Monday, September 03, 2007

Ok, so i am back from Riga, Latvia after 3 days 2 nights tour. It is sooo good and fun. Perhaps things are more expensive than Vilnius, at least 20-30% more expensive. I really didn't expect much from this Baltic state, but i was given a pleasant surprise.

This is my itinenery:

Friday

6pm - Bus leave for Riga
8pm - Stop over in a small Lithuanian town for 10 mins
1030pm - Bus reach Riga Main Bus Station
1045pm - Check in at Riga Old Town Hostel
11pm - Dinner at Pizza Malibu
12pm - Beer at Riga Old Town Hostel pub
1230pm - Retire with a hot shower

Saturday
9am - Rise and Shine
10am - Slow walk around the Old Town. Nice buildings
1115am - Early lunch
1200am - Return to Hostel for a 3hr guided tour by a local guy
3pm - Tour ended in the old harbour (Riga is a port city)
3pm - 6pm - Walked back to the Old Town. Check out more nice buildings in Old Town
7pm - 3am - Clubbing
3am - Sleep

Sunday
10am - Rise and Shine
11am - Check out of the Hostel
1130am - Early lunch
12noon - Last min shopping
1.15pm - Bus leaves for Vilnius
5.30pm - Vilnius Main Bus Station

Ahh, i enjoy this trip so much! Though it is a bit short, but come to think of it, 3 days is good for a city tour (applies to Vilnius as well). But i am really glad that i went for the guided tour ( I paid 5 lavs or $15 sgd) because we were brought out of the Old Town to places like a flea market and see some really unique buildings that i wouldn;t have gone to alone. Well worth the money

And i want to say Riga is so different from Vilnius. Believe it or not, Riga looks more like a German city like Frankfurt than a Baltic city. Most of the buildings in Old Town have been reburished and looks so clean and nice. And it is a wealthy little city as well. I think the standard of living is comparable to Singapore. Things are as expensive as back home and people drive nice cars. Vast contrast to Vilnius, not that Vilnius is a poorer cousin of Riga, but the pace of economic development and wealth creating is evidently faster in Riga. I would actually recommend people to visit Riga as you have a chance to visit Europe. And of course, drop by Vilnius as well.

And what is a bonus is that i made friends on the bus back to Vilnius. There are two people, one guy from Australia but working in UK and a Japanese girl who are travelling from Riga to Vilnius. They weren;t quite sure of the way to their hostel so i showed them the way. And we met up for dinner after that, learnt so much about other countries. I tell you, other people are so well travelled, Singaporeans need to travel much more and stop being a slave in work. There is so much to see and learn about the world than to hole up in your cubicle!

Well, work tml. Another brand new week.