As I alredy wrote I didn't go to Viljandi Folk

..but then again I was at the Viru Folk, that is less known. Don't even know if it is smaller anymore, but anyway, it is held at the smaller place - Käsmu. Käsmu is a beautiful village on the north coast of Estonia. Absolutely perfect place for such a festival. And as one of my relatives (I normally call him oncle) has a seamuseum there, and as I haven't been really anywhere this summer, haven't even got into the water yet, I decided that it would be good to go there and relax from the ordinary life at home.

Of course I went to Käsmu by hichhiking. Although I could have tried to go straight by smaller roads, I chose to go way round by Tallinn. I knew that hitching a car at the outskirts of Tallinn would be easier (but how easy that was.. about that soon). And I wanted to buy shorts and somekind of lightcoloured summer shirt. That's why I did that 50 km's round. First part from Aruküla to Tallinn was ordinary. Then bought needed things, and finaly set my steps to Lasnamäe (outer eastern part of the city). I was already walking the highway, but as still in the city where cars don't stop for hitchhikers, I walked on. Suddenly I heared a signal behind me. No, it wasn't anyone I know. There was a big black Dodge SUV (similar to those what are used in american movies for secret agencies), but from the front window I saw some young people to wave me. So I went by, and I couldn't have been more surprised - they asked if I'm going to Viru Folk. I have got on to car only moments after rising my hand, but it has never happened to me that a car stops before I even get to hitching. Moreover, Madis, Timo and Heili were my prime companions through these three following days. They were really friendly. When we got to Käsmu they even feed me with the salad Heili had made. Timo and Madis had guitars with them, so it was really good time singing with them, and Madis, as a guy who had roots in Saaremaa (that greatest of Estonian islands), had good share of humor too. They even asked me to go to Haapsalu with them a week later (that is today), where is August Blues Festival, but well, as weather is quite rainy and my cash is also getting out, and I still have six drawings to do for Kudrun, I will pass that.

These three days were perfect. All the people there was so friendly, and all the time it seemed that like we would have all the time in the world. I even didn't have to buy tickets to concerts as my uncle gave me the pass for the entire festival. So I got to see and hear much more good bands and musicians than I hoped. I even had lost hope to get to Kirtana Rasa's concert (one of my favourites and one of the prime reasons I even wanted to go there in the first place), as it was one of the few taking place indoors (and in the quite small hall too), and therefore only those who had the day or entire festival pass, get there. Again, lucky me! Kirtana Rasa was absolutely magical.. in both literaly, as some of their music is Indian raagas, which have healing and other powers.. and magical as these were just like fairytales. Their music was so beautiful that it brought shivers on my skin and a little tear into eye.

Another thing that I really wanted to see (and yes this time seeing was absolutely as essential as hearing,.. not that Kirtana Rasa would not have lost some of its magic when I would have just heared it from the CD), was the concert of Ichitaro - a Japanese drummer. It was unbelievable how fast and accurate his movements were. He didn't have a shirt, so every movement was seen in his muscles.. just amazing, not just but.. oh, I don't have words. When the concert ended, I went to personally thank him, meaning I got to use a little of my Japanese language (well I have forgotten most, I even couldn't say what's the clock in Japanese when he asked me that before the start of the concert). Ichitaro has been in Estonia already many summers, and he said that next year he is coming too.. so perhaps for the next year I re-learn it.

To others who don't know.. alittle strange fact. Probably you know how some cultural traits are tending to be present in the places that historically don't have absolutely nothing to do with eachothers. Like how similar are ancient Egypt and Mayans. Same way Estonians and Japanese have amazingly similar nature of people, some culture (for example ancient Japanese houses were more similar to Estonian ones than any of European, Russian or even Scandinavian ones.. for example, I don't remember exactly was it Japanese Emperor or some other important man, who visiting Estonian Open Air Museum where old peasant houses are preserved and old commons are introduced, got tears into his eyes and said that Estonians and Japanese must be somehow related), and Japanese Shinto belief is much closer to our animistic belief of forefathers than the Scandinavian polytheism, and as much as can be compared, Estonian warriors were as proud as Japanese ones,.. and japanese as many as I know, always feel almost like in home in Estonia, they learn our language more quickly than even Russians here, and when I learned japanese, I too felt some weird similarity to Estonian. Ok, that's that.

Back to Folk then. Then there were these nightclub parties in first of which Kudrun's boyfriend Martin was the DJ. Especially his party was total success.. house was filled with dancers, and he too got personal thanks from few, one even got his contacts to call him to some other party to play. I have yet much to learn about DJ work.. soon I go to visit them in Tartu, then I let Martin to give me some pointers.

Second night was somewhat more boring. For some reason, most people was outside on the balcony. Heh.. most time even I (singed with my new friends). Well, for some time I went to dance too, but certainly less than in the previous night.. in the first party I danced all the time. Unlike most others, I don't fear going straight to the dancefloor and dance even alone. I even like so.. I like not to ask a girl to dance.. at least not at once. I like to make girls to desire me first, to lure them to me, to see which one of them is confident enough to get acquinted with me. And that is how it went. At one time I decided to go out to breth some air too, when suddenly one really pretty and energetic girl took from my hand and said: "don't go away". Now she's in my head, and damn.. I don't even remember her name. Only thing I know that she learned German in the same university as me. Ok.. in some sense it is relief that she disappeared, as I still feel that my secret crush is too strong to fall for any other girl.

After the party the sun was rising and at the beach everything seemed perfect (should count how many times I have already used that word). Now it truely felt like time has stopped, because there was not even the slightest windbreeze and therefore also the sea was like mirror. 5 o'clock in the morning I went to swimm and when I got to the tent I still couldn't sleep. So I found that behind the museumhouse, there was really early lecture about the history of Käsmu and the nature around. By the way every morning there were some lectures. Second morning I listened lecture about the swords, the history of Estonian warrior culture, and the alternate cultural aspects and importance of the swords.

Päivä on nuori niin kuin vastasyntynyt. (Raapana - Finnish great reggae wisdom)

(meaning: The day is young as a newborn child)

Still I got few hours sleep on every morning, and although in the evening I had to drink wine with lots of coffe to not to fall asleep (remember, remember this formula; normaly I don't even drink coffee, but coffee and sweet red wine together are really good), I was all the time quite full of energy and good feelings.

Oh, and I met two new relatives.. in both cases in a pretty weird circumstances. No more comments on that. And I ate even raw fish with sour cream, sweet garlic, tomatos and potatoes.. of which the raw fish is normally absolutely off limits for me. So, only thing left undone was the conquering of viking longboat that sailed around the bay there.

Until the next hitchhiking trip!

Love you all!