{"id":1230,"date":"2025-05-29T13:19:53","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T13:19:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globetrotdiary.ee\/?p=1230"},"modified":"2025-05-29T13:20:21","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T13:20:21","slug":"what-the-oulu-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globetrotdiary.ee\/?p=1230&lang=en","title":{"rendered":"What The Oulu"},"content":{"rendered":"

The reason behind visiting Oulu fell into the category of “found it on Google Maps.” I didn\u2019t really know anything else about the place other than that it\u2019s a university town, and that a train from Helsinki would get me pretty close to the Swedish border. That was enough for me \u2014 ticket check, plan check.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I decided I didn\u2019t want to spend money on accommodation in Oulu, so about a month before my trip, I rediscovered Couchsurfing (CS). I know CS\u2019s golden years are long gone, but I\u2019d heard it\u2019s still fairly active in Scandinavia. Unfortunately, not that<\/em> active \u2014 most people I messaged to never replied, or responded quickly to say they were out of town. My filter for the search used to be \u201cat least one woman in the household\u201d, but now I had to get more creative with my criteria. Two guys, one from Iran and one from India messaged me enthusiastically, but I just couldn\u2019t picture myself sleeping well under these circumstances. I would just be staring at the ceiling all night, alerted by any sounds.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Eventually, I took a calculated risk \u2014 a 59-year-old Irish vegan grandpa with lots of friends on CS, and plenty of positive references. Okay, so probably not an axe murderer. And realistically, I could probably take him in a fight if I had to. Request sent, request accepted. We exchanged a few messages about winter swimming and the decision was made. The bearded man \u2014 let\u2019s call him F \u2014 offered on my arrival day to meet me at the Oulu train station since his swollen knee needed some exercise. His place was about 1.5 km from the station, so I gladly accepted his offer. My 5 hour and 40 minute train ride turned into a 6-hour one, and somewhere during the journey, a tiny flicker of anxiety crept in. What if the Irish Santa wasn\u2019t quite the softy he seemed in the photos? But I wasn\u2019t too worried. When I got off the train, I scanned through the crowd for a large belly and a white beard, which were impossible to miss. I walked up to a man that matched the description and cheerfully asked, \u201cHi, are you F? Excellent! How are you?\u201d F gave me a slow head-to-toe glance before replying, \u201cI\u2019m good. You\u2019re nice and tall.\u201d I blinked, slightly thrown off \u2014 didn\u2019t know these were important features for Couchsurfing. He didn\u2019t ask how I<\/em> was or offered to carry my smaller backpack, but oh well. Right then, off we go.<\/p>\n

We walked along bike paths over rivers and through small quiet suburbs. F kept swaying close and brushing against me, likely unintentionally, due to his large frame and uneven walk. I kept trying to create space between us but ended up getting on the way of cyclists with my huge backpack. F didn\u2019t seem to be in the habit of stepping aside \u2014 not for me, not for bikes, not for cars. We passed a local river beach with a floating sauna and a nice little sandy strip. I was already longing for a swim when I remembered I\u2019d promised to go with F in the evening. Swapped the bikini for a one-piece in my head. We finally arrived at his place \u2014 a nine-story Soviet-style concrete block building. I was still moderately optimistic about the inside of the house, but as in the hallway I was greeted by a familiar faux-wood paneling straight out of \u00d5ism\u00e4e, I was starting lose faith. F was panting on his way up the stairs to the third floor, then, unlocked the door\u2026 and as the door swung open, a strong Soviet-era smell hit my nostrils. A cocktail of ancient plumbing, neighbor Vanja\u2019s cigarettes, and fried grease. Inside, I was welcomed by a living room crammed with tables and cabinets overflowing with wires, cables, and electronic scraps. A small sun-faded leather sofa, patched with bright green tape, sat in the corner. I gulped audibly as I realised this will be my sleeping spot for the two nights.<\/p>\n

