M-whY

The day actually started out fairly well. The clouds looked ready to part, a couple times I even caught glimpses of the sun. I figured I'd take advantage of it and see Lithuania's most impressive spectacle, the Hill of Crosses. To get there required a four hour bus journey, during which conditions took a turn for the worse. Damnit, just what have I done to deserve this string of inclement weather?!

By the time I reached Siauliai, the rain had become a steady downpour. Freezing cold rain too, bad enough that I seriously considering just turning around and going home. Yet I was so close, only 6km away, and one really can't say he's visited Lithuania without making the pilgrammage to the hill. Resolutely - I was going to get there no matter what - I looked around for the bus I was to transfer to. Supposedly, there was one that ran the rural route out there, but I couldn't make any sense of the timetable posted. I resorted to option B, and approached an idling cab.

"Hill of Crosses? Uhh, Kryziu Kalnas?" The driver couldn't understand me, so I whipped out my Lonely Planet and pointed at the words.

"Kryziu Kalnas! Okay!"

"How much?"

He pointed at his taxi meter, indicating he would charge me by distance. Fair enough, I thought, and climbed into the front seat. As expected, it wasn't cheap, but it was on par with what I read it should be. And it probably was the right thing to do anyways. On the way out there, I noted I would've had to walk another 2km from where the bus would've dropped me off. Not the best thing for someone just getting over a cold.

Nothing in the country embodies the spirit of Lithuanians more than the Hill of Crosses. A staunchly religious group - it's not uncommon to see people make the sign of a cross when they pass a church - these two hills are literally staked with thousands of crosses. The tradition began in the 14th century, however, most of the collection I saw today were recent additions. During the Soviet years, the mounds were bulldozed and fenced off with barbed wire. Small crosses, large crosses... I can't even begin to estimate how many there were. Easily one of the most awe-inspiring sights I've seen.

Today, I was the only one out here. The driver waited for me in the dirt (today mud) parking lot while circled the hills. When I had seen enough, he took me back to town, and I caught the next bus to Vilnius. In all, I spent eight hours in transit and less than fifteen minutes sightseeing - you could say I'm a pretty dedicated tourist! Back in the capital, I made a stop to inquire about trains to Warsaw.

"No trains, only bus." My guidebook had indicated there was one, but then again, it's never too accurate about these things. "For tonight?" she asked.

"Is there one tomorrow?" She shook her head. "Hmm. What time does the one tonight leave?"

"9:00pm."

I looked at my watch. 7:30pm it read. I had already paid for another night at the hostel, but having seen the Hill of Crosses, I didn't have much reason to stick around longer.

"Okay, I'll go tonight," I decided. With the clock running, I rushed back to my hostel and just enough time to pack, shower, and have one last supper, before leaving Lithuania.

Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!