Lithuania Travelling Stories

Lithuania is one of several Baltic States that are a thrill to explore. Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania and has about half a million people. Lithuania used to be a Soviet state but is now independent. The old Soviet statues are lying on the ground where the people pushed them over. Lots of the Soviet statues have no heads. Lithuania suffered under the Soviet oppression and after independence they rejoiced. Vilnius is a very old town and has a huge flea market that is the meeting place for traders from the east and the west. It is vast and traders come here from all over Europe - they even sell Kalishnakovs and cats. Mainly Russians and Poles sell stuff at the markets. You can buy everything at the flea markets. Want to buy a talking Russian watch? Vilnius has plenty of hotels, cafes, and restaurants. Eat all the local dishes of course. They eat lots of meat in Lithuania, so if you are a vegetarian then potatoes will be all you can get to eat.

Paganism in Lithuania has enjoyed a revival in Lithuania since Soviet times, when it was suppressed. Most Lithuanians are catholics but this is a thin layer over a deep belief in paganism. During soviet times the lithuanians practiced paganism in secret. If you go to a pagan festival in Lithuania, you will see a celebration of the cycle of life and nature - trees and flowers - it is a celebration of the peak of nature. At sunset, they look towards the sun and sing songs to the sun and say goodbye to it. During the night, the fires symbolise the sun.

In Siauliai they have the old soviet hotels which are very cheap to stay at , but they are run down and nothing works. Just outside Siauliai is the hill of crosses. Pilgrims go to put down crosses for loved ones. The communists bulldozed it regularly but there are more than one million crosses on the hill. Everyday, people come to add crosses. When the wind picks up, the crosses jangle and make a lovely sound. A cheap way to get around Lithuania and the Baltic States is by bus, but beware of border hold ups and delays.

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