To the Cat Cave in Siauliai

If you're still not convinced of Siauliai's awesomeness after a trip to the Hill of Crosses (see previous post), then why not take a peek inside one of the other off-beat attractions around town, such as the Bicycle Museum, the Radio and Television Museum, and most interestingly, the Museum of Cats. 

Not being a cat owner nor fond of felines, excluding Catwoman in her shiny skin-tight suit (meow!),  I wasn't particularly interested in the Museum of Cats but it seemed too good to pass up, even just for bragging rights. (How many of your friends have set foot inside a cat museum?). 

Once again, the tourist office staff in Siauliai proved invaluable in giving directions, though they were a bit vague ("somewhere around here") when circling the area on the map to indicate the museum's location. No wonder, since it was outside Siauliai's city center and thus just off the edge of the map. 

Not to be deterred, I walked in the general direction of the museum, and came across a lake. Lo and behold, a large scale figure (about 4 stories high) of a cat stood guard over the lake, just enticing passers-by to snap a photo. I wondered what sort of affection Lithuanians had with
felines and why, and continued on my way. 

Eventually landed in a residential section of town and having neglected to bring the museum's address, I walked around aimlessly and was on the verge of giving up, when I spotted this sign."Psst...that way", it indicated to this tired and hapless traveler almost undone by his curiosity.

Re-energized, I retraced my steps, and found what might look like a museum (or a schoolhouse), and entered the gate. Eureka, I'd found it! The museum's well-hidden sign (top photo) was a dead giveaway, though the place looked deserted. I climbed up a flight of stairs, opened a door and stepped into a hallway where I could hear children's voices. Those turned out to be the museum's only other guests aside from myself - a gaggle of fifteen to twenty kids on a field trip. 

After paying the 5 litas admission fee, I stepped Inside the first of the museum's three separate rooms to find memorabilia of every kind related to cats. Tons and tons of porcelain stuff, framed photographs and paintings hugging the walls, poems and letters from all over the world, etc. Several photos of whom I assume to be the museum's founder and her beloved pets were also present. 

After spending roughly half an hour looking around and taking photos, I got tired of it. (Again, not much of a cat lover). The museum's only live cat followed me around (the group of school kids had somehow vanished), casting a baleful gaze as she did, so I took that as my cue to make an exit.

O Ye Lithuanians of Strong Faith

Siauliai doesn't ring a bell for most travelers, but I was determined to stop for one night there to see the Hill of Crosses. The what? The Hill of Crosses, situated about 10km north of the city, which as its name implies, is a staggering collection of crosses of all shapes and sizes planted on a hill (more like a mound). 

Estimates put the number of crosses at hundreds of thousands, but new ones keep getting added all the time by pilgrims, relatives of deceased loved ones, and even newlyweds. I saw a few that were planted just weeks before my visit. 

I wasn't quite sure why I wanted to visit the Hill of Crosses in the first place, probably curiosity at what it looks like. At first I was afraid that it was a tacky stop on the well-worn tourist circuit, but mentioning Siauliai or the Hill to fellow visitors in Vilnius drew mostly blank stares. Second, I thought it might be a bit eerie or scary to be amidst all those crosses, but i reminded myself this wasn't a cemetery but rather a religious site. Besides, there was only one way to find out. 

The helpful staff at the tourist office in Siauliai arranged a cab to take me back and forth to the Hill of Crosses, including an hour's stop, for 70 litas ($25). Being late afternoon, there weren't many other visitors around, but at least I felt less afraid. Small or large, wooden or metallic, plain or ornamental - crosses were everywhere.

Hundreds of small crosses dangled from the feet of a statue, or framed an angel's face. Walking paths take you around and behind each cluster to better appreciate them. Overall, it was a solemn place and an astounding sight, perhaps even inspiring to people more inclined to religion. 

Inscribed on a plaque are these words from Pope John Paul the Second: "Thank you Lithuanians, for this Hill of Crosses which testifies to the nations of Europe and to the whole world the faith of the people of this land". Amen to that. 

PRACTICAL INFO

If you do visit Siauliai, here is a helpful link on how to get to the Hill of Crosses by public transportation, as well as the bus timetable for moving on to Riga. 

Cheap beds are available at the city's sole youth hostel, located on the ground floor of a university building. Kitchen and bathroom facilities are well-maintained, though it is somewhat quiet. 

 

Snapshots: Trakai's Island Castle, Lithuania

Lovely isn't it? A lovelier castle than the restored red-brick Gothic Island Castle in Trakai is hard to find. Built on an island on Late Galve, it's connected by a foot bridge to the shore, and contains costumes, weapons and other relics from the 1400s. But not to hurry - take a few moments to let the amazing views of the castle sink in, and snap away on your camera.