I briefly considered making up an excuse to leave but instead collapsed onto the sofa to process the situation. I felt rather uncomfortable around F. I couldn\u2019t always follow his soft, hissy Irish accent, and he had the habit of staring at me quietly \u2014 sometimes even mid-conversation. At first, I dumbly stared back. But eventually, I started looking out the window while speaking to him. F offered me lemon water, which I gratefully accepted \u2014 until I noticed some sketchy-looking crystals at the bottom of the jug. I poured myself a glass of water, took a sip… yep, it has definitely gone bad. I tried my best to calm the rising anxiety, but couldn\u2019t quite decide whether this situation was safe or not. Weird for sure, but dangerous? I asked what plans he had for the evening. \u201cNothing. You don\u2019t have to entertain me. But you can if you want to!\u201d he replied cheerfully. I forced a half-smile and excused myself for a quick walk to the supermarket. Out of politeness I asked F if he needed anything. He took me to his fridge and showed me the left-over veggie curry and rice he had, which was plenty for two. Dinner \u2014 sorted. All I need now is sparkling water and yogurt for breakfast. \u201cBring a lemon!\u201d he shouted as I was heading out. Shutters.<\/p>\n

\"\"I made a loop around the neighborhood, trying to settle my nerves. What were my options, really? Worst-case scenario, at least I knew which of his knees was the bad one. I decided to give it a night and reassess the situation in the morning. Trust the process. Repeating my mantra \u2014 \u201cI\u2019m safe, I\u2019m protected, the world is kind, and life supports me\u201d \u2014 I returned to the apartment. I suggested we go for the swim. \u201cWould you like a sarong?\u201d F asked brightly. Um\u2026 no? This didn\u2019t stop him from wrapping a silk scarf around his own large waist and leaving the apartment topless. At that moment, I realised that the whole time I had been wearing my hoodie indoors, even though it was warm, since I had no bra under my tank top and the hoodie gave me a layer of safety. I felt guilty \u2014 maybe I was being unfair to the hairy giant, but shivers ran down my spine every time he casually dropped a phrase such as \u201ca tall beautiful blonde like you…\u201d We made our way to the river as a comical duo: me in a hoodie, him half-naked. After a refreshing dip we sat on the grass for chat. Maybe I\u2019 judged him too quickly, <\/em>I thought, slightly embarrassed.\u00a0But still\u2026 something was just off<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Back at the apartment, we heated up the curry and rice for dinner. \u201cThe good thing about vegan food is that I can eat it even eight days later!\u201d he declared. I really hoped this particular batch was a bit fresher. In the meanwhile I remembered I still had a leftover sandwich from the train ride in my bag. Since F was a vegan and really anal about recycling, throwing food away might have caused some drama, so I just finished it quickly before dinner. Post-dinner, my nerves kicked in again. I couldn\u2019t quite figure out how to exist in the open living room, with F sitting either beside me or right next to me on his computer. I asked if he had a book I could borrow and that way managed to hide on the balcony for an hour. F followed my lead and decided to read as well. Finally, some alone time. Soon exhaustion started to set in. I figured it’s time to pull out my sleeping bag and stretch my legs out on the tiny couch. At one point, F appeared and asked, \u201cShall I make you the bed?\u201d Turns out the couch folded out into a decent sized bed \u2014 squeaky but large. Nice! There was a small bloodstained pillow on the sofa without a case, but F kindly handed me one. \u201cI can\u2019t promise this already hasn\u2019t been used by someone,\u201d he added. At that point, I didn\u2019t even care.<\/p>\n

At some point into the night I opened my eyes. Something was wrong. I\u2019d only slept for an hour and woke up with a wave of intense nausea. No, no, please not this. I could hear F snoring behind the closed bedroom door. I sat up, took a sip of water, and aggressively convinced myself I was not<\/em> going to throw up. I searched for charcoal tablets but had already used them up before leaving Estonia. Shit. It was either the curry or the sandwich \u2014 something was coming back up. I remembered seeing a bucket in the bathroom and went to fetch it. I spent the night half-asleep, half-praying not to vomit. When F woke up, I told him I was dying. He kindly made me a cup of chamomile tea and brought out a giant box of meds. Yes, charcoal tablets! Expiry date: 2006. Oh well. I figured the risk of charcoal poisoning was minimal and popped the pills. Soon my nausea eased a bit, and I went for a cold dip in the river to freshen up. Nausea and sleep deprivation is a brutal combo. Back at the flat, F offered to lend me his bike, which I gratefully accepted. I asked where I might find a good caf\u00e9 to work in. \u201cWhat time are you going? I\u2019ll join you!\u201d he beamed. Great, <\/em>I thought bitterly. We agreed to meet at a local bakery at 1 PM, and I set off.<\/p>\n

