The year 2020 was undoubtedly a complete flop due to the pandemic, affecting many aspects of life. All of my grand plans for a dream travel year crumbled as trips were canceled one after another when COVID-19 hit in March. My personal growth goals also fell apart over the year.
As January comes to a close, I’ve gained some perspective on last year’s struggles and the travel challenges caused by the pandemic. I can reflect on the past with a positive mindset, knowing that something better is hopefully coming this year at some point.
Despite the disappointments of last year, it’s reassuring to realize that the situation affected everyone globally. As a world citizen used to traveling freely, exploring everything the world has to offer within my budget, the halt and confinement of last year were undeniably challenging.
Nevertheless, I was fortunate enough to embark on an adventure in Shanghai and explore Thailand’s tranquil paradise islands before the world shut down last year.
During the summer, I enjoyed Finland’s beautiful hot summer and did my best to support domestic tourism by taking several road trips along the stunning Finnish coastline. In July, when the world briefly returned to a near-normal state and borders reopened, I headed to the Baltic countries, specifically Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, keeping in mind the countries’ COVID-19 restrictions. 
Many travelers often keep track of how many countries they’ve visited and how many they’ve explored completely. Personally, I don’t keep such records, nor do I collect countries, but when reflecting on the pandemic year, managing to visit five countries, including three new ones, doesn’t seem too terrible. It could have gone worse, and I discovered the incredible hidden gems in my homeland when venturing out to explore its beauty!
In summary, despite the pandemic, I was able to experience the world and create unforgettable memories in various corners of the globe last year. A range of events occurred, including many enjoyable moments along with some peculiar mishaps and a few perilous situations. These are experiences worth remembering, so here are ten memorable experiences and mishaps from the year 2020:
1. Grand Adventures in Shanghai’s Metro
Using the subway in major metropolitan areas requires keen attention to navigate and arrive on time, especially in Shanghai, where the metro system is considerably larger than in Helsinki.
Distances in Shanghai are lengthy; crossing the city from one side to the other can take up to four hours – yes, four (4) hours! With 28 million people in the city, rush hour on the metro is, to put it mildly, quite crowded. Experiencing this as a Finnish person, who is used to ample space and physical distancing, deep underground, combined with non-functional air conditioning can indeed induce panic.
Luckily, I managed to avoid a panic attack in Shanghai, but because of the metro mishap, I almost missed my connecting flight.
I flew overnight from Helsinki to Shanghai, hardly getting any sleep. The next morning, feeling groggy, I ventured into downtown Shanghai with ample energy and excitement – it was my very first time in China.
That evening, while heading to the airport for my connecting flight, I hopped on the metro that conveniently takes you directly to the airport in just under an hour and a half. Sitting down on the metro seat felt so good; before I knew it, I was dozing off.
Whoops. After an hour of dozing, I woke up and wondered where I was. Thankfully, my backpack and all my valuables were still intact! However, only a few passengers remained on the metro, and we were nearing the last stops. I noticed no one had luggage despite only being a couple of stops from the airport. Then, glancing at the station name outside the window and checking the metro map on the wall, I realized to my horror that I had taken the right metro, but in the complete wrong direction! What an amateur mistake. How could this happen to someone who has been traveling the world for over 20 years?
I found myself on the wrong side of the city, with only three hours until my flight. Panic set in. First, I checked the map and wondered whether it would be wise to surface and grab a taxi. Given the monumental traffic in such a large city, I decided to take the opposite subway line and hoped — fingers and toes crossed — that I’d make it to my flight.
So, off I went, riding the metro for another hour back toward the direction of the airport. Luckily, outside the city, there’s a fast bullet train to the airport. I jumped off the slow metro onto the super-fast bullet train, traveling at 430 km/h. First off, wow, what an experience! The travel time to the airport was a mere eight minutes (compared to one hour by metro). I arrived at the airport a comfortable 20 minutes before check-in closed. What a victorious feeling! A little thrill in life is always refreshing! 
