after a big dinner of bread, cold mackeral (in oil, peppercorn and dill and in cream and horseradish), cream cheese, caviar-from-a-tube, and of course, dumplings eggs crabsticks and vegetable broth stolen from an open packet in the kitchen, we are all stuffed. andrew says this is the 1st time he's so stuffed. you can thus extrapolate how full I am.
continuing from last night, we woke at 1, rushed to the hermitage and met elena. she brought us to a cafe ( cafe zoom) where I immediately settled onto a blue sofa enshrouded by a gently curving ceiling that bounced diffused evening light around the place, as downtempo ambient music drizzled upon us. with an espresso set before me, I gradually felt myself unwinding, as if plastic wrap was radiating from my limbs and settling to the floor.
today was a good day. a good dinner that cost us the same as eating out and a much needed rest at the cafe after all the rushing about has been extremely helpful. next stop, veliky novgorod.
-l
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
st pete drunk
i'm typing this entry out as 3 of us tired old men sit on a bench in the shade of (oak?) trees in the courtyard of the winter palace/hermitage.
we have just sped past the musuem in 2 hrs, and that has left me feeling that age is really catching up with me. so as I sit and type, let me recount the past 30 hrs.
we left on sat morn at 940 and spent a frantic (on my part) 20 mins searching for intl hostel, where we would take a 5 hr walking tour round st pete for 430 roubles.
we saw the local and the touristy side of st petersburg, the central market, the baffingly magnificent cathedral of spilled blood, the underground art museum that was once used for underground activities during the communist times and also now houses the greatest russian fan of the beatles who wants to build a temple of love that is shaped like a volcano, with windows to let sun in and fill you with love. and this temple will be built on the gulf of finland. hmm. we also had lunch at a cowboy ranch near the flea market - prices were cheap, fortunately I wasn't having any american food. there's a statue of a small cat 1 story above street level along a certain street. legend has it that this cat had another cat as its lover, which lived across the street. they remained separated and could not get together during their natural lives. so to help them achieve success in their relationship, you have to throw coins to them. if your coin doesn't fall to the ground, your wish will be granted. mine didn't fall to the ground. hehe.
we then met elena, a russian graduate who brought us around. she's really energetic. which made me feel even more shack. we managed to find that lovely cafe at the underground museum, where the sun, baltika ( a russian beer) and the rooftop cafe combined to form an intangible syrup that made me extremely happy and relaxed. soon after, we went roofing.
roofing is an amazing experience. it really really is. amazing. what happens is elena gets into residential buildings and leads us to the top, where we navigate wires, slippery zinc roofs and sooty chimneys to get an unparalled view of st petersburg. the wind in your hair, the cityscape of roofs that stretch to the horizon and the gold gold warmth of the 6pm sun are hardly sufficient to accurately describe that experience.
it was 7 plus by then, and after some frantic walking, it was decided to have dinner instead of going to a jazz bar elena suggested, since it would be full by then. it was at a WW2 restaurant that we had our first russian experience.
I had some roast meat dish that turned out to be a soup dish ( solyvanka). the guy from the other table started talking to elena and was trying to convince me that I could eat the soup. soon after some talking, we started drinking vodka. it seems that after the vodka (giant) shot, you're supposed to take a chaser of apple juice or beer. after 2 shots, we had to decline and kinyan was like rudolph's nose. soon, our party of 4 became 7 and we started hunting for beer. thankfully, we managed to get away ( I was getting worried and wary of the possibility of getting robbed). returning to our hostel to rest for some time, elena managed to convince the receptionist to let us return past the curfew and kinyan got a massage from elena (wah lau...).
I soon found myself walking to the metro, taking the metro, and then found myself at the river. it was 12 30 am and the sun was just starting to set. fireworks erupted twice from our left and soon, the drawbridges started to rise as passenger boats started migrating to the right. as it was getting late (seriously, being on your feet for 14 hrs and having drank is not very fun), we headed back.
it's been such a long time since i've been so amazed and 3 things have happened today that made me feel so. 1st, the roofing, 2ndly, the enchantingly magnificent sunset and 3rdly, the baffingly warmth of russian hospitality. it's so strange for me as an asian to experience such generousity ( about 300 r was spent for each round of drink). then again, as k &a said, we're foreigners and they won their soccer bet. I would feel compelled to buy the next round of drinks or feel that they would want something of me.
tonight was really an eye-opening experience and I can't wait to see what else would happen next.
