RigaMapFebruary 8–10, 2005 The times when I had an annual multiple-entry Latvian visa in my passport are gone irretrievably. I now have to suffer the embassy workers’ demonstrative rudeness and contempt in person just to be able to visit Latvia for two days. The humiliations begin at the embassy entrance, where a crowd of people stands in the freezing cold talking to security through an intercom. Then you’re subjected to a contrast shower of haughtiness and rudeness, directed at you by a female embassy staffer with “death to the Eastern occupiers” written across her forehead. After that you go up to the cash desk where they’ll collect 35 euros from you, that’s the visa processing fee. It has to be euros — neither roubles, nor dollars are accepted. A lot of forethought went into not thinking about giving change for high denomination euro banknotes (god forbid they make it the least bit convenient for you). So you have to go into town, find a foreign exchange kiosk, and come back. Riga itself is as lovely as ever. Upon arrival in Sheremetyevo I observed the creative use of a jet bridge and some passenger stairs:  |
