This post is dedicated to the people of the couchsurfing community who not only took the time to provide us accommodation, but also took the time to welcome us into their lives and just be there for us when we were lost.  At times, traveling can be a lonely experience (even as a couple), but it only took a glance at our CS host album to conjure up the memories that put the smile back on our face and the stride back in our step once again.  We are unable to put into words exactly how grateful we feel for every single moment and we know that our experiences would not have been half as interesting, amazing, or fun without your kindnesses along the way.

From you, we learned how to make roti, tortilla and egg breakfast, mate, chicken marsala, arepas, homemade hamburger buns, green fettuccine, and Greek salad.  We learned how to toast correctly, greet politely (one kiss or two according to region), and travel safely.  We learned the importance of slicing cheese at the right angle, buying bread from the bakery on a specific street because the lady is nicer, and ordering skepasti from the restaurant nearby because it’s the best.  We were happy to drink at the hole-in-the-wall pubs with the cheapest beers on tap, eat flavorful cuisine at local hangouts, inhale fruity-smelling shisha smoke at shisha cafes, sip bitter Turkish coffee on floor cushions, and lick fingers after partaking in greasy street food.

From you, we learned about your frustrations with or your loyalty to your government, your interest in your nation’s history and how it shaped you, and your passion to advocate change and make a difference inside or outside of your country.  From you, we learned to step outside of our comfort zone and consider travel to regions we would never have glanced at, we hitchhiked, tried eye tacos, and (despite her fear of flying) Deenaree’s actually entertained the idea of sky-diving.  We learned to view our own country with a newfound appreciation because of your documentary on your small-town U.S. road trip or because of the book you are writing based on your quest to trace your family history here.

If it wasn’t for your suggestions, we would not have hiked up the Devil’s Molar, or been aware that the Latvian Song and Dance Festival is a great time to catch up on Latvian traditional dress, or known which open-air market to buy the best vegetables, or where to catch the ferry over the Bosphorus, or where to grab some ice cream in Buenos Aires at 11:00 at night.  We wouldn’t have known where the best place was to watch the World Cup in Vilnius, or to view ships crossing the Panama Canal, or catch a Tobago sunset on a quiet beach, or see kitsch decor at it’s most appalling in Stellenbosch, or observe Lithuanians madly playing trivia in Klaipeda.

We experienced art on a new level because of your pottery lesson, your ambition to see every movie ever made, your collection of cd’s that range in the THOUSANDS, and your recommendation to read books by a famous Columbian author who happens to be your favorite.  Some of you are incredibly talented musicians, photographers, singers, actors, writers, and artists.  We thank you for sharing your gifts with us.

We so appreciated your inclusion of us in your family gatherings and friend’s events.  We had barely just met, but that didn’t stop you from inviting us to your cousin’s wedding, your birthday celebration, or your family’s dinner table.  And although we had barely just met, your willingness to speak openly of your own dreams to travel, pursue additional education, change your career, start a new entrepreneurial venture, or move to another country and begin a new life left us inspired (and some of your biggest fans), too.

We thank you for the opportunity to have had this glimpse into your lives.  Our time with you was so valuable to us that we tended to leave wishing for more of it or even for an opportunity to live just a bit closer to you!  Thanks again for everything.  We hope we can see you soon somewhere in this world.  Keep in touch!

Love,

Ben and Deenaree

]]> http://travelstainedlife.com/2010/09/06/pieces-of-our-happiness/feed/ 0 http://travelstainedlife.com/2010/08/23/things-we-learned-and-liked-latvia/ http://travelstainedlife.com/2010/08/23/things-we-learned-and-liked-latvia/#comments Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:17:41 +0000 Deenaree http://travelstainedlife.com/?p=2338

For starters, we found some lovely accommodation in the home of a really nice family.  Although their English was a bit limited, their warmth was enough to make us feel very welcome.  Our room was a spacious attic room with ceilings that slanted.  Its windows provided a magnificent vantage point for Latvian sunsets in addition to a great view of the charming garden below.  This bed and breakfast style lodging fostered our decision to stay longer and if it hadn’t been for those plane tickets to start our new life in Thailand, I can imagine that we would still be there now.

The house was a stone’s throw away from the beach for which Ventspils is known.  Promenades in the form of boardwalks lead visitors to stretches of white sand and this white sand meets the calm waters of the Baltic Sea.  When we first stepped foot on the beach, we noticed that there were all types of interesting-looking mechanisms resembling playground equipment all around its perimeter.  We saw children and adults alike sitting on giant rope loops that circled around a central axis.  We observed more people standing on humongous wooden logs that swung from right to left.  We also noticed adults on a few “porch swings” scattered about and children climbing on suspension rope jungle gyms.  To my delight, there were shower stations for people to wash sand off and changing stalls that looked like gigantic blue and yellow dice.   In the first 5 minutes, my “clean-freak” and “bright color loving” self came to the conclusion that we had finally found the beach of my dreams!  Although we were there during a long holiday weekend, we did not feel as if we had to fight for our patch of sand as there was plenty to go around.  We marked our patch with my blue sarong, pulled out our picnic lunch of cucumbers, meat/cheese sandwiches, and chips, and spent the good part of a day basking in the sun.

