Hesburger – Finland’s largest chain of fast food hamburger outlets

http://www.hesburger.com/about-us

Hesburger is a Finnish success story and a pioneer in the field of fast food. During the past 15 years the chain has expanded to cover the entire country. In 2002, the Carrols hamburger chain was taken over by Hesburger.

Today there are altogether roughly 235 Hesburger restaurants in Finland and the Baltic states. Some 100,000 customers dine in our restaurants each day. The Hesburger chain’s 2007 sales were approx. 150 million euros, and the chain employs over 4,000 people.

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It was really amazed to see that Hesburger has made a success story in Finland. Of course, there is some Macdonald's in Finland but it is quite a few and it is only 1 or 2 Macdonald's in each city. Compared to Macdonald's, there are a lot of Hesburger in Finland. The taste of burger itself are almost the same one that I have already tasted in Macdonald's, actually. And the way to serve those meat and costomer service as well. In Japan, I had worked for 5 years in Macdonald's before this journey. Almost every train station in 23 district in Tokyo has at least one Macdonald's. In central station, there has two or more. What I want to say here is that we have a lot of influence on Macdonald's, Americanization as it were. But different from other country which I have passed, in Finland they have a Humberger chain from domestic company. I don't know exact reason why Hesburger has succeeded to such a huge company. But I guess someone tried to protect from the influence on Macdonald's to keep Hesburger as a domestic humberger shop.

We, in Japan, we have mosburger from domestic company but it is not so popular for citizens. Taste is good but it is much more expensive than Macdonald's.Once, Macdonald's was a symbol of cheap restaurant but still they have a status for it. But because of the crisis, the price of burger and french fries are getting up and that fame has betting fade as it was. However, last year, Macdonald's in Japan was one of a best sales of their history. People are trying to get a cheap& good taste food. Actually, the taste of humberger is not bad.

Finland is a country which is almost the same or a little more expensive than that in Japan. So, whichever those humberger chain is a symbol of cheap but we need to think about what is inside of the food and how have it done. Moreover, try to make buy some bread and vegetable from the store and make and eat it by myself is much more cheaper than using those shops.That will be safe and healthy for people.

It reminded me of the first day of Finland, my host Heidi, told me that

¨you can eat at restaurant more than 20 euro to eat for one meal, but at the same time, you can also make one meal for 2 euro if you try to buy some food from a shop.¨

Yuji @ Tampere, FIN

PS.This is the day of rest, so I just walking around the city but it started to rain then I escaped it to the city library! Good day for rest! My leg might be work tomorrow!

My Sore Right

Because of the cycling over 100km for two days, my right leg has started to pain.

The day before yesterday, I left for Tampere with no pain. The weather and road were pretty fine and it seemed like nothing would be happen. Actually, the day was nothing especially. Just riding on a bicycle in a country road. It was really quiet except for cars. The place where I had tent was a glassland close to a forest. I saw some deers in there!! Different from for these 10 days, that forest was much more isolated from the society and even felt like lonely.

After the day, yesterday, I started to go to Tampere to stay for one night. The day also seems like nothing would happen. But, it has started to pain for my right leg. The beginning of the pain, I felt like that it was the same pain for my foot that has already experienced. Normally, I just try to support by taping when it come to. So I did it as usual. However, that was a little bit different tipe of pain that I had. The sore kept going and getting worse. I couldn't stop riding and keep continuing to Tampere with some normal break. Lastly, bofore 15km from Tampere, I couldn't ride on my bike anymore and even walking it was painful for me to do that. So, I finally decided to sit on a bench and try to find a doctor or good idea.

