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  Riga, Latvia
Friday, March 7, 2008

Well after almost 2 years of being away from Australia I finally got to take out my little maroon passport and use it. However it was a bit of an anticlimax as I didn't even have to give it to the boarder guard at Riga international but rather hold it up to the glass so he could see the picture and after 2 secs he go on - he didn't even swipe the thing.

I had flown in to Riga to meet my mother so we could go traveling together for a period of about one month - after 8 months of staying cockroach infested places and always having to ask whether the hot water was working I was going to flash pack for a month in of all places Europe.

As I've already been to Riga and we were only going to be there a day it was my job to show mum around to all the sites which we did - the weather was crap but we often ducked into coffee shops to have coffees - something I wouldn't be doing if i was by myself as a coffee in Europe is quiet expensive. Even better luck came our way when i found a Belgium beer cafe and mum treated me to some great beer which was SO nice after the crap beer of central Asia and the $2 bottles of vodka - not too mention the non-alcoholic beers of Iran.

While i cant remember much of the old town of Riga from last time i was here - I must say that it has really turned touristy and very 'new' in that nothing seems to be old - the buildings have all been done up, the drainage etc. What this means is that like Uzbekistan it looks very 'fake' and not really lived in. I guess thats obvious when one walks around as every store is either a coffee shop, a bar or a strip show. This bar culture stems from the start of cheap flights to Riga from other parts of Europe - mainly Briton and on the day we were there (Saturday) we got to see  many a drunk English man on his stag weekend . I can't see how the locals would be thrilled with this.

However the day wasn't all happy with the announcement that I had to retire my ever trusty $2 Burmese army boots after 5 months of constant wear and even a few treks - they certainly were worth the money however it is nice to finally wear shoes that have a proper sole and made of cloth!

As is mentioned in pulp fiction 'it's the little difference about Europe' and even after two days it's so obvious - the clothes, the buildings the food - after 8 months in developing counties it is so nice to be able to get in a taxi and not have to bargain with him (though they are very expensive over here) and get on a bus that leaves on time and doesn't stop ever 5 mins to pick people and their animals up.

I think I'm going to love it here though i don't now how long i can stay financially

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more from the anti USA march	a bush dummy	yummy	at the belgium beer cafe
christina in the town square	cocks are on the top of all churches in riga	in front of a guildhouse	skline from a steeple of a church
the freedom monunment	where they keep the gun powder

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