Return to Latvia pt. 7: cycling in and around Kaunas

On the train that I took back to Vilnius they did not only have wall sockets in 2nd class but also a screen where you could see exactly where you are on the railway track and how fast the train goes. We don't have these cool things in 2nd class in Dutch trains! In Vilnius I changed my bike for a better one and took the train back to Kaunas two day later. On the train ride to Kaunas I found out that they have a very convenient way to store bikes. Who would have thought Lithuanian trains would be so modern! I didn't ever see this in Latvia whilst I was still living there.

In Kaunas I stayed at the Monk's Bunk Kaunas hostel and got good sightseeing tips. The great owner and host gave me a tip to check out the food trucks that would be nearby that day in the nemuno sala park. There I had a bite, talked to a local couple and talked to cyclists who were also there. There was also some great lightning, which refers to a Kaunas basketball team (Lithuanians are big on basketball). Asking for cycling recommendations they told me I could go to Kadagių slėnis if I didn't mind to cycle a longer distance. Little did I know I would also be crossing rail tracks as my navigation told me this was the way to go.

After I came back from Kadagių slėnis I visited some more places. Not before the hostel owner told me Kadagių slėnis is a place where the air is still completely fresh and visited for healing purposes.

Whilst I already covered 50 km after Kadagių slėnis that didn't stop me for seeing more from Kaunas during the late afternoon and evening. I went to Santakos parks, and the westernmost tip where there is the confluence of the rivers Nemunas and Neris.

And the highlight of my trip, going downhill fast 46 km/h+ on the three girls bridge crossing the Nemunas river to the massive Basanavičius park. This was one of the places recommended by a Lithuanian girl I met in the supermarket. This park is like a track for go karts but then for bikes, totally awesome. Even a gym is included, as in more Kaunas parks.

Besides the parks I also had a good time at Energy Food, a small and trendy café that came recommended to me. After 2 nights in Kaunas it was time to really to make some distance on the Cycleway Nieman Cycle Trail again. I would take the route recommended by the cyclists and also the hostel owner.

Next up: route 141

Return to Latvia pt. 6: covering lost ground

After having slept at the bus station in Kaunas I headed towards Rumšiškės, to cover the lost ground that I did not cycle. It was very, very, hard to find the way. Trying to find the way on hunches  and hoping to get lucky did not work, at all. Went wrong in all wind directions. On the upside, I had seen great things that I would not have seen otherwise if not getting lost a couple of times. And I haven't been as happy the whole cycling trip when I finally found out the right way in the end! I made it back to Rumšiškės!

next up: cycling in and around Kaunas

Return to Latvia pt. 5: sleeping at the bus station

After the Granatos Live festival I wanted to go back to Vilnius to change my bike. That is, it was likely that I crashed in Vilnius because my back tire had no profile on it.

It took some time (even when asking different people at the festival) to find the station but then after a manager looked on Google Maps I managed to get to the station in Pravieniškės I.

I, however, took the wrong train and ended up in Kaunas. When I arrived I bought a simcard so I could call a family member which then could look online to see if there were still any hostels available in Vilnius. Unfortunately there was no reception, I could call to Lithuanian numbers only.
A pay phone did not made reference to call to Dutch numbers. The operator couldn't help me.
And as the last train from Kaunas to Vilnius just left, it not even being that late, I was stranded in Kaunas. Not wanting to cycle kilometers outside Kaunas to go to a camping or camping out in the wild, I chose the bus station as an alternative.

It was modern in the sense that it had power sockets that I used to charge my phones and battery pack. And it was warm so I decided to sleep there. In retrospect, it does not come recommended sleeping at a bus station on a chair.

Next up: covering lost ground

Return to Latvia pt. 4: cycling to the Granatos Live 2018 festival

On thursday the 2nd of August it was the first day to get on the road and to start cycling towards Kaunas. My destination for the day was the Granatos Live 2018 festival, held at an open-air museum in Rumšiškės. I would stay there for 4 nights. From pre-party to finish.

Already within the first 6 km I had a bicycle crash. A middle-aged woman stood on the bicycle path and did not move when I was coming. Avoiding her and passing over a sewer lid made my bike slip. Result: broken smartphone and having to re-adjust the chain of my bike. After some outside help via phone I managed to fix the chain. And luckily I had paper maps that I got from a Dutch girl back in the Netherlands to replace the navigation on my phone. The most mind boggling thing was that the women had not moved an inch, not even after my crash.

