Ok so I finally got to Sortavala on Saturday. It is billed as a gem of Finnish architecture (it was on the other side of the border before the war) and as most Finnish towns are a collection of non descript white concrete boxes near a lake I thought I would take a look. I left at 7.15 and arrived at 13.30, the bus was clearly having gearbox trouble and took pot holed B roads the whole way so not the fastest journey, but the countryside was stunning (a few photos to post later). I also got to use the first drop toilet I have seen since I was last in Russia and I reccomend they are best used when the weather is cold not hot.
Anyway I got their at 13.30 and had a ticket to return at 16.00 which didn't leave a lot of time for lunch and sight seeing and the plan was to amend the return ticket, but I soon discovered that the town consisted of a load of white concrete boxes near a lake and I decided that two and a half hours were quite enough.
Sadly the return bus was not available as it had a problem with the gear box but I was given a replacement ticket for a "gazelle bus" which makes the journey in only two and a half hours. I had a walk in the woods for two hours as something to do before getting on the minibus and we set off. Soon it bacame clear that the reason this bus took three and a half hours less is that although it followed almost the same route but without a couple of detours the driver drives like an absolute nutter and doesnt worry about driving straight into / over the numerous potholes or stopping for comfort breaks.
I got back home with a headache from where my head had been banging againgst the roof of the bus. The morale of this story is that in Russia it is often better to travel slowly than to arrive.
PS My mum informs me that Ceps are a wild mushroom - so now you know.
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2 comments:
Don`t talk to me about toilets until you`ve used communal ones in small Greek villages - yes and its always hot.
Big news - Tranmeres 1990 team are in the final of the masters - live on sky - beat Liverpool and Dirty Everton in round robin.
"first drop toilet" please explain??!!
You returned on a '"gazelle bus" which makes the journey in only two and a half hours'' begs the question, why didn't you use this to get there??
Headache due to banging head on roof of bus, yeah, right...too much Russian schanpps....;)
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