Fear and Loathing in Sillamea: A Message from Narva, Estonia

A wall separated me from one the places I would like to see the most and I cannot do anything for walking to the other side.
Or maybe I am wrong.

Few steps away I find a building with an door open and, so, I try to go in. Being lucky I might have found what I have been looking for: a place where it is Sunday morning also for the security guys.

How naive of me.

After less than three steps a guy wearing a black uniform greet me in Russian and politely advices me to get back on my way and leave the place.

But now someone else is definitely being too naive because I do not really want to give up so easily.

I show off my press card and my business card using the only word I know he will understand even if he does not speak English: Journalist and director.

Something start moving and a lady and a guy wearing the same uniform come to me trying to convince me to desist: there is no way that I will cross the door and get to the other side without the invitation I obviously do not have.

But, still, this is not enough for sending me away: I ask to speak with someone who can understand me because, if I cannot get in today, I seriously want to know to whom I should address my invitation request.

They seem to like me somehow and so they start an endless number of phone calls until the lady gives me her mobile as someone would like to talk to me.

A male voices asks me who I am and what am I doing there without any invitation and I kindly explain him that I am writing about Sillamae and the invitation is exactly what I would need to have. Unfortunately with no luck as after a couple of “I wish you a nice day”, he hang down the phone leaving me alone again with the security guys.

But it is not over, yet.