intro: The City Spy Map from Riga 2007 any thoughts would be welcome.... mapman@cityspy.info
. . . . . . . . . . It was a hard slog to produce our map here… Two locals & three aliens worked on it & it's peoples for a couple of months.. We have a lot more to say & do regarding this city, than we have managed here for our second production 2007 . . . . ................................................................................................... the transport system is also something u need to know about.... & or even have a laugh about...... Next u may enjoy our interactive MAP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. With her faint Latvian accent she rolled over & said "Things around here are the same continues blur as they always have been, my liver has filed for divorce & my toilet is suing me for domestic abuse. . . .". . . . . . . . . . . . .

Don't get me wrong, this is a wonderful city full of great times, friendly people, rich in culture, art & nature… but …. … & they do!! Now I know you are a different kind of fish…………. . . . . . .. . . . Here are some good places to sleep at....................................... Hostel quick list.. The Argonaut Barons B & B Old town Backpackers City Lounge hostel Posh Backpackers Doma Hoste Sing Along hostel if u do that kinda' thing :-()

the Argonaut Hostel, This is the birth place of comfort economy accommodation. Full & fun. An open. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . instane tours . . . . Very nice fellow running these outings, not only a good professional job, but a good laugh & an expert's on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barons B&B - Hostel, A little bit of extra.. Looking down on to a glamorous street this large apartment re-invented to. . . . . . . The glorious city of Riga was founded in 1201 after Germans invaded the country to "Christianize the Baltic Heathens" & Bishop Albert decided to build a castle on the area. Of course they had no interest at all in gaining access to the strategic port & the wealth of potential trade it represented. (Of course not, how ridiculous). & neither was this a motive for any of the dozens of other invading powers in the interim 800 years; Germans- Swedes Fins- etc. . . . . . . . . Goija . . Tea-rooms . .A place where people meet around … teatime. . . . 3 different spaces.. for your moods. ... . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Very connected to the earth & even though most of the population is Christian (Lutheran to be precise) they whole heartedly embrace their pagan traditions. Another one of these traditions is that of tapping Birch trees & drinking its semi sweet sap in the spring or fermenting it & drinking it later in the summer. The wooden nectar is not quite as sweet or thick as the sap from a Maple tree but according to local legend it contains mystical healing properties. So grab your hammer or something hard & pointy, make your hole nice deep, wait till it's nice & wet & dripping & start suckin'!!!! & u will be "Driving the little horse through the apple grove" in no time….! . .. . ..Index café- sandwich bakery. . Even before trying any of the fresh made breads, cakes, salads or take-away coffee- etc, you will .. . . . .. . .. . . .. . . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . .. . . Given Riga's Past with the Big Brother back in Red Square, It is no surprise that just beyond the famed central market you can find the rather extensive & gritty "Little Moscow" known by the LO-Cals as Moskacka (G-H-I.6) . Please consider yourself warned….. You want a bite of reality hop a tram (3,7,or 9) or hoof it…. If however you want to get bit by this reality, do it after dark (not the kind of place to prove your machismo)…Notorious for being a "rough hood" Moskachka can offer you a glimpse into the best & worst…. Eat Riga- city tour . . . There is an alternative.. that dares to take you to some of the more secret- or out of the way. . . ..

As charming & beautiful as the Old City is the sad fact is that life in Riga is not all about Art Nouveau & Stilettos…Rather the grim truth is that this is still a city with a huge social rift that stems from a long history of unfortunate circumstances & a multi-cultural struggle to maintain ones identity, half the cities population still think they are still in Russia…. Moskachka is a first hand glimpse into the history books, & Rivals the ethnographic Museum for cultural Sunny Terrace Jazz bar........ perched way up-atop the Europa City hotel & hosts the crème of the cream, local & international . abundance & interactive education. The crown jewel of this area is "Stalin's Birthday cake" (Science Academy), the huge gothic looking building looks like a suitable home for King Kong. The surrounding working class neighbourhood mostly populated by starving students, Desperate Pensioners & Petty Criminals….. all adds up to an insightful culture shock just 2 minutes from the Pimped out Old City. Horsehead Tours. . Get out the Old Town & into the virgin goodness .. the Baltic back-country!! for Vodka swilling, beaver munching . . . . . The rotting wooden houses, beautifully dilapidated pre- WWII buildings & Menopausal Soviet Bloc's may be just what your Parents where thinking about when you said you was heading to the East!! . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .The Andrejsala . . . . you may be surprised at what you find…. Cafes, indie art galleries, mid-afternoon dance parties, & late night "Spokes of Fury" bike races, this place has got it all with a view of the Old Town & the Lovely Daugava river to boot…. . The bar-cinema-concert venue 'dirty deal café' www.dirtydeal.lv opens most evenings so……….. There is also a hostel here the 'Sing along' cool place www.singalong.lv artist residence programmes & kinda' gelling together the entire Art village that is Andrejsala.. . . City Lounge Hostel- swanky hostel. . Riga's newest traveler haunt & it is dressed up .. ready to serve. The rooms are city themed & you have the choice of . . . .. . . . . . . . . . Jana Seta Map Shop, Check this place out, this is the travelers Mecca for the Baltic states. Not only do they sell every. . . . . . . . . . . . The