Suddenly, the couple riding on their bicycle passed by me and I asked ¨Excuse me! Where is the nearest hospital? Because I had a pain for my right leg.¨ and then they answered¨It is located in Tampere that is about 15km away from here. Follow me on your bike and I will show you. ¨ I couldn't do that anymore and I said ¨I cannot ride on my bike from here to get there, unfortunately.¨ Then, they said again¨OK. Do you need a taxi to get there or I will call to the hospital if they can cure you or not. And do you have a money to pay for it?¨ and ¨Yes¨

As a result I could over the last 15 km pushing and riding on my bike to Tampare and finally I met a nice host and staying his house.

Surprisingly, there was no service for foreigner in the public hospital in Tampere. Only private hospital could treat me. (Is that because of the free for cure of their tax?) But that hospital closed after 7 pm, it was a bit late and I finally decided ¨I will ask for the doctor if my leg will still be painful tomorrow" I heard from them of a taxi number in case that I couldn't walk and it was hard to find a taxi on a road because of the place if it is far from the city center.

Anyway, now I am still in the house of the host and wait for the die in that pain. Still, there is, but it is much better than that in yesterday. One of the reason of the pain was that just because it was quite long way for two days, I had a lot of rest before that and my legs have been amaized. And another reason was that the last way going to Tampere was full of hills such as Helsinki to Turku and my stuff was a bit heavier than that before taking a long rest. I bought a rod for fishing and candle, wisky....even water it was 5 L, I finally threw away to Tampere. In short, it might be better to try to reduce of my stuff to continue of my trip.

Try to think sustainable distance for one day and taking some rest from now on, that will be the best way to continue of my journey! I will stay whole today at Tampere, that means for two nights!

Yuji @ Tampere, FIN

Ready to GOTO Rovaniemi

Finally I cought a fish, called Hauki at the sea in the archipelago, that was around 40cm and I ate half of it on that day with salt. But, I am trying to burn from a sun the rest of it. I attached it on the back of my bicycle .

Yesterday evening, I turned back to Turku from my real holiday for about 1 week at Turku archipelago. I have decided to keep up continuing to Rovaniemi in Lapland!
On the way to going back to Turku from island, I met a nice Dutch couple and I finally decided to going with them for several days. They are from Utrecht for their summer holiday traveling by bicycle from Helsinki to here for two weeks. They normally stayed at a camp site somewhere in those island, different from my wild camp. Anyway, I enjoyed to share our culture, swam in the sea, ate some good dishes from them with cycling. In camp site there were a lot of camping cars but they have nice facility of toilet, kitchin, shower room and fire! That was my first time to stay at camping site in Europe but there were so many camping site. I thought that it might be possible to connect those place to going up to northern part of Finland but it was a little bit costly for me!

After enjoying those caming, I felt like that I really had a rest for my journey because in those islands, there were quite a few cars and really natural area, there were some swan, deer, rabbit and so on like a slow life. Even I brought back to yesterday in here, those good feeling is still remaining!

Yesterday, I stayed at a nice Finnish-Russian couples apartment! They invited me his birthday party when I first came to Turku, about 10 days ago. So, when I met him and her again in yesterday, I felt like that oh! I am coming back to my home! as well as central Turku itself! We enjoyed drinking beer in a nice bar in Turku anyway!

Lapland- for the porpose of finding out new discovery......

Yuji @ Turku, FIN

3 nights at Uto

For these four days I have stayed at Uto, a small island which is located about 80km away from Turku.

Uto is a quite small island and only 46 people are living in. The first day at 8 in the morning, I left for Uto from Parnus, which is also island and the end of Nagu island. Three and half hours later, I finally got to Uto after stooped some of islands between them. About half of the inhabitants in the island gathered to the port to celebrate the arrival of the ferry. And 30 minutes later, everybody has gone from the port to their home...

During the Second World War, the island was used to fort to German and Russia. In fact that is the last Finnish island to Germany. Nowadays, 20-30% of the whole island are still those place which uses for military and we cannot get inside those area. I couldn't got any information from the island except for the people who lives in. But during the summer season, people who visit there are much more than the people who living in there. Instead of cars, there were a lot of ferries from Sweden, Germany as well as Finland.

