Week 4 - 23rd April -> 29th April

This week's blog post is earlier than usual, because I will be back in Finland over the weekend and therefore, won't be reporting on Lithuania ;)

Needless-to-say, I have almost spent a month here in Lithuania already, and have forgotten how true the phrase, 'time flies' really is! Especially while on Erasmus. I have forgotten how much of a whirlwind experience Erasmus is - moving to a new place; being baffled by a crazy, foreign language; meeting a countless number of people and having that same polite, introductory conversation about who you are, where you're from, what you study, etc. etc., so many times that you're considering just writing it on a Post-it note and sticking it to your head. While this is a necessary and interesting process, the fun really begins when you've made it through this initial settling in stage. 


Anyway, I have been enjoying the healthy mix of meeting new people and catching up with others. While I met some great folks on a couple of trips to the Dutchman's Hat and Nida, I also encountered those I've met before when losing my Kiwi virginity. 

Kiwi club can be seen on the bottom-left.

Perhaps this needs explained... One of the very first sights to be pointed out to me, before I was even shown my accommodation on my first day, was the club situated right next to my dorm. 'Do you like clubs?' my new tutor asked. I said, 'Sometimes, yeah.' In truth, now that I'm on my way to turning 24, I'm being drawn away from the club scene. More often, I prefer to settle in a pub with friends where I can hear what they're saying to me, or chill out on a friend's sofa with a nice, wee cup of tea. Having said that, I am partial to a good (maybe girly) night out, dancing the night away to decent music. To continue, the club that my tutor was refering to was 'Kiwi' and I can see it from my bedroom window, it's literally right next to where I live. So, it was inevitable that I would lose my Kiwi virginity at some point, and I did. My lovely neighbours invited me out with them, and while there, I spotted some other internationals whom I'd met on the study weekend a couple of weeks ago. It was great to see them again, and enjoy a wee boogie together.

Our lovely group at the Dutchman's Hat.

The trips mentioned, to the Dutchman's Hat and Nida, were organised by those kind Lithuanians who don't mind leading the eager and curious foreigners around their beautiful country. The Dutchman's Hat isn't far from Klaipeda and can be reached by simply using a local city bus. It is a beautiful, sandy beach (yes, another one! :)) set beneath a cliff of sand and soil, topped with a forest. It's said to be called so because of a ship that sink not far from there called, 'The Dutchman', and one day a hat of one of the sailors was found ashore, hence the name the Dutchman's Hat. This is one of several possible stories that may explain the name of this wonderful, scenic place. We had a fantastic day there, enjoying the sunshine with a stroll along the beach, a picnic, and casual games of frisbee and Uno. An afternoon well spent.
 
As for Nida, we were not so lucky with the weather, but it was enjoyable all the same. Nida is a popular holiday resort about 50km from Klaipeda, on the Curonian Spit. It is home to some of the highest sand dunes in Europe, which was a welcome pleasure for us, as it was the only thing able to protect us from the wind! From the top, we could see across to Russia (Kaliningrad) but didn't venture that far without the necessary visa requirements. Luckily, our Lithuanian friends had a back-up plan if the weather turned bad, and led us to an cosy Amber Museum. It cost us 2Lt (~60cents) and with it we received a free postcard, access to a fabulous exhibition and gallery, and a great explanation of how amber is formed. Prior to my time in Lithuania, I wasn't such a big fan of amber, particular amber jewellery, but they seem to be convincing me otherwise. Perhaps now I would happily accept a nice pair of amber ear-rings. 

My favourite set of sculptures from the Hill of Witches.

On the way back to catch the ferry to Klaipeda, we stopped at the so-called 'Hill of Witches'. This is a magical, fairytale place, steeped with folklore and legends in the form of wooden sculptures scattered over a rounded hill cursed by witches. After touring the hill, it's advised to rid yourself of the witches' curse by jumping on one foot and making the sound of a rooster (yes, we did this and yes, it was caught on video and could well appear on YouTube...). 


As mentioned before, despite the thrill of meeting new people, there is the warm sentiment of catching up with those you've met before. For me, this was back in Klaipeda, with two sweet Lithuanian girls, whom I met in Turku after moving to Finland in August 2011. I'm glad they took the time to meet with me, and ask me why on earth I am in Lithuania! As I answered with pleasure, they showed me around some local hide-outs that I would never have noticed had they not have shown me. Moreover, I finally tried the famous cheese fingers that many people have told me to try here! They are deep fried cheese fingers served with a tasty dip - so bad but soo good!

To review, I began this post bewildered with the realisation that one month of my time in Lithuania has already passed, and I have two months left. But it's true, those two months will probably fly by as well, and before I know it I'll be battling with the weight allowance of my luggage again, and boarding another plane. This got me thinking of all the things I would like to do here, and the places I would like to see, so I made a list and consulted my calendar. As a result, I have almost filled up every weekend of the next two months with plans to explore Lithuania more - including places like Kaunas, Vilnius and Palanga, and enjoying the annual jazz festival right here in Klaipeda. I'm looking forward to whatever the next two months will bring :)