The town of Ventspils itself was incredibly family-friendly.  In fact, I think this move towards family-friendliness was their “mayor’s” initiative to increase tourism at some point.  Every restaurant had a children’s area full of coloring books and toys along with TV screens that played Tom and Jerry episodes nonstop.  There were also lots of parks containing play areas with different themes (i.e. spaceship, pirate ship, zoo) and colorful, animal-shaped flower displays.  To top this all off, there was an aquapark!!  Apart from the beach, we spent our time enjoying and testing each and every water slide of the Ventspils Aquapark.

Beyond its award-winning recreational qualities, Ventspils’ old town contained buildings with architectural features that provided a bit of personality.  We used a walking trail book obtained from tourist information to learn more about the sites of this historic area.  Although there was hardly anything notable about these building in the grand scheme of world history, we were happy to spend time learning a little bit of local history.

Our time in Ventspils, as with most places we’ve enjoyed, came to a quick end.  We moved on to Kolka with high expectations, but in the end, we found it to be a bit dull, mosquito-infested, and hard to enjoy in full without a rental car.  We even decided to leave a few hours earlier than planned because we had run out of things to do.  It was the “insignificant” port town of Ventspils that turned out the be the most fitting place to spend our last few leisurely days of travel freedom.

Our exposure to the importance of the World Cup actually started way back in Ecuador.  World Cup qualifying was all the hype back then and we even saw the last, heartbreaking loss for Ecuador against Paraguay which ended their chances.  Through the rest of South America, everyone we told we were going to South Africa immediately assumed we were going to the World Cup.  And of course, we spent 10 days in Cape Town in January and saw all the advertising, new stadium, giant soccer balls and everything else that was up for the big event.  Even our traditional country entrance photo when we arrived in the airport had a World Cup backdrop.

We spent the month during the World Cup split between Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.  Most of the group round happened while we were working our way through Poland.  The games were almost always on, people watched every night and bars would constantly advertise their locales ability to show the game, times, number of screens and size.  We did see a huge chunk of games in Poland, many of them at host’s houses or in our hotel room.  The excitement was obviously in the air and just about everyone was watching.  But, the true passion for the World Cup hit us when we finally made our way to Lithuania.

Lithuania is a country that has never qualified for the World Cup.  It is a country where basketball is the favorite sport and soccer is a distant second.  What’s more, during World Cup qualification this time around, they didn’t really come close, finishing the final qualifying stage well behind Serbia and France, the two countries that went to South Africa from their group.  Nevertheless, not long after we arrived in Vilnius, our Couchsurfing host’s boyfriend asked us if we were up for going to a bar to watch the Spain – Chile game that evening.  Having just arrived in the country and eager for a taste of the city, local beer and Lithuanian culture, we readily agreed.

As we strolled to the bar across the attractive, compact old town of Vilnius, visions of a wonderful outdoor beer garden with cold drinks and good conversation invaded our minds.  Our hosts were careful to point out streets we followed and landmarks we passed.  As we rounded a corner ten minutes before kickoff, we found ourselves at our destination.  The sidewalk grew wider due to the recessed first floor with a portion of the sidewalk rising as stairs as the adjacent street started to rise up a modest hill.  All of this was covered by swarms of people milling about and countless milk crates, some occupied and others waiting for an owner.  The four of us scooped a few up, found an open place to put our seats down and prepared for game time.

We were lucky we arrived when we did.  As us men made our way to the bar to take care of the drinks and the uniquely Lithuanian appetizer of fried bread with a cheese and sour cream sauce, the girls needed to fend off at least a few eager fans looking for seats that seemed to no longer be available.  By the time we made it back outside, drinks in hand, the game was about to begin and the place was packed.  Our TV was like a movie screen, with a projector showing us the game from some hidden corner of the excitement.  In the 27th minute, Spain scored.  Everyone went crazy; people came running, seemingly from nowhere, to see what had just happened.  After plenty of delirium, things returned to normal…for another 15 minutes.  Spain scored again.  The whole place went crazy, again, and even more people came running.  Who knew the Lithuanians have such a soft spot for the Spanish?  The rest of the match settled down.  Chile score early in the second half to keep the rest of the game interesting.  Even once the game was in its twilight, clearly over, everyone remained to the final whistle.

The World Cup was far from over and we saw a number of other games.  Some were in sports bars or restaurants, others host’s houses or hostels.  But apart from one crazed European fan’s outgoing cheering at a hostel in Klaipeda, Lithuania, we did not have a better look into the intensity that comes with the World Cup.  Next time it comes around, wherever we are in the world, we may just put up a big screen, grab a milk crate, and settle in for the fun.