Топик: Talking about Estonia

(As American)

Comparing Estonia to American cities it amazes with small-sized towns. Obviously the biggest difference is the people. However in different towns, either if it is capital or border type, there are different situations. From one point, the Estonian’s are very kind and hard-working, and on the contrary, who lives in the Russian society becomes very angry, lazy, and rude, however it happens not at all the times. Like in USA nationalities stay in their own areas of the city, Estonia is divided into “race groups” over the whole country with its one and a half million population. Frankly speaking, as I have learned from people’s opinions, the number of Russians is decreasing.

As for the service level, it’s lower than ours. Although, many shops, like super- and hyper- markets, which in some regions are rarity, are open until ten or eleven o’clock. Thus working all day long is not typical for this country. All the people treat with each other in this sphere very well. Naturally, market competition have always been present everywhere.

During holidays people have a good rest, making up for the next coming week. The shops are even open there, but working part-time daylight hours. I have been to Estonian Republic in the winter season, I could not feel delights of lying under the summer sun on the sandy beaches, as heard from the words of my talkers. Though, the same things and even better, like I suppose, we should have in Florida or other states of USA, especially that region, where I used to live to.

Talking of transport, I would like to say that there are no such strains on it during the rush hour, as we have commonly. It’s a dreadful problem, to try catching a taxi. It is more terrible is to use untidy and dirty buses on some of the routes in the town.

Summing up all the conditions that you have in Estonia, the only words describing nation state situation is “a hope in prosperity” of it. All is just in the future. Maybe inferiority regarding to other well-growing soon will be forgotten.

Package tourists or backpacking travellers in your region?

Travelling has really taken off nowadays. It is good to exist in a role of a tourist, broadening your mind, however many people today believe that tourism, which has been very industrialized, ruins everything that it touches. Is it so in fact? Experienced specialists and analytics distinguish two types of people who travel: package tourists and backpacking travellers. Of course, we cannot completely “reject” travelling, but it is possible to decide who is better for us, for our region, our country.

Package tourists in common are provided with prearranged plans by travel agencies. They always stay on designed routes, following the specific schedule; travel around by special tourists coaches, planes, ships. These people are usually well-off and spend more money on their needs, while travelling abroad. This way they contribute more to the economy of the country they stopover.

Second “sort” of travellers is backpacking travellers, who are commonly worse-off. More often than not, they are students, which cannot afford staying at hotels, as rich package tourists do. They use public transport to get to the place they want, thus loading it for the local inhabitants. Resident population notice that “backpackers” pollute the area with litter more than they do their selves.

In the conclusion, I just want to say that my personal preference is connected with the way package tourists like to travel. They are more organized and bring less damage to our region. However, unfortunately, famous places are still being ruined by the travellers.