人在异乡／In foreign lands

已经很久没有这样的感觉了。噢，不要误会，我可不是遇到了什么帥哥，被他电得神魂颠倒。所谓的感觉，就是自己是动物园里的动物或是博物馆内的展览品的感觉。
It’s been a while since I felt this way. Don’t be mistaken. I have not met a Prince Charming to sweep me off my feet yet. The feeling I am talking about is that of being an animal on display in the zoo, or that of an exhibit in a museum.

记得第一次有这样的感觉是第一次到越南工干的时候。或许是因为穿着太不同，又或许是那一头的短发是当地女孩子没有的，走到哪里就有人瞪到哪里，一直被人指指点点的。最离谱的是一次站着等人，居然有当地人上前用手指挫我，像是在摸博物馆里的展览品一样。第二次到越南，因为负责采访足球赛，当地记者看到居然有女生采访足球赛觉得很新鲜，结果原本去那里做采访的我，最后被人采访，还被拍照，登在当地的报纸上。
The first time I had this kind of feeling was the first time I was in Vietnam for work. It may be the clothes that I wore, or it may be the head of short hair which is unseen of for Vietnamese girls, I got stared at wherever I went. The most ridiculous incident was when I was waiting for someone in the street one day, one of the locals actually came up to me and poke me in the arm, as if she was examining some exhibit. The second time I was in Vietnam, it was pretty much the same. Worse still, when the local reporters “discovered” that a girl was covering a football tournament, they got so fascinated that they interviewed me, took pictures of me and published it in the local papers.

这次旅行又有这样的感觉了。没有上报那么夸张，不过也差不多了。一路上，在旅舍或是在火车上碰到了很多人，大家问来问去都是同样的问题，你从哪里来，要去哪里，要走多久等。当人们知道我居然辞掉我热爱的工作去浪迹天涯时，除了惊讶、敬佩，就是羡慕了。在横跨西伯利亚时碰到的俄罗斯人最夸张，明明大家语言不通，但却死命抓住我问问题。搞清楚我的流浪计划后，其中一个居然跪下来拜我。然后拿出俄罗斯钱，要和我交换新币，还要我在钱币上签名。后来因为我的新币早已经被其他人换了七七八八，他就改而要求与我合照。
The feelings have resurfaced during this trip. Not as exaggerating as appearing in the local papers, but almost there. On the road, you will naturally meet lots of people. Be it in the hostels or trains, people are always curious about where you come from, where you heading to, how long you will be travelling etc. Whenever I tell people that I have quitted a job that I loved just so that I can roam the world, I get expressions of surprises, respect and of course, envy. The most exaggerated response I had, got to be the bunch of Russians I met on the Trans-Siberia train. It’s obvious that we have a language barrier, yet they kept “interrogating” me. When they finally understood my travel plans, one of the immediately knelt down and bowed to me. Then they wanted to exchange Singapore dollar bill with me, and insisted that I give them my autograph (signed on the bill). When I finally got them to understand that I’ve run out of Singapore bills (because everybody wants a piece of it for keepsake!), they made me take pictures with them instead.

爱沙尼亚、拉托维亚和立陶宛这三个波罗的海国家是比较少亚洲游客会到的地方，相信很多亚洲人连这三个国家在哪里都不知道，因此在这个地区碰到的亚洲人屈指可数，也就所以走到哪里就被瞪到哪里。立陶宛情况最“严重”，住在同个旅舍的似乎没有看过亚洲人，一直抓着我问长问短，不然就是热情地送上吃的。有人居然在凌晨两点给我送上棉花糖吃，真是有够夸张！走在街上就成了大家的焦点，甚至有几次被坐在户外咖啡座的人拉住问问题，或是听到他们惊叹（看到“外星人”）的声音。还有陌生人拉着我，要我坐下来与他们喝咖啡。
The Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are not high on most Asian tourists must-visit list. As such, you don’t really see a lot of Asians in this region. During the time I was in the Baltic States, I met less than 10 Asians. Naturally, I got stared at whenever I went. The situation was “worst” in Lithuania. People staying in the same hostel seemed not to have seen Asians before, taking every opportunity to talk to me or offer me help or food. I got a big cotton candy (the fluffy floss type) from one of them at two in the morning! Walking on the streets, you get gawked at every second. Or else you will hear someone sitting by one of the outdoor cafes going, “Hey, you!” or you will have people simply making you sit down and join them for coffee.

