Topside, leaving Riga. Once outside of the old town, Riga looks more like the ex-Soviet satellite state that it is. After about 45 minutes of brushing past the commercial docks, you get to the jetty and then right into the busy shipping channel.
Brief pause to introduce some auxiliaries.
Petr
Piotr
Ela
Christian and Estelle
Torben
Julien and the ship's exhaust system
Sundown, time to head below deck for a nap. We woke up to Karate-Benoit and strong winds that kicked up the sea to a plain of whitecaps. 4 foot seas rocked the ship noticeably and every so often it would shudder enough to make everyone glance at each other in concern and then laugh at our own skittishness. We did the logical thing, put on jackets and headed to the quarterdeck for some drinks. After that, the dance-club.
shelter from the wind
the Latvian competition
caution
too late
Lessons learned. Julien face-planted into a railing in the dance club, rendering himself quite unconscious. After the longest 5 minutes ever the ship's crew arrived with epaulets and radios. They used the radios to summon the ship's doctor. The doctor arrived smelling heavily of vodka and prescribed our now conscious but extremely agitated comrade return to his room to sleep it off. On the way to the bunk, the Viking spirit again struck and an enraged Julien threw fists at the security who were being less-than-gentle with him. He spent the rest of the night in the brig and upon arrival was released without any aspirin. This marks the first time in my life I have been able to use the word
"brig" in a serious conversation.
Time to divide the loot and get our friend some medical attention...
...a proper adventure by any standard.
2 weeks difference from as seen by my front door
Bet you can't guess what country was represented by these waffles?
Want candy!
This Syrian guy had the most delicious olives ever, until I discovered that the big green ones weren't stuffed with pimentos but some Arabian death-peppers.
I promise to feed it and take it for a walk every day.
I don't know either.
Brief pause to introduce some auxiliaries.
Petr
Piotr
Ela
Christian and Estelle
Torben
Julien and the ship's exhaust system
Sundown, time to head below deck for a nap. We woke up to Karate-Benoit and strong winds that kicked up the sea to a plain of whitecaps. 4 foot seas rocked the ship noticeably and every so often it would shudder enough to make everyone glance at each other in concern and then laugh at our own skittishness. We did the logical thing, put on jackets and headed to the quarterdeck for some drinks. After that, the dance-club.
shelter from the wind
the Latvian competition
caution
too late
Lessons learned. Julien face-planted into a railing in the dance club, rendering himself quite unconscious. After the longest 5 minutes ever the ship's crew arrived with epaulets and radios. They used the radios to summon the ship's doctor. The doctor arrived smelling heavily of vodka and prescribed our now conscious but extremely agitated comrade return to his room to sleep it off. On the way to the bunk, the Viking spirit again struck and an enraged Julien threw fists at the security who were being less-than-gentle with him. He spent the rest of the night in the brig and upon arrival was released without any aspirin. This marks the first time in my life I have been able to use the word "brig" in a serious conversation.
Arrival in Riga, mid morning. The old town was already packed with tourists from two other ships that had arrived earlier and with locals doing their weekend shopping. There was an open air market in the city center that spilled out into two or three adjacent squares. You could buy crafts and homemade soap, listen to some Latvian schoolchildren play traditional instruments in costume to appease their masters, and watch the babushkas hand paint refrigerator magnets.
with Juan Hector, Julien, Benoit, and Ricardo
reminding us all to slay more dragons
time to grab a Latvian beer
5 o'clock: Time to figure out how to pay in Latvia, head back through the old town, buy some Zelenaya Marka (see below), purchase and eat a Chicken Kebab with potatoes and cabbage, and take a quick detour through the park to check out this bridge covered in locks whose keys were thrown into the river by newlyweds, romantic types, and the insane.
