Day 210 - Riga, Latvia

Today I was going to have a head start to a day of sightseeing in Riga. I headed out at about 6am, so I could probably see everything there is to see in one day. I didn't get too much sleep in the airport, though.

My first priority was to get myself a local SIM card with Tele2. I walked around town, looking for a shop which sells SIM cards. I needed a Latvian phone number, as I was actually going to be spending a fair bit of time here.

I stopped by an internet café, and hopped online for a bit. I then asked the owner where I could find a SIM card, and I was directed to a Narvesen shop.

So, I went to the nearest Narvesen shop, and went in. They told me that they were closed and couldn't help me. I then waited nearby for it to open. When I saw other people enter the shop, I thought to myself that it must be open now. So I went in, and I was asked to leave. Again. Ok, then.

I'll have to go somewhere else. I found another Narvesen store eventually, and was successful in purchasing a new SIM card, which I then activated by giving my dad a call, and giving him my new number. I told him of my current whereabouts and plans and we had a chance to catch up with everything. I was telling the complete truth this time. My parents knew that I planned to go again.

So then, my sightseeing begun. I explored the streets of Old Riga, and encountered other Greek tourists in Doma Square, which made me happy. The streets themselves were fascinating. I also went to the top of St. Peter's Church, to observe the city. This was the main lookout point.














It was rather cold as well, so I didn't stay at the top for long. I went on to explore New Riga and see the Freedom Monument. I also took a trolleybus ride and checked out different parts of the city.








It really is a beautiful city, and much cleaner than Athens.

I wanted to go to the Open Air Museum, but I couldn't find it. I got on the wrong bus. But I decided to check out the Occupation Museum, which was free of charge and worth looking at.

Later on, I took a river cruise on the Daugava river, which was exciting. It was raining a little, and it provided a good atmosphere. I'm having a great time already! It seems like you really can do a lot in one day, provided that you wake up early! Something I'm not very good at, unfortunately. The days are long as well, which also helps. The sun doesn't set until after 10pm.

I couldn't decide what to do next, so I went to the cinemas to watch a movie. A movie called 'The Happening', starring Mark Wahlberg. It was a great movie! I tried to read the Latvian subtitles as well, which was helping with my knowledge of the language. It was a good relaxation.

Then I walked a little more around Riga, then headed back to the airport, and got myself a five-hour sleep.