Riga in 3 hours

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It was towards the end of the day and the city looked a lot busier than before. Many locals walking around, laughing, smiling it seemed a happy place. It felt safer too. The Police don’t look as intimidating now with their florescent yellow vests. In transit at Riga airport and 5 hours to kill there’s no better way to kill time than to exchange some money and head out to the Latvian capital for some Baltic life.

3 hours - that’s all I needed to see how much the Baltic’s have changed since my first visit - In 2004 it just got accepted into the EU (2 months earlier.) As a travel destination it was the unknown. Back then I stayed at the first hostel, which was still getting renovated at the time.

I asked myself - after being in Old Russia - Central Asian - countries this journey. Has the change to the EU been good for Riga as a travel destination? 2004 there was excitement around but seriousness at the same time. They knew that the future was bright reconfirming their move away from Russian control but what has change made?

The first thing to notice is the amount of hotels and hostels that have come up. From the only one 5 years back to one on every other corner. Clubs are conveniently positioned in the centre now. It use to be a dogfight in the Baltic’s to find one at times (mainly because the good ones were out of town.)

What’s interesting is that the Freedom Monument had no guards! Combining with friendly looking police, it seemed that Riga was looking at true freedom and not this Russian communist intimidation. I think that the other ex-soviet countries should look towards the Baltic’s as a prototype to a better life.

But the problem as a traveller is that with a better life for the locals means the more expensive the destination becomes for the backpacker. I paid $2 for a Riga Balsams bottle in 2004, this time round it was $12. A meal at McDonalds was $9, a main meal; previously at a good restaurant it was $5.

Another interesting thing I have to do in a new country is to try their version of Fanta. Every country or region has a slightly different tasting Fanta and the Baltic’s is the closest taste to Australia’s so I went overboard on that.
But there was a change here. Tourism has arrived but at least Riga hasn’t changed too much. It’s kept its charm although I was here on a Thursday before the British Stag nights arrived. I had a fear that this area changed a lot and I would be disappointed. The only thing is the realisation that nowhere in Europe is really cheap anymore. This is why travelling now is the time, don’t wait. As the world gets closer and the classes become less defined, travelling too will become more expensive. I lived with that theory for about 5 years and coming back to Riga for just 3 hours reconfirmed that. Thank Christ my main European travel was done years ago.

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Photos

Riga Train station
a classic landmark

Freedom Monument
5 years on and their were no guards manning it.