The weather was gorgeous despite a rainy forecast. I was weak, but a green smoothie and a nice coffee brought me back to life, so I gained some energy to wander around Oulu for an hour. What a beautiful city! There were bike paths everywhere \u2014 over bridges, around islands \u2014 the whole town was made for cyclists. Only Copenhagen would come close. Oulu had a seaside vibe, a bit like Haapsalu in Estonia. I could totally imagine retiring here. I watched local seniors swimming in cold water, marching around with walking poles, cycling with scarves waving in the wind, and sipping coffee at caf\u00e9s. After a trip through the pharmacy and a take-away iced coffee, I headed to the bakery to meet F. We both ordered some cake and sat outside to chat. F told me about his life adventures, which made me laugh, and I softened a bit. I cringed slightly at his joke about post-birth vaginal stitches, but to his credit, he promised not to cross the line anymore.<\/p>\n

That evening, I offered to cook and threw together a quick pesto pasta. After booking an Airbnb for the following two nights, I spent another hour reading and then happily started packing my bags for the next morning. I survived! F hadn\u2019t done anything inappropriate. He\u2019d actually been quite nice \u2014 a bit odd, sure \u2014 but respectful. I even started noticing that, despite being old and worn out, his apartment was actually clean<\/em>. Yes, the cabinets were sticky, but the floors, kitchen surfaces, and especially the bathroom were spotless. I learned he\u2019d once had a flat with a beautiful view by the river, but after his work contract had ended, he lost his job and had to move. I softened again. That night I slept like a baby and woke up nausea-free. My throat was a bit sore \u2014 a hint of it had already shown up the day before \u2014 but all in all, I made it through my first Couchsurfing experience alive<\/em>! I thanked F for his hospitality and headed cheerfully towards the Tornio bus station. Time to change countries and sleep between clean sheets!<\/p>\n

Greetings from the Swedish border,
K\u00e4rt<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The reason behind visiting Oulu fell into the category of “found it on Google Maps.” I didn\u2019t really know anything else about the place other than that it\u2019s a university town, and that a train from Helsinki would get me pretty close to the Swedish border. That was enough for me \u2014 ticket check, plan check. I decided I didn\u2019t want to spend money on accommodation in Oulu, so about a month before my trip, I rediscovered Couchsurfing (CS). I know CS\u2019s golden years are long gone, but I\u2019d heard it\u2019s still fairly active in Scandinavia. Unfortunately, not that active \u2014 most people I messaged to never replied, or responded quickly to say they were out of town. My filter for the search used to be \u201cat least one woman in the household\u201d, but now I had to get more creative with my criteria. Two guys, one from Iran and one from India messaged me enthusiastically, but I just couldn\u2019t picture myself sleeping well under these circumstances. I would just be staring at the ceiling all night, alerted by any sounds. Eventually, I took a calculated risk \u2014 a 59-year-old Irish vegan grandpa with lots of friends on CS, and plenty of positive references. Okay, so probably not an axe murderer. And realistically, I could probably take him in a fight if I had to. Request sent, request accepted. We exchanged a few messages about winter swimming and the decision was made. The bearded man \u2014 let\u2019s call him F \u2014 offered on my arrival day to meet me at the Oulu train station since his swollen knee needed some exercise. His place was about 1.5 km from the station, so I gladly accepted his offer. My 5 hour and 40 minute train ride turned into a 6-hour one, and somewhere during the journey, a tiny flicker of anxiety crept in. What if the Irish Santa wasn\u2019t quite the softy he seemed in the photos? But I wasn\u2019t too worried. When I got off the train, I scanned through the crowd for a large belly and a white beard, which were impossible to miss. I walked up to a man that matched the description and cheerfully asked, \u201cHi, are you F? Excellent! How are you?\u201d F gave me a slow head-to-toe glance before replying, \u201cI\u2019m good. You\u2019re nice and tall.