Marcus L Endicott

Original Map Circa 1990 Riga to Tartu

Thursday, October 18, 1990

I woke up early to a breakfast of potato pancakes and sour cream with mint tea. I gave Gintautas one of the 111 Apache crystals. I told him not to cut his hair, because respect for such long hair on such a young man was synonymous with respect for Gaia, Mother Earth. Andrew and Remis accompanied me on their bikes to the main road, still the M12, after presenting me with an inscribed photo of the village's independence memorial.

It was sunny, and I soon crossed the border into Latvia. I stopped periodically for apples, syrup water, and chocolate snacks. By mid-afternoon I arrived in Riga, the capital. Riga is much bigger than Vilnius. It has a population of around 1 million, which is about half the people in Latvia.

I rode into the center, following signs, until I reached the train station. From a payphone there, I called the University of Latvia Ecological Center. Evata, met me in front of the university, which was just a few blocks away. We took my bike into the building, and after a little confusion brought it to the office of the ecological center.

The center was busy preparing for the 5th Greenway East-West Consultation. Marz took me and my bike across town to the student hotel on a trolley bus. I showered. As I was leaving, I met two Germans, who were sharing my suite. They were involved in taking GPS sightings, for satellite navigation. I went back across town to the ecological center by trolley bus on my own.

That evening, Evata showed me the independence monument adorned with flowers and took me to a cooperative (private) bistro for a dinner of tomato salad, smoked chicken, tea, and ice cream, which cost 7 Roubles for two. Afterwards, we went to a youth bar, where we had to wait in line out front for about 45 minutes. We had cocktails, juice, ice cream, and cake for 13 Roubles. We had a long, interesting, and cordial talk. Apparently, the food situation in Riga was worse than in Vilnius. Afterwards, I took a trolley bus back to the student hotel, to conclude a day of crossing back and forth over Riga's many bridges.

Friday, October 19, 1990

I breakfasted on a vitamin, chocolate, and syrup water. I listened to the VOA and wrote in my journal. I took my computer on a trolley bus to the university ecological center. When I asked a woman translator there what people normally eat for breakfast here, she replied "It depends on what they have." She took me to find a breakfast place, which was moderately difficult. Apparently, they don't eat out for breakfast. Finally, we found some cottage cheese and black bread. We went back to the faculty coffee shop at the university for tea and pastry.

I tried most of the day to connect with the SovAm Teleport in Moscow, with only partial success. I received some messages, but could not accomplish sending any. I had a late lunch with Evata at a good restaurant near the university, which cost 12 Roubles for two. I ate chicken, tomato salad, good soup, ice cream, and bug juice.

In the late afternoon and evening, I met with the woman translator and three of her teenage students for a couple of hours of chatting in the cities' oldest park. I treated all to juice and cookies in the university cafeteria after it turned cold.

Back at the ecological center, I talked with various people. I found out that the president of VAK America, Tija, was now in Riga too. I had talked with her by phone in the Spring before leaving. So, I called to let her know I arrived and to catch up on things.

Late in the evening, I reconnected with SovAm several times. I got a message from Dad about his getting a new computer and renting his condo in Florida to pay for it. I was able to send a brief answer this time. After a champagne and vodka party and rock concert at the university, I returned to my room at the student hotel by trolley bus. I ate an apple and Sesamki bar for a midnight snack.

Saturday, October 20, 1990

I ate an apple with a vitamin, before listening to the VOA and wrote in my journal. I took a trolley bus into the city center. The weather was terrible, cold and rainy. I located the barber shop Evata had recommended first, apparently it was considered to be the best in town. However, they refused to work on beards. Then, I located the number two and got satisfaction for 2 Roubles. Afterwards, I bought postcards and bus tickets, and checked out the dollar shop.

I waited in line out in the rain for half an hour for lunch. But, it turned out to be completely worth it. I had great beer, cheese, smoked chicken, trout, vegetables, of course good bread, and even citrus wedges for 13 Roubles. I went back to my room in the student hotel by trolley bus. I spent the rest of the afternoon organizing my downloaded computer files, and composing a letter to Dad. I ate gingerbreads for dinner and slept fitfully.

>Date:  20-Oct-90 21:19 EDT 
>From:  LUCIAN ENDICOTT [72330,72] 
>Subj:  love from Latvia 
> 
>Dear Marcus, 
>     I am replying from my new Model 80 in my apartment on the CTC campus
>using a new program, so it may not work exactly as I expect.
>
>Let us hope for the best.  All is just fine here and most everywhere else
>to the best of my knowledge.  Glad to hear that all is well with you.  No
>news.  Stay in touch.  Love, Dad 
>PS -- Sarah says hi!
            

Sunday, October 21, 1990

I listened to the VOA and wrote in my journal. I had a vitamin, gingerbread, and hot chocolate for breakfast. I worked all morning with my computer, sorting downloads made in Poland and Green Brigades mailing lists. I had more gingerbread and hot chocolate for lunch.

I went by trolley bus to the ecological center. I finally got to meet Ed and some of his friends who work with the Dutch foundation, Milieukontakt. I heard about this man all over Central and Eastern Europe. He turned out to be a nice guy, and very interesting. We hung around the ecological center all afternoon chatting, drinking tea, and watching the people as they arrived from abroad.