Trakai is easily reachable from Vilnius, and thus an ideal day trip after a couple of days in the capital. Buses run frequently (trains less so) and cost 6 litas each way. Once you reach Trakai island, from the bus station it's roughly a twenty minute stroll on the main road to reach the castle. About midway is the helpful Trakai tourism office where you can get a map and get your questions answered. 

After exploring the insides of the castle, you can also take a hour-long boat ride that goes around the lake. There is commentary in both Lithuanian and English, although it is somewhat intermittent. The boat ride itself felt a bit slow and I didn't see anything particularly exciting in the other surrounding islands. Regardless, an excursion to Trakai remains on the must-do list for every visitor to Lithuania.

Cheapskate Chronicles Redux: Free Walking Tours in the Baltic States

Literatu G. (Vilnius, Lithuania)

After a hiatus, I was eager to embark on my next travel adventure, and decided to map out a trip to the Baltic States. Nowadays people like to refer to these countries individually, instead of the collective Soviet-era umbrella nickname, so just to be clear I'm talking about Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.Why? No reason in particular, but probably a curiosity to learn about some lesser-visited countries (by Americans, anyway) was a factor. 

As usual,  I set about planning my two week holiday by Googling "free walking tours" and then adding Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn, only half-expecting to actually find any. However, a pleasant surprise was in store as results came up for student-run  Yellow Free tours, which as luck would have it, operated free walking tours in all three cities I plugged in (and then some). So, I am happy to report that I took all three free walking tours (please do tip the guides), and below is a recap.

Constitution Wall, Uzupis republic (Vilnius, Lithuania)

Vilnius, Lithuania. A turnout of about forty people were on hand in front of Vilnius' Town Hall for the Vilnius free tour. The guide (Martina) showed up holding a battered bright yellow briefcase (thus the "Yellow" in Yellow Free tours), the sight of which brightened up everyone's moods on this cold, cloudy day. True to its motto of guiding tourists to leave the beaten track, our walking tour bypassed popular sights such as the Cathedral and Gediminas Tower inside the old town, but rather crossed the bridge over to the mock independent republic of Uzupis, an artists' colony and bohemian district. 

After looking at some off-beat public art pieces along the river, and examining their hysterical Constitution Wall (translated into ten languages!), we circled back through the hills for a nice view of the Vilnius skyline and landed on Literatu St., where small artworks are mounted on a wall as a tribute to famous literary figures in Lithuanian literature. Not something I would have particularly noticed if not for the tour as the Lonely Planet guidebook didn't play it up.  I found Martina and the tour to be quite entertaining, and whetted my appetite for a longer stroll in Uzupis on a later date.

Riga, Latvia. Even the most uninformed traveler has heard of Riga's reputation as the party capital of the Baltic States, with heaps of young Brits flying in for stag dos and hen parties (thanks Ryanair!). My agenda focused more on the milder, historical side of Latvia's capital. 

Stalin's birthday cake (Riga, Latvia)

The free walking tour in Riga went all over the place, literally. After meeting our guide (again with the battered yellow briefcase - where do they get those things?!), we started off with a quick peek and briefing inside Riga's Central Market, notable not only for the produce and seafood available within, but also for the reused German zeppelin hangars. Then, we went to the other side of the train station away from the Old Town and into the lesser-explored "Moscow Suburb" area of Riga. 

In this area, we passed by Spikeri, where warehouses are becoming gentrified and turning into cafes and art galleries. This district still has a lot of the traditional old wooden houses, some of them converted into the unlikeliest of businesses. Other notable sights include the Academy of Science, unofficially known as "Stalin's birthday cake" and which by some stretch of imagination resembles the Empire State building, and the Holocaust Memorial which pays tribute to brave Latvians who hid Jews during the war.

Eventually, we retraced our steps back to the train station, and came out to the other side into Central Riga, the new part of town where business hotels proliferate. A stroll on Elizabetes Iela brought us to the Radisson Blu hotel, whose tourist hangout Skybar offers excellent views of the Old Town from its 26th floor perch. They've started charging a 2 lats (approx. $3.80) admission fee from Thursday to Sunday, alas.  The 2 1/2 hour walking tour ended in the small park across from the hotel, and it's a short walk back to the familiar confines of the Old Town. 

Tallinn, Estonia. The Old Town, with its wonderfully preserved medieval walls and numerous pointy church spires, attracts up to six daily cruise ships at the height of summer. While most of the passengers take ultra-expensive tours flogged by their cruise line, the savvy ones make a beeline for the daily Tallinn free walking tour at noon. Given that the Old Town is quite small, easily navigable by foot, and the port is only a 10 to 15 minute walk away, it's the best way to learn some history on the cheap. 

