Compassion Rising Tour 2025: Latvia

Lithuania-Latvia border

August 30: Jānis from Labirinti campsite

Saturday in the late afternoon, after a stressful drive along the busy Via Baltica, I arrived at Camping Labirinti.

Jānis came stepping right up to me. Although only a good 60km, he was surprised at the distance I had covered.

He started explaining to me the layout of the campsite and said beds were also available for 20 euros. Tent camping cost 10 euros. I said I am on the road for a long time and preferred to camp. To clarify, I gave him a flyer of my project to benefit SEE Learning in Ukraine.

He looked into it and offered me a bed for the price of tent camping. He felt I would recuperate better in a bed after the bike ride.

What a concern and beautiful gesture from Jānis! #YearOfCompassion

I was very grateful to him, because it is indeed very comfortable not having to set up camp right after a ride. And what gave me the most comfort: I wasn't sitting with a splotchy wet tent the next morning, as a lot of dew moisture had settled and there was neither wind nor sun.

Interesting for camping travellers: Labirinti campsite is a paradise on earth. A campsite in a spacious and beautifully landscaped park, very spacious and comfortable sanitary facilities, and for the children at the back a huge play area of three football pitches in size with all kinds of fun equipment: a 100-metre-long rollercoaster, gocarts, trampolines, all kinds of spinning and swinging equipment, stilts, equipment for all kinds of ball games, and most importantly: a large rope labyrinth.

A nice place to relax and from there Riga (50km) or Bauska (20km) to visit. Possibly by bus.

Jānis from Labirinti campsite

August 31: Zorgi/Labirinti - Riga (52 km)

After a wonderful night in a bed at Labirinti campsite, I got on my bike around 11 am, well rested. After 500m of parallel road, I turned back onto the Via Baltica and to my great positive surprise there was another wide breakdown lane there!

Yesterday I had planned a route with as many loops as possible to escape the crowds, but there was really no need. Still thunder around my head though, but no more feeling unsafe.

Besides, it started raining after 20 minutes. Then I prefer to make progress at a faster pace than fiddling on wet or slippery gravel roads.

At the same time a good opportunity to test my new rain trousers from Karrimor that I bought in the sales in Vilnius. My old Agu trousers are leaky as a sieve, so I left them at home.

It continued to drizzle until 14:30. The rain trousers held up in this light yet persistent rain. From Kekava the rain stopped and I was able to continue along a super fine clear cycle path. The rain trousers and shoe protectors flew off and my damp sweaty clothes could wind-dry. A breath of fresh air.

When I Riga rode in, the sun even broke through and I was able to photograph some city views from my bike.

A pleasant end to a wet ride. Riga seems like a cool city. Curious about tomorrow.

Riga: the National Library

September 5: Riga - Lilaste (44 km)

A ride with some surprises.

After four full days in the city, I was relieved to be back on my bike. As always when riding out of a big city, I first had to ride about 15 kilometres along busy roads. After about 20 kilometres, I left the Komoot route, which continued to follow a cycle path next to a busy road, and diverted to an alternative Eurovelo 13 route on a gravel road through nature.
What a relief! Away from traffic noise for the first time in five days.

Then came the first surprise: the campsite which, according to Komoot, was a little past the cycle bridge at Carnikava had to lie, was non-existent.

From here, a long stretch through a nature reserve on a forest path would follow. To a man who was watering his garden, I asked to refill my water bag and planned to find a camping spot in the forest.

Eurovelo 13 through a nature reserve

However, it was a bit too early to wildcamp already, as there were still a fair number of hikers and mushroom pickers in the forest. A good hour later, after much humping and bumping over tree roots, I arrived at the village Lilaste. I decided to cycle a bit further - every kilometre is another one - but the road dead-ended at the sea and to get back on the road I had to - second surprise - either make a big diversions or cross a railway. Take off panniers and carry them over the railway, then lift the bike over, and panniers back on the bike.

Third surprise when hanging up the panniers: it turned out that the left bag had come loose from the suspension system on one side. Ortlieb is not indestructible, the tree roots are definitely in between for something

. Fortunately, this was quickly solved by attaching a strap around the bag.
By now, it was past 7pm.

And then the fourth, positive surprise: I was back on my "beloved" Via Baltica at the knots (heavy pedalling) and looking out for side roads to find a suitable camping spot, when suddenly I saw a signpost to a campsite! A campsite that was not on any map or app.

The fifth surprise was again positive: at 8pm, at 24 degrees, it was still warm enough to go swimming in the lake near the campsite! I wouldn't have dared to dream that 10 days ago, when I walked around Kaunas in the evening chilling! What a lovely end to the day.

