Day 1
Monday, August 21st
First day of cycling - from Tallinn to Leesi

The TOP 10 List of the Day "The Top Ten Things to Do in Tallinn" 1. Chilling in one of the many saunas of the city. 2. Enjoying the best Reggae Parties of the Baltics. 3. Guessing about the strange Russian buildings visible at the hemisphere. 4. Watching the ferries arrive in Tallinn harbor (or is it port?) and hoping the Americans arrive. 5. Walking, walking, walking - all over town! 6. Getting married (if not now at least in a couple of years). 7. Asking Gerli abut the fireworks on Independence Day. 8. Waiting for the fireworks on Independece Day. 9. Did we already mention Sauna? 10. Asking the security personell to take pictures of us.

After an early start at 8 in the morning, Alex drove around town to collect everyone's luggage and toss it into the bus. Meeting point for all bikers was Fat Margaret's tower (see information below), where a chat with the head of Estonia's Green Party, Marek Strandberg was scheduled for 9 am. Mr. Strandberg introduced the bikers into Estonian politics and explained to them the results of Uranium storage by Soviet authorities and the pollution caused by nuclear waste. A brief discussion about the future use of nuclear power ensued and the bikers were stunned by Mr. Strandberg's expertise.

After this political meeting, the bikes had to be picked up at the rental shop. Each biker had to pick out his own partner for the next two weeks and while some were luckier than others (Nino's bike had its first flat tire before they even left Tallinn), all the bikes were in good shape and would surely make the journey around the Baltic. In the picture, Pauli and the guy from the bike store are fixing a pedal on on of the bikes.

Returning to the Fat Margaret tower, the group was met by Estonian national television, reporters of the country's biggest newspaper and some radio journalists, who interviewed Meelis, Alex and the rest of the group and were eager to find out more about the motives of the trip. The radio played the report about the international group of medical students all day and the Estonian IPPNW group was grateful for the publicity it received through the tour.

Although under pressure to meet their own deadline, the bikers were scheduled to leave Tallinn around 10 a.m. from their starting point, Fat Margaret's Tower. Well equipped and motivated the 20 IPPNW-athletes started their information and awareness tour through Estonia, Russia and Finland. On the picture you can see Josh, Tova and Gert cycling downhill a few kilometers outside of Tallinn.

In the evening, the group had covered its first 60 km and had reached the campsite near Leesi. Situated on a peninsula jutting out into the sea, the campsite was only a few meters from the beach and the crew was quick to take a soothing bath in the clear Baltic...

Having delivered the army tent, the luggage and the rations to the campsite, Meelis and Alex had to return to Tallinn one more time in the late evening in order to pick up three last bikers, who had just made their way by ferry and plane to the Estonian capital: André Michel from Ireland, Michael Gnilo from the Philippines and Ehase Agyeno from Nigeria. Ahmed Saada from Egypt had not been granted an Estonian visa and would meet the group in Russia. This picture captures the joyous welcoming ceremony at Tallin's ferry port.

Once everyone had reached the campsite, a fire was started by Eeva, the outdoor girl and Nino started to produce one great sausage after the other, earning himself the honorary German title of Wurstmaster! It would not be the last campfire and it would not be the last dinner of great Estonian sausage...

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Estonian History 101 - Fat Margaret's Tower When the Great Coastal Gate and its fortifications were built in the early 14th Century Tallinn's harbour was just outside the city walls and the gate was one of the major access points through the walls of Tallinn and into the city. The cannon tower, 82 m (25 feet) in diameter and with 5m (17 feet) thick walls, was added in the early 16th Century to give the harbour area additional protection, its bulk earning it the nickname "Fat Margaret"

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August 18th in the Estonian Magazine "Postimees":
http://www.postimees.ee/190806/esileht/siseuudised/213838.php

August 18th in the Estonian Magazine "Eesti Päevaleht Online":
http://www.epl.ee/artikkel/351329

Mentioning of the BBT found on August 20th on the homepage of the "Gruene Liga Berlin":
http://www.grueneliga-berlin.de/

August 22nd You can see news with Alex and Meelis interviews on the internet:
http://www.etv24.ee/index.php?0534940
    21.08.2006 - Aktuaalne kaamera (vene keeles) + Eestimaa Vene Muuseumi ekspeditsioon:        
    Saksa 2 - in russian (clip starts 10:32)
    21.08.2006 - Aktuaalne kaamera kell 21:00 - in Estonian (last clip)

August 22nd in the biggest Estonian newspaper "Postimees":
http://www.postimees.ee/220806/esileht/siseuudised/214176.php?r

August 23nd in the German newspaper "Rheinische Post" (Interview with Alex):
http://www.ippnw-students.org/baltic/rpartikel.html

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