Riga Trip Report

[Turboguy]

The internet cafe at the post office is one of the nicest I have been in but also very expensive.   There is another in the undrground mall just down from the TGI Fridays near the food court that is much cheaper and another upstairs in the building on the corner of Krashtik and the street running up to TGI Fridays that is also cheap.   Not that money is everything but the one at the PO is overpriced.

[Kuna]

I'll be 1 block away from Independence Square, up towards Sophia Cathedral.

US$2.50 seems expensive???  One very cool thing in Riga is the Lattelecom WiFi Card.  If you have a wireless notebook with you just about the whole of Old Town is covered by 802.11G Wifi and you can buy prepaid cards everywhere for 0.95 Lats (AUS$1.50) per 60 minutes.  That also gives you multiple log ins.  There's also a 24 hour card (1440 minutes) for 9.95 Lats or about 0.41 Lats per hour.

I found a few Internet Cafe's and they charged 0.60 Lats (AUS$0.90) per hour but the quality of machines varied a fair bit. :-(

[I/O]

Kuna: I think from your comments, you pretty much nailed Riga as I did.  Maybe it's just an Auusie perspective.  Generally it is well advanced on many areas in the FSU and certainly, economically on the move.  To really get in to the thick of the FSU, I suggest Riga is perhaps not quite that.  I came away thinking that if a family with children wanted to venture east for a vacation, then Riga would be a very good option as it is safe and simple and has a little of everything.

Yes, I will back you up on the Sydneysiders.  Nevertheless, I've had a lot of fun there over the years and would never discourage anyone from visiting Sydney. Certainly the central areas are pretty special.  But you gotta remember, all things are relative and this SE corner of Qld is the pick of Aus by a mile. I lived in 5 states and there is no way anyone will get me to move too far from here now.

I agree with you wholeheartedly about getting away from mainstream tourist areas.  That is in fact the reason I originally travelled east. It's not the high prices or the commercialisation that really irritates me, but the d!ckheads.  I just can't cop them so I choose to avoid those locations.  Sorry to say that you are right, the Poms are among the worst and to be frank some of ours arn't much better.

Get some rest man. you'll burn out.....!!!

Safe flying down to Kiev.

I/O 

[Son of Clyde]

Kuna,
Sounds as if your impressions of Riga were similar to mine.
What bothered me most were the beggars. I finally gave a very old woman one Lat and she was so grateful she started kissing my hand. There was a young boy of about 12 who would look at me with sad eyes and then lift up his shirt to expose a terrible scar on his abdomen. Probably a botched operation. And the man who tried to sell hot watches even when I was wearing a perfectly good watch.
I would circle the Riga Hotel every afternoon and visited the American Embassy one day to "check in". The Freedom Monument was a landmark, not far from my hotel. I felt very safe walking the streets at night. I even saw some "hippies" strumming a guitar and asking for handouts. They were the only ones who did not ask me for money. Beggars would follow close and plead with me for money. I felt sad for them as they were mostly old women who had no pension and needed to beg for survival. A beautiful city with so much poverty.

[Mir]

Sounds like you will be somewhere on the Mykhaylivs'ka Street. Lots of apartments for rent there. You will be near the Irish pub and there is a good sea food restaurant nearby 'Da Vinci Fish Club' (expensive though but then all good restaurants in Kiev are expensive). From St Sophia Cathedral you can walk on to Andriyivsky Uzviz, certainly the most charming street in Kiev.

[Bruce]

"Ukrainians are fond of making beverages with fruits and berries mixed and incorporated in horlika."  I second the comment from Mir.  Definitely one of the highlights of Ukraine, though I will always remember just standing outside of the McDonald's on Kreshatik Street and watching the girls go by.............probably the prettiest I can remember in the FSU, though St. Petersburg was a close second, and Kharkov was a close third.  Over all I am in the camp that over all Ukrainians are prettier then Russians, but there are of course so many beautiful Russian girls as well.  Maybe there is more hybrid vigor in Ukrainian girls.  Kiev is a great place, so enjoy it!