The lake near the campsite Atpūtas komplekss Lilaste

Saturday, September 6: Lilaste - Tūja (42 km)

Short ride today. Tonight I agreed to meet at Jurasdzeni campsite in Tūja with Van Ghelder Jan, a childhood friend from more than 45 years ago, when I still worked at manège Brabohoeve (from my 18 to 22 years). Jan has since lived in Finland for 10 years He is leaving today on a trip south and our paths cross in Tūja.

Therefore, I did not want to arrive at Jurasdzeni campsite too late. By some miracle, we arrived almost at the same time. I was just explaining at reception that I was expecting a visitor from Finland, when a man behind me said 'I am from Finland'. It wasn't Jan, but his partner Tapio Takalo. What a nice reunion that was! More on that later in a separate post.

As for the ride: stretches of Baltic Way, fortunately with a wide breakdown lane, some parallel roads, a passage through the Baron Von Munchausen Museum, several kilometres of washboard gravel and, to finish, a beautiful hard dirt road next to the Baltic Sea.

September 7: Jan Van Ghelder reunion and rest day

Reunion with childhood friend Jan From Ghelder and rest day overlooking the Baltic Sea.

On Saturday evening, Jan and his spouse arrived Tapio Takalo at the same time as me in Jūrasdzeņi campsite. We were lucky with this location: a spacious campsite with all the comforts right behind the beach.

We couldn't pitch next to each other: Jan had reserved a motorhome site near the sea, and I had to find a spot 200m away on the tent meadow.

Weekend and fantastic summer weather: the tent meadow was well filled with Latvians who came to enjoy the sea and the sun quickly. With my small trekking tent, I still found a spot with a sea view.

We agreed to meet at the beach restaurant at 7pm, so I still had time to go for a swim after the sweaty bike ride.

What a great evening we had! So much to tell after more than 40 years. Jan was about fifteen/seventeen when I taught him to ride at the riding school Brabohoeve in Schilde. And I was around twenty. Still two youngsters.

Love made him emigrate to Finland at the age of 53. He quickly found work there and felt at home quite quickly. He couldn't get used to Antwerp now. Only the language remained somewhat difficult. Finnish therefore offers no connection to other European languages outside Hungarian.

We ate fried herrings and Jan insisted on paying the bill. On top of that, he invited me over for breakfast the next morning as his fridge was packed.

By 6 a.m., a heavy thunderstorm broke out with heavy rain, but around 8 the sun luckily came through again. First a walk with their beautiful dogs Waltri and Olli, and then I sat at a breakfast table the likes of which I hadn't seen in weeks.

Before we said goodbye, a donation for SEE Learning in Ukraine also followed.

Thank you for your hospitality and generosity Jan and Tapio! I hope to get back to Antwerp in time to invite you on the way back from your trip south.

With Tapio, Jan, Waltri and Olli

September 8: Tūja - Kabli (66 km)

Sunday night I got a tickle in my throat and during the night I coughed a lot. Not the best night's sleep... I had planned a fairly long drive because I was a bit keen to get to Tallinn at that time. That's how it goes: when you desire something too much, nature puts you back in your place for a while. It is better not to want too much and apply 'go with the flow'.

So Tuesday was another rest day, hoping to get the cold out of my body. Thanks to good lozenges I had slept a bit better... Besides, I wasn't really 'sick', just a bit tired from a nasty cold.

Anyway, with some more regular rest along the way, I got to the campsite I had planned.

The drive was again monotonous, with long stretches alongside the Baltic Way. The breakdown lane was again narrower on this stretch, but there was less traffic than in Lithuania. There were occasional cycle lanes or a parallel road, probably the old lane. This was not too bad.

At Salacgrīva I passed a Catholic and an Orthodox church and a sturdy Soviet-style statue whose info text was illegible. According to ChatGPt, it was a Monument to the Seafarers (1986). It commemorated sailors who never returned and Russian soldiers who died during WWII.

Ainazi, the last village before the border crossing, was a pretty place. The all-wood Veide Castle dates from 1902 and is part of Europe's cultural and historical heritage.

In a cool tavern near the bus station, I drank my last latte in Latvia. Then crossed the border and continued for 20 km to my first campsite in Estonia.

Salacgrīva - Monument to the Seafarers (1986)

The end of my Bike Tour 2025: "From Antwerp to Tallinn" is approaching.

Lama Tashi Norbu wishes me a prosperous journey with a puja (in 2022)

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