Population of Latvia is 2.4 million of which only 60% is ethnically Latvian. The second largest population is ethnic-Russian Latvians which make up around 30% of the population. One of the first things you will notice about Riga is that it is a tri-lingual city. Walking around the city & inhabiting its bars you will here just as much Latvian as you will Russian &… wait for it… English. It is pretty much a safe bet that everyone under the age of 30 will have some working knowledge. But as always, nothing makes locals happier than to hear foreigners try & speak their language (see dictionary). & Riga is unique in the fact that its population doesn't just speak one of the hardest languages in the world but, count em', two. . . . . . ...............................Latvian cuisine is quite hearty & chalk full of comfort foods a lot of which have Slavic or Germanic origins. Loads of rustic meat dishes, potato dishes, broth soups made with root vegetables & various bean & pea concoctions. Latvians are also quite fond of sour dairy products. On a hot summer day, forget the water & try chugging a bottle of ice-cold kefir. You'll never look back. .. .. . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . La Belle Epoque . . . . Bar.. . . Don't tell anyone they got the cheapest beer around or we'll have to. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Central Market (Central Tirgums) . . . Behind the bus Station & Train Station, the most fascinating outdoor markets in Eastern Europe . Counter after counter of swine & cheese, smoked cured, dried, raw & rotten, we got it all!! Vegetarians be-aware!! If its not pickled it was probably living & breathing at one point. Look out for the domineering pick-pocketing 'Babushka's', who are not afraid to wrestle you for the last pickle, people selling plastic bags & used underwear.....be sure not to miss out on Kiosk Heaven just opposite the Zeppelin-esque meat lockers. . . Everything from Grucci (Gucci), Niiike (Nike), & Add-a-D-das (Adidas) can be purchased from reputable 3 toothed Russian Ladies named Frank & Jerry.....Shop till you drop, or get dropped.... the place has an unmistakable Soviet atmosphere. You will also notice that some seemingly ordinary items are in fact hot commodities. Namely, plastic bags. Any shape, size, design you can think of. If you are fixin' to smuggle some cheap cigarettes, go for the coffin sized gingham bag, the customs officials won't have a clue. This is a must see & must buy spot (trust me you WILL find something, everyone does). . . . . . Insiders tip- check out the Pirate themed bar behind the first of the main market hangers!! >35 centum beers & the worst service you will ever experience, bring a friend when finding the bathrooms, can be a bit shady..... POSH HOSTEL very east style.. go for it!!..... . . . . . .. . .
Riga Old Town Hostel, Hot Sauna- Cool Bar+ Ultra Modern Design= Extend stay…. so laid back & fun.... 'The' travellers bar. . . . . . . There is a particular respect for storks, &, more recently, also for swans. The nesting of a stork by one's home is considered a particular blessing for the house & the people living there. The old name for the stork - svetelis, (indicating holiness) - suggests that this bird may have been regarded as sacred. Storks also perform a useful function; they effectively control the frog population, which in a country covered in swampy wetlands, is quite a beak-full. If get the chance, try & see a Stork swallowing a frog. One of natures strangest wonders. . . . . Local ladies are often seen kissing with the frogs; this in the hope that they will turn into handsome Princes… You see there is a 1 to 3 ratio of women to men…. & of the few men available most of them are drunk as toads anyway.. so when in doubt get a frog in your throat… PS. & don't eat the yellow snow!! . . .Doma Hostel .. . … you couldn't find a bed much closer to the heart of old town unless you crashed under a. . . . . . . . . Depo- live music-rock club . . of underground-alternat-indie-reggai-ska-electro-metal-ROCK! - you have found your lair.. . . . . .. . . . . . . Orange Bar- club-café. . You will come here & eat, drink, dance, prance & make forgettable memories to last a lunch time… & then you will. . . . . . . Paddy Whelans- Irish Pub-Sports Bar- Restaurant. . The one & only Irish Pub in town .. that ain't no malarkey! . . . .

. XXX Lab- Tattoo & Body Piercing, A righteous place to chill to a Ska tune while you get punctured, poked, and punished by.. . . . .

About the old Art Nouveau www.artnouveau.lv the main areas are from the Brivibas northwest till our map ends. Keep up the Elizabetes iela & you will run into it & it is incredible… Prague has nothing like this in terms of workmanship & sheer quantity of buildings available in such a small space of city. While you are in there, I would recommend a cup of tea etc in the 'Goija' on Strelnieku iela 1, open 11.oo-02.oo. Just what u need!! Looking up is what this city is all about, after looking both ways before you cross!! Large areas of the city are essential Art Nouveau. These buildings will entertain & stimulate with their comical & erotic facades...... These Latvians are not afraid to put a big pair of 'Pupu's' bursting out over the streets. See map & legend for the main routes.. & in Riga you will need good walking shoe's & all your equilibrium it you don't want to break your ankles on the 'artistically' laid cobblestone pavements..

