Our first full day in Tallinn was quite a treat. With the group growing closer each day and everyone excited for the packed day ahead, morale was high during the morning meeting and leadership activity. Soon we set out for Kiek en de Kok, a fortifications tower with bastion tunnels underneath. After a tour through the chilly tunnels that provided a behind-the-scenes look at Estonia’s riveting history and colorful atmosphere, the group headed out through the pouring rain, led by leader of the day Arman, to the food court of an Estonian mall. After dining at a restaurant called lido with its extensive buffet options, the Fellows splashed through the streets towards the KGB museum inside Hotel Viru. We toured the headquarters of the KGB, which sat inside the hotel as a  long kept secret during the Soviet times. We learned about the myriad of ways in which the KGB kept tabs on the foreign visitors staying at the hotel, ranging from microphones in the flowers to undercover spies mingling amongst the guests. Afterwards we all got time to ourselves to wander around the city, some climbing to the top of a tall church, others shopping at the open air market in the square, and others simply sleeping. Finally, we navigated, via city bus, to the TV Tower and took in the great view at the top, ending our day with “dinner in the sky” at the tv tower.

~Brammy Rajakumar (’19)