Hello everyone again,

 

Please be sure to be checking your email daily as we come to the last days before leaving for the Feast.  Please be sure to let anyone you think may not be checking their email to DO SO….or go to www.kubik.org/estonia where you can get all these memos online along with the master schedule which has daily additions to it.  I have some more important news. 

 

WEATHER UPDATE

 

Our 10 day weather forecast takes us now to the first days of the Feast.  To access the weather forecast click on the link below.

 
 

http://www.weather.com/activities/travel/businesstraveler/weather/tenday.html?locid=ENXX0005&from=36hr_fcst10DayLink_business

 

 

 

 


PHOTOS AND SOUVENIRS

 

When meeting and getting acquainted with people, they often want to know about your family, your children and grandchildren.  Have photos with you.  It makes for good conversation.  You may also want to bring some small souvenirs from where you live…key chains, postcards, a book about your town, that sort of thing.  

 

CURRENCY RATE

The currency exchange today is  1.00 USD  equals 12.917 EEK’s 

 

To see the daily fluctuations in currency you can go to one of several sites….heres’ one

 

http://www.xe.com/ucc/

 

CREDIT CARDS

I must have not been clear about credit cards.  Credit cards ARE GOOD in Tartu and will most likely be the main method of payment.  You can pay your Pallas Hotell bill with a credit card at the end of the Feast.  As mentioned before, please be sure to call the 800 number on the back of your credit card and let them know that you will be in Estonia for the next two weeks so that there will be any question about all the charges coming from that part of the world


OUR ELDER HENRIKAS KLOVAS FROM LITHUANIA

 

Most of you may know that we have an elder Henrikas Klovas who lives in Lithuania.  He will be coming with his grandson Dovydas to the Feast.  He will be giving a sermonette and a sermon in Russian that will be translated.  Henrikas Klovas has done considerable work on posting United Church of God literature on his website in Lithuania that is linked from our main UCG website.  You can see our Eastern European section at http://ucg.org/litlibrary/easteuropean or from the originating site at www.ucg.puslapiai.lt. We hope that you will get to know Mr. Klovas along with our other Baltic brethren.  

 

The Feast will have a wonderful mix of people. There will be five coming from Sweden. One from France, two from Lithuania and the rest from the United States.  We have members who have just moved to Finland, but will not be able to come because of immigration issues. They are the Doh family who were Karen refugees from Thailand and were just taken in by Finnish government.

 

I might also mention here that Johnnie Lambert has gone through lots of work overseeing the translation of the entire Correspondence Course into the Estonian language. And now he’s overseen translating the CC into Russian. A few days ago he sent me the latest lesson in Russian, which is number 4.  It looks wonderful.  We hope to have all the literature we have available in our various languages for you to look at.

 

SWIM SUITS

On the island of Saarema there is a pool and sauna.  Be prepared.  Also, one of our veteran Feastgoers to the Estonia, Aimee Zahora, tells me that she found a water park and fitness club right in the Tartu!  Take a look at it on this web site.

 

http://www.aurakeskus.ee/en.html


GROUP EVENTS, DINNERS

We are not planning the group events as we had in years past….except for the trip to the island of Saaremaa and for those who want, the walking tour of Tartu which is I recommend if you are in Estonia for the first time.  Tartu has a long and fascinating history being part at different times of Russia, Sweden and Germany.  What probably will happen is that we will go out in groups to various places to eat or tour.  We are asking that everyone be aware of one another so that people are not left out.  Also, speak up to go along with groups.  These excursions are very enjoyable.  Most places can be gotten to on foot or taxi.  We MAY plan a group dinner for the Last Great Day if there is a desire to do so.

 

PRICES

Elder John Lambert is already in Estonia and I asked him to give me some current prices of immediate expenses you will have so that you will know what’s the right price to be paying.  

 

I want to share part of a memo I just got from Mr. Lambert:

 

Taxi from airport to bus station varies from 75 eeks ($6) to as much as 150 eeks ($12) depending on traffic. On my last arrival, we were in traffic for 20 minutes. My fare was 135 eeks.

 

Bus fare from Tallinn to Tartu was 95 eeks ($8). That was by express bus. The people should be warned to only take the express bus. They normally run every 30 minutes and take slightly longer than 30 minutes. The "local pony express stagecoach" is slightly cheaper, but it will take 4 hours.

 

Minimum for the taxi is 30 eeks -- $3.

 

I don't know about cash transactions at the machines. We normally bring travelers checks, but there is a charge to cash them at the bank also, or to exchange money at the banks. I don't think local establishments accept traveler’s checks, so they must be cashed at the bank. Visa or Master Card are normally accepted at restaurants (credit card is the way to get the best rates), but not American Express. The Pallas Hotell does accept American Express.

 

The weather has been very nice so far. There has been frost, but not since I have been here. The leaves are turning, but there is still a lot of green. Most Estonians wear coats if the temperature is below 70F, so I look like the "American Freak" to them walking around in short sleeve shirts.  

 

That’s it for now.  Please stay tuned for any updates.  And, don’t hesitate to call me at 317 216-0802 if you have any further questions.  

 

Warm greetings,  

 

Victor Kubik