走完东欧就要奔向非洲了，这种感觉应该不会消失，只会越来越强吧？　　～伟
After Eastern Europe, it will be Africa. Guess this feeling will not fade, but will just get stronger.　　～wei

拉脱维亚／Latvia

还没有到这里之前，三个波罗的海国家中，最多人谈起的就是拉脱维亚首都里加。不过里加是爱沙尼亚、拉脱维亚和立陶宛三个国家中最大的城市，也难怪它会成为大部分到波罗的海国家旅游的游客的首选城市。也因此我对这个城市满怀期待，结果到了那里却失望透顶。
Before visiting the three Baltic States, the city I heard most about is Riga, the capital city of Latvia and the biggest city in the Baltics. A lot of people I met told me that Riga is a nice city. Hence, I came to this city full of excitement. But within hours, that excitement turned into disappointment.

如果你是热爱夜生活的人，那里加对你来说应该是再适合不过了，因为这里酒吧多的是，夜生活多姿多彩。可是对于我这个本来就不是很喜欢泡酒吧的人来说，里加真的没有什么吸引力。旅游指南上将里加的古镇形容得天上有地下无，可是到了那里才发现这个古镇并没有什么特别。其实，与其说它是古镇，倒不如说它是“新镇”。去过了塔林那古色古香的古镇，还以为里加古镇会与塔林的不相上下，或是更好，结果看不到弯弯曲曲的小街道，看不到许多有年代的建筑，也感觉不到任何“古镇”的气息。虽然步行街都是用石头铺的，但这不足以让它成为“古镇”。这里的建筑大部分都感觉很新，所以不像塔林古镇那样有味道。
If you are a party animal, you will no doubt love this city as there are many pubs and restaurants here and they have a vibrant nightlife. But to a non-party animal like me, there is not a lot to like about Riga. The travel guide gave rave reviews about Riga’s Old Town, but after the lovely Old Town in Tallinn, Riga’s Old Town was very much a disappointment. You cannot find winding alleys with quaint shops, neither can you see many old buildings here. In fact most of the streets and buildings looked “new” instead of “old”. Although the cobbled stoned streets are very much a distinct feature of old towns, you can’t get much of an old town feel here.这里最有“老”的味道的要数这个著名的圣彼得教堂。这个教堂历史悠久（ 1209年建的），这个塔楼则是在1746年盖上去的，原本有123米高，后来因为几次着火，如今只有70米高。与其他的旅游景点一样，要上塔楼就得卖票（要6新元！）。既然给了那么多钱，到了上面当然是拼命地拍照。还好是能从360度看到整个里加，所以多少没有对入门票那么心痛。
The one building that does screams old is that of the St Peter’s Church. This church, church built in 1209, has a tall tower that used to make it the tallest building in Riga (123m). But after being rebuilt a few times due to it being burnt down, the tower is now 70m tall. As with any tourist attraction, you have to pay a fee in order to take the lift to the top of the tower. After paying 6 SGD for a mere 10 seconds lift ride, I of course had to make sure I get my money worth’s of pictures. Luckily the tower offers a 360 degrees view of the whole city, so I was able to see all of Riga. 入住的青年旅舍就坐落在火车站和巴士站对面（太安静了，整个旅舍就只有我和另一个客人！），而火车站和巴士站旁边就有一个很大的露天市场，另外还有由几栋建筑连接在一起的菜市场。
The hostel which I stayed in (there was only two guests including me) was located right across the bus and train stations. And right beside the bus and train stations, you can find a big open air market. There is also a food and vegetable market located in the many buildings merged as one just next to the open air one. 对里加唯一感兴趣的就是那拉脱维亚历史博物馆。因为拉脱维亚曾经被苏联和纳碎人通知畅达65年，这个博物馆详细地道出拉脱维亚在这65年的经过。所以展览品都附上英文和其他语言的解说，让你可以深刻的了解拉脱维亚人走向独立的挣扎，资料多得我不知不觉就在里面待了两个多小时。最棒的是，博物馆是免费的。
The only thing that captured my interests in Riga was that of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia. Latvia was under the rule of the Soviets and the Nazis for 65 long years. This museum details the life and struggle of Latvians during the occupation and how they finally gained independence. The information was so extensive that I spent more than two hours in the museum without realising it. And the best part to the museum? It was for free.

