Heart of the Baltics! Latvia!

Inside the Skyline bar. Really cool vibe...too bad we don't have one at home.
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So, I made it to Riga safely...after a lot of frustrating traveling and lots of getting REALLY mad at my bag. Trams, a long bus ride, and a ferry...and here I am. I'm staying in the Old part of town which is the heart of the city...similar to my stay in Estonia...but there seems to be more commercial things right in the heart of it.

My hostel is awesome and when they throw in free towels, internet, rooms without snoring people in them...I love them. I had the best sleep I've had in weeks last night...silence. It's a priceless thing over here. They are so friendly here - hence the name: Fun, Friendly Franks...Frank even knows my name! And, it's a big hostel. We checked out a local bar near our hostel last night and beer is quite cheap...probably about $2.25 Canadian for a pint. And, the weird locals came free too. So, quite reasonable.

My Olympic Bobsled Experience!

Pretty buildings at night.
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My first day here was lazy - mostly because I woke up to the sounds of rain - and sight seeing is really no fun when you are wet and pictures look terrible in rainy weather too...especially on a disposable camera...my latest purchase until I break down and invest in a new one that will probably break in less than 2 years! I love technology...I've cursed it on my trip too because we are very reliant on it...and it fails almost every time!

As for the rest of my days in Riga...I ended up staying a few extra ones just because accommodation is super cheap...and a steal since I have my own room with a bathroom (I love the non-peak season!). I did a bit of sight seeing, bought my new camera, saw some cheap movies (like $3-4 Canadian each! And, in nice theatres!), browsed the shops, and planned ahead for the rest of my trip.

Ok...so I ordered what I though would be meat and potatoes...and this what I got. Description in menu: Potato-smoked meat roast with cream sauce and fetaki cheese. It tasted like keish. But, that's foreign dining for you...you never know what you are going to get because of poor English translation.
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I did participate in one super fun activity...BOBSLEDDING. It was awesome. My hostel organizes trips for people here. And, basically I got to go down the Latvian Bobsled track located in Siguilda where Latvia and Russia's Olympic teams train. It was a quick ride...49 seconds total at 100 km/hour with a member of Latvia's Olympic team (I think that it's their fulltime jobs too - giving tourists bobsled rides! They must REALLY love it!) As for the ride...I screamed the entire time. (They could hear me all the way down! Haha!) Mostly because it was such a joyride. It felt like a really fast toboggan ride mixed with a rollercoaster. I didn't feel nauseous...just shocked by the speed and the how fast you whip around the corners. It was awesome. Trip highlight for sure. I couldn't pass up the opportunity seeing there are less than 10 places in the world that give you the opportunity!

Hmmm...this sign made me do a second glance. I sure hope they don't wash the dishes in the toilet. I think they mean the sink is near the toilet.
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Off to Lithuania I go...