Just when I thought...

Tallinn, Estonia to Riga, Latvia

Just when I thought I was immune to the overpriced cabs that Tallinn is known for...I got turned around on my way to the bus station this morning. The trolley stop wasn't where I left it and, feeling a bit pressed for time, I panicked. So I grabbed a cab. 10 Euros later for what would have been a 1.60 Euro trolley ride, I was at the bus station. But the cab driver was so nice, telling me about his daughter who's in university studying business, pointing out his church when we drive by ("600 years old!," he tells me.), and telling me how, since his divorce, he just lives with his cat. So how can I be mad? Besides, I did grab a cab at the taxi stand outside of Old Town so, really, what did I expect?

My bus ride to Riga was uneventful, the way good bus rides ought to be. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my hostel was a hop, skip, and a jump from the bus station. In fact, I found it quite by accident. That's how close it was. I like to think this made up for the 10 Euro cab ride from earlier.

Now I'd like to preface to say that, had I been fresh off the plane from the States, anxious to start a new adventure, that I'd probably give these places a more fair shake. But at the moment, I feel like I'm simply catching up on all of the things I missed over the course of the last 3 months in Greece. So after wandering around the art nouveau district, checking out the opera house, and taking a stroll through the park to check out all of the Christmas trees up for display, I ate chain restaurant Chinese food and saw a movie. No, not some Latvian film, a good old fashion American (well, probably British) movie. And it was glorious. This, only 24 hours after enjoying one of my first meals in the Baltics at McDonalds. But that's the joys of travelling by yourself, you can eat as many McRoyals with cheese as you want to and no one is there to judge you.