2. Dreamy Paradise Beach on Koh Yao Yai, Thailand
I never believed that Thailand could still harbor such serene paradise islands, but Koh Yao Yai, situated between Phuket and Krabi in Phang Nga Bay, is truly one of them. This dream palm-lined beach, Laem Had Beach, completely stole my heart. I’ve never seen a more beautiful beach anywhere.
Read more: Island Hopping in Thailand: Paradise Islands Koh Yao Yai and Koh Yao Noi.
3. Hospital Visits on Koh Yao Noi
I had only spent one day on the island of Koh Yao Noi, and yet I managed to injure myself severely enough to require a visit to the hospital.
The island’s beaches are very shallow, and during low tide, the water recedes hundreds of meters from the shore. I noticed during low tide that the beach sand was littered with large, sharp rock fragments, and swimming during high tide requires caution to avoid injury.
Well, I ended up injuring myself. On the second day, I went to the beach early in the morning to splash around before the water got too deep. It was delightful, relaxing, and refreshing until I stepped on a sharp rock that pierced my foot and created a large, deep open wound, which was promptly filled with sand.
This led to a hospital trip to clean and stitch the wound. I was quite anxious about how healthcare operates on such a small island and how these basic needs would be met. Luckily, they handled it well, and as it turned out, I wasn’t the only foreign patient there; a few others seemed to have encountered more severe injuries.
We had a language barrier with the nurses and doctors. Initially, we discussed vaccination matters with the help of a phone translator, and thankfully, everything was already in order regarding that aspect. It was also helpful that I had my vaccination card with all my immunizations recorded.
Before the operation, I received several anesthetic injections in my foot. After that, the wound was opened and cleaned of sand using a flashlight. After that, stitching was a breeze. I received care instructions and prescriptions for painkillers and headed to the pharmacy to collect my medications and cleaning supplies. The remainder of my vacation was somewhat limited due to my wound treatment. All activities and water activities were of course prohibited, so I ended up lounging around, but rest is always beneficial! It was truly disappointing not to get back to snorkeling and enjoying beach life. 
4. Scootering Mishaps on Koh Yao Noi
Even though I had just gotten stitches in my foot and was on limited mobility for the remainder of my island-hopping adventure, I couldn’t resist exploring the island a bit more. I decided to hop on a scooter for a leisurely ride. Conveniently, this trip also allowed me to clean my wound at the hospital and obtain a medical certificate for my insurance company. Win-win!
Admittedly, I took a bit too much of a risk scootering down bumpy and narrow paths, which I surely had no business traversing as an inexperienced rider. However, I managed well and decided to check out one last location that appeared breathtaking in pictures.
Initially, the path was paved, but it soon turned into a rough dirt road. A steep, narrow hill, ravaged by many years of monsoon rains, became my downfall. It was no longer possible to maintain control. Trouble ensued. I won’t go into details, but things could have gone very wrong.
I yelled for help from a couple of local boys sitting nearby and asked if they could assist in getting my scooter up the hill to avoid further damage. We mutually agreed that tourists should avoid attempting to navigate any further since the road condition was so deplorable that only the most skilled local drivers could manage it unharmed. I turned back with my hat in hand and opted for more moderate scooter adventures. Fortunately, my left leg, sore and bruised from the incident, ended up being my only souvenir from that escapade. It could have been worse, but thankfully it wasn’t — knock on wood! 
5. Plane Spotting at Mai Khao Beach in Phuket
On my last night in Thailand, I spent the evening at Nai Yang Beach in Phuket, which ended up being a surprisingly pleasant experience. The sandy beach stretches for miles, and visitors can walk along the beach right next to Phuket International Airport, only about 50 meters from the water’s edge.
This place is perfect for plane spotters. When landing, planes approach the airport over the sea, and their undersides can practically be touched as they pass right over the beach. I’m not a plane enthusiast, but this was such a unique and thrilling experience that I had to join others in spotting planes. 
