M-whY

As small as Estonia is, it manages to place a second city in the guidebooks. Hara was finishing up her breakfast in the dining room, and afterwards, the two of us set out to catch a Tartu bound bus. Flashing her ISIC student card earned her a 15 kroon (US$1 = 12 kroon) discount. I had no such ID on me and had to pay full fare (90 kroons).

"You don't have one? You can buy them in Khao San Road (Bangkok)," said Hara.

"I didn't think to," I admitted. "I didn't know they'd be so useful in Europe."

Tartu claims to be the spiritual capital of Estonia. Considering it's primarily a university town, yes, I'm sure there are lots of spirits flowing. Signs of academia were ubiquitous: Cafes all offered wifi connectivity and the community had its fair share of museums. Statues of Estonian poets and scholars were showcased in every park, including the original Statue of Two Wildes, depicting an hypothetical conversation between two contemporary writers, the Irish Oscar Wilde and Estonian Eduard Wilde. Best exemplifying the school spirit had to be a fountain statue of kissing students under an umbrella placed in front of town hall. Only unveiled in 1998, it's quickly been embraced as Tartu's icon.

Following a walking route outlined by an information center pamphlet, Hara and I headed up Toomemagi Hill. Poking arond the observatory, we discovered it was off limits to visitors, and we headed off in search of other things to satisfy our inquisitive minds. The setting reminded me lots of the Princeton campus. I never attended the Ivy League institution, but spent enough time living nearby that I saw resemblances. The wooded grounds had a studious mood, the cafe would've blended in perfectly on Nassau St. The grand cathedral, which used to house the University Library before being transformed into the University of Tartu History Museum. The sacrificial stone, one of 400 around the country, was an Estonian touch, where students might come before exams to seek divine intervention, and behind it, the bridge they might jump off should they fail. Fittingly, the latest offering appeared to be a bottle of brandy.

"Who is this?" Hara wondered as we passed our tenth bust on a pedestal.

"Some Estonian author," I read off the pamphlet.

"Really!" She took a picture. "I love writers!" Probably a reason why she was studying english in England, I was tempted to play myself off as a writer. If only I had gotten one those fake freelance journalist badges in Thailand too...

I managed to weasel my way into the Botanical Gardens at the student price, though even at seven kroons (US$1 = 12 kroons), it felt like a ripoff. Surrounded by coeds all afternoon made me nostalgic for college life... The midnight buffets at Eat'N'Park, 3:00pm classes, the mad rush to complete an assignment two hours before its due. While partaking in another popular pastime during those days, Hara reminded me my life outside the ivory towers hasn't been that miserable.

"I don't want to return to school," she sighed. Her flight back to England left tomorrow. "I'd rather be travelling."

Yeah, now that I think about it, so would I.

Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!