Pritam Rohila Travels: 2012, SEPTEMBER 14: TO TALLINN, ESTONIA

We got up at 5:15 a.m. to get ready for our 8 a.m. departure for Tallinn, Estonia, about 170 miles away from Riga. It was cloudy and cool (52 degrees Fahrenheit), but no rain.

Estonia is one of the three Baltic States, Lithuania and Latvia being the other two. It is fairly flat. The highest point is a little more than 1000 ft in elevation.

Estonia & Its Neighbors

With a population of about 1.3 million, it is the least populated nation of the European Union.

On the way, we made a brief stop at a beachside park, near the Baltic seaside resort of Parnu, endowed with white sandy beaches, and shallow waters. The stop was for an informal birthday party for our driver.

Baltic Sea-resort of Parnu, Estonia

Our Driver's Birthday Party at Parnu Wayside, Estonia

Around noon we entered Tallinn, the capital and the largest town of Estonia. One-third of the country’s population resides here.

Tallinn, Estonia

At one time, in an attempt to become Bangkok of the Baltic, according to a popular travel book, Tallinn attracted young men with “the lure of cheap booze and rampant prostitution.”

Cabarets & Cat-houses

A Sex Club

Fortunately, the city has since changed its course. Even though some of those businesses are still operating, Tallinn has acquired a classier look, with many modern buildings, wide and clean avenues, and good hotels and restaurants. But the old and older coexists nicely with the new to make Tallinn an attractive place to visit.