There is only one shop in the island and which is used for everybody who lives in there. Because of the land condition, it might be hard to grow some crops and actually there was no livestock. They need to buy everything what they want to eat from the shop. Those goods in the store are from the Nagu or Turku as the same ferry which I came. Ferry itself is only once a day connected from Nagu and Uto and onther ferry is 2 or 3 times a week connected between Uto and Turku. Even if that separated condition people in there, they are used to meeting with the people who are from mainland as well as overseas.

People in Finland have a lot in common in Japan. They are very careful to communicate with the people who are out side of the society, in particular, if you are foreigner. That is why I couldn't make a good freindship with a lot of people who lives in there. But, in the evening of the second night I asked a man from outside of the tent whether I will join his meal or not. I was glad to join his meal and he gave me a great dishes which was full of meat and egg! In addition to the meal he recommended me to drink a lot of Vodka.(I was drunk too much) His personality was similar to the people in the State, open-minded and cheerful. Actually, he is Finnish but he is from mainland by his own ferry with his friend. After the meal, we went a bar in the ferry parked at the port. At there we met some of the peole who are from Germany also by ferry, I enjoyed a lot by the midnight. Even in the midnight, we can walk without any outdoor light.

In conclusion, I enjoyed staying at Uto even if there was not a lot of place to visit, that is the best place to take a rest. Actually, I have nothing to do with in the island except for fishing! But recent years, those areas have polluted and because of too much hunting quite a few fish can catch from the sea. Actually, I couldn't get anything from there.
And finally, I decided to going up to Roveniemi at least and then I decide whether I am going up to the Nordkapp or not, that is I won't go directly to Stockholm. I will revenge for the fishing that I will catch a salmon in one of the lake at Lapland.

Yuji @Korpo, FIN

PS. to satsuki
I cannot get to Edinburgh on the first of September as well as England. I will get on Octobor if I don't choose any shortcut!! I am still thinking about it...

Turku Archipelago

There are a lot of lslands between Turku and Stockholm.

Because of my fatigue for 3 months, it moght be difficult for me to continue going up to Nordkapp without any rest. Finally, I decided to take some rest on those archipelagos.

For thses 3months, I have been just keep going to Edinburgh serching for a place to sleep, new people and the city where I wanted to go. Of course, to meet a new people and to ask the wonderful city which has a lot of old archtectures were really nice but something has been lack of my journey. I had noticed but I couldn't make it by now.

What I have been needed for this 3 months or recent 1 month was that taking a rest and to try to make my life more and more slowly. It sounds easy to make for somebody, but I couldn't do it even I have spend around 3 months. At the beginning of this journey, I might have shining eyes and full of curious to touch something new. It should be done for all the time of my life but, I couldn't do it for these days. I don't know exact reason. But I guess it was a kind of stress. It might came from the enviromnent that I couldn't speak Japanese and I regarded as a foreign person who came from overseas even if I wanted before this journey. Or I need somebody who really understand what I am doing. Whichever, I need a time to be alone and to release my stress with taking some rest.

Few days ago, I tried to reserch how many days do I need if I go up to the Nordkapp, that was around 1month and the 1st of September, I would be at the border between Finland and Sweden after I will go to the Nordkapp. What I found out from that was the day when I go to England or Edinburgh will the middle or end of October. And then I started to think, is there any meaning if I go to Nordkapp? Of course, it might be great and not everybody have a chance to go there. In addition, in summer is the best season to go there.

Decision if I go to Northkapp or just directly to Stockholm by ferry from here is the task of my 1 week holiday at archipelago.

I thought that the decision itself doesn't have a big deal. The most important thing is that how will I live after that and that is based on me and that would be the best choise for my journey as I did at Gdansk.

Yuji @ Nagu, FIN

Viking in the Viking

The Last Day of Helsinki.