.Cool Cat Souvenir- this place trades in a different stock of wears… bad-ass line of in-house screen-printed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Being smack dab in the middle of the Vodka Belt, the potato juice flows freely in this city. Although there are only a few local brands, a lot of great Russian Vodkas can be purchased for Verry Goood prriees mai frrriend. Latvian beer is also quiet good, cheap & incredibly strong. There are a lot of different varieties although Aldaris is the clear-cut King of Beers in these parts.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Although very much a part of the EU for some time now Latvia is not in the Euro zone, so you will be dealing in 'Lats' that is made up of 100 Santimi & seems to be holding value with Sterling. So 1 Lat is worth about 1.3 Euro. Also you are an hour ahead of Central European time here… so hurry up! & all u Europeans … there is no smoking indoors….. ANYWHERE!!! in this city so u want to smoke…. Join the party out side!!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . .. .. . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . A.L.L. Cappuccino. 3 café bars, Competition for your cup of Coffee in Riga is fierce . . . . . . . If you are a TV addict like me well you have arrived in heaven… almost every bar restaurant public place has a bloody Television on every wall each showing something different. . . . . . . . Par-Daugava = the Other Side of the River.. Riga is what it is because of the River than runs through it…… If it were not for the lovely Daugava, Latvia would just be another Finland……. Did I say that???? Hundreds of years of bloodshed can be blamed on the river & its bounties, & a lot of that probably ended up drowned there…. don't be scared to wander over there… 'Lielas Kristaps' Big Kristaps, the statue in the glass by the river at the Castle used to walk the Pagans across it all the time, & they carried on hugging trees & praying to Reindeer !!! . . . . . . . . . . . . . These days, you can find a great mix of the past 100 years of Latvia over there, architecturally speaking of course…. Tsarist to Commie, Wooden Houses to Skyscrapers, Rusty abandoned Factories to Blossoming parks & or bowling allies (Uzvaras bulvaris 2/4 ) …… It's a fantastic place to walk off your hangover, ride a bike. . . take in one of Latvia's most controversial monuments….. The SOVIET VICTORY MONUMENT is a colossal reminder of the not so distant past…Nicknamed the "rapist monument" by the indigenous population, the powerful soldiers with guns & yet the fleeing female are suggestive of either the Motherland leading her boys into victory, or her boys hunting the spoils of victory. …., since Communism… This area is also on the fast-track for big-changes…so get there B4 Big Brother do….the new one….. that is..! . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Alternate Route South of Riga. . . . . to expand your experiences & visit a little more of the Beautiful Baltics. . . . . . . . Why go straight to Vilnius when you can go via Liepaja, Klaipeda & Kaunas.

Old Town (Vec Riga). . . . The best & worst of Post-soviet Latvia can be seen promenading the cobbled streets. The tollgates keep out the notoriously reckless drivers, & allow for a relative safe haven for pavement packers (walkers). The numerous bars & restaurants provide a great escape from the summer heat or the unbearable winter chill.... In summer an Ice-cold ZELTA beer will blast you back to February with its heady frothy good lovin!! Packs a 5.2 percent punch!! In the deep sub-zero un-necessarily cold winter, if & when you may tire of strolling at 30km\ph …. Opt for a Riga's Black Hot Balsams (Karstais Balsams). Befitting to Latvian culture, it is indeed a strange & mysterious liquor that has a very peculiar consistency & a horridly bitter taste. Despite its abject vileness, it has a rugged if not mystical appeal. You can buy the beverage over the counter at a liquor store, which are located on almost every other street. This is the shit legends & vomit are made of!! No really though Balsams cured Catherine the Great & has been the drink of Riga since!! This stuff is made from grass picked on 46 different days of the year, over 200 hundred herbs & seeds & oils extracted from who-know-where......& you have to pay to drink it.........only in Latvia!! Actually Latvia has the world record for the worlds drunkest living Human...7 % blood alchohol....4.0 is supposed to be the lethal limit....... His name is unknown as he still can't remember it.... Shame, I would have like to have met him & buy him a drink or 2.... or even 3..... 666..

Many of you will be 'doing' the Baltic's & you catch the bus to Tallinn (get off at the first stop, it leave you right at the gate to the Old town) or get off all the way out at the bus station!! . . . . . . . . You will go to see Vilnius where you will have to experience the bus station & meet with hungry looking Russian types at all hours of the day & better not .. At night! Another web site u will need is www.eurolines.lv
............................................. Club Salamandra, may be on the "wrong side of the tracks" but it's on the level when it comes to. . . . . . . . ..........................................................................................................................................................................................

So that's about it from us to you here in Riga. Special thanks here on-the-ground to Karlis Celms, Thymn Chase & Dean Strautins.. Eva Kuciku for these nasty graphics. Also to you!! Hope u will enjoy your time.. If so please support the cause & flash this map around now & again… High Profile style.. Cheers!, . . . . Mr. Gordonsky. . . . . . . . .

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