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    The train to Nowhere, Latvia. Will I find my way out of this tricky situation? Riga – Ludza (???)



    This is exactly why last-minute decisions can be dangerous 🙂 I decided to jump on a train out of Riga tonight and head as far east as I could go. The final stop of the train was right on the Russian border, but I didn’t see much in the way of accommodation there, and with overnight temperatures plunging, I decided not to risk it. So the plan was to get off at the penultimate stop, Ludza, which also happens to be the oldest town in all of Latvia. My ‘plans’ didn’t quite work out as I expected though, and but for the help of a friendly local, I might not be sitting writing this today 😀

    Filmed on 20/21 December 2022
    Music courtesy of epidemicsound.com
    Map courtesy of Google Maps
    Awful video capture courtesy of GoPro11

    Hi, I’m Steve, a travel reviewer from Scotland. Join me on my adventures as I discover my own country, often visiting places for the first time, so hopefully it’s as much of an eye-opener for you as it is for me! Don’t expect expert opinion, just a very honest journey of discovery. Sometimes featuring my intrepid sidekick Alicja, sometimes featuring adventures beyond the borders of Scotland. Enjoy!

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    View 24 Comments

    24 Comments

    3. Mike Dawson on

      Ludza still looks like a town in Belarus, very melancholy really with lone grannies at the bus station whose husbands have died from alcoholism. All very sad they end up like that.

    4. Jablička on

      These sorts of disasters are part of why I love travel! Things don't always go according to plan and you have to troubleshoot your way out – which you managed to do. And you have another terrific story to tell for it 🙂

    5. Valentin Moise on

      That was an awesome adventure mate! One word of wisdom: always check your position on Google Maps before you get off haha 🙂 But hey, that took you out of your confort zone and I'm sure you've learned something! Loved the video!

    8. Syed Akbar on

      Mr. Marsh I was unable to watch your posts the past few months (fighting my own battles), but the two I managed in the last three days (this one and the train to Moldova) reminded me why I can't miss any (and why I love Bald & Bankrupt). Thank you so much for taking us on these grand trips. Follow your heart sire, and take us along. Thank you.

    10. david higgen on

      Hi Steve. Probably my most tricky moment was when I arrived at Nuoro in Sardinia by bus. This was a rather spontaneous trip; I didn't have a map of the town (though I did have a room booked). But the bus station didn't seem to be anywhere near the town centre and I meandered about for quite some time trying to figure out which way to go. Eventually I found signs for a tourist information office, but when I got there it was closed (looked almost derelict, in fact).
      I didn't have a smartphone at that time, and was wondering what the heck to do. But I found an office (I think it was a real estate agency), and the chap there was kind enough to get his car & drive me to where my booking was. Just as well, since in fact it was a small street that doesn't even appear on the official town map, as it turns out! He even called the property owner for me (since she did not live on the premises).
      Not nearly as scary as your experience, since this was summer in the Mediterranean, so I wasn't going to freeze to death.
      But as in your case, the kindness of a stranger saved my bacon.

    11. Koko B Wild on

      the old go pro really let yo down on this trip but i'm happy to let you knwo that to the viewer its an afterthought that it even played up as much as it did and you did a phenomenal job recovering from the setback.

    13. Lachausis on

      The situation you were in probably is most typical to what happens to every Latvian once in a a while. This is how this land tests you, I swear to god. XD

    17. R.K Hannaberry on

      I couldnt imagine getting off a train in the middle of winter, in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere near the Russian border at the WRONG stop! You're a far braver man than i ! LoL Glad you survived! Loved seeing a bit of Latvia!

    19. Stefan G on

      Steve, a basic rule for railways travel in any country with maybe the exception of Japan: trains can't be 15 minutes early. They are sorta on time, or delayed. No wait, trains in Japan are exactly on time. But somehow I was kinda surprised you couldn't find the main road at Cirna station. I've been there and you can see the road right from the station. If you can really call it a station. Then again, having been on the Latvian countryside during nighttime I can somehow understand the confusion when being at such a place in the dark. I really need to get to Cirna with my camera and somehow many a reference to this video 🤣

    21. vpa0 on

      well platform means where you stand, tracks means where the train rolls. you can have a platform with tracks on either side.

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