Discovering Estonia:a new reportage across the country - First Night in Sillamae
Giovanni Angioni
"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.
[ http://tallinn.cafebabel.com/en/post/2008/07/27/Discovering-Estonia%3A-First-night-in-Sillamae
]
gricer
> ]
A group of us visited the place in 1995. There were no restrictions
whatever, and we could wander about as we pleased....even around the
'radioactive lake'. No-one wanted to hide anything. Indeed, a local
tourist information office actually sold a report written in English
concerning the potential pollution problem, so they obviously got a
number of 'nuclear tourists' even then.
Dr. Barry Worthington
Giovanni Angioni
Unfortunately nowadays is not that easy anymore to access to that
area...but I will try again sometime soon!
G.Angioni