The wolf pack (BB, Simon, Kevin, David). First stop Riga, Latvia. Getting off the plane looked kind of like getting on it. It was cold and there was snow everywhere. But once we started heading into the city, it looked much different.
We stayed at an Australian run hostel called Friendly Franks, located in the old part of the city. This place was definitely Australian; all the TV’s were showing a strange game similar to baseball, but instead of hitting it normally in the air, the batter must hit it off a bounce. I think the game was called “croquet.”
We were greeted by a very friendly Frank (just kidding). It was a very helpful Latvian girl, who gave us a free, cold, half-liter Zelta (Latvian beer) right when we walked in. After a couple drinks, we ventured off into the city.
The old part of the city looks really cool. It had a ton of old brick buildings and statues. Throughout the two days, we saw the president’s castle, the opera house, and the old Soviet Russian markets. For lunch those days, we went to a traditional Latvian restaurant. We got fried breaded chicken, sausages wrapped in bacon, rice with vegetables and a large beer (it’s the only way to stay warm).
That night was… interesting. See Kevin for more information. We also found out that Simon is really boring. See Simon for more information.
Tallinn, the place of Skype and free public Wi-Fi! After being first in Riga, I expected Tallinn to look similar, but it was not. The city had a very modern feel, and larger buildings. We stayed in a hostel called “The Dancing Eesti.” Eesti, which I learned, is the Estonian pronunciation of Estonian.
For dinner we went to an Estonian restaurant recommended by the person working at the hostel. It was one of the best dinners I’ve had so far in Europe. We started off with a tomato and cheese soup and a glass of Saku (Estonian beer). For the main course, I had chicken with risotto. I forgot what Kevin got, but it was a delicious meat dish. Simon and BB got the duck, which was incredible. Yes, we served each other. That’s what wolves do. We also learned “cheers” in Estonian, which is “terviseks” pronounced, “terrible sex” (the running joke in Estonia).
The next day, we went to the Estonian history museum. The museum was great and really interesting, but the best part was seeing abandoned Soviet statues of Lenin and Stalin, which were thrown down behind the building.
For some reason Simon wanted to go to McDonalds, I don’t know why. See Simon for more information. I’m sorry the music had to stop, while we were out, but DJ BB is back! See BB for more information.
In all seriousness, I had an absolutely great time. I completely recommend seeing the hidden gems of Europe.
Pack out!
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