\u201d I blinked, slightly thrown off \u2014 didn\u2019t know these were important features for Couchsurfing. He didn\u2019t ask how I was or offered to carry my smaller backpack, but oh well. Right then, off we go. We walked along bike paths over rivers and through small quiet suburbs. F kept swaying close and brushing against me, likely unintentionally, due to his large frame and uneven walk. I kept trying to create space between us but ended up getting on the way of cyclists with my huge backpack. F didn\u2019t seem to be in the habit of stepping aside \u2014 not for me, not for bikes, not for cars. We passed a local river beach with a floating sauna and a nice little sandy strip. I was already longing for a swim when I remembered I\u2019d promised to go with F in the evening. Swapped the bikini for a one-piece in my head. We finally arrived at his place \u2014 a nine-story Soviet-style concrete block building. I was still moderately optimistic about the inside of the house, but as in the hallway I was greeted by a familiar faux-wood paneling straight out of \u00d5ism\u00e4e, I was starting lose faith. F was panting on his way up the stairs to the third floor, then, unlocked the door\u2026 and as the door swung open, a strong Soviet-era smell hit my nostrils. A cocktail of ancient plumbing, neighbor Vanja\u2019s cigarettes, and fried grease. Inside, I was welcomed by a living room crammed with tables and cabinets overflowing with wires, cables, and electronic scraps. A small sun-faded leather sofa, patched with bright green tape, sat in the corner. I gulped audibly as I realised this will be my sleeping spot for the two nights. I briefly considered making up an excuse to leave but instead collapsed onto the sofa to process the situation. I felt rather uncomfortable around F. I couldn\u2019t always follow his soft, hissy Irish accent, and he had the habit of staring at me quietly \u2014 sometimes even mid-conversation. At first, I dumbly stared back. But eventually, I started looking out the window while speaking to him. F offered me lemon water, which I gratefully accepted \u2014 until I noticed some sketchy-looking crystals at the bottom of the jug. I poured myself a glass of water, took a sip… yep, it has definitely gone bad. I tried my best to calm the rising anxiety, but couldn\u2019t quite decide whether this situation was safe or not. Weird for sure, but dangerous? I asked what plans he had for the evening. \u201cNothing. You don\u2019t have to entertain me. But you can if you want to!\u201d he replied cheerfully. I forced a half-smile and excused myself for a quick walk to the supermarket. Out of politeness I asked F if he needed anything. He took me to his fridge and showed me the left-over veggie curry and rice he had, which was plenty for two. Dinner \u2014 sorted. All I need now is sparkling water and yogurt for breakfast. \u201cBring a lemon!\u201d he shouted as I was heading out. Shutters. I made a loop around the neighborhood, trying to settle my nerves. What were my options, really? Worst-case scenario, at least I knew which of his knees was the bad one. I decided to give it a night and reassess the situation in the morning. Trust the process. Repeating my mantra \u2014 \u201cI\u2019m safe, I\u2019m protected, the world is kind, and life supports me\u201d \u2014 I returned to the apartment. I suggested we go for the swim. \u201cWould you like a sarong?\u201d F asked brightly. Um\u2026 no? This didn\u2019t stop him from wrapping a silk scarf around his own large waist and leaving the apartment topless. At that moment, I realised that the whole time I had been wearing my hoodie indoors, even though it was warm, since I had no bra under my tank top and the hoodie gave me a layer of safety. I felt guilty \u2014 maybe I was being unfair to the hairy giant, but shivers ran down my spine every time he casually dropped a phrase such as \u201ca tall beautiful blonde like you…\u201d We made our way to the river as a comical duo: me in a hoodie, him half-naked. After a refreshing dip we sat on the grass for chat. Maybe I\u2019 judged him too quickly, I thought, slightly embarrassed.\u00a0But still\u2026 something was just off. Back at the apartment, we heated up the curry and rice for dinner. \u201cThe good thing about vegan food is that I can eat it even eight days later!\u201d he declared. I really hoped this particular batch was a bit fresher. In the meanwhile I remembered I still had a leftover sandwich from the train ride in my bag. Since F was a vegan and really anal about recycling, throwing food away might have caused some drama, so I just finished it quickly before dinner. Post-dinner, my nerves kicked in again. I couldn\u2019t quite figure out how to exist in the open living room, with F sitting either beside me or right next to me on his computer. I asked if he had a book I could borrow and that way managed to hide on the balcony for an hour. F followed my lead and decided to read as well. Finally, some alone time. Soon exhaustion started to set in. I figured it’s time to pull out my sleeping bag and stretch my legs out on the tiny couch. At one point, F appeared and asked, \u201cShall I make you the bed?