-l
we have just sped past the musuem in 2 hrs, and that has left me feeling that age is really catching up with me. so as I sit and type, let me recount the past 30 hrs.
we left on sat morn at 940 and spent a frantic (on my part) 20 mins searching for intl hostel, where we would take a 5 hr walking tour round st pete for 430 roubles.
we saw the local and the touristy side of st petersburg, the central market, the baffingly magnificent cathedral of spilled blood, the underground art museum that was once used for underground activities during the communist times and also now houses the greatest russian fan of the beatles who wants to build a temple of love that is shaped like a volcano, with windows to let sun in and fill you with love. and this temple will be built on the gulf of finland. hmm. we also had lunch at a cowboy ranch near the flea market - prices were cheap, fortunately I wasn't having any american food. there's a statue of a small cat 1 story above street level along a certain street. legend has it that this cat had another cat as its lover, which lived across the street. they remained separated and could not get together during their natural lives. so to help them achieve success in their relationship, you have to throw coins to them. if your coin doesn't fall to the ground, your wish will be granted. mine didn't fall to the ground. hehe.
we then met elena, a russian graduate who brought us around. she's really energetic. which made me feel even more shack. we managed to find that lovely cafe at the underground museum, where the sun, baltika ( a russian beer) and the rooftop cafe combined to form an intangible syrup that made me extremely happy and relaxed. soon after, we went roofing.
roofing is an amazing experience. it really really is. amazing. what happens is elena gets into residential buildings and leads us to the top, where we navigate wires, slippery zinc roofs and sooty chimneys to get an unparalled view of st petersburg. the wind in your hair, the cityscape of roofs that stretch to the horizon and the gold gold warmth of the 6pm sun are hardly sufficient to accurately describe that experience.
it was 7 plus by then, and after some frantic walking, it was decided to have dinner instead of going to a jazz bar elena suggested, since it would be full by then. it was at a WW2 restaurant that we had our first russian experience.
I had some roast meat dish that turned out to be a soup dish ( solyvanka). the guy from the other table started talking to elena and was trying to convince me that I could eat the soup. soon after some talking, we started drinking vodka. it seems that after the vodka (giant) shot, you're supposed to take a chaser of apple juice or beer. after 2 shots, we had to decline and kinyan was like rudolph's nose. soon, our party of 4 became 7 and we started hunting for beer. thankfully, we managed to get away ( I was getting worried and wary of the possibility of getting robbed). returning to our hostel to rest for some time, elena managed to convince the receptionist to let us return past the curfew and kinyan got a massage from elena (wah lau...).
I soon found myself walking to the metro, taking the metro, and then found myself at the river. it was 12 30 am and the sun was just starting to set. fireworks erupted twice from our left and soon, the drawbridges started to rise as passenger boats started migrating to the right. as it was getting late (seriously, being on your feet for 14 hrs and having drank is not very fun), we headed back.
it's been such a long time since i've been so amazed and 3 things have happened today that made me feel so. 1st, the roofing, 2ndly, the enchantingly magnificent sunset and 3rdly, the baffingly warmth of russian hospitality. it's so strange for me as an asian to experience such generousity ( about 300 r was spent for each round of drink). then again, as k &a said, we're foreigners and they won their soccer bet. I would feel compelled to buy the next round of drinks or feel that they would want something of me.
tonight was really an eye-opening experience and I can't wait to see what else would happen next.
-l
customs 2
ky continues : Unfortunately the rules of time and space hold and we arrive at the Russian side of the border 2 minutes later. A uniformed officer gets on the bus, says something in (I assume) Russian and seems to be explaining something to the front of the bus. Then another female officer enters and seems to be in a rather cheerful mood. I have started praying... All the passengers are being called down now to the imigrations office...
Phew! Thank God. We're now back on the bus. Let me try to tell the story... We got off the bus at about 11:30p.m. (Riga time). We made sure that we were the last in line so that we could delay as long as possible towards midnight. To offset my anxiety, I amused myself by reading the English translation of the prohibited items list (it was really quite fun, especially the definition of "The Weapons") and praying silently.