然后就……没有啦！对啦，这就是里加。所以说，如果你像我这样不是很喜欢夜生活的话，里加对你而言应该没有多大的吸引力。　　～伟
And then there was…… nothing else. Yep. This is Riga. This is why I said right from the beginning, if clubbing is not your thing, there is nothing much in Riga that will keep you here.　　～wei

爱沙尼亚／Estonia

老实说，在爱沙尼亚边境被扣留了将近三个小时，我立刻后悔到这里来，心想，早知道就听另一名背包旅游者的话，不去爱沙尼亚首都塔林，直接从圣彼得堡坐火车到拉托维亚算了。在被关卡人员折腾得半死后，很怀疑这么让人费神的地方真的值得去吗？不过最后还是庆幸有到塔林去。
After being detained at the borders for almost three hours, I must say I immediately regretted my decision to go to Estonia. I was thinking that I should have taken a fellow traveler’s advice and gone straight to Latvia instead. Arriving in the capital city of Estonia, Tallinn, almost six hours behind the original schedule, I was sure that this place will not be worth all the hassle and efforts. In the end, I was glad that I made it to Tallin after all. It was definitely worth all the hard work getting there.

一同被“扣留”的韩国女孩原本是要到波兰去，但因为赶不上其他长途巴士，最后决定跟随我游塔林。一抵达塔林就感到迷惘，因为巴士站距离古镇和我预定的青年旅舍有一段距离。就在我们站在路边，尝试搞清楚该搭什么车到古镇时，一名爱沙尼亚男子自动上前问我们需不需要帮忙。结果我们就这样很幸运地“捡”到一个免费导游，不但领我们到青年旅舍，之后还带我们小游了古镇，最后还带我们去吃东西，让我立刻对爱沙尼亚改观。
The Korean girl who was also detained at the borders was actually heading for Poland. Having missed all her connecting buses, she decided to check out Tallinn together with me. Upon arriving in Tallinn, we felt at a loss since it was already night time and we were not sure which tram to take to get to the Old Town, where the hostel I’ve booked beforehand was. Just as we were still trying to figure things out, an Estonian guy got off the tram he was on and asked if he could help us. Guess heaven decided to take pity on us after such a torturous time at the borders and sent an angel in disguise to help us. Not only did he guide us to the hostel, he even took us on a little tour of Tallin and brought us for some food. It was a great start to Tallinn and totally erased all the bad feelings that I had from the borders check.

