Destination: Cultural Exploration

This is Amanda again writing with a little bit of culture for all of you. So last time Seth wrote I think he left off in Norway. Well, we then took a train trip over to Stockholm and camped there for a while. One thing we really wanted to do in these places was to try their different foods. However, everything was really expensive. As the pictures will show, I ate at McDonalds one night (but Seth did not Barbara) and all the meals there are at least 7 dollars. So needless to say we didn't eat very much there. Other food adventures include our visit to the Hard Rock Cafe; we saw it and though we'd go for Amy. Since we've been here it seems we do everything we can to eat American food. In Sweden we came upon a store that sells American groceries. They have Poptarts, Doritos, Gatorade, Etc. But the thing we went in there to find was a can of refried beans. Everywhere in Europe we look for pinto beans and they are nowhere to be found. I don't think they exist here. But in his little shop we found a can...and paid 7 American dollars for it!!! I know, shameful. Well, with the beans that we bought we had a wonderful burrito night. Also, in Sweden hotdogs are very popular and they have stands everywhere. I saw a picture of this hotdog in a a bun with two scoops of mashed potatoes on it. It was my plan to get this delicious looking hotdog, but the dream never materialized. All the people in Sweden are very very tall. Everyone is very trendy and well-groomed; it made me feel quite homely. Also, all the women dye their hair, either jet black or blond...and I mean really blonde...more like white. Also, all the women wear high heeled boots and crazy colored tights. But hereš the conundrum- why wouldeveryonee wear spike heeled boots in a country that iscompletlyy covered incobblestonee!!! One of the many mysteries of the world. People there are generally very nice, and most of them speak English. At night we campedin aa very nice campsite with a grocery store. I even made a friend there; a lovely little kitty cat. I named him Mr. Peterson. He came tovisitt us every night. I gave him snacks.

We then flew to Riga (we made our flight this time) and arrive to Latvia safely. Now this place is a real sociologists dream. I did a littleresearchh on this country before we came. I learned that this is one of the most war ravaged countries in all of Europe, we just don't hear about it that often. I candefinitelyy see that this is a country undergoing a lot of change. On the outside, they are very Western. The clothes all look like they have come out of American fashion magazines, including those spiky boots again. But their demeanor is quite the opposite. They are quiet here, and quite suspicious of outsiders- understandable considering their history. They are trying to boost their economy through capitalism,yett they are one of the poorest countries in the EU. They have a female president (named 40th in the top 100 most powerful women in the world), yetprostitutionn is one of the ways this country is trying to boost its economy. I find it all veryinterestingg. We are camping a ways out of town, so every morning we take the number 53 bus into town to explore; it only costs 40 cents a person! We have seen many movies thus far, Seth says their theater is one of his alltime favorites; it has assigned seats, DTS sound, and the tickets only cost 3 dollars person! Food here is very cheap as well so we have no problem staying within our budget. Yesterday wearte lunch at this place withliterallyy 100 different kinds of pizza for really really cheap. So far we have visited many jewelry shops, amber is their specialty, visited the library, the malls, the movie theaters, restaurants, and yesterday the Occupation Museum with documents the history of Latviaš occupation by other countries like Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. We haven't discussed our plans yet, but I think we may stay here for at least a week longer. So long for now!

And now the long awaited pictures!! (Seth's contribution)

Caught in the act. She buckled I didnt!!!!



Happy looking girl:



The Hard Rock Cafe. A little tribute to Amy. She fed us well.



Now those are some American portions:



The American Food Store. Where everything cost 10 bucks more. WOHOO!!



This picture with a little tune behind it. "Burrito night...burrito niiight"



More burrito night.



Oh the insanity of hotdogs:



And now the boots...



and more...



and more...



and crazy stockings...



..and i'm sure more to come. The ones from Sweeden are tame to the ones we have seen in RIGA!!!

Amandas new friend.... Mr. Peterson



More Mr. Peterson:



Camp Stockholm:



Stockholm Library. It had a really nice design.



Why is the man not playing that wonderful red guitar. Whats so important over his shoulder....



Ah this is what has his attention!



Hey look Dad a Volvo thats older and crustier than yours!!



And now I leave you with a little bit of the Riga lifestyle: