Day 7
Friday, March 14th,

Today I spent preparing for my fun 26 hour trip back to Colorado. No, its not a typo, 26 hours of actual travel. When booking my tickets I thought there might be a lack of flights somewhere in Europe where flights are not as frequent as in the United States, however to my surprise, it was a nine hour layover in Chicago to Denver which take up much of the time. For travelers a great tip: watch what you pay for and check your options. I booked my flight through travelocity.com which allowed me to compare flights between carriers and dates. Although I had the opportunity of picking a direct flight and flights with no wait, the nine hour layover saved me $500 dollars. A great deal for someone like me who has nothing better to do than hang around the airport, however, not for everyone.

Day 6
Thursday, March 13th,

Today I spent the day catching up with relatives and visiting and paying respect to my grandparents. Many of my elders have passed away already, so we spent the day visiting the old Lithuanian graveyards. Graveyards in Lithuania are quite interesting. Some graves in the older sections date back several centuries, history can be seen everywhere. Leaving the cemetery we passed a hand made fence which lines the cemetery. Its not until you study the texture on the metal you realize that the metal fence was rittled with bullet impacts and shrapnel from the Second World War. Many of the towns and villages have been destroyed and rebuilt during the wars. Many of the locals are first hand witnesses.

Day 5
Wednesday, March 12th,

I’m not sure if I mentioned that the name, Lithuania (Lietuva), comes from the Lithuanian word “rain” (“lietus”). I have visited many places with names derived in such a way, but not one of them better live up to their name better than Lithuania. Today -  rain.

We took a ride through the country side today on the way to the coast. The roads are really nice, I was told the the EU dedicated lots of money to improving the infrastructure in the country. This can be clearly seen in the roads, bridges and signs everywhere. I did not get a chance to see too much livestock on the way, actually none at all except for a single horse. What I did notice many of, were wind turbines which doted the landscape. As we neared the coast more and more of the turbines.

We visited the city of Palanga today, located on the coast of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania has two major cities along its coast, Klaipeda and Palanga. Klaipeda acts as an economic hub for shipping of goods in and out of the country. Palanga in retrospect is a small fishing town town which now caters to tourists and anyone looking to get away for some leisure. The main boulevard here is filled with shoppes and restaurants catering everyones needs. There are hotels ranging from a comfortable bed and breakfast to ritzy glass resorts near the beach. If you prefer, you can stay the night at the hotel built and owned by Sabonis (a famous Lithuanian basketball player who played for Oregon Trail Blazers) for a price that is; basketball court included. 

If you are planning on watching the sunset or strolling on the beach of the Baltic coast, I would highly recommend the summer months, March is not the best time of year. Unless of course you fancy cold weather, heavy rain, wind, and water cold enough to make ice cubes. Otherwise, a beautiful city and a great vacation destination.

Day 4
Tuesday, March 11th,

Today I was in for a treat all due to wonderful timing of my trip; March 11th is Lithuanian independence day. Similar to the American Independence Day from the British, the Lithuanians celebrate the end of Soviet rule. We attended the ceremonies at the Saint Peter-Paul Cathedral, better known as Šiauliu Cathedral. After the ceremonies a procession of flags and honor guard followed down the street to the city square where the mayor of the city gave a speech to the awaiting crowed. Nothing flashy with fireworks, however there were balloons and many cheerful people.

We visited the “Hill of Crosses” which after reading about it I thought was appropriate for the day. The “Hill of Crosses” is simply how it sounds, however its until you see it and learn about it that it becomes of meaningful interest. There are many stories which talk about the possible birth of this place, some say a man saw a vision to place a cross on this hill, others speculate that the crosses were a tribute to someone. However, during each historical period in Lithuanian history, new crosses were erected at the site. It wasn’t until the Soviet occupation that people began placing crosses out of silent protest against the treatment of the people. Many crosses were placed commemorating those who died and went missing as a result. The soviets attempted multiple times to intercept and detour the people with KGB spies. The hill was burned, bulldozed, and plans were in the works to flood the area to create an artificial island where the hill lay. However during each attempt, persistently, the people continued to place new crosses at the site and in larger numbers. In 1993 Pope John Paul II honored the site as a holly landmark. And to this day people visit the site placing new crosses there with prayers and hopes.

Day 3
Monday, March 10th,

Today we took a tour of the city of Šiauliai, the city where I was born. Many things have changed, yet everything remains in the same place were it was. The city was originally founded as a defense post against the raids by the Teutonic and Livonian Orders (officially founded on September 22, 1236). Nicknamed “the Sun City” after the Battle of the Sun in 1236. (the word “sun” in Lithuanina is “saule”) Today it remains an integral part of the economic and social hub. The city acts as a gateway for commerce between Poland and Latvia. Trucks can bee seen here continuously transport goods along the roads. The roads here are very well maintained considering the low density of local traffic.

