Tere!

At the end of June, I went for my second talgud. I assisted our group leader Liis in buying the groceries for the week-end, along with one of the volunteers. I then drove us south to Karula National Park, where we were joined by the rest of the group (9 people in total). We stayed in a lovely place, an old school, with pictures and texts introducing the visitors to what life used to be there.

Our mission there was to pull out an invasive plant coming from Asia, the Himalayan Balsam. The plant is easy to recognize, thanks to both its leaves and stem. Moreover, compared to other similar looking plants, they come off very easily (just say please and thanks and they'll basically do it themselves). You just have to make sure their roots aren't on the ground or covered, they could grow back otherwise.

A lovely fellow, hailing from Saku (close to Tallinn, famous here for its beer), was here on a camping trip. He helped us for a few hours.

For lunch, we ate in front a lake, some of us took a swim before eating. On Sunday evening, we went into a nearby sauna (the traditional Estonian sauna: a smoke sauna). Two rooms, one for undressing and feeding the fire, and the other one with stones heating the room. There are buckets of water to pour over the stones, bringing more steam and heat in the room. It can also be used to wash yourself, as well as keep the Whipping Branches wet. They are bundled together and used to beat people with, as it is surprisingly relaxing (and good for the skin if I'm not mistaken).

While most of the group left for home (rain came in uninvited), three of us visited a small museum nearby, showcasing the nature of the park, as well as an old barn, filled with items used by farmers back in the day. We wanted to climb a local watchtower, alas it was closed, waiting to be repaired. We thus went back home.