Lithuania to Latvia

After nearly six hours on two buses (changing in Panevyzys), sitting once again next to a cheesy-footed man (although this one had exceptionally hairy arms that kept reaching out and tickling me), I arrived in Riga, the capital of Latvia. Had originally planned to do “V” in Belarus and didn’t think I needed a visa. Turns out I do, hence my reason for traveling a little further north to Latvia.

 

It took me all of three minutes walk to reach Riga Old Town Hostel. The entrance is through the hostel’s Olde English style Backpacker’s Pub and behind a door disguised as a bookcase. A distinct old tobbacco smell lingers in the bar but since a city-wide smoking ban was put into place in July 2006, there are no clouds of gray.

 

I had less than 24 hours to wander the narrow cobbled streets and parks of the city that contains nearly half of the country’s entire population of approximately two million before getting yet another bus to Ventspils, a sea-side town on the west coast of the country.

During the few hours in Riga, I got chased by a man selling plastic bags at the outdoor market (seriously, nothing else, just plastic bloody bags); watched Marija, Riga’s 71 year old Dancing Queen, do a few twirls and gesticulations while moving—can’t say in time—to music coming from her cassette player. She’s apparently been dancing daily for the last eight years. I was told pensioners only receive 60 LT a month, around 100 Euros, so I suppose every extra penny counts.

I watched “Take the Lead,” in English at the 14-screen complex by the bus station (not surprisingly, it was crap); had a full fry-up breakfast (scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, fresh OJ and two cappuccinos for 5 LT) at Ai Karima! and saw the tail-end a Latvian wedding, whereby the bride and groom released two doves into the air when exiting the Disney-like church on Pils iela.

After taking a stroll along Alberta Street to see the Art Nouveau architecture, I parked my rear-end on another bus for another three hours to Ventspils, my “V” place.

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