Destination Riga

Welcome to Destination Riga! This blog is about my experiences visiting Riga, Latvia for almost a month during the summer of 2012. Most of my posts are all about Riga and its unique culture. As an American, I found life to be very different in Latvia. Therefore, this blog contains both positive and negative points of view. I welcome any productive discussion in the comments sections.

Below you'll find links to all of my posts, in chronological order, along with some comments summarizing each one. I hope that my blog helps you learn more about Riga from an American point of view. Whether you are planning a trip to Riga, or are already in the city, perhaps you can find something useful here! For additional information on Riga from an actual Latvian, please visit my friend Christine's blog, Friend in Riga. Thanks for reading, and farewell!

The Decision to Travel to Riga

The wonders of traveling.
Amazing trips to Kuwait and Romania that I've been on.
Reasons to travel to Riga, Latvia.
Some helpful information from a local about traveling to Riga.

Travel Hell and Arriving in Riga

Has airline security gone too far?
Flight delay and missed connection!
Painless ride from Riga International Airport to Maritim Park Hotel.

Riga First Impressions and Old Town Adventure

Nice weather and clean air!
Beautiful women everywhere!
Maritim Park Hotel: Excellent choice!.
First adventure walking to Old Town!
Getting money in Riga from ATMs.
First beer and pizza in Riga.

The Beggars of Old Town

Late night adventuring around Old Town.
Poor decision after being approached by a beggar.
Learning more about Riga from the beggar.
LONG and potentially dangerous walk back to the hotel at 3am.

First Day Adventuring in Old Town

So many tourists!
St. Peter's Church and Golden Coffee.
Interesting culture differences emerge.
Almost scammed at night!
Another poor decision with a beggar.
Exchanging money.
Beer at a nice summer terrace!

Relaxing in Old Town

Almost hit by a car!
Meet a few pleasant Latvians to talk to!
Noticing a trend of hostile locals.
Discovering the excellent Kuuka Kafe.
First hard rain!
First time taking a tram!
Fascinating street performers

Amazing Coffee and CouchSurfing Meeting

Amazing Coffee at the Tea and Coffee Garden!
More rain.
Will I ever stop eating pizza?
Discover mall and grocery store in Old Town!
CouchSurfing meeting with many cultures at Rigas Skanu Fabrika!

Authentic Latvian Food in Old Town!

Street performers banned?
Excellent value at Kaļķu Vārti Bistro!
More rain.
Dark and cozy experience at LIDO Restaurant.
Excellent mocha at Costa Coffee!
Laid back police in Riga.

More Tasty Foods in Old Town

More rain. Reminds me of April back home!
Tasty and cheap filled pancakes at Sefpavars Vilhelms!
First taste of Riga Black Balsam, mixed with Cola.
Beautiful parks around the epic Freedom Monument.
Good fast food kebabs at TurKebab.
Latvia wins bronze medal in Men's Beach Volleyball!

Free Walking Tour and Unfriendly Locals

Very interesting and unique walking tour.
Unfriendly locals at LIDO restaurant outside of Old Town.
Relaxing at parks around Freedom Monument.
Back to Golden Coffee for crepes and tea!
Disappointment in my inability to meet locals.

Old Town Events on Saturday

Small hangover after drinking too much cheap vodka.
Not in a good mood due to lack of social contact.
Huge meal at Pizza Malibu.
Basketball event in Old Town.
Hang out with fellow tourist. Beggars swarm us!
Nighttime is starting to feel too rowdy for my taste.

Thoughts on Unfriendly Locals

Meals at LIDO and Sefpavars Vilhelms.
Locals are just not friendly here!
Hard to get help from locals about anything!
Always so many buses at Maritim Park Hotel!?
Latvian's Maris Strombergs wins Gold in BMX!

Feeling Bitter After Negative Experiences

List of 10 things for a tourist to avoid in Riga!
Avoid beggars! Don't pay them!
Avoid smiling in Riga, it gives you away as a tourist!
Don't visit unknown clubs or bars. Scam alert!
Be careful with your credit and bank cards!

Doing Laundry in Riga

Maritim Park Hotel's laundry service is majorly overpriced!
Do they have laundromats in Riga? Barely..
Somewhat challenging but I get my clothes cleaned!
Discover an amazing and cheap restaurant near the laundromat!
Miss the CouchSurfing meeting due to rain and getting lost.
Blogger in Latvia willing to meet me! Yay!

