Sunday, September 09, 2007

Finally Back

Okay, I'm back home! The internet at my uncle's place got terminated from the start of September cos he wanted to change the ISP so I couldn't update this blog or reply any mails. Hmm.... So I was left with about 6 days after I got back from the Santa Claus place. I went to Nuuksio National Park in Espoo, slightly less than an hour away from the city center.

The beginning of the looooong walk in to the starting of the trails.



This video summarizes whatever I saw there but being there in person is 13 times nicer. And if you hear nothing at all, nothing is wrong with your computer cos there was complete silence. Almost deafening.





After spending about 3 hours there and walking for about 10km, I finally started on my way back to the city center. While waiting for the train, I decided that it would be nice to take off my socks so that my toes would have more room to breathe. Horror of all horrors! When I took off the left sock, I saw my third and fourth toe completely covered in blood!!! I looked at the sock, it was soaked with blood! OMG. By that time, my feet were already aching all over but I didn't think that it was bleeding so badly. Anyways, I had to get on with my journey back to the city center. Ugh, horrible experience.

On Monday, I boarded the cruise to Stockholm, Sweden. I shared the cabin with 3 friends of a friend. A chinese guy going to Stockholm to study for his masters and 2 other finnish guys who kinda helped the chinese guy with his luggage. They were boring people. The chinese doesn't drink and the finnish kept on talking about military history. Boring topic to talk about while drinking. The finnish guys are young, only 19, maybe it's the age gap, I don't know.


On the deck, in the background if you squint you can see some of Helsinki

In the old town of Stockholm. Also known as Gamla Stan. Many souvenir shops, eateries and churches.

This is the Palace Grounds. Too bad a section was closed because of some important visitors from Brazil. If I don't remember wrongly the Residential Apartments were closed so we couldn't tour the place.

Tuesday evening, the cruise leaves Stockholm at 4.45pm and I missed the bus to the harbor! Fcking lady at the cruise ship counter gave me really lousy directions to the public bus stop I swear I wanted to shout at her. After trying desperately in vain to find the bus stop, I went back to the counter and said that I can't find the bus stop. I even asked someone from a flower store and she gave me different directions.
The counter lady said, 'Oh I think you should take the metro instead and take a bus from Slussen. You gotta go now cos you have not much time.'
It was already about 3.55. Well, thank you for wasting my time by giving me sucky directions to the non existent bus stop and then conveniently telling me that taking the metro would be a better idea. Dumb blonde. Her directions to the metro sucked as bad and so I asked 2 girls who were standing around. It was already later than 4 and I was starting to freak out. I thought, fuck maybe I should just take a cab. Every single person I spoke to discouraged me to take cabs cos it's expensive. But well, who cares when I'm about to miss my cruise and subsequently my flight home too. The price was okay, not as cheap as what we get here but it did get me to my destination in time and it was comfortable. I don't think that cabs are expensive, it is what passengers should pay when they get to ride in Chryslers or Benz decked with good GPS systems.

A popular chain department store in Helsinki.

While waiting for the bus at night.


Too lazy to upload the pics. Will do so another day. Ciaoz!

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