From Tallinn to Helsinki, I took a ferry to get to here. It cost about 25 euro including bicycle fee and wonderful breakfast!!! In the first 30 minutes, I kept eating even if I felt like thrown up. The dishes were law fish, meat, and bread as usual!!! Unfortunately, there were no rice. But it was very good for starving stomach. In Japan, the meal which we can choose and eat as much as you want calls viking in stead of smorgasbord, even if it is not a real viking meal. And interestingly the name of the ferry which I took was Viking. It was large ferry and a lot of cars as well as passengers.

To get to the ferry port in Tallinn, I passed the old town in the morning. It was very beautiful and quiet, different from evening or daytime in there. Quite a few people walking and normanlly tourist in Tallinn is sleeping in the early morning. Atmosphere in the old town arouse me that I am in the museum in the middle ages!! That was my first time to visit old town around 7 am. I really recommend visiting early morning in the old town for those people who want to put yourself in it!

Helsinki was a nice city, it is not too big and busy, economic level is quite similar to Japan or a little bit higher that that. The first impression in Finland looks like Bucurest in Romania form that archtecture. You can easily understand the reason if you know about the history in here. I haven't know much about the history in Finland. But what I have found everything in these three days was that Finland have a lot of influence on Russia and Germany in recent history as well as Sweden. In the middle ages, Finland was a colony of Sweden. That is one of the reason why Swedish was one of an official language in Finland. We can see two signs on the road, Finnish and Swedish, when you go around somewhere in the city.

And another something new as that a lot of Black people living in here. I haven't met those people through this trip by here. Mainly, those Black people are from African countries to be able to get a better living standard. It was semilar to Chinese and Kolean people living in Japan. But amount of those people are quite a lot compared to Japan. I guess there is a difference between Finland and Japan of the immigration policy. The number of people who immigrate to Japan from China and Korea as well as other south east Asian country are not a lot because of strict immigration policy of Japanese government. I haven't noticed the reason but those closed policy is one of a feature in Japan.

Anyway, from now on I will leave Helsinki to Turku, the old capital in Finland

Yuji@ Helsinki, Finland

Baltic capitals

Today is the last day of my Baltic travel. Tomorrow morning, I will leave for Helsinki by ferry.And at the same time, this is the last day of my traveling at so called, Eastern part of Europe. I feel like being that this is one of a truning point of my great journey!

It was quite long journey for this two and half months. The day when I have started my this journey at Istanbul was on 22nd of April and to get to the north point of Eastern Europe is on 13th of July, the total is 83 days to get here. Actually, I can possible to get to Helsinki without ferry, but if I try to take that way, I need a tourist visa in Russia.

I heard the man who I met on the road from Norway that Russia the way from Sanktpeterburg to the border to Estonia was very poor. I thought when I heard it that I need to study about what was Russia if I want to know about how happend the poor situation in there. He is going to South Africa as a charity for the poor people in that continent for 9 months by bicycle.

This is his homepage! http://theshirt2010.net/

As a end of Baltic journey, I will write about how have I felt those three capitals.

Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania was most beautiful city of all three Baltic countries in my opinion. The old town itself was not large like Riga and Tallinn, there was no port and quite small. That was enough reason why Vilnius was so beautiful.

Riga, was the beggest city of all three capitals. Of course, it has a lot of places from middle ages but there was a lot of traffic and tourist, mainly they were from England and Germany. The size of the old town was very large and even outside of the old town, there were several beautiful archtecture like Budapest.

And here in Tallinn, is a port with beautiful city. There are a lot of torist from Finland and other European countries. For the people in western Europe, this is the nice place to visit because price of food & beer were quite cheap and an airplain ticket is also cheap to access to here. But, from my experience Tallinn is the highest prices to buy something compared to other Baltic countries for the tourist. Old town was full of torist! Even I heard some of Japanese in the old town!

There is no plan to come to eastern part of Europe, again.

