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This might be the last Blog . we will be going into Russia on Tuesday for 18 days
I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them. - Mark Twain
May 20, 2009, Wednesday, Riga City Campground to Sigulda, Gauja National Park, to Cesis, Latvia.
It was about 50 kilometers to Sigulda from Riga. After strolling around this lovely town we enjoyed a hot lunch at the Black Cat bakery/cafeteria. It rained again last night and the weather is cloudy and chilly 40ish.
There is a nice hiking/mountain biking trail that follows the Gauja River, so we hiked for several hours before starting off for Cesis. Cesis is a quaint town, tomorrow we will take a closer look. Meanwhile, we found a campground getting ready to open. The young man was glad to take our 10 Lts ($20.) so we are set for the night. Seems we are the only ones here??
Oops! We were typing when a “friend” from Traki Campground, Lithuania, knocked at our door. Bianka (?) a young German woman biking by herself through the Baltic Countries. When we saw her last in Lithuania, Maureen went over with a cold beer and some pretzels, as she was setting up her
tent for the evening. She was so appreciative and they talked for a bit. (We enjoy biking, but biking and hauling all your stuff”, clothing, food, etc. from country to country and a tent and sleeping bag…and at times taking a train…Wow! my hat is off to her.) She is a delight and we chatted for a while and took some photos. She surely deserves another beer! Good luck Bianka, stay safe! (hope I spelled it correctly).
We are in a “countdown mode” as our entrance into Russia is getting closer. Laundry, shopping and hot showers are all a large question mark?
May 21, 2009, Thursday, Cesis, Latvia to Riga CG, Latvia. The noisy and we had lots of rain. We thought of our biking friend out in her tent.
The weather in the Baltic is changeable, if you don’t like it… hang around, it will change. The AM is sunny and mild. As we leave the campground and head for the town center. Sprawling medieval ruins and Cesu, the local beer, make Cesis a classic Latvian town. With map in hand, we set out to explore the castle ruins, churches, parks and a quaint town.
We met Bianka, the German biker in one of the churches; this is a small country.
We returned to Riga Campground, I think for the last time. And we arrived just before our friends from the US, Tom and Judy. It is good to see friends and chat in English without a language barrier. We compared Eastern Europe travel experiences.
A hot shower is also good…will we have this luxury in Russia? Time will tell, tour books on Russia are very different. We have learned to take information from these books with a grain of salt, some are outdated and some are just not accurate. But they do give one a place to start, and some history… and from that perspective they are helpful.
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The Dillons
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Say it isn't so....
Oh no...we don't know if we can last 18 days without a blog!! The girls love to hear from you. The pictures are breathtaking (I want those flowers for my garden Bob!). Your detailed commentary is educational and entertaining. Please take care of yourself. Have fun!! The Dillons