Belligerent Baltics

I recently concluded my travels outside of Estonia. Last on my list of "to dos" was a visit to the other two Baltic States, Latvia, and Lithuania. This 72hr trip prooved to be one of the most "interesting" journeys thus far. I believe that because I am so intimate with Estonia, I was surprised to find Latvia and Lithuania so different. As I went to Latvia first, lets start with it:

1. Having traveled with ease throughout Europe and Russia, I was shocked by the border guard at Riga Airport. My agent obviously did not want me in the country. She was very concerned that I was traveling alone, wanting to know "who I was staying with?", "what I was doing in Latvia?", "where was I staying?", "where did I plan on going while in Latvia?", and of course, "when would I be leaving?"

2.Coins actually are worth something here. Unlike Estonia, you can buy things with them, not just create little coin forts and money towers. Unfortunatley, you cannot exchange coins for other currency. Therefore, I had an obssessive desire to spend all of my coins before leaving. This was made nearly impossible by retailers who insisted on giving me five 20-cent coins rather than 1 Lat, or five 10-cent coins rather than a 50-cent piece. I had a very manic 36 hrs there.

3. My hostel had a bug infestation. Though advertised as having air-conditioning, the oweners decided that 78 and humid was perfect weather to leave the windows open for the night. The other 11 bodies (3 of which snored, and 5 of which decided bed time was between 3am and 5am) made it the perfect evening. I decided to sleep shirtless, only to find 12 hrs into the following day that my body was covered in small red, itchy bites.

4. Riga is not designed for pedestrians. I spent at least a quarter of my time back-tracking to crosswalks, or journeying far beyond my destination only to back-track after the crosswalk was found. Apparently in Riga, cars have the right-of-way. The rest of us should simply "walk around". I have to admit, though, that a few times I just closed my eyes and ran for it. I don't really recommend this...

After 36hrs in Riga, I hopped a plan to Vilnius, capital of Lithuania, the southernmost Baltic State. Now the simple thing to remember here is that everything is exactly the opposite from Latvia. Coins mean absolutely nothing, and you can walk anywhere, the middle of the street is the most preferred spot for both turists and locals alike. Here are a few observations during my 36hrs in Lithuania.

1. The border guard is even less friendly than in Latvia. My agent wanted to know, beyond the same questions from the kind woman in Riga, if I had medical insurance. "Welcome to Lithuania...we don't want you to be a burden to our economy and medical facilities". After saying, "yes", he wanted to see proof. Luckily, I was carrying old cards of my American health insurance. This, of course, was useless outside of the US, but a piece of plastic that said "Health Insurance" seemed to placate the gentleman.

2. Lithuanians are not quite sold yet on this whole "flying" thing. I think their major reservation is that with planes, you have to aquire a recent model every once in awhile. This is unlike their bus system where you're likely to find yourself in a vehicle of the Flinstones variety. It's hard to get the pedaling down when you don't know numbers in Lithuanian ;)

3. Floorplans for hostel-design is of no importance. My 6 person room (with only 2 snorers this time...and still no A.C., though it was advertised) was situated just between the common area (popular with late night parties and drunkery), and the girls shower area. We consequently got a lot of "through traffic" during the evening. The boys shower area was conveniently located in the basement, and you weren't allowed to flush anything except liquids down the toilet. This made for a very comfortable stay in Vilnius.


4. Everything you want to see is uphill in this city. One would think that eventually you must travel back downhill, but no...you just keep climbing all of the time. Also, my guide to Vilnius was very kind in printing a public transportation map of the city. I never could figure out, however, where the buses and trolleys actually stopped...or if they ever did. They were probably too busy dodging pedestrians to consider stopping, or even slowing down.

5. You must visit Trakai if you go to Vilnius. It's only 30minutes outside the city by bus, and well worth it. Take a morning off from the city, and spend 3 or 4 hours on this beautiful peninsular town. The scenery is world-class, and the atmosphere is extremely peaceful. If you go in the morning, however, bring your own breakfast. The local donuts were less than tasty.



Thus concluded my tour of the Baltics. There were only 5 people on the return flight, yet somehow I ended up seated next to a fat-hairy man. I moved. Latvia and Lithuania strike again! I got the message, and went home. After staying awake through the entire evening before my 6.55am flight, I was very happy to fall into my bed. The previous 72 hrs. were "interesting" to say the least. Luckily, I escaped relitavley unscathed, and wiser about the world. What doesn't kill you only leaves tiny red welts all over your body that you can itch. Though this only causes skin irritation, it physically reminds you that you're still alive.