Hey thanks for the friend request! I'm still figuring out this website, but it looks cool so far :)

Hey, I saw your article on GoNOMAD. It was really cool and well written.

Hey,
Thanks for a encouragement, as always. And it's interesting that you like my slower blogs.. I actually get kind of panicky when things slow down and I'm not sure what direction I'm headed. I actually hope that things will pick up soon, so... sorry, haha.

Cool! Walking around the Old Town & New Town are a must. See the Occupation Museum (it's free) to learn about Latvia's history. Take a day trip out to Jurmala (Majori is the main town). Enjoy the nightlife, though you'll have to look out for stag groups on the weekends. I've heard that Lido is a good place to get authentic Latvian food, but I never tried it. Overall it's difficult to find authentic food here because it's just not that popular anymore, especially with young people. Are you going anywhere else?

Hey Valerie. Thanks for the great tips. Right now, its only Riga for the weekend. I still have my sights on a Baltic road trip in the future.

A Baltic road trip sounds interesting. I feel like I'm not doing this region justice just seeing the capitals/largest cities. And you will definitely feel exotic here - not many blacks or Asians. I just went to Jurmala today, near Riga. It was pretty cold, but would be so nice during the summer. More soon.

Thanks for the Matadortrips tip. I'll check it out.

Lola!

Your 50 most inspiring travel quotes piece continues to get hammered on BNT! It is now the third most viewed post of all time and on it's way, i believe, to number one. Congrats!

R

Hey there,
Thanks for the comment. I'm not writing blogs as much as I'd like to be, but I appreciate the encouragement.
So you're preparing for the inca trail? that's great, and I'm sure you'll be able to handle it fine. If you're with a guide, they'll make sure that you have everything you need. Just make sure that you spend a fair amount of time in the area to acclimatize beforehand (I'd suggest at least a week). Plus, I'm convinced that coca (in the form of tea and candies) really does help too.

Hey, have you seen how your 50 quotes piece is doing at BNT?!? Incredible! It's already our 7th biggest post of all time. Great job :)

Hey thanks for your suggestions! I loved your article on Poland. How long would you suggest I stay in Warsaw & Krakow? Right now I'm planning on spending 2 full days in Warsaw and ~2.5 days in Krakow, including a day trip to Auschwicz. And would Auschwicz be a full-day trip? I have a feeling I should budget more time for Krakow...
I'll let you know how the Baltic states go, I'm getting excited already!

Hi traveller .thank you to have passed a few on my page , nice place that yours , where i ll come back to pick up some good stuffs very often
warmly welcome to my bubble of traveller and dreamer
greetings an
zorionak eta urte berri on --- happy new year-
Mae

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR THE SANTHAL TRIBAL CHILDREN TO TEACH ENGLISH IN INDIA ...

Thanks for the comment. I enjoy the reality of your posts.

You're going to Cambodia? Do tell! Will you get to the islands?

Beautiful picture of the monks!

Wow, Poznan, used to be 97% German pre 1945, but they surrendered early...

Borsch, hum, eaten across all of Eurasia in various forms, the best in Tajikistan...

Yeah, Disco/bars, the ones in France just suck compared to Fabrique in Moscow, then again, you were probably fiesed...

'the wine is heated' as opposed to the WHOLE REST OF EUROPE AND THE WESTERN WORLD! where they drink Mulled wine, Gluewien, Svarak vino, etc...

Wroclaw or Breslau the capital of Silesia, the city that held out 6 weeks against the Red Army after the fall of Berlin? Is that where you mean, that place with a 99% German population pre 1945?...

Zakopani, yes, that has been ethnically Polish for a few centuries...

And, Gdansk, the former Free City, another one that was 98% ethnically German pre 1945...

Wow, these places are so Polish. It was so nice of them to forcibly exile 3 million Germans from their homes after the war so displaced Poles from new, conquered Soviet territories would have a place to go. It was also, so nice for 2 million of those pesky Prussians, Silesians, Pommerians and Posens to die/be murdered along the way as not to impede upon the Germans already occupied in East and West Germany.

But, I must admit, the Poles are a grand bunch of people and Warsaw is a hell of a town. I've never had a bad time there...

Then again, I would never recommend someone going to a place where 300,000,000 people are considered untouchable and not reticent to life, education, sanitation, representation or rights. But, you seem to think India is a Happy place too... like Poland.

Love the reasons to love Poland blog. Not just because I'm Polish, but because you hit it right on with your "Reasons". I could add a few more:

1. Poznan—wonderful city closer to the German border that was not completely destroyed an has much of it's original architecture intact.

2. Borsch—Great beet soup originally from Russia, but a wonderful staple in most Polish households.

3. Disco/Bars—like most of eastern Europe, Poland has no shortage of a night life and dance scene.

4. Warmed up wine with Cloves—The wine is heated, a clove is dropped in for spice and then viola! A warm, heart and spirit warming beverage that will also make you unravel.

5. Wroclaw Panoramic Museum—Wroclaw is a great city—lots of history and great art and culture. But the Panoramic Museum offers an amazing glimps of a early Polish struggle and war. The piece is a massive panoramic painting that depicting the Battle of Racławice, during the Kościuszko Uprising. It is currently located in Wrocław, Poland. The painting is one of only a few preserved relics of a genre of 19th century mass culture, and the oldest in Poland. The panorama stands in a circular fashion and, with the viewer in the center, presents different scenes at various viewing angles. A special kind of perspective used in the painting and additional effects (lighting, artificial terrain) create a feeling of reality.

6. Zakopani—the mountain region south of Krakov offers wonderful little local cheeses and mountains—to hike, ski and see breathtaking views. The place has a very different architecture and style than the rest of Poland.

7. Gdansk—by the Baltic Sea. Offers another wonderful view of Poland—from the seaside. Lots of history as all port cities offer. Super night life and cheap amber and seafood.

Well, that's that. Long live Poland! Na Zdrowie!