Good-bye Balt,

Good-bye Eastern Europe,

Yuji

My Language Skills

This is the second time to write the same thing which I have worte already before. It might be happens that everything would dissapper when I am tiping.

I have started to learn French and Germany as well as English. English is the only language that I can communicate with each other those person who can speak it. As I told you before, when I try to apply for United Nations officer, I need to use at least 2 languages on business. My English is still not the level that can use in that situation. I will be over it in no time.

Anyway, I choose French as a second language for applying at UN even though I learned Chinese when I was the 2nd and 3rd year of my school, but I am not interested in China, even if that is the country which will rise in this century as my grabdfather told me before. And lot of scholars say the same things to China as well as Brazia, Russia, and India, so called BRICS, the last S means, south africa or.... I heard it somewhere. The reason why I choose French is that because it is used for UN as one of official language, the rest of them are Chinese, Russian, Spanish and Arabic probably. Unfortunately, Germany is not the language which is used at UN as a official language. Futhermore, my second reason is that a lot of countries in Africa, in particlar north and west part, they use in French as their daily life or for tourist. Once, those countries were a colony of French and the legacy of that age is still remainig in that continent, and that is the one of the reason why African continent still developing nowadays even if those independent year was 1960s.

That is why, I started to study French after two times failure when I was freshman. French is a part of Latin language, that is similar to Spanish and Italy, different from English. Compared to French, Germany is a language that is easy to study! English is a part of Germanic language. Those pronounciation and grammer structure are quite the same in English. For this 2 months I haven't spend enough time to study because of my busy schedule. But finally, I noticed the comfortable distance per day to be able to study and travel is 80km. The distance so far, to here per day is between 100km and 120km. Time is limited and but I need to travel and study those languages before going back. In this few days, I started to learn French for my future. That is still hard to learn by myself, but I brought a book with CD from Japan, that CD is quite helpful to study! However, the best way to study French is to go to France, right? If I spend in whole July in scandinavian countries, I won't have enough time to stay at France as well as Germany. I need to choose the way if I go up to Northcup or directly to Stockholm by ferrty.

I learned how time and money is important to live through this journey!

Lastly, I will show my language skills at the moment following importance order:

English-only tool for communication!
French-the key language for my future
Germany-time will solve
Swahili-the second mother tongue
Japanese-mother tongue

Yuji @ AINAZI, Latvia

PS. This is the last day in Latvia and the first day of Estnia

Ratvia

Tried to buy a beer at a shop after 10pm, but it was too late ! Finally I decided to get inside a bar! It was prohibited to sell a alcohol after 10pm. in this country. If so, I want to say that "Don't put it on a shelf !" Am I lack of moral sense ?

Around 30 hours have passed since I have got to Riga, the capital of Latvia. Riga is one of a beautiful city in Europe. This old town is listed on World Heritage Site I read somewhere. People in Japan are apt to going to those places which registered that Heritage. But in my opinion, the beautiful place which I lost for words are the place that not a lot of people visited before. If I can see that kind of place, I guess it is the shore in Norway. Has it been listed on that Heritage game?

Anyway, today I visited the Occupation Museum at the old town in Riga. The museum describes about how was the history in Latvia during the War in the 20th century. The independent year in Latvia is 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Before that in this country was a part of USSR and Germany. What I could learn from this museum was that how Stalin and Hitler had the power of these region not only Lativia and other Bultic countries but also Eastern part of Europe such as Poland, Belarus, Ukraine.

To be honest, I am not good at the history of those area. Every time when I came to those museum I can easily understand what was the history in each countries if I have enough studied before as well as English.
What I learned it from here was that, firstly, this is one of the country that has miserable history like in Poland because of undesirable war different from Japan. When I visited at a museum in Warszawa, I was told some history about Poland by Rafal, the person we incidentally met and decided to go to Gdansk. According to his information, Poland had foced to fight against Russia and Germany because they attacked unexpectedly. As the citizens in Warszawa they didn't have enough weapon and strategy, they cannot to win and keep themselves safe. After all, they occupied from them. Compared to Poland as well as Latvia, Japan was a country which tried to fight to the United State and other Asian countries like China, and Indochina region as we saw in pearl harbor. That was one of the differences between Poland-Baltic countries and Japan which I figured out during this journey even if we are the same country from the view point of defeated nation.