真的很喜欢塔林的古镇，非常有中古时代的味道。我们入住的青年旅舍就坐落在古镇中心，也同样很有味道。和其他的旧房子一样，房间超大，天花板又高。最喜欢的是这里的厨房和饭厅，居然是在地下室。
With a medieval feel to the whole Old Town, it was hard not to like this city. The hostel we were staying in was located in the heart of Old Town, in a typical old building, with big airy rooms and tall ceilings. What I liked most about the hostel was the kitchen and dining room, which was located in the basement.
古镇到处都是古中时代的建筑，像是这个市政厅，就有几百年的历史。
You can find lots of buildings with a hint of the medieval times in them, like that of the town hall, which has a few hundred years of history. 这个可称得上是世界上最小的教堂。这个像信箱的呢，听说如果从缝隙里看进去，若看得到自己眼睛的反照，就没有什么罪恶要忏悔的，如果看不到眼睛的反照那就得找神父告解了。
This small building actually contains what could possibly be, the smallest church in the world. This slot found on the outside walls, was said to be used to determine if people have sinned. Apparently, if you peep into the slot and do see the reflection of your eyes, then you have not sinned. But if you do not see the reflection of your eyes, then you have sinned and should quickly look for the priest to make a confession. 这个城墙可是原汁原味的，虽然有部分被破坏了，但已算是欧洲保存最好的旧城墙之一了。如今城墙的一部分被改为小摊位，卖一些纪念品和衣服等。
This city wall that you see is the real deal. Although parts of it was damaged, including one part which was bombed by the Russians so as to make a direct route to the KGB headquarters, a large part of the wall still remains. It is one of the best kept old city walls in Europe. Right now, a small part of the wall has turned into a side street filled with stalls selling clothes and souvenirs. 而这个墙上的纪念牌其实是古墓上的盖，在被挖掘后，把安置在这墙上以便好好保留。
The plaques that you see on this wall are actually those of covers from old coffins. After these are discovered, they are kept on this wall to be preserved.这里的很多建筑虽然都重新粉刷过了，根本不像是什么老建筑，不过每个建筑不管是里面还是外观，仍然都非常有特色。
Although many of the buildings here have had many new coats of paint over the years, looking nothing like an old building, but be it the inside or the outside, many of these buildings have unique designs. 就连在街上卖小吃的也打扮得很有中古时代的味道！这个小吃是由蜂蜜裹着的杏仁。
Even the stall in the street and the cheerful lady behind it, have the medieval times’ touch. The snack you see here is honey coated almonds. 塔林不只是古镇吸引人，连周边我也非常喜欢。虽然是爱沙尼亚首都，但塔林却没有其他国家首都那样的吵闹和喧哗，有的只是一份幽静。无论是爱沙尼亚第一个开放给平民百姓享用的公园，还是周边的住宅区，都显得相当宁静。
Not only do I like the Old Town, I love the other parts of Tallinn too. Although this is the capital city of Estonia, it is not crowded or noisy like the other capital cities. There is quietness to the surroundings which makes one feel relaxed at all times. Whether it is the first park open to the public in Estonia, or the neighborhoods, you will find that it is peaceful everywhere. 我们加入了一个脚踏车游，去了一些平时游客很少会去的地方，好比说爱沙尼亚的总统府。原来爱沙尼亚真的很小，人口只有200多万（比新加坡少了将近一半），所以连总统府也是小小的。我们还骑到了总统府的门前，跟门卫打招呼呢！
We joined a bike tour which took us to some spots not frequented by tourists. One of the places where we stopped by was the Presidential Residence. It turns out that Estonia, with a population of just slightly over 2 million (almost half of Singapore’s population), is such a small place that, even the Presidential Residence is small. Not only is it located in the heart of the city, you can even go right up to the door and say hi to the guards. 然后还去了俄罗斯沙王彼得大帝在这里盖的夏皇宫。
Then we saw the summer palace which the Russian Tsar Peter I the Great built.另外，还去了每隔五年举办歌唱季节的露天歌舞剧院；听说每次都会有至少三万人聚集在这里参加歌唱季节。
We also checked out the open air theatre which hosts the famous singing festival every five years. These singing festivals are so popular that they attract more than 30000 people each time and you can find 3000 singers on the stage at one go sometimes.然后还到了塔林港口去参观，才知道原来芬兰与爱沙尼亚之间的距离有那么小，只要乘坐一个半小时的渡轮，就可以到了。脚踏车游的向导告诉我们，因为一般芬兰人的收入比爱沙尼亚人多三倍，所以芬兰人非常喜欢到塔林来消费；在港口的这些大百货公司和高档餐厅都是针对芬兰游客而开的。可惜的是，这些游客花的钱都不是入爱沙尼亚人的口袋，因为这里的商店大部分是由外省人开的，其中绝大部分是俄罗斯人。
We also went by the harbor in Tallinn and learnt that Estonia and the Scandinavian States are so near to each other that it takes only one and a half hour to reach Tallinn from Helsinki by ferry. Our guide for the bike tour told us that, because the salary of an average Finn is about three times more than that of an Estonian, the Finns love to take the short ferry ride and do their shopping at the Tallinn Harbor. As such, you can find lots of high end restaurants, big shopping centers and supermarkets at the harbor. Alas, most of these restaurants and shops are owned by foreigners, with a large number of them being Russians, so all the tourist bucks do not go into the pockets of Estonians. 最后，我们自己再爬上一座小山，眺望整个塔林。放眼望去，宁静的古镇和清幽的城市，让我们俩都竖起大拇指，说声：“好美丽的城市！”　　～伟
Finally, after the bike tour, we walked up one of the little hills overlooking the whole city. The serene surroundings reminded us once again, how glad we were to make the trip to Tallinn!　　～wei