camera was on the floor and kept going without giving me a help or some greeting.  I stood up and picked up my bag and camera. Passengers just passed by without giving me a glimpse. I hated Riga because of this. The people were too cold-blooded.

Cycling at Riga was quite dangerous since the path was not friendly to cyclist. There were too many pumps that bikers need to jump up before entering bike traits. It was tiring and dangerous.

People that I met

Iveta was a sweet lady. Her husband, Rashid was a Morocco man. He wrote to her via CouchSurfing  and she fall in love to him. Many may curious about their relationship since Rashid is much younger. I can sense the love from Iveta to Rashid. Rashid is just a ‘Muslim’ or ‘Asian’ man, he need to treat his wife better instead of being the host of the house.