riga's midnight tram ride that i will never forget

i woke up at 3am because my caffeine addiction had mutated into a full-blown homelessness panic. turned on my laptop in my hostel closet, no blanket, just a pack of cheap instant noodles and this existential dread. the horse statue i’ve been eyeing since day one looked like it was judging me through foggy window glasses.

weatherman said 6 degrees. feels like 3.89. i forgot to put on pants so i’m shivering like a grown human bean pod. luckily, that autostrad a few blocks away is selling steaming caramel coffee for 2 euros. i’m starting to think this isn’t a mistake. maybe riga wants me to learn patience. or maybe it’s just very cold. i just checked and it’s snowing right now. hope you like that kind of thing.

i saw a hotshot van parked illegally near the central market. driver probably some guy who’s 80% paella, 20% bad life choices. we’re talking neon ‘open’ signs and the smell of garlic bombs. locals whisper this van’s been here for weeks. someone told me the guy inside plays accordion while serving pierogi. i need to verify this. i heard that from a drunk tourist last night who was also alleging the trams run on miniature horses. i didn’t question it.



neighbors? the closest ‘human’ is probably a stray cat tripping over a newspaper at 2am. if you get bored, belgrade is just a short drive away. i mean, i typed that on my laptop battery at 8%. riga’s secrets are hidden in the gray alleys, not the map. i wandered into this bookstore with a sign that said ‘keks asciij?** and ordered a potato and cottage cheese omelette. the owner looked at me like i’d asked for a unicorn. i think he later told his goat to leave.



reviews are just gossip. i overheard two teenagers arguing about whether the bridge at night looks like a UFO or a sad sword. i’m leaning ufo. someone warned me about this pasta place on yelp. read it and cried. said the spaghetti was ‘too ambitious for riga’s soul.’ i ate it anyway. it was okay. the owner’s ex-husband used to work there. i heard that. maybe the ghost of nonna haunts the kitchen.

i almost believed the map app told me to take a shortcut through a forest. it led to a courtyard with a guy playing chess against a pigeon. i think it was a performance. the pigeon won. anyway, i need to sleep. this street lamp wasn’t working and now it’s 4am. if you’re out there, thanks for not judging me. maybe tomorrow i’ll try the cinnamon pancakes at that café someone mentioned. link to tripadvisor/riga-cafe is here /yelp/pasta-place. odds are they’re closed. that’s riga for you.



p.s. don’t trust the coffee snobs here. mine is black. no filters. no growths. just me and gravity. probably not sustainable but less affecting. https://notenoughdetails.com

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