We started the day picking up supplies from a local supermarket in Sigulda, and buying breakfast from the bakery attached to our hotel. This turned out to be a game of chance, with many sweet-looking baked goods containing meat, savoury-looking ones containing fruit and some apparently containing both... Our first stop was the medieval town of Cesis. First up, we visited a castle where we were given hard hats and candle lanterns and pointed in the right direction to explore dungeons and towers. In one room we found a archeologist in a smithy using authentic methods to recreate ancient metalwork found [View Full Entry]

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After a very early morning start, flying out of Liverpool, we arrived in Riga in time to meet our friends Craig and Julia. They had been in Lativa an extra day and after picking up a hire car, had spent the night in the coastal resort of Jurmala. We were headed for Sigulda but first had to drive straight through the middle of the capital. It was snowing. After about a hour's drive, we arrived in Sigulda and after a quick search of the area, booked into a couple of rooms at the "Melnais Kakis" (Black Cat) hotel (a choice swung [View Full Entry]

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Our arrival in Riga is met by frozen winds and a warm memory, tinged with regret, of the coats which we abandoned in London. D'oh. We clamber onto a jam-packed bus which whizzes us into Riga old town, nearly to the frontdoor of Franks Friendly Backpackers where a free can of fine Lativian beer greets us as we come in the door - proper welcome:) Slight confusion when English barman becomes convinced that le Frenchman Nico is Welsh. Tell Nico that must wear his beret and onion-string from now on to save mix-ups. Claim our bunkbeds, abandon the rucksacks (sore shoulders! [View Full Entry]

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Some stats on Latvia: Popn. 2,259,810 (July 2007 est.) Ethnic groups - Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belarusian 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.7%, Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, other 2% (2002) Capital city with population: Riga - 874,000 Highest peak- 312m (Galzina Kalns) Forested Land: 47.1% Coastline: 531 km Terrain: low plain Here we are in Latvia - base camp for our mission to the Far East. A chilly start to our adventure- whereas Spring has well and truly sprung in Britain from where we have just come, here Winter is still being pursuaded to release it's grip. My (Steven's) first visit to Latvia was [View Full Entry]

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Here are some pictures from Easter weekend in Liepaja, in the West of Latvia. We were staying with Lelde's family on a farm in the countryside. It was pretty cold-it snowed a bit on Easter day. In Latvia, it is a tradition on Lieldiena(Lit. Big Day) to colour eggs by wrapping them in muslin parcels and adding leaves, flowers and anything else, then boiling them in water with lots of onion skins- nice results this year. We also played a lot of Novus, a traditional Latvian game with a sqaure wooden table with a circular whole in each corner. It 's [View Full Entry]

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I'm in Riga today. Riga is a banking city and the capital of Latvia. It's undergone massive improvements in the last few years, and is the largest city in the Baltic states. I had 'borscht' for lunch, which is an, ahem, interesting soup made of beets. Dinner was a Latvian smörgåsbord, named because people in Europe like having things above letters. [View Full Entry]

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I was talking with a fellow traveller and Aerosmith fan about making a trip to Estonia and Latvia and my health issues came up as well as the price for travelling economy to these countries. I didn't want to put them in the position that might mean a medical emergency for me and the monetary cost is high as well... €2,161.83!!!(Airfare only to Latvia and back !We were to drive in between Estonia and Latvia.) That is ONLY the cost from Dublin not including the cost for the hotel, car, and such!My total cost for the short trip would be about [View Full Entry]

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Latvia Baby, and straight to La Rocca The Place - 7/10 The Local Ladies - 9/10 The Nightlife - 8/10 Tune of the Trip - Benassi Bros - Every Single Day We (Daniel, Olga and I) arrived at Riga airport early from our flight from Tampere, Finland think it was about 10.pm. We quickly got are luggage and jumped in a taxi and headed to our hostel, the first time I ever stayed in one . On arrival was not to impressed after the luxury of the hotel we had in Tampere the previous night!, the women working there was a [View Full Entry]

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For once I wasn’t travelling alone, one of my work mates Izmar (whose Bosnian by nationality and moved to UK when he was a kid). I love Eastern Europe as you know and as a former USSR state it had always appealed to me. Now for all those of you who critised and thought I was probably very silly booking to travel with Ryan air were proved right this time. Alll was going well when an hour from landing we were informed that the weather in Riga was bad and so we were landing in Washa. Not to worry though they [View Full Entry]

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arrived in the night...again. after some trouble we managed to find a "hostel". it was a students residence,that worked as a hostel during the summer!the recepcionist didnt speak english at all ( that happens quite a lot in here...i usually find it funny not to understand a word of what foreign people are saying. but this recepcionist lady wasnt being so receptive... ) , she was about to kick us out when too students came to the rescue - ENGLISH SPEAKING LATVIAN GIRLS!!somehow they could convince the lady. thats how we met Ruta ( sorry if i spelled it incorrectly...). She [View Full Entry]

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