M-whY

Ears still ringing from the night before, I checked out and made a beeline for the bus station, hoping to be on the next bus to Lithuania. It wouldn't leave though until 1:00pm. Such a departure time really kills a day. There's not enough time to do anything beforehand, and by the time I reach my destination, there's no daylight left. Exceptionally interesting travel days are rare. Off the top of my head, I can only recall a few: The bus ride from Bali to Yogyakarta (in Indonesia), from Phonsavanh to Vientienne (in Laos), the first couple days of the Trans-Mongolian Rail. Most of the time, there isn't much to report.

I certainly didn't expect Riga to Vilnius to be remarkable. All three Baltic states are now members of the European Union, meaning more relaxed borders. Possibly too relaxed. The driver assumed everyone on board had EU cards, and when the immigration official took my lone passport into his little cabin, he fired up the engine and started moving. Startled, I was about to run up to the front and gesticulate wildly until I saw the immigration guy running out doing just that. Fortunately we hadn't gone more than 100m; The driver realized he had jumped the gun, stopped, and my passport was returned to me, complete with the collection of Baltic stamps. Other than that, it was smooth sailing all the way to the Lithuanian capital.

When I think Lithuania, the first thing that comes to mind is basketball. Hoops is a big thing here, and they've made noise in international play, kicking our American Dream Team butt at our own game. I don't know how many Lithuanian players are currently on NBA rosters, but the games must be closely followed judging from the sports betting center right in the middle of the bus station. As usual, upon arrival, I had difficulties getting my bearings. Here we go again,I thought and proceeded to take the long way to the hostel. In a sour mood for having gotten lost again, I brightened to learn that my new residence had an altogether different character - quiet, cozy, and actually conducive to getting some rest.

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