Nice trip report and a good read. 

[Gator]

Kuna,

Riga was a good warm-up for the Big Event.

The following has nothing to do with Riga, but I thought I would post it here in case you read it while you are still in Kiev.  Some suggestions for eating in kiev:
1.  The Irish Pub (O'Brien's) is great for a beer, conversation and arranging a meeting place; however, the food is so-so.
2.  At the bottom of the hill below O'Brien's you will encounter  Independence Square.   Immediately on the left is a fantastic coffeehouse near you (although you seem to drink tea).  They had freshly roasted Ethiopian beans (the best in the world IMO) when I was there plus some delicious cakes.  It is at the north end of the plaza with the post office at the south end on the opposite side with the underground mall between the two.
3.  To impress a woman I suggest the  Northern Italian restaurant Dolce on the opposite side of Independence Square as it starts to go uphill again.  A well connected Kiev woman took me there.  All local customers, no expats.   Good food and the price was not bad.  Excellent beef carpaccio and fresh oysters (expensive).  Oysters were a first for this woman (who gave the sign of the cross before devouring one).


When I was in Kiev one year ago it was -27C.  What to do?  My apartment was one block from O'Brien's.  I started with a beer there, walked downhill and barely made it to the coffee house.  Then it was another beer at another bar before returning to the coffee house.  Next, walked uphill to O'Brien's for a third beer and finally to my apartment for a hot shower (and I felt as if I lost 2 pounds).  This took about 4-5 hours.  

At night I rode the Funicular into Podil and nearly froze to death.  Went to a good Moroccan restaurant and stayed there with a woman for 4 hours.  She had a car and drove me back to the apartment - otherwise I may have never left.

[Mir]

Gator

Looks like you were there at the same time as I.
I could have run across you at O'Brien as I was staying right next to it and spent quite a lot of time playing pool with my friend and her friends there(it was too cold to do anything else).
Another restaurant with good food is Hunter.
The Georgian in Podil is good with a roaring fireplace.

[wendaaaal]

Day 3



There was a little kiosk near the rink that sold wurst and warm red wine with cinnamon on top (I'm sure someone will be able to tell me what it's called).  It was delicious so I had two cups.     



As in most cold-climate areas, Latvia has good mulled wine, called karstvins, which is served hot.

Hello Kuna,
 Nothing like standing around outside having a sausage and some hot wine. More of a German thing than  Russian, I'd believe.
 Great trip report. I was in Riga last summer. I'd agree it's kind of a "gateway drug" for guys wondering about the FSU experience. In Riga you can experience a bit of the FSU without really leaving Western Europe - no visa hassles, higher service standards, etc., along with some really beautiful women.  But, as you've pointed out, you will have to figure out a way to convince those (admittedly hot) local girls that you're not a sex tourist. Think you've done a pretty good job of that so far. Best wishes on the rest of your trip, Wendell in Austin

[Mir]

Kuna

Do you know that The kuna was a currency unit in several Slavic states, most notably Kievan Rus and its successors until the early 15th century. It was equal to 1/25 (later 1/50) gryvna of silver.
It is now the currency of Croatia.

So how are things in Kiev?

[jinx13]

 Things have gotten heavy around here, where is Kuna to lighten things up with a Kiev T/R? 

 Seriously Kuna, I dig your writing style, and one of the reasons I joined this forum was to read great trip reports. One that is well written can take you to another place, and bring back fond memories of the places we have all been, and allows us a chance to share.

 I know you're busy    but when you get a chance give us an update, thanks

[Mir]

Well either he is having too much fun or is frozen solid (temperature will drop to -13 tonight in Kiev).

For those in Europe who are hoping to marry a Ukrainian lady there is some good news. Apparently the ILR visa will now be issued free of charge.

[Kuna]

Ahhhhh... Kyiv... I feel like I'm finally home.

An update and round up of my Riga trip report will follow (soon) and then it's onto Kyiv!

Well... I'm in Kiev but it'll be an update for you guys!

poka!   

Kuna