Riga

Well, I'm off to Talinn tonight at 1900. Since I've essentially exhausted the museums and chapels here, I thought it might be a good time for an update.

Riga's pretty cool. The Old Town is quite small, but very lively. During the day there's nothing more fun than meandering through these tiny streets which seem to follow no plan, passing chapels and chic shops, museums and souvenir stands. It's pretty funny getting around, too, since if I walk for ten minutes in one direction, I'm off my maps. Quite a change from Beijing, where a map's journey of two inches means an hour's cab ride.

At night, the lights flicker on, and there's nightlife for any taste. Indeed, there's tons of bars, discos and clubs (which have been closed on MTW), and also a fair number of more racy establishments. If any of you are wondering, please remember that I barely have the cash for washing my grimy clothes. I've been sticking to the English and Irish pubs.

Food is also pretty good, though I've had a hard time finding out what "authentic" Latvian food is. I've had some pancakes with meat, and I tried herring for the first time, but for the most part, the joints around here serve pretty worldly fare. I've had some vegetarian Indian food and spiced tea, an English meat platter with beef, liver, onions, and chips, and of course, some great Pelmeni. I'm really starting to appreciate this up-to-date Lonely Planet book, since never before have I been able to try the recommended restaurants and bars (from my '95 version, the recommendations were always been long-gone).

The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia is excellent, and really powerful. These little bits about the USSR are starting to sink in, and they provide a much wider context for looking at current issues. Very worthwhile. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Museum of the Latvian Army was about as
worthwhile as the Chinese Museum of Political Freedoms. I can't fault these folks too much, though, as their military history, and national history, only go back about eighty years. I mentioned earlier that I've done pretty much all the historical sights, so I've spent some time in the gardens reading "East of Eden" since then. And right next to this park stands the "Travel Agency", a monument to Latvian freedom that was erected before occupation. The Latvian joke refers to the fact that, during the Soviet era, placing flowers near the base meant a free trip to Siberia.

Last night was the performance at the National Opera House I was so looking forward to. I learned a lesson in reading the fine print, however, as it turns out "Karmena" wasn't Bizet's "Carmen", but instead Schedrin's "Carmen Suite". I groaned at first, but I sat through it with an open mind, never having been to the Ballet before. I actually quite enjoyed it. It also turned out that Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" followed. A fun evening, and the music was outstanding.

So, overall, Riga's been a fun stop with plenty of new experiences. As Capitol Hill's crazy bus driver Lawrence once said, "You're never going to get a bigger database if you don't have the keyboard for input!" Well put, Lawrence. Here's to travels, to input, and to the Database.

More soon.