6. Hanko – The Perfect Summer Destination in Finland
The summer city of Hanko has been on my bucket list for a long time, and I finally had the chance to spend three wonderful days there. Beautiful sandy beaches and those iconic changing huts by the shore! The relaxed vibe, excellent dining options, and stunning maritime scenery make Hanko one of my favorite destinations in Finland.
Read more: Hanko – The Perfect Domestic Summer Getaway and Instant Love at First Sight. 
7. Conquering the Bengtskär Lighthouse
Just like with Hanko, visiting Bengtskär Lighthouse had been a dream of mine for years. Hanko offers an easy day trip to Bengtskär Lighthouse Island, allowing me to check off multiple items from my bucket list in one go. The rugged outer archipelago has a unique exotic charm, and visiting the grand lighthouse towering amid the tumultuous sea was an incredibly memorable and unique experience. 
8. Hot Summer Beach Getaway at Yyteri Sand Dunes
Six kilometers of sandy beach and rolling sand dunes, topped off with temperatures above thirty degrees Celsius. Is this really possible in Finland? Unbelievably, but true, sometimes you just get lucky. To celebrate the first week of summer vacation, I headed to Pori and Yyteri to enjoy a hot beach getaway in my homeland.
The warmest weather in Europe was gracing Yyteri during the Midsummer week, and ultimately, I didn’t regret that the original plan to head to the Greek islands and Albania had to be shelved. Until then, I had never considered Finland a beach vacation destination, but life surprises you positively sometimes. 
9. World-Class Dining Experiences in Riga
Riga is renowned for its diverse dining options. With its affordable prices, Latvia’s capital is a food lover’s paradise. Divine restaurants and cafes can be found in both the Old Town and beyond.
It’s unbelievable that at a fine dining restaurant in Riga, you can get a main course for as little as ten euros. During my nearly week-long visit to Riga, my favorite restaurants were Domini Canes, located in the Old Town, and Hercogs, which offers breathtaking views of the river along with delectable food in the charming Kipsala neighborhood.
10. Stunning Sand Dunes at the Curonian Spit, Lithuania
The best part of my Baltic trip was in Lithuania. An incredible sunny coastline and beautiful sandy beaches beckoned after I had spent nearly a week exploring Riga.
And what I discovered in Lithuania was absolutely extraordinary: nearly one hundred kilometers of sand dunes and pristine shoreline at the Curonian Spit National Park (also known as Neringa National Park). This natural wonder of Lithuania is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Wow, I didn’t expect this from Lithuania! The Curonian Spit is a paradise for beach lovers, offering options for an active vacation, such as cycling and desert-like dune hikes. A strong recommendation! This place is a true hidden gem of the Baltic. I must return here one day! 
While I often felt beaten down and lamented countless times about how the past year was a failure due to the pandemic, looking back and recalling all these incredible experiences and mishaps proves that the year 2020 wasn’t entirely a bust!
A lot was seen and experienced, and I wouldn’t trade these memories for anything. It’s worth noting that without the pandemic, my domestic travels and tour of the Baltics wouldn’t have happened, as my original plans for the Maldives, Greece, Albania, and Berlin would have taken precedence. There is some silver lining in every misfortune, and many sayings fit this situation perfectly.
What were your most memorable travel memories from last year?
Also read:
Local hiking in Ramsinniemi Nature Reserve on boardwalks beneath deciduous forests, Helsinki
Historic local nature site Mustavuori in East Helsinki – wildlife, forests, caves, fortifications, and ravines
Beautiful sandy dunes, relaxed beach life, and enchanting local nature at Kallahdenniemi, Helsinki
The allure of the rugged outer archipelago at Kaunissaarens in Sipoo
Tallinn’s revamped market hall, Balti Jaama Turg – Hit or Miss?
The industrial vibe of Tallinn’s Telliskivi is enchanting
10 Good Reasons to Travel to Gdansk
Tunisia’s price level – What does a two-week stay in Tunisia cost?
How to Get 10% off Your Next Hotel Stay with Booking.com
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