~11:55pm. There is no longer anyone in line ahead of us. We drag our backpacks forward and present ourselves one by one to the immigration officer. Extensive scrutiny follows. Our passports and repeatedly examined under a UV lamp. The examination cubicle lighta are even turned off, presumably to see the UV markings better. Phone calls are made. Phone calls are answered. My suspicious Malausian passport is whisked off to the depths of an office and quickly returned. All this time we are worrying if the immigration officers will stamp "31st May" or "1st June" on our passport. Since our visas start on 1st June and are only valid for 30 days (till the 30th), it is important they are stamped 1st June so that we will be able to exit Russia on the 30th as planned. The bus driver doesn't appear to be too concerned and begins asking us oue destination in St. Petersburg. in Russian. A few pokes at our phrasebook and hand waving at our hostel address later, he seems satisfied and communicates to us that he will drop us off nearby our hostel.
In the meantime, Andrew is keeping a close eye on the immigration officer. Then, the officer hands Andrew our passports, breaks out in a grin (our first grin in Russia!) and says, in English, "Thank you!".
Our passports are stamped : 01.06.2007. 1st June 2007.
I attempt a weak "spasibas" (thank you) but I think no one heard it, not even my own ears. We wander past the X-ray machines, are summoned back and stuff our backpacks through, and reboard the bus.
Our first and most major immigration challenge is over and we're back on the road. I really thank God that weLve made it this far and I trust that He will continue to bring us through. I guess this incident makes me apprieciate my passport and my mobility more. It brought to mind the stories that I've read of refugees, immigrants, fugitives, exiles and others who have faced border difficulties. Sometimes, their lives and the lives of their families and friends depend on them getting through border controls. This experience will let me empathize with them just a little bit better.
The bus clock glows 0:48. I shall go to sleep now and hopefully when I awake, morning would have come and I will look on the land of Russia fully lit by the rising sun
-ky ends
Phew! Thank God. We're now back on the bus. Let me try to tell the story... We got off the bus at about 11:30p.m. (Riga time). We made sure that we were the last in line so that we could delay as long as possible towards midnight. To offset my anxiety, I amused myself by reading the English translation of the prohibited items list (it was really quite fun, especially the definition of "The Weapons") and praying silently.
~11:55pm. There is no longer anyone in line ahead of us. We drag our backpacks forward and present ourselves one by one to the immigration officer. Extensive scrutiny follows. Our passports and repeatedly examined under a UV lamp. The examination cubicle lighta are even turned off, presumably to see the UV markings better. Phone calls are made. Phone calls are answered. My suspicious Malausian passport is whisked off to the depths of an office and quickly returned. All this time we are worrying if the immigration officers will stamp "31st May" or "1st June" on our passport. Since our visas start on 1st June and are only valid for 30 days (till the 30th), it is important they are stamped 1st June so that we will be able to exit Russia on the 30th as planned. The bus driver doesn't appear to be too concerned and begins asking us oue destination in St. Petersburg. in Russian. A few pokes at our phrasebook and hand waving at our hostel address later, he seems satisfied and communicates to us that he will drop us off nearby our hostel.
In the meantime, Andrew is keeping a close eye on the immigration officer. Then, the officer hands Andrew our passports, breaks out in a grin (our first grin in Russia!) and says, in English, "Thank you!".
Our passports are stamped : 01.06.2007. 1st June 2007.
I attempt a weak "spasibas" (thank you) but I think no one heard it, not even my own ears. We wander past the X-ray machines, are summoned back and stuff our backpacks through, and reboard the bus.
Our first and most major immigration challenge is over and we're back on the road. I really thank God that weLve made it this far and I trust that He will continue to bring us through. I guess this incident makes me apprieciate my passport and my mobility more. It brought to mind the stories that I've read of refugees, immigrants, fugitives, exiles and others who have faced border difficulties. Sometimes, their lives and the lives of their families and friends depend on them getting through border controls. This experience will let me empathize with them just a little bit better.
