PeterLambTravels: Day 14 - Madliena

Dear all,

What a night, Jesus! Just a bit before 20h yesterday, the camping owner appeared together with also Russian non-English speaker. Both tried somehow to explain me that if I hear the dogs making loud noises that it is no problem. At the end of the camping they have an huge amount of dogs, but I was not allowed to go there. They are quiet sometimes, but from time to time they really do a lot of noise that is much more than simply barking (is this the right word?).

Well, the second guy turned one some loud music on the camping in order not to hear so much the dogs. I thought that sooner or later they would switch off the music, so I did not care so much about it. I had a sort of meal with the leftovers from the day, mostly fruits, bread, sausages and juice. Needless to say there was no shop or place to eat at "the camping".

I fell asleep way early, maybe close to 21h. There was nothing to do and I was also tired. I woke up at 3AM, quite cold, not feeling sleepy anymore and hearing loud Michael Jackson!! Well, then it changed for Lionel Ritchie, George Michael, Elthon John... By the 6th music I thought that I have somehow to stop it! I found out the speakers, but it turns out that the Hi-fi is somewhere inside a house so I decided that cutting the wires was a bit too much and maybe I would fall asleep again anytime soon...

Well, I don't know how but I woke up pretty late, close to 9h30, but happy to be alive!

Breakfast and packing the things up did not too long, afterall everything I wanted was to leave that place!

Fully packed and ready to go!

Does not seem fully rested, but ready to go

I cycled to the closest village, Madliena. I must tell you that, finding free internet access in Latvia is rather easy. There is quite a lot of places where you have the network Lattetelocom-free, and you just have to see a commercial for about 15 seconds and then you have free internet, great!

So I seized the chance for uploading the previous post, and check if I would have any positive answer from a host in Riga, otherwise I would cycle to Sigulda(I have been told that is a very nice place) and then I would see if I would stay in Cesis or go to Smiltene, where a girl has told me that could host me.

Well, it turned out that I got a Maybe from Riga. A girl, Katre, has wrote that sadly she is leaving Riga on Saturday, but if I want to be hosted for one day (instead of the two I requested) she can host me! Well, that is great news!! Great not to have plans till the morning!

I just replied back to her that is quite windy day and I was about 85km away but I was going there, so in case something would turn out bad, to contact me on my phone.

Happy mode! Going to Riga!!

I did not care so much about the route, I only knew that going through Sigulda was about 110km and I don't like cycling on the same road to catch the main road. So I decided to cycle towards Riga, trying to catch the road P80.

Out of Madliena

The landscape changes from time to time. Sometimes there is a lot of trees and sometimes, the view is like this:

Middle of nowhere, Latvia

I could cycle on this nice road for about 25 km, but suddenly it appeared the most hated sign for cycling:

The end of nice road

Well, I have cycled so far quite a lot of kilometers in gravel roads and survived, it should not be bad! Well, I couldn't be more wrong! This road does have a lot of gravel and sometimes I couldn't cycle faster that 10 km/h! After few kilometers and literally eating some dust from the passing trucks (if you expect that they reduce speed when they see you on the road, forget about it!), so I decided to have a break for some fruits and tomato! I am not a very big fan of tomato without seasoning or fruits, but everything tastes good after some cycling!

Having a break for food!

Well, I think I wanted to arrive to Riga as soon as possible, so back to the road:

Cycling on gravel road

I looked at the map and I should have at least more than 1h30 of this but suddenly I saw a paralel road to this one that seemed to be under construction. Let's give it a try!

Towards Riga

What a difference, I could cycle about 22km/h now!

Time for another picture, getting closer to Riga:

On the way to Riga

Finally arrived into Riga for the picture of the day:

Happy mode! I have made it till Riga!!

The capital is quite large, so there was probably some kilometers left to the city centre. I was not sure at the moment if I would have a host, but hopefully she has not changed her mind.

There is quite a lot of traffic in Riga, moreover I have arrived close to the rush hour!

When I found an internet point (not so easy to find though), I still had no answer from Katre. I sent her another message on couchsurfing saying that I was heading to the centre and in case she has not change her mind I would be waiting for her message somewhere in the centre.

Cycling towards city center I couldn't help to take the following picture (they should actually pay me, or my parents at least, the copyrights for using my name):

Pedro in Latvia

I have received meanwhile a message from another girl, Marta, that invited me to stay at her place. I called her to thank her hospitality and explain that most likely I would have a host for today, but would be more than happy to meet her tomorrow. She is also a fellow cycler and in June she came all the way from Amsterdam to Riga, so maybe I am just an amateur near her!

Well, in the center there was some street performers and I could find some internet access near the information centre. Fortunatly had already a message from Katre and we settle the things up to meet her at her place (not very far away). Just a remark, when I saw her address I just type it on a sort of GPS application, but it said that in Rida is about 18km away. Luckly I confirmed it and it was only about 1 km away. It is always better to ask, otherwise you will by cycling for nothing!

Well folks, Katre is a very nice girl, Estonian that was living in Riga for one year, being a teacher and is leaving on Saturday. Probably we will meet there again, afterall it is my destination!

I invited her for a dinner out (it is sooooo good to have normal food again! Salmon with mash potato seemed a luxury to me!). After we went for some drinks in a outdoor bar just in front of her place. We kept talking for hours, but at 2AM we were both dead!

Katre, you were the reason I came to Riga, and I am greatful for that! See you in Tallin, Maybe!