The rural country is sprinkled with tiny villages and lonely houses. As you approach the city, there is no gradual build up of settlement; there is just city, or no city. Much of the city retains the Soviet built housing blocks. New housing structures are built right along them with a slightly modern twist. Surprisingly, the interiors of these dreaded cold war era housing blocks, are very sleek, modern, and simply well designed. Nothing at all what I expected. As I learned even the tiniest villages have running water, electricity and Wi-Fi (wireless Internet as well as cable) available to them. The old Soviet broadcast antenna I remember as a child has been converted to telecommunication relay as have many others, providing residents with cellphone and Internet services.

There are older people who still prefer the old way of living, the simple self-sustaining type of way. There are those who still grow their own crops and raise their own livestock. I had a taste of home grown honey this morning, I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised. There is a wonderful difference in food grown versus purchased at the store. Although if you want to purchase such things one must travel to the farm as large retail stores such as “Maxim” and “Iki” have taken over most smaller retailers. No longer can you find small grocery stores like I remember. The country has been “Supersized”

Day 2
Sunday, March 9th,

Today, I had a chance to attend the last concert of “Mango.” A female Lithuanian pop group which formed in 1997 and topped charts ever since. It was a great show, but the real spectacle was the Siauliu Arena. Siauliu Arena is a large events center seating approximately 7,000 spectators, showing everything from basketball, to ice skating, very similar to the Denver Pepsi Center with one twist. The exterior is composed of holographic glass fragments through out the entire circumference of the structure. When sunlight hits the glass at certain angles the entire structure refracts the colors of the rainbow.

Day 1
Saturday March 8th,

My trip begins in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. From the airport, the town center is just a short ride a way. The streets feel like dense and modern, pedestrians are present everywhere, although I am told that the weekends are actually a quiet time here in the city. I am very impressed by the modernization of the city from the last time I have seen it, and also somewhat disappointed by the globalization factor. Did not really want to see a McDonal’s here but I should just accept the fact that they are everywhere. I am impressed at how you can find just about everything here.

The ride out if Vilnius was just interesting. This time of year I was expecting snow and cold temperatures, what I got was something you’d expect in Ireland or Seattle. The temperature mild, humid, slightly rainy and overcast. But the best thing around is the fog, is everywhere today.

The country side is very clean and relativity green from someone coming from Colorado. The forests can be seen everywhere with large trees that oddly resemble the mountains to me. And like most of Lithuania, I had to stop at a windmill. The country is known for countless windmills that dot the landscape. The one we stopped at used to be a working mill but has been converted into a restaurant and pub serving traditional foods and deserts. Nothing like having a cup of coffee and cake in an old windmill.

Some simple things to help you while traveling internationaly.

Before You Leave

• Check your passport (is it up to date?)
• Will you be using electronics? Europe and many other countries use different voltage in their outlets. You will need a converter. A great deal is this universal travel adapter from VoltageConverter.com
• Check the weather. It is often a good idea to know what tye of clothing to bring.
• Give someone a copy of your itinierary, especially if traveling alone and internationally.
• Take a credit card, not debit. (I found out in my travels that most banks have a wonderful security feature which locks up your debit card if used outside of the country.)

At the Airport

I shouldn’t have to say it, but arrive early. In my experiance the screening and wait time is usually quite fast, that is untill something goes wrong. Arriving early will give you sufficiant time to deal with anything that comes up. The Travel Security Administration recomends you simplyfy what you bring through the security line. I will say this, wear comfortable clothing whith no metalic addons. Remember, if you can get through the metal detecor without setting it off, the faster it goes. TSA in the United States also requires you to take off your shoes. I recomend something that slips off and back on without effort. Again keep it comfortable as you will do plenty of walking while you travel.

If there is any confusion with what you can bring, leave sharp pointy looking things in your check-in luggage. Same goes for powdery substances and batteries if your not going to use them. As far as liquids go, TSA has their niffty 3-1-1 rule:

• 3 ounce bottle or less (by volume)
• 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag
• 1 bag per passenger placed in screening bin

If in doubt, they recomend placing your things with the check in luggage.

Things To Bring

Perhaps not everyone is a camera slinging junkie, but I would highly recomend bringing a compact point and shoot. Cameras are small, portable, and allow you to share your travels with others.