Good morning from the Daugava River in Jekabpils, Latvia. It starts in Russia and flows all the way to the Latvian capital city of Riga on the Baltic Sea. Looking peaceful at sunrise this morning… hope that means no winds as we’ll be attempting our 3rd Century ride 🙂
Jēkabpils to Smiltene
DAY #32 of 35Latvia2,035 miles total
A Nerve-Wracking Morning
We had some of our worst conditions of the trip today: heavy fast traffic; some really mean drivers, especially truck drivers; and some very poor road conditions, all before lunch (at 59 miles). Apparently some Latvian truckers don’t think we can even borrow 6 inches of the road, even if there’s no oncoming traffic. Several of us nearly got run off the road and one of our very best riders thought for sure she was a goner. By the time we got to lunch, Shauna was looking for a sink to wash her mouth out with soap … lots of expletives uttered along the way. We literally only took one picture before lunch … too scared!
Chris from Australia is such a gentleman, and so solicitous. He kindly let Shauna tag along with him between coffee and lunch, affording her some camaraderie and comfort when things got dicey. Here, nearing lunch, traffic was slowed down by roadwork, which was greatly improving the road conditions also. Chris’s humor and companionship restored Shauna’s smile.
A MUCH More Pleasant Afternoon
A gorgeous pastoral ride on much better, and quieter, roads in the afternoon.
During the afternoon, we happened across a flock of White Storks. They are called White Storks even though they have quite a bit of black on their wings. They took to the air, soaring, gliding and swooping in a captivating graceful ballet. We estimated 25 or so in the air, and watched, mesmerized for several minutes. Mike Kennedy carried a camera with a zoom lens, and he was able get some great close-up pics. White storks rely on the uplift of air thermals to soar and glide the long distances of their annual migrations between Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa. For many, the shortest route would take them over the Mediterranean Sea; however, since air thermals do not form over water, they generally detour over land to avoid the trans-Mediterranean flights that would require prolonged energetic wing flapping. Thus, flocks spiral upwards on rising warm air until they emerge at the top, up to 4,000 to 5,000 ft above the ground (though one record from Western Sudan observed an altitude of 10,800 ft). With an average wingspan of 6 to 8 feet, these White Storks were so graceful riding the afternoon thermals.
Video: White Storks In Flight Take 1
Video: White Storks in Flight Take 2
During the late afternoon, Mark developed a headache. Alex, who travels with an assortment of useful items in his back pocket, fixed Mark up. Not usually done in broad daylight … #somesketchydudes … thanks for the hit Alex! Actually, some Paracetamol which is a European brand of acetaminophen.
The last few miles were through the woods. With arrival at this picturesque park hotel setting. AND back-to-back Century rides!! (again, we had to ride into town – which was HILLY this time! – to tack on 3 miles).
Hotel Bruzis
Our accommodations were at Hotel Bruzis, a great hotel located in beautiful parklands nestled against the river.
We had a wonderful room at the Hotel Bruzis, but we had a little water problem for Mark’s “shower”. Luckily for Shauna, it was fixed before it was her turn … shower head actually worked great for her! Hee hee.
The building once used to be a brewery, and now is bearing its old name – bruzis – which means brewery in Latvian. The grounds were lush, prolific and worthy of exploring.
Lake Teperis was just a 10-minute walk from the hotel. Even though we had put in our 3rd long day in a row, Shauna couldn’t resist a stroll there to swim, and it was worth it.
Alison, a multi-talented, multi-sport athlete, takes advantage of the SUPs (Stand Up Paddleboards) available to lake visitors. A quick swim to the fountain in the clear cool lake was rejuvenating to body and soul. These Latvian teens were having a blast playing sand volleyball and jumping into the chilly lake. They were a little jealous when Shauna swam out to the fountain and let it rain down on her head. It was obvious their chaperone couldn’t let them because some of them couldn’t swim real well. #kidsarekidseverywhere Video: Latvian teens having fun!
Our Route
Although this is only our second night in Latvia, it will be our last – tomorrow we cycle on into Estonia.
