Day 15: Swamps and Bogs

Down to the last page of the schedule. To the last adventures in Estonia. To the last restaurants and cobblestone streets and faces and confusions while trying to order doughnuts.

Today was one of the more different excursions during our trip, off to the realms of the the Soomaa nature reserve, to become one with nature. Of course, becoming one with nature consists mostly of flailing as mosquito and other bugs come from all angles of attack, and we had a good dose of that. The enthusiasm and experience of our guide, however, pulled us through the worse and presented us the best the reserve had to offer.

Certainly, he guide had a flair that got me interested in the most odd details about the local bog and swamp area. From the flytrap plants that drapple the bog with red to the animal life that swims the river.

It started off with a 7 km canoe trip, which I paddled through well, despite some slight zig-zagging which my parner tried to fend off as best she could. We traveled between untouched forests...untouched because the area used to be off limits due to a local Russian army base. Dragonflies hovered in our wake and the occasional horsefly caused some canoe rocking.

The second part was the slight hike through the woods, which turned into a good natured flailing jog to avoid bugs. Mercifully, the bug wave subsided on the bog. The area looked not unlike scenes of the savanna in Africa, large grassy expanse filled with straggled trees. The grass was actually more moss, which was bouncy when stepped on, half the color of dried grass that fought with redness. (Red seemed to be a theme in the bog, including the odd red hue of the lakes.)

Definitely an impressive adventure into the wilds of Estonia, even more-so than our island visit. The bugs speak greatly of U.P. wilderness.

The trip finished up with best darn homemade meal that we've been served this entire trip. Stew, homemade bread and cake and meat-filled pastries. The mouthwatering content is impossibly to properly describe.