The Baltic States , Episode 1

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

We dust off the typewriter and try to put our Baltic experiences into words.

For a long time we have wanted to visit our more distant neighbours in the Baltics. The Nordic countries have a rich history of trade, war, culture, friendship and support. From the time of the Vikings, our distant ancestors travelled across the Baltic Sea - open boat - square sail, fish morning, noon and night.

Now we follow suit with an outside cabin, (trucker) evening buffet and a surprisingly cheap ticket to get the Adventure Car.

We have a plan - if we say so ourselves - a grand plan. The only plan we have is to head north to Estonia, because they have bears, wolves and wild nature.

Heading for distant forests (not to plagiarise other people's adventures), we drive off in concentration. As tiredness starts to set in, we make a quick overnight stop. A hotel owner is kind enough to allow camping for very democratic prices on his lawn. Here we meet the first stork - but certainly not the last.

The next day is also transport day, through farmland and woodland. Trees rush past and the kilometres are eaten up. By late afternoon, Google Maps is our best friend. We have no plans at all and open it to find some random accommodation.

Sus has a black belt in accommodation and discovers that there is an ex-Russian missile base - which you can spend the night at...

Will we? Yes we will!

The weather is both angry and wet, so the very idea of a concrete bunker to protect against the elements - is very welcome.

On wet gravel roads, we zigzag our way through the forest. The Russians obviously wanted peace and quiet and no random Western visitors were allowed to admire their nuclear rockets. From records we know that there were 9 secret forest bases in Estonia, equipped with vehicles and mobile rockets, armed with 1 Megaton warheads. In other words - some awfully big and serious devilry.

Fortunately, the world's two superpowers decided in 1978 that that amount of destructive power is to no one's advantage. RaketiBaasi Lõkkekoht was taken off active duty and transferred to one of the state co-operative farms.

Considering the past, we slept soundly under metre-thick reinforced concrete, a substantial layer of soil and an impressive wilderness on top. Thoughts inevitably wandered to the old James Bond films.