Here it is

World Trip 2006

San Francisco
New York
Helsinki
Berlin
Bangkok

Helsinki

7th Oct - Hyvaa huomenta Helsinki! - My arrival was a little strange. I think I may have been in New York too long.   I sat in the back seat of the taxi wishing the driver would go faster.   It's not like I had to be anywhere. It was 9 o'clock in the morning.    But I do know that I was dog tired. I had slept just 2 hours on the plane and skipped a night on the way over here.   So when I got to the hotel I asked if they could make a room available soon. And in the meantime I went to the hotel restaurant to tuck in to their breakfast spread.   It wasn't long before I was in my room getting some sleep.
My Hotel Helka room reminds me a lot of the IKEA rooms which are set up to show you how much you can do with a very small space.   My room is quite small (maybe 15 sq metres)... but I like it.    It's quite cold here but the room is cosey and warm.    The room serves up free internet, 15 TV channels (just a few shows in english) and a shower head next to the toilet to wash your butt.... what more could you possibly want?    Oh....   and there is a hanging mural from the ceiling above the bed...   which hangs across the ceiling.   So when you lie on the bed you are facing the mural. It seems to be some forest scene.   I really like it.
I've only walked a little around here this afternoon after a longer than expected sleep. I went to "Hesser Burger" for dinner.    The people here seem quite beautiful.   There is something quite sweet about the Finns.   Not sure quite what it is yet. But Ill write more later. Oh.... and how many natural blondes are here!
Tonite it's Saturday night so I'm gonna walk over to see a bar called Bar Stuff which is a few blocks away.   Then tomorrow I will start doing some touring.   Helsinki looks like a really beautiful place.
UPDATE: Okay...    i might just be writing this part a little bit drunk. so please disregard my mispellings. I went to a bar in helsinki tonite called Bar Stuff.   A bit boring... not much happening. The guy behind the bar said I had to go outside and around the back for the leather dress code bar (not sure why he had to tell me this... but he also gave me a card for his clothing store). So after a few Finnish beers I headed round the block and eventually found a dark deserted alleway. And way up around the back past the garbage dumpsters I found a door with "Tom's Club" (ithink) and private club written on the door.   So i went in.   I wasn't wearing leather... apart from my boots... but the guy said "you can come in".   I quickly joined a table of guys and warned them that I only spoke english. From there the beers flowed frequently as we swapped jokes about Australians and the Finns.   It was really a good night.   The boys went on to a place called Hercules...   but as I was already walking sideways I decided to call it a night...   I need to be a tourist in the morning.
UPDATE 2: In Tom's Bar they were playing a p0rno where these guys jumped in a car hwich had just ran over a man, gave each other a long passionate kiss with a dead bloodied man in the background as they drove off.   And in the next scene after much sex was had a man broke in with a machine gun, shot everyone accept the man that was strung up against the wall and then took him away. I guess he was being rescued.   But the point I am trying to make is that it was all so violent!    Amazing stuff!   What a great night out in Helsinki...

8th Oct - Sunday in Finland - My head hurts. But I will still go out and tour the city today. Its strange how quiet the city is. I think only the tourists are braving the cold weather out on the streets today. I walked down through the city to the harbour where all the beautiful old boats are moored and people are selling everything from fresh seafood to fur scarves. I really like Helsinki. Everything seems close and within walking distance of my hotel. Later in the afternoon I met up with Timo who took me out for a few beers at a nearby cafe. The afternoon went really quickly. It seem like morning light lasts till almost midday, and then from 1pm the sun seems to be going down again. It really is odd weather. Timo suggested I come back in the summer when the sun only disappears for 2 or 3 hours each night. Later on after a fast food Mexican dinner I went to the Finnkino to see Nicholas Cage star in "World Trade Centre". I had lo expectations which made it quite a good movie. I found it bizzare that the audience laughed at an inappropriate moment in the film... but it could have just been a break in an awkward moment for the audience. Later in the film I could see quite a lot of people in tears.
I'm having trouble sleeping again. I must have fallen asleep around 5am and then slept through the hotel's breakfast time.

9th Oct - Crazy Days - Is the name of the sale the big department store "Stockmann's" will have here later this week.   I did my shopping today, buying some Diesel jeans and some hoodies from H&M and JCs.   I really like the fashions here... but it's all winter gear. So it won't be any good in Australia till next year.   Box number 2 was sent to Australia today :)
I've eaten so much junk food since I've been here.   But I am impressed by the McDonalds here which has Nokia gaming machines attached to each table.   How cool is that?
Oh... and did I mention how attractive all the Finns are?   I've never so many blondes in the one city!

10th Oct - Goodbye Finland - I must go back there and spend more time touring sometime. I think it would be really interesting to go further north into Lapland.     It's a 5am start today....   which is no problem since I cannot sleep.   So when my TV popped on to wake me up I was already up and typing email.   The taxi ride to the airport quickly became uncomfortable as I questioned the 8 Euro flag fall.   I had asked jut in case the meter had been running since his previous fare.   He grumbled something about it being a special fee because "it's night time".    After thinking about it some more I decided that it was a crazy excuse... or he had not explained it properly.   Imagine when it's winter when he can charge the hefty flag fall for 21 hours of each day!    The price of the ride was still cheaper than my ride to from the airport....    I am always suspicious of taxi drivers in foriegn countries.   Especially as they leave the airport they ask if it's your first time there.   A "yes" means be prepared to take the long route. When did I become such a mean traveller?
The flight was delayed... eventually we took off in the Finnair plane and landed 2 hours later in Berlin.   I do really like Berlin for all it's sharp polished surfaces and too cool for school looks.   I checked in to the guesthouse and found that they have added another floor below.   I'm not sure it's as nice as the top floor where I stayed before, and the net access is cable only, and slower.    Oh... and I think I am the only person staying in this part of the building... which kinda freaks me out.   But they have added a nice big dining room and a bain marie (spelling?).    I can't wait to see what's for breakfast.
Tonite in the supermarket I got bailed up by an American tourist. She wanted to chat so much. I got the feeling she had been holding back from speaking english to the locals all day and needed to let it out.
Tonite I will sleep...   I need sleep.

PHOTOS

The hanging mural above my bed	Finnish design?			Central Station
	Aleksnaterinkatu street for shopping	The huge department store	Getting ready for the Crazy Days sale
	That's a skinny tram		Sent.ori Square
	Kauppatori (Fish Markets)
		Do I have to explain this to tourists everyday?	Seafood and berries are Helsinki's big sellers

The bright new Kampi shopping centre	The moustache is in this season	Moustache or hairlip?			Aussie Bar
		McDonalds.. it's so warm in here