Tallinn, as seen from viewing platform

The tour meets outside the Tourism office just off the main square, and makes its way through Toompea hill just outside the city walls. There you'll find out why one of the towers is called "Kiek in the Kok" (it's a long story), peek inside St. Alexander's Orthodox Cathedral, and come face-to-face with Tallinn's pink-hued City Hall (forgot to ask the guide about the interesting choice of colors). 

Of course, holidays wouldn't be complete without having your photo taken, so an obligatory stop is made at a viewing platform in Toompea where your shots of the Tallinn skyline are sure to delight Facebook friends back home. 

Among three walking tours I took, this one had the least among of walking and clocked in at just slightly below two hours, but was no less interesting and delightful as the ones in Riga and Vilnius. In every instance, the guides made the tours fun, spoke very good English, and were helpful in answering whatever smoldering questions visitors had. The Baltic States are a relatively inexpensive destination, with these tours as one (or three) of the capital cities'  screaming bargains.

 For an rundown of other free walking tours I've taken in Europe, check out this link. 

Snapshots: Villa Escudero, Quezon Province, Philippines

Memories of a childhood visit to Villa Escudero are a blur, but one thing I did remember taking a ride inside the grounds on a carabao-driven carriage. On this subsequent visit over twenty years later, I was glad to see that I wasn't hallucinating and the carabaos were still around.
 

"Maganda" ("Beautiful")

These beasts of burden lead carriages used to transport guests from the entrance of this sprawling estate to the waterfalls, at the foot of which is laid out a splendid Filipino buffet lunch. Nothing is quite as refreshing after the two hour drive from Manila as the cool running water gently massaging your feet while you dine.

Working off that heavy lunch isn't a problem. Piloting these bamboo rafts on peaceful Lake Labasin is a must, or jump into one of the swimming pools. Alas, I forgot to bring swimwear. Perhaps on my next visit to Villa Escudero. Hopefully much sooner than in another twenty years.

Taroko Gorge - We Came. We Saw. We Took Photos

Eternal Springs shrine

Though not averse to guided bus tours, the 6am scheduled pickup at our hotel seemed daunting, as well as the whole day itinerary that would see us arriving back in Taipei around dinner time. 

However,  we were pressed for time, and thus decided to join Edison Tours' "Taroko Gorge 1 Day Tour" in an attempt to see Taiwan's most popular tourist attraction and at the same time inject a dash of nature into our trip, which up to this point involved copious amounts of eating and shopping in Taipei.

The above-mentioned airport pick-up and a forty-five minute flight later, our group of thirty nine people piled into a waiting bus at Hualien airport, led by our talkative female guide who provided maps and talked incessantly about Taroko National Park.

Our early start meant that we got there before 9am, so I figured we'd have full day of sightseeing around the various sights on the Gorge, and maybe even do some hiking to further appreciate the scenery.  Little did I know this was not to be the case. 

The first few stops at various attractions (i.e. the bridge to the right, the spring) were nice enough, and we were allotted fifteen minutes or so for photo taking. 

However, they also pretty much laid out the pattern for our visit to Taroko - the bus makes a stop, thirty nine people get off to take photos, the tour guide hectors us to  get back on the bus - repeat until lunch time.

The nearest we got to actually doing something was when we had to don helmets for a short walk on the road (not even off-road) to appreciate the marvelous marble and limestone rock formations. Although not in the least bit strenuous, this was followed by a quick coffee break, and off we were to zigzag through the Tunnel of Nine Turns.

Lunch time was fast approaching, yet inexplicably it was time for another food break. While we sipped our coffees and endured the unseasonably low temperatures, the guide took delight in pointing out rock formations that looked like an American Indian chief, an alligator, a bear - in her rather vivid imagination, at least. 

"Do you see that?!", she'd exclaim, while pointing. "Looks like an alligator, doesn't it? Use your imagination!" 

She had been this all morning, much to my amusement, and pointing out such phenomena in English, Mandarin, Taiwanese, and even Nihongo to accommodate every passenger. A hard working woman indeed, who rarely took holidays (she confided in us).

Cimu Bridge

Finally, lunch was served at noon. This one turned out to be a pleasant surprise in the form of a non-rushed multi-course banquet inside a fancy hotel (yes, it was included in the tour price). Food was quite decent in quality too. Unfortunately, the rest of the afternoon went in one direction - downhill. 


We still had over three hours to kill before taking the 440pm train back to Taipei, and instead of exploring more of the national park, the bus took us to visit a jade factory and its showroom, a food store selling local delicacies handing out free tastes (admittedly not such a bad stop), and even to a local beach for some relaxation. 


Really wished we could have done more at Taroko Gorge instead of all that unproductive time. Perhaps even a short hike on one of the numerous trails. But rather, we just did about eight or nine stops for photo ops, that's about all we got out of our all-day trip. Makes me wonder why we had to rush out there so early in the first place.