The bus clock glows 0:48. I shall go to sleep now and hopefully when I awake, morning would have come and I will look on the land of Russia fully lit by the rising sun
-ky ends
customs
as of now, i'm writing this while waiting for the latvian customs to clear us 3 yellow men. there seems to be a problem with the passport and not the immigration form. k is quiet, a seems to be worrying and I am just damn hungry. so i'm eating sesame bread with caviar from a tube (all bought from the supermarket). this is working fine until I get a little tired of the briny taste of the eggs of a swimming creature.
just in time, the driver hands me my passport, but not without saying my name as lukey pangeh kwok fehng (luke pang kwok feng). my exit from riga into russia seems to be delaying, as the drivers are considerately (i hope!) killing time before entering the border. this is due to our russian visa being only valid from the 1/6 and not the 31/5.
oops we just moved off. it seems we need to kill another 37 mins along a road no longer than a 100 metres before we can enter russia on the 1/6. if not, we have to hop off and hopfully thumb a ride with one of those truck drivers into russia.
-l
just in time, the driver hands me my passport, but not without saying my name as lukey pangeh kwok fehng (luke pang kwok feng). my exit from riga into russia seems to be delaying, as the drivers are considerately (i hope!) killing time before entering the border. this is due to our russian visa being only valid from the 1/6 and not the 31/5.
oops we just moved off. it seems we need to kill another 37 mins along a road no longer than a 100 metres before we can enter russia on the 1/6. if not, we have to hop off and hopfully thumb a ride with one of those truck drivers into russia.
-l
riga to st p
quote(s) of the day:
seriously guys, this is the last stop for cheap luxury man. -me
mm. yah. - k & a.
ok, so we've eaten our share of fried dough with various fillings, drank good coffee, had some latvian beer under an nice square orange umbrella that shaded us from the sun, and we're on the bus to st petersburg.
after a nice 11 or 12 hr sleep on a double decker bed (i'm trying not to mention bunk bed), we woke up to the playings of some songs by a busker using an instrument (brass perhaps?). a quick wash up, packing and emailing and we were off to get our bus tickets at the central bus station.
the central bus station is located conveniently next to the central bus station, where fruits, flowers, clothes and shoes (no animals, sorry. not chatuchak) are sold. meat (of the animal kind. please!!) are sold here too.
the meat displayed in those glass units are strangely dry. they don't look moist. and the cow heart is damn big! located at a corner of the meat area were some eateries. hehehe. just what I was looking for.
a meal of bangers, I mean, sausages, mash & preserved coleslaw without the mayo, made me a very happy person. a was grinning as he ordered the dish with egg, mash, a giant meatball and the preserved coleslaw. k and I started to laugh the minute the old lady took a plate of prearranged egg mash and veg and popped in a meatball into the micro. all 3 of us shared toast with anchovies and egg and another toast with melted cheese ham and ketchup. we proceeded next to another shop that sold fried dough (hum jing peng?). a and I each got a coffee and that fried dough thing. I prefer to order things by pointing and grinning like a fool. a got potato filling while I got sauteed onion filling. doesn't go well with coffee, but it doesn't really matter eh? and I didn't know coffee with sugar cost more. basket.
we visited a cafe we saw in a shopping centre yesterday. the cafe's decorated extravagantly like a boudoir (bordello? maybe not. it sounds like a wine varietal. i'm not thinking of bordeaux though. ANYWAY...) with deep rich wood, deep red plush cushions, petite tables and lovely red lamps. a sweet and rich chocolate cake (that looked like the chocolate trifle from c&f except there was a creme centre for this) paired with an espresso made me look forward to being immensely happy after the meal. actually, sitting down to this whole affair is not really what I envisioned. I didn't really need that cake. but the price and the rationalisatiom of sir andrew that we are on holiday makes me perform such purchases. the whole meal cost me 1.8 lats or 1.8 pounds. unfortunately, the chocolate cake was mostly sponge, and the white filling that came with nuts, was a hard and dry meringue. after the break, a saw another shop that looked even better.
a: wah lau! this shops looks damn good!
me: yah! crap! see a, we're not really practising asians. we're failing to look around for the best buy.
a: hahaha.
while walking back from the cafe to the hostel, as all of us needed to take a shite, a conversation between k, a and I went like this:
me: wah, if I die on this trip, I will die happy man.
a: why?
me: cos i've eaten a nice meal, had a nice sleep, seen a beautiful city, enjoyed the sights and have embarked on a trip i've wanted to do in my lifetime.
k: wah lau, don't be selfish lah.
me: why?
k: if you die along this trip, we'll be damn sad eh.
a: yah man.
a: at least die in thailand lah.
k: yah yah. die in thailand.
me: wah lau you guys ah.
k: you should have made me your benefactor for your insurance man.
me: what for? I don't want to marry you eh. wah lau.
