Getting Freaky in Helsinki (Part 1)

It's been 3 months since I relocated to London, travel hub of the world, and it was about time I took advantage of it. I moved into a 5 bedroom flat alongside 3 kiwis (Nick, James, and Max) and an Aussie couple (Ashley and Xavier), all equipped with feet as itchy as my own.  Nick, the missing band member from Flight of the Conchords, has a dry sarcastic sense of humor, witty yet corny jokes to throw back at your every sentence, and an unconventional beard that outwardly reflects his unconventional personality.  This lad is game for anything, so long as it's happening after 10 a.m... 
James's appearance also presents some internal insight.  His wild curly locks go hand-in-hand with his care-free demeanor, and has a laid-back attitude that offers a relaxed vibe to any room.  Xavier is your ideal travel companion: always goes with the flow, and has a flexible personality that adjusts well to new situations. 
Flight Delayed?  Missed your bus?  Feeling a little under the weather?  It's Ash's time to shine.  This girl rocks a bubbly personality, always sports a smile,  and would likely respond "cuddles and hugs" when questioned about her favorite pastime.
Max has a presence that you have to experience to understand.  She's often times reserved around strangers which can be mistaken for a hint of shyness, but don't let it fool you;  this girl is sharp, driven, and will put anyone in line.  Pair her confidence with striking dark features and you've got yourself a recipe for an endless trail of smitten men (and stalkers).


The Clan

When Max suggested we take an extended weekend trip to Finland and Estonia, it didn't take asking twice for us to jump onboard.  Thursday night found us cruising on a Norweiginer Air flight to greet the chilly temperatures of Helsinki. 

Perhaps it was due to the fact I was a little run down from the busy work week, or the insanely high prices (I think Mexico would declare war on Finland if they found out Avacados were sold at €6 a piece), or the sub-zero temperatures accompanied by a bitter wind that stung your cheeks bright red every time you stepped out the door, but I couldn't fully appreciate Helsinki to the degree I thought it deserved to be appreciated.  The most memorable part of visiting that city was finally meeting Chanelle's best friend from the Rotary Club, Iida.  Cute as a button, and intelligent enough to give Catherine a run for her money (who can speak 5 languages at 23 years old?), Iida offered an afternoon of great conversation, and proved to be a phenomenal tour guide in a city she'd only visited herself a handful of times.  We took the ferry from Market Square to explore the Suomenlinna fortress, a short 20 minute ride off the coast.  Travelling Europe in the off-season was proving to be a bittersweet experience.  On one hand, it's a rare treat to have the freedom to fully explore and gather an accurate portrayal of a place without being crushed at all angles by a mob of tourists.  On the other hand, it's freezing!   We didn't stay long before returning to the hostel to warm-up with traditional Finnish spiced hot wine, and indulge in cake and our duty-free bottles of gin to celebrate Nick's birthday. 

Suomenlinna

Iida and myself on the way to Suomenlinna

As the clock struck 10 p.m., we ventured out to discover what the Helsinki night-life had to offer.  Turns out, it's not a lot.  This might have been influenced by our decision to take the tram to the outskirts of the city in search of drinks under €10 a glass. It was one dive bar after the next, where rowdy locals were spotted in a drunken stupor thoroughly enjoying their Friday night.  On the bright side, they were quite friendly at this stage, and managed to point us in the direction of the one and only night-club around. Note to self: the only night-club in the middle of the dive-bar area will most likely be a dive-night-club.  It was still early and therefore not much activity going on inside, aside from one weirdo flying solo on the dance floor.  I do say "flying" solo because he was certainly not grounded. One glance at this guy and it was easy to tell he had either drank an entire bottle to himself, or was on copious amounts of drugs (or both).  At one point I felt slightly bashful watching him repeatedly dry hump a pole in the middle of the dance floor;  I felt I was infringing on an intimate moment between him and his personified lover.  


Go Get 'em Tiger

Either Nick wanted to give him some moral support, or invite the pretty girl next to him to dance (my money's on the latter), but he jumped up to become a second body on the dance floor, busting moves almost as ridiculous as Mr. Dopey's beside him.  Take this as a tip: 1970's dance moves seem to be an ideal way to pick-up the ladies. The Finnish girl Nick had been chatting to eagerly rose to meet the 'So You Think You Can't Dance' challenge.  Then again, this could just be Nicholas MacDonald.  I'm sure he could casually stroll down a street with a girl, suggest they get it on in a bush, and she'd be keen.

When we had our fill of watching the train-wreck of horrendous dance moves, we all piled into a taxi and made our way to the evenings final destination: McDonalds. Have to love those golden arches.  Their slogan should really be: "Serving the drunk and hungover around the world" (does anyone eat there sober?).  Unfortunately, even after a greasy meal fix, the early wake-up call to catch the Ferry to Estonia was a most unpleasant one.  If a picture says 1,000 words...

Good Effort Team