Finding a Friend in Riga!

Meet a wonderful Latvian lady named Kristine!
Learning many new things about Latvia.
Going to Double Coffee and "Festival for Stomach" restaurant.
Interesting conversation about Russians and Latvians co-existing.
Kristine going on a long trip around Europe soon.

Reflections Halfway Through Trip

Love the beautiful parks and architecture in Riga!
Quality of food and drink is generally high.
Prices are inflated due to the touristic nature of the city.
Riga has many beautiful women.
People are simply unfriendly in Riga..
Beggars, pickpockets, and scammers make life more difficult.

Riga City Festival: Big Crowds and Fun Times!

Riga City Festival 2012 starts!
Public transportation is free for the event, and PACKED!
Massive crowds and many stages for performances.
Street performers raking in cash!
24-hour long basketball game between Riga residents!

Festival Ends With Awesome Fireworks!

Crowds even bigger than yesterday!
Decent meal at Čili Pica, a giant pizza place with two levels.
Tons of unique street performers.
AWESOME panoramic fireworks on the Daugava river!
Thousands of people walking home from the festival late at night.

Riga Ticket Control Inspectors!

Decide that CanCan Pizza is my favorite restaurant.
Almost get busted by Ticket Control Inspectors!
Eat a full meal at Maritim Park Hotel's restaurant. Overpriced but good.
Explore beautiful parks near Maritim Park Hotel. Very tranquil near dusk.

Almost Visit Jūrmala

Angry with myself for not being adventurous enough..
Decide to go to the beach at Jūrmala!
Head to Riga Central Station, but it's closed!
Make an easy, lazy choice and go to CanCan Pizza.
Create a video tour of Old Town for my friends back home.

Simple Pleasures of Riga

Decide to go feed the ducks and relax!
Social experiment with locals while feeding ducks.
Conclude again that Latvians are not friendly.
Actually have my umbrella during a rain storm!
Fishy activities on the tram..

Tipping in Riga, Latvia

Unlike in the states, you don't tip 15-20%
Tipping is optional in Riga and not generally expected.
Sometimes there is a service charge. Do not tip!
I recommend tipping 5-10% in Riga if you decide to..

Observations About Latvian People

Why do Latvians seem so angry?
Even Latvians walking pets are unfriendly and cold!
Is life too difficult in Latvia to be friendly?
Differences between America and Latvia.
I failed to make many personal connections in Riga.

Humorous Observations About the Tram System

Are Latvians even more unfriendly on the tram?
People LOVE to talk loudly on their cell phones while on the tram.
Why are people getting up so long before their stop?
One Finnish man pokes fun at me when I try to act like a local!
What's the local secret to paying and not paying on the tram system?

Prieka Vests Invitation and More Duck Feeding

Having a phone is essential in Riga!
Duck feeding is the only thing that makes me smile now..
Amazingly while duck feeding a girl approaches.. to invite me to church!
I'm not religious, but this Prieka Vests church looks interesting.
Religious Fanatic Man causes a scene in Old Town.

Renting a Baltic Bike!

BalticBike is a very easy way to rent a bike.
Biking is fun! Far more fun than walking!
Locals are not happy with my clumsy bike riding!
This bike has a bell on it! *RING* *RING* Booyah!
Discover a popular romantic spot! Locals again not happy with me!

Currency in Latvia

Latvian currency consists of lats and santīms.
Lats are worth about $2 USD each. 1 lats contains 100 santīms.
Be careful using ATMs!
Cashiers in Riga are sticklers about what change they want to accept.
Silvers Coins = Good.
Copper Coins = Street Performer relief fund.

Latvians Don't Like To Answer Questions

Popular Latvian answers to your tourist questions: "No" and "I don't know".
Are Latvians programmed for only one task at a time?
Latvians hate when anything out of the ordinary takes place.
I'm not in a good mood, can you tell?

Poverty in Latvia

Are there only extreme upper and lower classes in Latvia?
People are either living in trash cans, or driving around Range Rovers.
The Latvian government doesn't seem to care?
Latvians are hardcore.. No weakness or empathy. It's survival of the fittest here.
Beggars will continue to harass obvious tourist targets.