The last day

March 19th

To sleep in the airplane is not easy, but needed. Somehow I manage to devote about 5 hours for the sleep, however, when there are 4 hours left till the destination, I don’t manage to fall asleep in any way anymore and have to watch films. After a while lights get turned on in the saloon. It is a sign that breakfast can be expected soon. We land in Istanbul at 5:50 in the morning. We need to spend some time in the security controls, where Vitolds has to part from a folding pocket knife that was left in his hand luggage. We have almost 3 hours till the next flight, which each of us spend entertaining themselves in the airport departure area. At least as much as it’s possible to be entertained there. Boarding is announced one hour before the departure. We meet at the gate, where we get boarded on the bus outside and get driven to the airplane. It is cool. My clothes are traveling in the check-in suitcase, so I still do with a t-shirt, shorts and sandals.

Around 11am we have arrived in the Cologne airport already. Finally we get to see our luggage. Nobody is missing anything. Now I can also put on more suitable garments for the climate. To get rid of the baggage suitcases, we go to the Ryanair check-in desk. Huge queue, but no one to service it. After a while, however, the queue begins to move forward after all. We meanwhile manage the weight of the suitcases to match the permissible limits. Success. I check-in my suitcase and then run to the adjacent desk, because all the boarding cards for the people flying are in my phone. However, it is not a problem and everything is quickly sorted. Someone has found a suitable place to spend the time and around 13 o’clock we move to the cafe S-Bahn in the adjacent terminal building.

After a while I receive SMS from Agnese (she went to Germany separately, by a different flight): “Where are you?” I answer equally “logically”: “In the adjacent terminal, eating is happening”. Despite this, she finds us. We spend another hour in the cafe and then go to check-in Agnese’s luggage and to yet another security control before the last flight today. The Germans are exceedingly hard-working and seek out thoroughly. They are interested in both bags with food and boxes with gadgets (chargers, batteries, screwdrivers, etc.). After consultation among the security-colleagues I get everything returned and let to take with me. Danke Schoen! Typically, that the Ryanair passengers have already lined up in a really long queue for boarding still well ahead the start of it. We have no desire to stand, so we wait until most people are already on board. It has its cons – there is not really place for the hand baggage anymore. I stuff it under the chair, as I can somehow endure these inconveniences for the couple of hours of the flight. Despite the tense posture I manage to get some sleep.

When I wake up, we have already flown into Latvia. At 19:50 the aircraft lands at the airport “Riga”. Land is covered with snow in places. It’s a bit strange after the 3 weeks spent in heat. The bus drives us to the entrance, there we await our luggage (how nice that everyone has everything) and entering the waiting room, we meet the first welcomers. The final group photo still and then in groups we disperse to home.

The trip is over. Long live the trip!

Day of farewells, meetings, green grass and red beer

February 28th.

The first people arriving in Riga airport are Ināra, Vitolds and Imants. Then soon after also Rūdolfs, Dace, Andra, Ilgonis un Gunita. Agnese has trusted Imants the responsibilities of the group leader till Jakarta. In Riga he has 8 travellers under his supervision. Two more will join on the way. The main worry is to divide luggage so that nobody had more than 15.9kg. We are saved by Rudolfs who has a half-empty bag. Everyone is a little worried about Andra’s name day’s cakes – who is going to eat them. Luckily they are eaten by ourselves instead of the customs officers.
We lift up above the sun-lit clouds and 3 hours later land in Bergamo airport near the rainy Milan. Going by bus to the central Milan. On the way some of us are very delighted by the green grass along the highway. In the centre of Milan we need to switch to another bus to Malpensa airport. During the ten minutes while we reach the bus stop we get 20 offers to buy umbrellas. In Milan Kārlis has joined us. In the airport Ilgoni’s suggestion about drinking beer is supported by 100%. The Italian beer labels are Peroni Forte 8% (you can ask more details to Imants) and Peroni Rosso which has a lovely red colour and is also tasty. In the Turkish plane we get well fed and diminish our thirst, so it’s actually good that we have warmed up a bit. The flight goes by without noticing and around the midnight we are already in Istanbul where Normunds joins us. The first day has finished. Let’s see what the next one will bring!