How did an Alaskan become so enamored with Estonia? The story actually has many beginnings, but a good place to start is with the extraordinary group of people seen in this photo taken alongside US 95 overlooking Lewiston Idaho.
This is a women’s basketball team from Tallinn Estonia, along with coaches, sponsors and support staff. In November 1998 we toured the Northwest part of the United States playing exhibition games against Division I college opponents. As tour leader, it was my job to make sure the team travelled safely from point A to point B and showed up to each arena on time for tip-off.
I led a total of five of these tours involving teams from Lithuania (2), Russia, Slovakia and Estonia. Each was its own adventure. More on that later. For now, it’s safe to say these tours were enduring successes even if wins were sparse. Of course, it was important to compete at a high level. But, the off-court experience was arguably of greater significance for everyone involved.
As for the leader, clearly the Estonian tour marked the beginning of a grand adventure that could never have been imagined. The person responsible for this improbable opportunity was Viktor, the team sponsor (kneeling at right). Half Russian/half Estonian, he goes by “Viki”. His story is fascinating, but for another time.
The mode of transportation typically involved two 15 passenger vans. As tour leader, one of my first tasks was to ascertain who among the group would be best qualified to drive the second vehicle. In this case, Allan – the head coach – volunteered. After that, the team sorted out riding arrangements among themselves. On travel days, Viki would always find his seat up-front in the lead van. After all, he was the sponsor.
Viki made friends easily with a quick wit and the gift of gab. His English was not great, but it was so much better than my Estonian. On long trips between universities, his natural inclination was to converse. I would do my best to decipher the gist of it. Occasionally, he would ask one of the girls to translate. Many of these young women possessed superb command of the English language. But, for the most part we worked it out sans assistance. Even if it took a while, we had time.
Being a proud Estonian, Viki was fond of promoting his country’s natural beauty. Of course, I knew very little about Estonia (Google being only two months old). But it sounded like a loooong way from Alaska. As the tour’s first week morphed into the second, he began selling me on the idea of visiting his country. At tour’s end, this became a standing invitation. But, to me, it just didn’t seem practical.
At that point in my life I had visited exactly one foreign country, Canada. Of course, this hardly counts given its close proximity and connected heritage. In this respect, I was not so different from many Americans. I figured there was no reason to trouble myself with an overseas trip when there was so much to see right here in the USA. So, while I appreciated the kind invitation, I did my best to downplay the idea of ever making a trek of that distance to a (very) foreign country that seemed on the edge of sketchy given its recent divorce from a jealous neighbor.
But once the tour concluded and I returned home to Alaska, I started giving it some thought. At this point Google was three months old and still of little use. So, I bought a few books from Amazon (Amazon only sold books) and started studying up on this little country next to the Baltic Sea. The more I read the more intrigued I became. Even friends and family thought it might be worthwhile.
So, that was that. In April of 1999 I boarded the first of, now, many flights to Estonia. Of course, the first trip will always be special.
I was mesmerized by the well-preserved character of Tallinn’s medieval Old Town district, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The uniformity of the ubiquitous Khrushchyovka apartment buildings was fascinating. Kadriorg Park – established by Peter the Great – showcased beauty and style all its own. The countryside’s dense forests, golden hay fields and quaint villages were especially enchanting.
Beyond all this, the most extraordinary aspect of my first trip was the opportunity to better understand Estonia’s epic historical arcs, including dominion by kings, czars, Nazis and Soviets. And that’s just recent history – human activity in this area dates to 9,000 BC.
The experience was truly remarkable. Thanks to my good friend Viki, I was hooked.
