Discovering Estonia: First night in Sillamae
“Where?! "
"Why do you want to go there?”
Once in my hotel and after a not-too-bad chicken with Greek cheese and herbes
provençale I tried to ask to the young guy sitting in the lobby if he knew
anyone crazy enough to joining me for my nuclear tourism.
“Do you know how to get to the old nuclear factory?”
“Where?! Why do you want to go there? It is strictly forbidden, it is a border zone. You cannot go in there. It is dangerous”
I seriously appreciate his try to keep me away from that place as I could not keep my ironic smile hidden when I have seen the expression of his eyes when I named such a place, but this will not keep me far from my try.
I know I will never manage to go where I would – not this time, but a cab will be outside here at 10am for bringing me till the last reachable place before the factory. The last step before hell.
Anyway, the city is somehow better than expected.
At first I have to admit that I started to regret my choice of running here
alone: Soviet dark blocks and not too friendly looking people were the only
things I could see.
But after a short walk I finally got to the centre of the city where, even tho the looks I got from locals did not change at all, at least the buildings got much prettier and warm.
The hotel – only one in town – is nice, offers free internet connection and includes a quite bizarre breakfast. While paying for my night I also had to fill a paper specifying the time I will be downstairs and also what I would like to eat.
I even had to write down “cold water”.
Everything else is fine except for the absurdly warm room and a shower which reminded me of my childhood, when I had to make the tour of my house before every shower: as at that time I have just discovered that is someone in this floor is up to a warm shower is better to wait.
Giovanni Angioni
Kadri
Comments
Yes! Exactly the same - in the Krunk hotel - what a name - and the extraordinary breakfast ritual - I believe the cook had been called in to work especially for me - I thought I might be in some Frankenstein movie. I am pretty sure I was the only guest .....
... as I imagine you discovered ... the uranium extraction has ceased but there is profitable heavy metal extraction still. i had a long conversation with one of the guards at the factory gate.... the parents of the previous owner of my flat both worked in the factory .... heroic workers of the new atomic age of unlimited energy for everyone - I imagine. Or was the motive primarily the atomic bomb? At any rate a rather beautiful and luxurious place to live in Soviet times .... and nothing to do with propaganda for the west - the place was a complete secret. You know they used to keep palm trees in greenhouses through the winter and in the Summer place them by the grand steps on the boulevard to the sea...!