\u201d Turns out the couch folded out into a decent sized bed \u2014 squeaky but large. Nice! There was a small bloodstained pillow on the sofa without a case, but F kindly handed me one. \u201cI can\u2019t promise this already hasn\u2019t been used by someone,\u201d he added. At that point, I didn\u2019t even care. At some point into the night I opened my eyes. Something was wrong. I\u2019d only slept for an hour and woke up with a wave of intense nausea. No, no, please not this. I could hear F snoring behind the closed bedroom door. I sat up, took a sip of water, and aggressively convinced myself I was not going to throw up. I searched for charcoal tablets but had already used them up before leaving Estonia. Shit. It was either the curry or the sandwich \u2014 something was coming back up. I remembered seeing a bucket in the bathroom and went to fetch it. I spent the night half-asleep, half-praying not to vomit. When F woke up, I told him I was dying. He kindly made me a cup of chamomile tea and brought out a giant box of meds. Yes, charcoal tablets! Expiry date: 2006. Oh well. I figured the risk of charcoal poisoning was minimal and popped the pills. Soon my nausea eased a bit, and I went for a cold dip in the river to freshen up. Nausea and sleep deprivation is a brutal combo. Back at the flat, F offered to lend me his bike, which I gratefully accepted. I asked where I might find a good caf\u00e9 to work in. \u201cWhat time are you going? I\u2019ll join you!\u201d he beamed. Great, I thought bitterly. We agreed to meet at a local bakery at 1 PM, and I set off. The weather was gorgeous despite a rainy forecast. I was weak, but a green smoothie and a nice coffee brought me back to life, so I gained some energy to wander around Oulu for an hour. What a beautiful city! There were bike paths everywhere \u2014 over bridges, around islands \u2014 the whole town was made for cyclists. Only Copenhagen would come close. Oulu had a seaside vibe, a bit like Haapsalu in Estonia. I could totally imagine retiring here. I watched local seniors swimming in cold water, marching around with walking poles, cycling with scarves waving in the wind, and sipping coffee at caf\u00e9s. After a trip through the pharmacy and a take-away iced coffee, I headed to the bakery to meet F. We both ordered some cake and sat outside to chat. F told me about his life adventures, which made me laugh, and I softened a bit. I cringed slightly at his joke about post-birth vaginal stitches, but to his credit, he promised not to cross the line anymore. That evening, I offered to cook and threw together a quick pesto pasta. After booking an Airbnb for the following two nights, I spent another hour reading and then happily started packing my bags for the next morning. I survived! F hadn\u2019t done anything inappropriate. He\u2019d actually been quite nice \u2014 a bit odd, sure \u2014 but respectful. I even started noticing that, despite being old and worn out, his apartment was actually clean. Yes, the cabinets were sticky, but the floors, kitchen surfaces, and especially the bathroom were spotless. I learned he\u2019d once had a flat with a beautiful view by the river, but after his work contract had ended, he lost his job and had to move. I softened again. That night I slept like a baby and woke up nausea-free. My throat was a bit sore \u2014 a hint of it had already shown up the day before \u2014 but all in all, I made it through my first Couchsurfing experience alive! I thanked F for his hospitality and headed cheerfully towards the Tornio bus station. Time to change countries and sleep between clean sheets! Greetings from the Swedish border,K\u00e4rt<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":119,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[78],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-finland"],"aioseo_notices":[],"blog_post_layout_featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/globetrotdiary.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_6305-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"full":["https:\/\/globetrotdiary.ee\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/IMG_6305-scaled.jpg",1920,2560,false]},"categories_names":{"78":{"name":"Finland","link":"https:\/\/globetrotdiary.ee\/?cat=78&lang=en"}},"tags_names":[],"comments_number":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globetrotdiary.ee\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globetrotdiary.ee\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globetrotdiary.ee\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globetrotdiary.ee\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globetrotdiary.ee\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1230"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/globetrotdiary.ee\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1230\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1242,"href":"https:\/\/globetrotdiary.ee\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1230\/revisions\/1242"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globetrotdiary.ee\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globetrotdiary.ee\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globetrotdiary.ee\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globetrotdiary.ee\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}