The entrance of the museum, there was 6 maps about the eastern Europe, Baltic, Nordic country and Russia putting those pictures in chrnological order. Those pictures were really helpful those person who haven't known much about the history like me! The first picture was in 1914, which has started the Warld War I, at that time Latvia was a part of Russia. And the second picture was from1921 to 1938, the age between the two wars. During that time there was a Russian revolusion establishing the USSR in 1917. And Latvia was independent briefly as the other part of European countries. However, during 1939 and 1940 USSR, Germany and Prussia started to invade each other to came across, those country which are Poland and Baltic countries became the battleground. As a result of that invasion in 1939, Latvia was a part of Russia in 1942, the border between USSR and the Nazis were something like (I am not sure) from Klaipeda in Lithuania nowadays to the border between Poland to Ukraine. And after that from 1945 to 1991, there were also a part of USSR and a lot of people who lived in Latvia were forced to move in some area in USSR, that is the one of the reason why about 40% people in Latvia is Russian. Anyway, they finally won to get independence in 1991. That was the brief history of here. But, during the WWII, Germany soldiers also made an influence on this area. The reality of the history was more complicated I think.

I still need a time to know about those history!

By the way, the old town in Riga as well as Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania were very beautiful such as Budapest in Hungary ! I really recommend to those person who want to see some old architectures as well as propaganda battle ! Small country and small town but it has a lot of places worth visiting and important places to learn those histories!

Now the time has come I will eat out but for a beer it was too late !

Yuji @ Riga, LV

Memorable Photos

Not every time that I can update of my photos which I have already taken. Fortunately, the computer which I am using is quite easy to update my photos. This time I will show you some of the pictures which are unforgettable one with comment.


This is the first photo of this jourey. I took this one at the Istanbul international airport on 22nd of April. I have already spend more than 2 months. Flowing of the time is very faster than I thought. Even so, I was white and seems to be young boy!!




I crossed a lot of rivers through traveling. One of the impressive river was Donau, one of the longest river in Europe. The first meeting to this river was the border from Slovakia to Romania(the picture from there). I remembered it well because there was still the checkpoint on the border. And from there to the Budapest in Hungary, I crossed the river 2 times or more. Even in Budapest, the size of the river was still wide ! I will see it in Wine in the future

One of the best drink in this journey is wine in Hungary! This is the photo which I took a wine festival in Szeged. I stayed in Szeged for 2 days, even though the festival had continued for whole week. I tasted some wines from different shops for 10 times for 2 days. And actually, I took part in another wine festival in Budapest as well. This is the season for wine and I prefer sweet wine than the dry one. Anyway, after I enjoyed drinking wine in there I started to buy some wine from the shop for nights.


High Tatora, one of the beautiful mountains located in Slovakia. I crossed over those mountains when I try to get inside in Poland. As I written in blog, those days was really hard. In addition to the up and down hill, the weather was really bad. But anyway, I could passible to see those beautiful views. Even if it was only a little moment, that was the time which I was longing for!! Nice view!!


The last picture is a fish in a market at Panevezys in Lithuania. Sorry to the person who is eating a meal ! The fish called crucian, Herabuna in Japanese, which I always tryed to catch it when I enjoyed fishing in Japan. But, I have never eaten yet. I was amazed that it was for selling in a market !! I saw some of a fisherman in a lake, normally they tried to catch a fish even though they didn't have a licence. Those people who want to fishing they need pay for it before fishing even if it located in a natural lake, different from Japan. We only pay for fishing when we try to catch a fish in an artificial place for fishing! But how is the taste of it ? Should I have to eat it ?

