Posts by Ryan Walker9

John Brown30 said:That bolded part right there? Pure gold. ☕

I mean, come on, isn't that just the truth? You can barely find a cheap beer in places like Key West anymore, let alone anywhere else...$17 it's getting ridiculous.

driftingfalcon88 said:I was actually in Riga back in April, and man, the city was absolutely packed on Thursday night. I didn't really venture out much over the weekend though... by then it was my tenth day on the road and I just didn't have the energy to stay out until dawn... It was pretty cold in April, snow was even falling, but now that we're hitting July, we're entering peak season, so things can only get better than they were in April....
You say no smoking indoors? Well, you can't smoke in most indoor places across Europe (and beyond) anymore, so what's the big deal.....
As for alcohol, I saw plenty of people outside bars just hanging out with beers in hand, but since I was freezing, I didn't really try it myself...
Prices... you mentioned beer $10... maybe at some overpriced tourist trap, but an average price for a 0.5L beer is around $6.75, keeping in mind that at many spots you can find a 0.5L draft for $4.25 or more. I never paid more than $6.75 for their local Latvian beer (Guinness is pricier than $6.75, but still cheaper than what we pay back home in the States!)
Food... if you're only there for two or three days, honestly, just hit up a Trader Joe's or a similar grocery store and you won't go wrong. It’s almost like a cafeteria; you grab a tray and pick whatever you want. There’s a massive selection and the hardest part is deciding (the food at Trader Joe's—or at least what I ate—was actually delicious, prices are reasonable, you can eat well for about $40-$$17, and they even have their own brewed beer; I think a huge liter bottle was $8.25, and the beer was great)
It's not like Riga is Moldova or Mexico where you expect everything to be terrible, but it's also not so expensive that you have to live like a pauper for two days. I assume if you head to those clubs that stay open until 6 AM, it'll be quite pricey, but on the flip side, there are plenty of decent spots where prices are comparable to what we see here in America

Look, I'm not the only one saying this...
Everyone has their own experience. Even in Sweden, where drinks are outrageously expensive, you can manage to get by. And it's not like you have to be a total alcoholic. Just buy some drinks while you're passing through Poland. Stock up on food in Poland or other countries, fill your bags, and once you get to your accommodation, just toss the booze and snacks in the fridge. If you end up in a pub where you feel like spending, go ahead and pay if a beer is $10, because you haven't spent a fortune anyway. That's how I see it... quoting: "That part of town is the heart of Riga, the market. Prices are everywhere in Lats. Latvia is one of the few countries where for one Euro you get less than one Apoena. One Euro is roughly 0.75 Lats, making Riga not exactly a cheap destination. However, in some bars, you can grab a half-liter beer for $5.00!" Which means you can, like I said, it's possible. But if you see a pub packed with people at night, obviously you go there, not to some empty hole in the wall. Where the people are, that's the center, and the center holds its prices! Back in the States, a half-liter beer is between $15 and $17, depending on where you are. If you're at a beach resort where they're ripping you off, you'll pay $17 for a beer, when there might be a pub right next door for $5.00. It's just a matter of whether you stumble upon the right spot or not, and if it's too expensive, you can always just walk away and not pay—who cares? Besides, none of it really matters. If we go, we go. We'll figure it out... see you there

slylynx3 said:fair and accurate ☕

I mean, how else would you do it? 🙂

driftingfalcon88 said:Come on now, don't exaggerate... it's not like there's nowhere to go. It's peak season for them right now, so you'd think everything would be packed, and if it isn't cheap—well, it isn't—but you can still find spots at pretty decent prices if you look.

And what on earth do you mean "police curfew" schemes?? Every club stays open until 6 AM on weekends (and even a good chunk of Thursday nights, haha) and the city is buzzing with people all through the night...

You can't even smoke on the street, let alone inside any cafe, for instance. You have officers in green vests patrolling the streets handing out fines just for drinking or smoking in public. Prices are around $10 per beer (check the exchange rate at 😉 ), maybe 20 to 30 bucks, but you really have to be selective about where and when you grab a beer, let alone something stronger. The city is a heavy smoker's paradise during the week, but by 11 PM, the clubs are already half empty. Friday is the big night. Saturday is more laid back because everyone is gearing up for work on Monday. Latvia has the second highest unemployment rate in Europe—well, in the Eurozone—right behind Spain. People are struggling; they aren't very approachable. Given they were under occupation until 1989, damn it, it’s not surprising that it still leaves an impact since they lived under a somewhat stricter regime. The food is totally tasteless, too, and don't be surprised if you see a menu of 50 items and haven't tried a single one. And god forbid you eat the pizza here; it was some of the most revolting stuff I've ever had in my life—besides the hangover, of course. The absolute kicker was seeing spinach as a topping on a pizza! Pure torture. The city is quiet during the day, but back in October when Team USA played (I think), we were up north and it was terribly gloomy; everything felt sort of limp, dirty, and cold. I suppose that's what happens when you get used to this place, then somewhere else feels totally messed up 😁 eheh... and in November when Hajduk played Zenit, things were also crappy in Latvia, but hey, that's just my experience. Honestly, the best part of all this is just getting together and having a drink somewhere. We didn't have any trouble with the police, though to be fair, we weren't looking for any trouble either. Now, how will the police react to rallies in the city squares and stuff? Will they be tolerant? I hope so, otherwise we might end up spending our whole lives in some Caucasus prison swinging a rubber mallet at a rock 🙂 hehehe...

So, I'm quoting: "Average salaries have plummeted from a record thousand euros in the public sector (!) — which makes Latvia a special case as well — down to 500 euros a month, and those who actually receive it are incredibly lucky people. Prices have remained the same, which means they are very high, higher than the average American cost of living."!
And here is the link!

Gary Thomas2 said:What on earth does Saint Sava have to do with New York City FC? They're Lutherans. 😁

I honestly don't know what they're playing at over there... I mean, seriously, why on earth do they have Black saints? =??!?!?!??!

New York City... some church.
http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/1...41600x1200.jpg

Just one more thing... if I may be so bold as to say, we should probably mark this moment down. A little acknowledgment for the books, you know?

(In the background, there’s some kind of tower standing in the center... maybe a bell tower or something like that.)

http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/5...31600x1200.jpg

Honestly, the whole city is just way too expensive. Everything is such a grind—the laws are incredibly strict, they’ve got those curfew schemes in place, and you can't even light up on the street, let alone find a decent bar that lets you smoke. It’s just one thing after another. There isn't much of a nightlife scene either, which is a real shame. You’d think all these restrictions would make the city and the country totally unattractive to tourists, but somehow, we always end up having a good time anyway... I don't know how we do it.