-l
seriously guys, this is the last stop for cheap luxury man. -me
mm. yah. - k & a.
ok, so we've eaten our share of fried dough with various fillings, drank good coffee, had some latvian beer under an nice square orange umbrella that shaded us from the sun, and we're on the bus to st petersburg.
after a nice 11 or 12 hr sleep on a double decker bed (i'm trying not to mention bunk bed), we woke up to the playings of some songs by a busker using an instrument (brass perhaps?). a quick wash up, packing and emailing and we were off to get our bus tickets at the central bus station.
the central bus station is located conveniently next to the central bus station, where fruits, flowers, clothes and shoes (no animals, sorry. not chatuchak) are sold. meat (of the animal kind. please!!) are sold here too.
the meat displayed in those glass units are strangely dry. they don't look moist. and the cow heart is damn big! located at a corner of the meat area were some eateries. hehehe. just what I was looking for.
a meal of bangers, I mean, sausages, mash & preserved coleslaw without the mayo, made me a very happy person. a was grinning as he ordered the dish with egg, mash, a giant meatball and the preserved coleslaw. k and I started to laugh the minute the old lady took a plate of prearranged egg mash and veg and popped in a meatball into the micro. all 3 of us shared toast with anchovies and egg and another toast with melted cheese ham and ketchup. we proceeded next to another shop that sold fried dough (hum jing peng?). a and I each got a coffee and that fried dough thing. I prefer to order things by pointing and grinning like a fool. a got potato filling while I got sauteed onion filling. doesn't go well with coffee, but it doesn't really matter eh? and I didn't know coffee with sugar cost more. basket.
we visited a cafe we saw in a shopping centre yesterday. the cafe's decorated extravagantly like a boudoir (bordello? maybe not. it sounds like a wine varietal. i'm not thinking of bordeaux though. ANYWAY...) with deep rich wood, deep red plush cushions, petite tables and lovely red lamps. a sweet and rich chocolate cake (that looked like the chocolate trifle from c&f except there was a creme centre for this) paired with an espresso made me look forward to being immensely happy after the meal. actually, sitting down to this whole affair is not really what I envisioned. I didn't really need that cake. but the price and the rationalisatiom of sir andrew that we are on holiday makes me perform such purchases. the whole meal cost me 1.8 lats or 1.8 pounds. unfortunately, the chocolate cake was mostly sponge, and the white filling that came with nuts, was a hard and dry meringue. after the break, a saw another shop that looked even better.
a: wah lau! this shops looks damn good!
me: yah! crap! see a, we're not really practising asians. we're failing to look around for the best buy.
a: hahaha.
while walking back from the cafe to the hostel, as all of us needed to take a shite, a conversation between k, a and I went like this:
me: wah, if I die on this trip, I will die happy man.
a: why?
me: cos i've eaten a nice meal, had a nice sleep, seen a beautiful city, enjoyed the sights and have embarked on a trip i've wanted to do in my lifetime.
k: wah lau, don't be selfish lah.
me: why?
k: if you die along this trip, we'll be damn sad eh.
a: yah man.
a: at least die in thailand lah.
k: yah yah. die in thailand.
me: wah lau you guys ah.
k: you should have made me your benefactor for your insurance man.
me: what for? I don't want to marry you eh. wah lau.
-l
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Lazing In Latvia
Lazing Around in Latvia
Arriving in Latvia was quite uneventful. As we emerged from the plane doors down the stairs and took our first breath of Latvian air, the first thing I noticed was that it was much warmer than London. Ahhhhhh... And thus we set foot on the first country that used a language other than English. However, Latvia still used Roman letters and thus I could still recognize some words here and there. We moved quickly and easily through immigrations and settled the usual currency exchange business at the airport counter.
Now... how do we get out of here? Inquiring around gets us two bits of information : "bus" and "13". Well, that's a start... It turns out there was a public bus from the airport into the city center for 30 (not 13) centims (1 lat = 100 centims = Ј1). So after saying our bus stop name, Stockmann (the bus stops here all have names! and they announce the next stop too!) and poking around the unfamilliar coins,we were off.
At Stockmann (which turned out to be a shoping center), we visited a bank to ask for directions and to change more money. The bank was quite empty which might help to explain the great lengths that the effusive women went to direct us to our hostel. They searched maps online, printed over 10 pages, drew circles and lines and pointed in a very pointed manner towards the center of Old Riga. So, bolstered by the apparently highly helpful Latvian nature, we plunged into the cobbled maze of Old Riga and found our shelter for the night, the Domб Pearlй Hostel.
Most of our time in Riga was spent walking around in circles in Old Riga. The order of the day was peering into cathedrals, admiring the shiny European cars parked on the cobblestone roads, and checking out cбfe prices. Old Riga was really very beautiful and in fact had rather affordable prices at their cafes. Thus we spent a lot of time just sitting around cбfes, drinking coffee, tea and/or beer, enjoying the wonderful weather and watching the world go by. Classic european chilling. =)
We also saw some interesting architecture, barns converted to houses and a minimalist art gallery in a otherwise abandoned looking building, lit by several bare bulbs.
The sun set very late in Riga, at about 10:30pm and I stayed up on the computer after l and a had fallen sound asleep (important discovery : a snores. a little). I stood outside on the little balcony of our hostel and listened to the loud murmer of the many cafegoers below as I read my Bible in the cool breeze. The quiet roar of the warming gas lamps mixed with conversation under the glow of the sky alight with the echoes of sunset sihouetting the church spires ... ahhh... It was good.
Food at Riga was pretty uneventful... some pancakes stuffed with various things like bananas or meat and other unexciting (and cheap) fare.
After our Riga wanderings we done, we got to the bus station and headed out on a half day long overnight bus ride. As the bus rolled through the Latvian countryside, I looked out the window upon wide swathes of land dotted with a few farmhouses. A ground-hugging mist shrouded the fields and made the landscape mysterious in the late evening light. That is another sight that I shall remember. Sleep soon overtook me as we continued on our trip.
I guess our time in Riga was just spent relaxing. We didn't look at any sights except for the ones we passed by while walking around the 'touristy' old Riga. The architecture was quite European-ish and the 'classic' activity of sipping drinks at a cafe was what we mostly indulged in. Still, the listening to the sound of BMW and Benz tyres crinkling over cobblestone roads from a cafe was pretty fun.
Next Stop : Latvian Russian Border! (hmm..)
-ky
Arriving in Latvia was quite uneventful. As we emerged from the plane doors down the stairs and took our first breath of Latvian air, the first thing I noticed was that it was much warmer than London. Ahhhhhh... And thus we set foot on the first country that used a language other than English. However, Latvia still used Roman letters and thus I could still recognize some words here and there. We moved quickly and easily through immigrations and settled the usual currency exchange business at the airport counter.
Now... how do we get out of here? Inquiring around gets us two bits of information : "bus" and "13". Well, that's a start... It turns out there was a public bus from the airport into the city center for 30 (not 13) centims (1 lat = 100 centims = Ј1). So after saying our bus stop name, Stockmann (the bus stops here all have names! and they announce the next stop too!) and poking around the unfamilliar coins,we were off.
At Stockmann (which turned out to be a shoping center), we visited a bank to ask for directions and to change more money. The bank was quite empty which might help to explain the great lengths that the effusive women went to direct us to our hostel. They searched maps online, printed over 10 pages, drew circles and lines and pointed in a very pointed manner towards the center of Old Riga. So, bolstered by the apparently highly helpful Latvian nature, we plunged into the cobbled maze of Old Riga and found our shelter for the night, the Domб Pearlй Hostel.
