I had a brilliant time in Riga, the capital of Latvia
yesterday. I got the 6am bus, it is 4 and a half hours each way. It also said
on my ticket that you can expect a half hour delay each way as the roads in Latvia are
being reconstructed (the roads are not as good as in Lithuania). I must have
been tired, because one minute I thought I was just resting, and then the next
minute I woke up to people getting off the bus in Riga. I was a little bit annoyed
that on my ticket said ‘arrives in Riga bus station’ when actually it just goes
to the airport. So then I had to get a
12 Euro taxi to the actual bus station which is right in the heart of
the old town. The taxi driver said that
he knew only a bit of English and Latvian. I asked him where I could find an
information desk for tourists in English and he did not understand me, so I
asked in Lithuanian and then he pointed me in the right way. The man at the
information desk could not have been any less enthusiastic about his job. I
told him that I only spoke English and Lithuanian. And then he told me how they
don’t speak Lithuanian in Latvia (as if I did not know that already). I was
only trying to be helpful as he taxi driver understood Lithuanian better that
English! The information guy then began talking about how much better situated
the Riga bus station was compared to Vilnius but then wouldn’t follow up with
that statement in telling me any good places to see in Riga until I
continuously asked him. I hope I never
become like that in the work that I do!
I met up with one of Jurate’s friends ‘Indra’ from Riga for
lunch. Indra also works in teaching Latvian, and organizing international
documents to be translated to Latvian, such as peoples names in passports.
Indra is a lovely person. We talked for a long time about the cultures of
Latvian and Lithuanian people. Indra said that she feels as though there are a
lot of people in Latvia who are not positive about their futures, as Latvia,
like Lithuania, is still recovering from a very recent and difficult history.
Indra also feels that the lack of sunlight through winter in the Baltic
countries, really contributes to low mood. I was telling Indra about how you
can by a ‘sunrise emmulator’ light which is meant to help with that.
 |
| Lunch with Indra in Latvia. |
I had a great time walking around Riga, looking at all of
the beautiful, historical buildings, walking through the park and through the
central market. It was fun trying to look for Latvian words that are the same
or similar in Lithuanian and trying to work out the meaning. Indra warned me that
there are a lot o ‘false friend’ words through!
 |
| The Central Market in Riga, apparently one of the biggest markets in the world. |
 |
| I got convinced in to buying a Pomegranate that I didn't even want. But look at how pretty they are! |
 |
| Old Town Riga. |
 |
| With armed guards. I am not sure why. Tomas. L agreed and said ' it is not as if people will try and steal it!'. |
 |
| Riga Freedom statue. |
 |
| Another guard near the statue. |
 |
| Latvian National Opera. |
 |
| Chatting to some German exchange students outside a University in Riga. |
Once I had hopped off the bus, I had my friends and teachers
waiting or me at the bus station in Klaipeda for some drinks and food as it was
my last night in Klaipeda. My friends gave me some sweet gifts and letters and
told me that they wanted me to stay, and I told them how hard it was or me to
leave. I told them all that I had already decided that I would not cry that
night, and would not say goodbye, just ‘until next time.’
I got my eyelashes done at the beauty salon today, as it
cost 1/5 of the price than back in Australia. Tomas. C came and met me at the
bus station while I was waiting or my bus to Vilnius, as he was too tired to
come to drinks the night before. Tomas was saying how it was great that I was
leaving, but was managing not to cry, as Klaipeda had been good but that that
there were more good things to come. We listened to some of his very ‘up at at
them’, ‘go girl’ dance songs on his music player, and at that moment, I turned
the other way and started crying. It couldn’t last or long though, as then an
old woman approached us and started showing us some Catholic magazines. We
could barely hear what she was saying, I thought she was trying to sell them to
us. I told her that I didn’t have much room in my bag. She then said that she
was not selling them but asked I I could read everything in them. Tomas said
that we were not actually Lithuanian. The old woman then said ‘well you might
not find it interesting then’. Tomas said, ‘no it will be interesting, just
difficult!’. I told the lady that my grandmother at home is Catholic and might
like to read a copy so I popped one in my bag. Of course today was the first
day that I have seen a perfectly blue sky in Klaipeda, and I am leaving to
Vilnius where he said the weather is terrible. Saying that though, I now so
happy travelling that even if it is windy and rainy, I really don’t mind!
 |
| Bikini weather in Klaipeda! Plus 5 degrees, no wind, clear blue sky and sun. |
As I type, I am on the bus on the way to Vilnius, where my
relatives will meet me at the bus station. We stopped at a restaurant in a
village during the bus ride and I topped up my water in the bathroom as I
usually do. When we went back on the bus, I wondered what smelt like a toilet,
and I realized that my water smelled that way. I wasn’t sure I it was in my
head, so I tasted the water, and it tasted like a toilet. I couldn’t see any
signs in the bathroom indicating that I couldn’t drink the water, so I guess
I’ll see what happens later. :P
I might head to the resort town ‘Druskinikai’ tomorrow and
hop in another Sauna. I really need to head to an electronics store too. My
phone keeps dying very quickly so hopefully a new battery will help. I can also
no longer use the mouse pad on my computer, and my ingers are getting a work
out pressing the letter ‘F’. I hope it’s fixable and not too costly.
Iki,
Xo
Rasa
No comments:
Post a Comment