The ride after the crash was really something!
Despite having a map it was hard to get out of Vilnius in the direction of Rumšiškės.
At the end of the afternoon I still had to cycle 75 km. Eventually, I found a guy who advocated I take the A1 in the direction of Kauanas (which in the end, I found out, is actually not allowed).

The ride was really something. It was mind bogglig to look over my shoulder and not see any car for 1,5 km. Due to the warm weather I also drunk close to 8 liters of water. It was a relief when I saw the sign Rumšiškės 1 km. Just before 22:00 PM I talked to the first festival staff. At this time it was also dark, made it off the A1 just in time!

Before I could set up my tent I already had a flat tire. I would deal with that at the end of the festival, making my bike less likely to be stolen in the meantime.

Despite having gone to the festival alone, I had plenty of company.
At the festival I was lucky enough to have kind Lithuanian neighbours to have a chat with. Along the same token, I met the friend of my friend, her sister and other members of the gang she was with. To top things of, I even met complete 'strangers' whom I had a shared meal and Taxify ride with.

At the festival I saw the american artists (Rita Ora and Duke Dumont) that I wanted to see but missed out on lithuanian artists Monique and Beatrich that I wanted to see. In the end, I slept on average only 5 hours each night, which is a fair indicator that I had a good time. Apart from the last day I burned out of my tent at 7:30 in the morning in true summer style. Refreshment was there doing dives or water bombs at the water side. The festival ended with massive rain, which led catering staff to make raincoats out of garbage bags when breaking things down. Luckily I packed 99% of my tent during the heavy rainfall, others weren't as lucky.

Next up: sleeping at the bus station

Return to Latvia pt. 3: cycling tour in Vilnius

On the second day of my trip I did a guided cyling tour in Vilnius. As part of the tour we got a bike, which me, american couple and the tour guide itself used to get around. Picture of the bike was taken outside Vilnius.

Cycling uphill we saw street art where Putin and Trump "make everything great again" (written).  Afterwards, we saw the only Russian Orthodox Church in baroc style. Going on, we saw a place where the tour guide told us here "young people see the sun go down" (maybe made up).


Later we entered the  "Republic Uznavas" which you need to smile to enter.A tour guide let us choose which rule of the republic we preferred most. Some made sense as a rule, others less so and seemed to be more like a joke.
A grasp of the collection:
3. Everyone has the right to die, but this is not an obligation.
4. Everyone has the right to make mistakes.
12. A dog has the right to be a dog.
24. Everyone has the right to understand nothing.

We ended the tour seeing both old and modern buildings, and not to forget, great scenery on the Swedbank terrace. Total tour time about 5,5 hours in which we saw quite a lot.

Next up: cycling to the Grantos Live 2018 festival

Return to Latvia pt. 2: arrival in Vilnius

In the previous post I mentioned that I would go back to Latvia by bike.
Before actually hopping on a bike I first took the plane, my legs and the bus for the first day. My bus had a bright yellow colour with a robust appeal, just how I remember these "beasts". It did a great job bringing me from A to the B&B&B&B&B hostel where I stayed. 

After I met the awesome staff at the hostel I met with my ERASMUS friend Agnė in the evening. We went to the cafés Peronas and to Snekutis. At Snekutis I asked for a drink that wasn't a beer and I received Gira. I told the bartender it tasted a bit like Kvass after which he enlightened me that it was Kvass, it just being called differently in Lithuania. First Lithuanian word learned! :D At Snekutis I also had grated pancakes which turned out to be the best I tried in the whole of Lithuania and Latvia. All in all, I had a very good first day.

Next up: Cycling tour in Vilnius

Second return to Latvia: this time by bike! - pt 1: packing

From July 31st untill August 26 I took a holiday abroad. A second time to Latvia. But this time by bike.
Starting point: Vilnius, Lithuania.
End point: Riga, Latvia
Means to get there: Bike (not cycling all days)

In the Netherlands there is a game that is called "I go on vacation and I take with me... [fill in the blank]" in which you keep on adding packing items to the list. This is what I took with me for a cycling trip which should last no more than 2 weeks:

The total measured weight was about 13,5 kg. This is within the 12-15 kg that was prescribed during the "my first cycling trip"course that I took in April of this year. Now that I have completed the trip I estimate I could cut down on (hopefully) 2 kg for any future trip.

Next up: Arrival in Vilnius (by plane)