I loved that Riga seemed happy and friendly. I loved that I saw people carrying flowers and that the streets were pretty. There are flowers everywhere!
Catching a tram to the bus in Riga we thought would be simple. We knew the route and the stops. We loved the honesty of people. Bought a ticket, same fare, one ticket this time. This is the way today.
Nearly there and the ticket inspector came on. Fine! Why? A fellow passenger explained to her on our behalf, but no. Fine! Paid the fine, filled out forms and no gaol.
Our banker friend told us about the mentality of the people here. The repression, the desperation, the poverty. He said if we had not paid the huge fine we would have gone to gaol. He was prepared to pay the fine so we would not think badly about the country. The worst of the west and the worst of the east here. No social service, farmers being paid to not produce crops. Filter Russian money. The GFC has hit them hard.
The day trip to Estonia began. Are the toilets on the franchise system we wondered? They are - some of them just an expensive, dirty hole in the ground. Bus was fine, trip was nice.
Arriving very tired and eager to get to our lodgings, we discovered that our credit card was back in the other country - alone - we hope.
No one to meet us at the B&B. Ring. She will be there within the hour. We wait...on the street.
In at last. Here are keys, lock doors please. Here is bill, money please. There is no breakfast, there is no wifi. This is cheap accommodation.
Maccas has free wifi, so we walk and make a coffee and McFlurry last the three hours it takes to start to sort out card....to be continued.
Catching a tram to the bus in Riga we thought would be simple. We knew the route and the stops. We loved the honesty of people. Bought a ticket, same fare, one ticket this time. This is the way today.
Nearly there and the ticket inspector came on. Fine! Why? A fellow passenger explained to her on our behalf, but no. Fine! Paid the fine, filled out forms and no gaol.
Our banker friend told us about the mentality of the people here. The repression, the desperation, the poverty. He said if we had not paid the huge fine we would have gone to gaol. He was prepared to pay the fine so we would not think badly about the country. The worst of the west and the worst of the east here. No social service, farmers being paid to not produce crops. Filter Russian money. The GFC has hit them hard.
The day trip to Estonia began. Are the toilets on the franchise system we wondered? They are - some of them just an expensive, dirty hole in the ground. Bus was fine, trip was nice.
Arriving very tired and eager to get to our lodgings, we discovered that our credit card was back in the other country - alone - we hope.
No one to meet us at the B&B. Ring. She will be there within the hour. We wait...on the street.
In at last. Here are keys, lock doors please. Here is bill, money please. There is no breakfast, there is no wifi. This is cheap accommodation.
Maccas has free wifi, so we walk and make a coffee and McFlurry last the three hours it takes to start to sort out card....to be continued.
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