If you have read others of my North Korea entries you will be aware that monuments to, statues of and murals and pictures of the Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il liberally adorn the country. Every city, town, and indeed village, has an assortment of these. I do hasten to add, though, that these items are not on every street corner as some more sensationalist observers like to portray. Continue reading “Eternal Life Monument – Yeong Saeng”
We were given a choice of two hotels for out overnight stop in the Mt Myohyang area. The first was the luxury Hyangsan Hotel, tucked away at the base of Mt Myohyang. A couple of our group, wisely, chose to stay here so we did get a look around – see below. Continue reading “Sleeping, Eating and Coffee from Heaven”
Mt Myohyang, in addition to being a favourite recreational area for the Great Leader, Kim Il-sung, and the Dear Leader, Kim Jong-il, is a sacred mountain area as, according to legend, it was the home of King Tangun, forefather of the Korean people. Continue reading “Walking on Mt Myohyang”
When we visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun (mausoleum of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il) in Pyongyang we were guided through numerous rooms full of certificates, degrees, awards, vehicles, boats and much more, bestowed upon the Great and Dear Leaders during their lives. There were literally thousands of items on display here.
This abundance of accolades and gifts was but a mere foretaste of what was to come. Continue reading “Treasures in the Mountains”
Our sole journey on Latvian Railways was a short return trip to Darzini, about 20 minutes outside Riga, to visit the site of the former Salaspils concentration camp, now a memorial with some amazing brutalist statues. More of that in a separate review which includes how to get there from the Darzini train stop. Continue reading “Take the Train to Hmmm – Not Far”
Riga’s International bus station, which also services domestic locations outside the Riga area, is very conveniently situated at the southern end of the Old City and a few hundred metres from the train station. Local trams, trolleybuses and buses pass within a very short distance of the station as well.
While the station is small and services are limited it is clean, well laid out and has everything necessary for your trip into or out of the city, including a tourist information office (Live Riga) for those arriving. Continue reading “Long Distance Bus services, including to Tallinn”
From what I can ascertain there are three operators offering hop-on, hop-off bus tours of Riga. They each cost Euro15 and the ticket lasts 48hrs. Buses run between around 10am and 3-4pm. Continue reading “Riga’s Hop-on Hop-Off Bus Services”
Most visitors with just a day or two in Riga will generally not have time to venture beyond the Old City area and what they want to/ have time to see can easily be reached on foot. There is no doubt that walking is the best way to get around the Old City area and, indeed, slightly beyond.
In planning my trip I knew I wanted to spend a bit of time exploring the Moscow District. I also wanted to visit the massive Soviet Victory Monument across the Daugava River and the former KGB building. The latter I ended up walking to and it’s really not that far from the Old City centre anyway. Continue reading “Getting around in Riga”
Instead of flying from Stockholm to Riga we decided to take Tallink’s ferry, the M/S Isabelle. The trip lasted about 18hrs and was indeed pleasant with everything from check-in at Stockholm’s Frihamnen Terminal to disembarkation at the Riga Passenger Terminal running smoothly. A most civilised and stress-free way to travel. Continue reading “Getting from Stockholm to to Riga by Ferry”
In the late northern summer of 2015 I spent around five weeks travelling around Scandinavia, Estonia and Latvia. Of this time I had around three days in Riga – three very full days. The weather was perfect for doing what I enjoy most, just wandering around. I wandered and wandered and wandered. Continue reading “Riga – A Turbulent Past Left Behind?”
The Rambling Wombat 