I have already taken around 1000 pictures. Some of them were good but not every one.Let me know, if there any pictures that you want to see!!

Well, I will update another pictures for near future!! See you then,

Yuji @ Talsi, LV

Unpaved Road

Who expect that some national road in Latvia has been still unpaved?

There are about 30km off-road between Ventsplis and Kolka, at the northest point in Latvia. Wach out for every cyclist!! It is not listed on your map and on my map as well!!!

I really wanted to go to the point and to see from the coast to the Baltic sea and the Gulf. That was the only road connecting from Ventsplis to Kolka. I had no option except for that harder road.

What is hard to pass on the off-road by bike is that firstly, to keep my balance. My bike has about 30kg for the stuff and I am around 60kg. In addition to those weight bicycle itself has 15kg or more. The total amount when I riding of my bicycle is over 100kg. It is not easy to keep it and sometimes my tire has fall into the sand and I had to get out from the bike then I need push it up! The second obsession is cars. As I told you before, there is not a lot of cars in Latvia compared to eastern Europe.Cars in here are passing by me every 10 minutes or more. However, when it passed me, it will make a storm of sand and my way will be full of those smoke regardless of the direction!! Drivers in Latvia has less attention to the cyclist and I was in the small storm every 10 minutes.

That's why my avarage speed fell down to 10 or less, which is half speed to the asphalt.

By the way, that area was really wild, I guess it is one of a conservation area in Latovia. I saw some deers and foxes in a forest. They were afraid of me and got it away soon after we came across. That was really nature!! Futhermore, there was no shopes around there. When you try to take that road, you should have enough water to pass. I was really thirsty and close to drink a beer which I bought at Ventspils.

The destination of yesterday was Kolka, but I finally couldn't get there. Instead of it, I made my tent at Mazirbe, 20km southwest from Kolka, near the Baltic sea. I got some water from the tent site at there.(I slept on the coast not in the tent site) I tasted beer inside the tent as usual.

Even the last 20km from Mazirbe to Kolka, there was another unpaved road appered in this morning! Half road has harden by asphalt and there was under construction area. It won't be long before those roads are constructed by asphalt at all.

That was one of the hardest road of this journey!! I had no flat tire at there! I was lucky!

July has come!

In these days, I have been really tired and it is hard to ride on a bike even if the weather is fine for past few days.
Anyway, I finally crossed a border to Latvia, that is the 8th country of this journey.

Compared to Lithuania, the first impression of this country is poor than that. I am always try to careful when I cross the border in each countries because I can get a lot of informations from the first day of each countries. Anyway, my first impression in Latvia was poor than Lithuania. Of course, it is not a big differences between Lithuania and Latvia and Latvia is one of a developed country in the world even if it is not true in the European continent.

The reason why I thought that were:

1.the road condition as well as aggressive driver
2.rial prices of things

Firstly, the road has been not a good condition compared to other eastern European countries. Normally, national roads of each countries are paved well like in Tokyo. But here, some private road have not been paved to asphalt. Some national roads are easy to pass on the bicycle because of bad asphalt, a little bit rough compared to Lithuania.
Secondly, these Baltic countries have still used their own currencies. Compared to Lithuania, the price of foods are cheaper than Lithuania. When I try to buy a bottle of water the price was half Euro in Latovia, but in Lithuania that was 0.7 Euro or something like that such as in Poland. As I told you before, in Baltic countries has a lot of bad influence on the Crisis, it is hard to understand in their daily life but people in here they told me that impact.

Anyway, the life in Latvia has started and it will continued for 1 week!!!
From now on I will go up to the peninsula to the top and then I will go to the capital with riding on my bike and taking some rest!

Yuji @ Pavilosta in Latvia

PS. I will jump in to the sea in no time, the summer has come in here!!