When I told people I was going to Latvia for Easter their heads almost fell off. I guess because their minds got blown.
“Latvia? Wow,” said some of them, as if I’d announced I was off to the Amazon for Bar Mitzvah.
No guys, I’m just going to Latvia for Easter because I once visited neighbouring Lithuania and had a damn fine time.
Turns out the Baltic States weren’t really considered a holiday destination to most Brits growing up. Not least because the area struggled to receive their full independence from the Soviet Union until the 1990s. So I guess less adventurous people find the stigma too hard to shake. Sucks to be them.
Obviously as a wanderlust Gen Y Aussie, I didn’t have any hesitations about a getaway destination nestled beside Russia. And either did my pals Ren and Scotty. I invited them and they were prompt to book flights even though a place like that had never really crossed their minds. And I’m glad they did. Because what I’ve realised in my crunchy old age, is that I like to travel with friends. I like it a lot.
I like to share the experiences. Have laughs. Make memories. Along with all the other cheesy things people say about travel.
As an adult you don’t really get to spend long periods of time with other adults to realise you really like them or hate them. Sleepovers and duvet days go few and far between. On the plus side you hear a lot less bodily functions, but the sad part is you miss real bonding opps.
Anyway, Latvia was great and I’ve decided to share why in list form.
You can fly there with Wizz Air
Yes, it’s a real airline and despite its stupid name, it was a smooth experience and didn’t crash into the ground or anything.
Scotty walked in on someone pooping
Okay, this has nothing to do with Latvia, but this is totally worth sharing because I almost couldn’t catch my Wizz Air flight from laughing too hard: Scotty nipped off to the loo as we were waiting to board, and returned to us minutes later with an awkward smile and TERRIFIC story about walking in on an Eastern European guy doing a number 2.
Later in Latvia, Scotty got pooped on
The birds are funnier in Latvia. That’s all.
Day two we spent three hours at a boring and small airport
Travel is fraught with highs and lows. You just deal with the lows because the highs are so good. We made the most of the three hours we had to wait in the airport (because I got the hire car pick up time wrong), because that’s just the kind of blokes we are.
Then we (I) almost totalled the car after two hours
We were given a brand spankin’ new car that day. Just 15km on the pedometer. Straight out of the womb.
I think they actually went out to the shop, 15km away, and purchased it for us.
We’d been on the road for about two hours. And arrive in this cutie patootie little town, Sigulda.
I’m driving along parallel to a train track. Minding my own business.
And I go to turn right to cross the track. But as I do so I notice the lights are flashing red and cars have stopped.
So I stop.
Then I’m thinking a bit like, gosh, I’m probably a bit close to the track.
And then Scotty’s like, ‘REVERSE! REVERSE! REVERSE!’
I don’t know what the fuck’s coming but lucky I have a ninja brain and floored it into reverse.
The bloody boom gate missed us by a measly few centimetres.
Renee, Scotty and everyone is Latvia lose it with laughter.
I’ve got butterflies for days.
Insurance was a good idea.
A homeless person living outside our booking.com rental
I mean, fair dos. It was flipping freezing outside and this apartment was completely unlocked. We were on the second floor from the top and when we went to see if we could get on the roof because that’s what adventurers do, we were most surprised to find the den of a person who probably did not have a home.
Bought 9L of (carbonated) water
Thought Ren and Scotty were going to be outrageously impressed with me for buying 9L of water for 90 euro cents. But I accidentally bought 9L of bubbly water. So it was just me and 2 gallons of karboniseeritud (carbonated) water for two days.
They have snow on their beaches
What the devil?
And here are some more holibob shots. Thanks for coming!
