The trip to the Baltic countries was originally planned with no higher motive than to bump my country-hit-count up by two. As with most solo travels, the motive of "just hanging around and absorbing the friggin' atmosphere of the place" is not good enough; I tend to get bored within a half-hour of reaching the place. However, a few things have made the trip worthwhile:
1. The Hill of Crosses
2. Kokle music (picture above from this site)
TRIP SUMMARY
Trip is in four segments of forward-return routes, secured separately:
Helsinki <> Tallinn <> Rīga <> Šiauliai <> Hill of Crosses
Accommodation 2 nights in Riga (Hostel Tiger) and 1 night in Tallinn (Hostel Tallinn)
Thursday 12 July to Sunday 15 July
Expenses around 240 €
TALLINN
Tallinn was not part of the trip, but I think it should be mentioned because the interns went there together the week before.
Navigation pointer: The city focuses at the old town. The old town is next to the harbour. The city plan is very disorganised. The old town has two major axes, the alleyways Pikk and Lai. The center of the old town is the town square. When we were there, it had a medieval market similar to the one in Turku the week before. The medieval market had a medieval dance party, and the dance party is hosted by a medieval DJ.
Tallinn is where Finns flock for cheap liquor. We detoured at the harbour market to buy it, because drink is so important.
Transport segment Tallinn <> Rīga: Lux Express line, 19.80 € each trip
Free internet (works only insofar as coach is in Estonia)
Free flow coffee/tea/cocoa (tastes like cigarette smoke)
RĪGA
Rīga is the capital of Latvia. Now, through the devious influence of this thing called the Latvian Joke, the country has an international reputation of being poor and oppressed by Russians. Latvian Jokes are not strictly jokes, just extremely and improbably sad stories told in broken English. I should be ashamed of having ever laughed at them.
The Latvian countryside is similar to the Estonian countryside, with broadleaf trees, big fields, fluffy clouds, and rolled hay. The city of Rīga is frankly a dump, except for the old town.
Navigation pointer: The river Daugava flows northwestwards. The old town (Vecrīga) is by the river. A moat has been carved from the river around the old town. In the old town there are N Lutheran churches, 1 Catholic church, some museums, lots of restaurants and a rather modern shopping centre. I spend most of the time within the old city parameters, because it feels the safest here.
On Saturday morning in Vecrīga, I listened to kokle music. When the strings are let to ring, they make cool synthesiser sounds. The instrument looks like a kantele.
ŠIAULIAI
Transport segment Rīga <> Šiauliai:
Forward trip 5.7 Lats, return trip 40 Litai (nope, no Euro)
By the way, 1 € = 0.69 Lats = 3.45 Litai
Transport segment Šiauliai <> Hill of Crosses 60 Litai by taxi.
Šiauliai is a neat Lithuanian town in the north, and English is hardly spoken here. The town is a focal point for pilgrims on the way to the Hill of Crosses some distance away in the north-east.
The Hill of Crosses can not be called a hill in good conscience. Without the crosses, it is on the scale of a small pile of earth. The small pile of earth is covered in crosses and rosaries, which spilled over from the hill confines onto some of the paths leading up to the place. Historically, this was the site of a battle of will between the Lithuanian Catholics and the Vodka-chugging Soviets, in which the Russians bulldozed the place thrice over and the Lithuanians just kept the crosses coming. The crosses here today come from places other than Lithuania also, and I left my rosary beads there for good measure.
TALLINN
On the trip back, I stayed in Hostel Tallinn in one night. Hostel Tallinn is a dark and dismal place, and I am glad to have gotten out of there. To be fair, the toilet and showers are not too bad, and there are lockers.
