May 4, 2015
Day 109 - Zante to Riga: Back on the Baltic
It was an eventful, though bumpy, day until I reached the coast and was treated to more empty Baltic beaches. There was construction almost all the way to Jurmala; it looks like they're putting in a bike path alongside the new road. There were a bunch of weekend cyclists out, including some with numbers on their bikes, as if there had been a race.
The road on the outskirts of Jurmala was surprisingly nice, lined with tall trees, and sleek new condos mixed in with the old wooden houses with their peeling paint. Nearer to the centre, I biked right into a crowd of road cyclists going home after the race. A couple of them started drafting me uphill, then one pulled alongside to talk, which resulted in an invitation to their yoga studio for a free post-race massage--a real one, not a sketchy one. They went ahead to where they had parked the car and were going to meet me on the way. Unfortunately, I didn't see them again because I was following a bike path that left the road. Whoever said Latvians were unfriendly and rude was way off the mark.
It was remarkably easy to get into Riga. Something that claims to be Eurovelo 13, but is not signed as such, guides you from Jurmala on a dedicated path running next to a rail line, then takes you on a bunch of small streets. There are small signs with arrows when a change of direction is required. I was already mentally writing my journal: Though not exactly confidence-inspiring, it's okay to trust the arrows. They will take you where you want to go.
It wasn't quite that simple, as I lost the arrows in a park just before the bridges and was left to find my own way into the old town. Still, it was a painless way to get into Riga, a city I had been dreading and almost avoided entirely. I'm glad I went. I think it would've more trouble to find a way around the city.
I was treated as a hero at the hostel. The girl at the front desk called me crazy, but was in awe of my trip. And an Indian kid in my room wanted me to mention here how impressed he was (though he may have changed his mind after we went for food and I picked a sadly crappy Turkish place and then didn't want to go out to drink). I didn't set out to impress people, but I'm glad I'm giving people ideas and inspiration.
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Today's ride: 105 km (65 miles)
Total: 5,814 km (3,610 miles)
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