Well it's about halfway through my trip to Riga, and perhaps time for some reflection. First, I'll say that the trip has been going by pretty fast! It's been almost two weeks since I arrived. The weather has been close to what I expected, although it's very humid in August here. Even with the humidity, the temperature has been a perfect drop from a blazing summer back in the states.
Admittedly my blog has been quiet shallow, and I simply stopped exploring Riga after the first week. I've fallen into a routine and this has kept the topics in the blog shallow. At this time I simply don't feel compelled to visit a club, or the beach, or travel anywhere else outside the city. I'm relatively content just seeing the Old Town, parks, cafes, and restaurants. Additionally, a growing number of negative experiences with locals has unfortunately led to my spending more time at the hotel instead of exploring. So I apologize to any readers who are expecting more.
First I'll talk about the positive experiences I've had in Riga. As I've said many times before, I really enjoy the quiet and beautiful parks in Riga. With some shade it's really comfortable and you can just chill out at one of the many park benches. The city really seems to value these parks and keeps them clean. The plants and flowers are well taken care of as well. The architecture in the city is constantly being repaired and renovated. The city understands that they are a popular tourist destination, and are trying to improve the experience.
Speaking of the architecture, it is beautiful and worth coming to see if you're into that sort of thing. I'm not particularly an architecture buff, but it's hard to cross the bridge heading into Old Town without looking at the buildings in awe.
The food has gone from good to amazing, depending on the cafe or restaurant. I haven't had a bad meal yet in the city. Presentation at restaurants and cafes is always top notch. Customer service is always fast and professional. The prices on food varies greatly depending on the restaurant or cafe. However, I do believe prices are generally inflated due to the presence of tourists. You can find the occasional great deal, but for the most part you'll pay a higher price.
Coffee and tea have been a mixed experience. The independent places are the best, with incredible coffee and espresso. The chains are OK but nothing special. I have found iced coffee is very watered down here.. They do not appear to double brew the coffee or do anything to prevent ice from watering the coffee down. Tea has been very good at most places.
I'm not particularly a beer drinker but I've found that they have a wide variety of beer at decent prices in the city. There are many outdoor terraces and bars to visit. Latvia has a number of local beers here that are quite good.
If you're looking for beautiful women, Riga is a city that would be hard to beat. The women are amazing everywhere you go. I created a challenge for myself: To find a tram or bus without one beautiful woman on it. This has been almost impossible! The population of beautiful women in Riga is very high! They like to dress up and wear high heels, so you won't be disappointed if you're looking for them. As for talking to them, well that's a different story.
The prices on airfare and hotels in Riga are extremely competitive. You simply won't find many places with better deals than Riga in Europe. The backpacker index lists Riga as one of the top affordable cities in Europe.
Now, for the negative experiences I've had in Riga. First and most obvious, the unfriendly people of Riga. Upon arriving to the city, I wanted to talk to everyone and learn about the culture here. I learned very fast that the locals were not fond of small talk, didn't seem to like tourists, and were in general very cold. I've heard many reasons why this is the case.. That the Soviet Occupation muted the population, that Latvians just plain don't like tourists, or that women don't trust western men because of sex tourism. Whatever the case, it has made for a very frustrating trip.
Getting directions or help in Riga is also extremely difficult. The locals like to say, "I don't know" to every question you ask. Getting lost means you have a serious problem. Luckily, Riga isn't so big and I have a decent map!
The beggars, pickpockets, and scammers make a visit to Riga less pleasant. I don't like having to constantly look over my shoulder, but Riga makes me feel like this is necessary. When somebody does talk to you, it seems to always be some kind of scam. The beggars in Old Town are extremely prevalent, and they are quick to identify and harass unsuspecting tourists. It took me a few days to get adjusted.
Traffic in Riga is dangerous, and drivers do not have much regard for pedestrians. You certainly need to be very careful when crossing streets in Riga, because the occasional race car driver wants to fly through the intersection!
Overall, Riga has been a mixed experience for me. I feel that it was worth a visit, but it would be far better with a traveling companion. Being alone here is quite depressing and challenging, because finding good company is almost impossible. It's also more dangerous being alone for obvious reasons. I wish that I had done more research on the culture of Latvia before coming here and finding out that most people are not friendly. As Christine said yesterday, "It's all about the people for me". She's right- all the pretty architecture, parks, and restaurants in the world cannot add up to having somebody to talk to.
