Sveiki! It seems like I spent much more than 24 days so far in everything but not sleepy Northeast Europe. Riga's welcome was such that I can barely put all the experience out in one turn without a break for a delicious Latvian hot chocolate. Stereotypes about the coldness of Baltic attitude already melt, which I cannot say for the first ice and snow in the streets. After pretty educational and intensively fun on - arrival training I started to become more aware of the presence of a (not so) small army of foreigners in Latvia, but the ones including myself that are fortunate to know more locals (the best guides through the real Latvia puls!) than pages in tourist pamphlets. Back in the days when we enjoyed more rain here and celebrated St Martin's day (7th of November) happily with music instruments, our joined international forces gathered around Crystral Sound System cracked a first event together - Psychofreud party on the November 13th! I must admit I am especially keen to admire our result in making a video flyer and banner for the party... Piece of advice - worry more about the broken baggage at the airport than adaptation in Riga. Locals melt faster than the first snow. As soon as you explain "why Riga"? Already, I am in love with Latvian food... Amazing black bread! Riga is beautiful with all the lights shining since the day of independence and StaroRiga festival, the whiteness of snow makes it even prettier... I am impatient to meet new faces of the city and the land itself. Till than... Visu labu! - All the best!
Marko