Most of our time in Riga was spent walking around in circles in Old Riga. The order of the day was peering into cathedrals, admiring the shiny European cars parked on the cobblestone roads, and checking out cбfe prices. Old Riga was really very beautiful and in fact had rather affordable prices at their cafes. Thus we spent a lot of time just sitting around cбfes, drinking coffee, tea and/or beer, enjoying the wonderful weather and watching the world go by. Classic european chilling. =)
We also saw some interesting architecture, barns converted to houses and a minimalist art gallery in a otherwise abandoned looking building, lit by several bare bulbs.
The sun set very late in Riga, at about 10:30pm and I stayed up on the computer after l and a had fallen sound asleep (important discovery : a snores. a little). I stood outside on the little balcony of our hostel and listened to the loud murmer of the many cafegoers below as I read my Bible in the cool breeze. The quiet roar of the warming gas lamps mixed with conversation under the glow of the sky alight with the echoes of sunset sihouetting the church spires ... ahhh... It was good.
Food at Riga was pretty uneventful... some pancakes stuffed with various things like bananas or meat and other unexciting (and cheap) fare.
After our Riga wanderings we done, we got to the bus station and headed out on a half day long overnight bus ride. As the bus rolled through the Latvian countryside, I looked out the window upon wide swathes of land dotted with a few farmhouses. A ground-hugging mist shrouded the fields and made the landscape mysterious in the late evening light. That is another sight that I shall remember. Sleep soon overtook me as we continued on our trip.
I guess our time in Riga was just spent relaxing. We didn't look at any sights except for the ones we passed by while walking around the 'touristy' old Riga. The architecture was quite European-ish and the 'classic' activity of sipping drinks at a cafe was what we mostly indulged in. Still, the listening to the sound of BMW and Benz tyres crinkling over cobblestone roads from a cafe was pretty fun.
Next Stop : Latvian Russian Border! (hmm..)
-ky
Friday, June 1, 2007
About Riga
The 3 things I'll remember about Riga: Cheap food, cafes and beautiful girls.
Our 1st meal of fried dough with an assortment of ingredients from chives to cheese to bananas together with a cold beetroot soup costs about 2 lats + which is about 2 pounds. Nad if you want my slipshod economic analysis of it, a big mac costs 1.39 lat compared to S$3+ back home. Now Latvia isn't backward at all, throw one stone sure will hit one merc of bmw or lexus or it's your lucky day, will strike a bentley. I'm not sure why things are the way they are and this surely deserves some research on my part. But as my friend said, it sure seems like luxury on the cheap.
Riga was quite a pleasant surprise after the budget flight from London which lives up to airplanes being just airborne taxis. Open squares, cobbled roads, small paths, century old churches intermingling with little al fresco cafes - the whole works for charming European village. You could spend a whole day weather permitting to just sit there all day people watching. Maybe all this charming stuff is just confined to this area, this playground for the rich, maybe it's all an illusion - but I'm not complaining la, I'm not here to close the economic gap.
All the women here are ridiculously skinny and mostly beautiful. The stone throwing analogy also applies. Decked out in all manner of high fashion, sipping wine in the afternoon, walking the cobbled ways with much deftness on high heels. One really wonders where all these people come from. Things seem suspiciously perfect.
-a
Our 1st meal of fried dough with an assortment of ingredients from chives to cheese to bananas together with a cold beetroot soup costs about 2 lats + which is about 2 pounds. Nad if you want my slipshod economic analysis of it, a big mac costs 1.39 lat compared to S$3+ back home. Now Latvia isn't backward at all, throw one stone sure will hit one merc of bmw or lexus or it's your lucky day, will strike a bentley. I'm not sure why things are the way they are and this surely deserves some research on my part. But as my friend said, it sure seems like luxury on the cheap.
Riga was quite a pleasant surprise after the budget flight from London which lives up to airplanes being just airborne taxis. Open squares, cobbled roads, small paths, century old churches intermingling with little al fresco cafes - the whole works for charming European village. You could spend a whole day weather permitting to just sit there all day people watching. Maybe all this charming stuff is just confined to this area, this playground for the rich, maybe it's all an illusion - but I'm not complaining la, I'm not here to close the economic gap.
All the women here are ridiculously skinny and mostly beautiful. The stone throwing analogy also applies. Decked out in all manner of high fashion, sipping wine in the afternoon, walking the cobbled ways with much deftness on high heels. One really wonders where all these people come from. Things seem suspiciously perfect.
-a
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