Sasha called unexpectedly, and came by the ecological center in the evening. I felt obliged to spend some time with him since he came all the way from Brest to see me. However, I missed a great dinner with very interesting people to go with him to visit his Russian sport teacher friends. We had a piss poor time drinking vodka and watching television. I took a taxi back to my room at the student hotel for 6 Roubles.

Monday, October 22, 1990

I listened to the VOA and wrote in my journal. I had a vitamin, apple, and hot chocolate for breakfast. I packed and was on the road by 10:00. I found my way through the city, and peculiarly met Sasha as I passed the Institute of Physical Culture. We chatted and shared a snack together, before I continued on out of town.

It was sunny. I followed the four lane highway towards Pskov, as far as the town of Sigulda. I stopped at a modern roadhouse, called the "Mushroom," near the town of Incukalns for lunch, as I was very hungry. To my surprise, they had lots of all kinds of foods. I had chicken, cabbage, black bread, compote to drink, and jello for desert. I also bought two bags of assorted chocolates and a big bag of peanuts. Everything cost about 19 Roubles, which would be far beyond the means of most people.

I continued down country roads to the village of Malpils. I turned into the "Mactbu Centr" tractor school, located on the grounds of an old German baronial estate. I eventually located the ecological center crew from the university, and we drank beer and listened to Soviet rock music the rest of the afternoon.

The bus from Riga arrived in the evening. I sat together with some Russian hippies and had interesting conversation during dinner. We had chicken, coleslaw, black bread, and chocolate quark. Afterwards, I went to my room, and had an interesting talk with Jonas from Vilnius, who was one of the original greens there. I also roomed with Prezemyslaw from Warsaw, and discovered we share good friends there.

Tuesday, October 23, 1990

I listened to the VOA and wrote in my journal. I was the only person up for the scheduled breakfast at 08:00. I had a continental breakfast of tea and bread, etc.

The session opened with brief introductions, but were followed up with an interesting poster session technique. Nika presented a history of Dutch environmental movements. After a coffee break, we broke into discussion groups. I went with John, the president of Friends of the Earth International. After lunch, each discussion group gave sparse summaries of their conclusions.

The highlight of my day was meeting Dima and the other Rainbow Keepers of the Volga river valley, during afternoon tea. After dinner, we had a beer drinking session. I tried until late to call out on the office phone, without success.

Wednesday, October 24, 1990

I listened to the VOA. I had breakfast in the basement dining hall at 08:00 of tea, bread, and other things. We met in the large room to discuss environmental impact studies with Ralph, an American lawyer from Milieukontakt. I came in after the coffee break, because I had been trying unsuccessfully for two hours to connect with the SovAm Teleport in Moscow from the director's office.

After lunch, I went for a walk in the woods with Andrzej and his friends from the Workshop for All Beings in Poland and Polish Earth First. We circled to discuss the upcoming Rainbow Gathering. After tea, we listened to national presentations. After dinner, I again joined John, in the magazine workshop.

I started trying to contact SovAm again at 22:00, and kept on until 02:00. I got on only twice, which was enough to read most of my email on both EcoNet and CompuServe.

>Date:  23-Oct-90 05:52 EDT 
>From:  LUCIAN ENDICOTT [72330,72] 
>Subj:  New Subject 
> 
>Dear Marcus, 
>     I am still trying to get used to this new software -- you may
>have noticed that in my reply to your note from Latvia, I ended up with
>the same subject you had -- hope you took the time to read it.
>     Anyway, all is fine here -- hope this finds all well with you.
>The only news is that you received a copy of Steve Roberts' book
>Computing Across America, with a handwritten note from him in the
>front thanking you for being his inspiration -- I am looking forward to
>reading it. 
>     All for now.  Take care.  Love, Dad
            

Thursday, October 25, 1990

*blank*

Friday, October 26, 1990

*blank*

>Date:  26-Oct-90 18:36 CDT
>From:  M.L. Endicott [72330,72] [72330,72]
>Subj:  love again from Latvia
>
>Riga, Latvia
>19:30, Saturday, October 20, 1990
>
>Hi Dad,
>I'm sitting on the spare bed typing in my private room at the "student
>hotel", which seems to be a sort of foreign guest apartment block for some
>branch of Latvia State University.  This is actually a suite that I am
>sharing with two Germans, who are working on "GPS sitings", something or
>other to do with satelite navigation.  Presumably, the Baltic republics
>are not cooperating with the occupation and not registering the presence
>and movements foreigners.
>
>For instance, during the blockade in Lithuania visas for Vilnius
>were hard to come by, so people came anyway without them.  Like in the US,
>once across the border controled by the Red Army there is virtual freedom
>of movement.  This is especially true with private transportation, such as
>a bicycle (rather than with public [social] transportation), and with good
>camping equipment (rather than with utterly inadequate - few and full -
>and outrageously priced hard currency hotels.)  The camping here is quite
>as good as in America.  There are vast tracks of more or less wild land
>(not campgrounds.)  Nearly all the people are cooped-up in cities, in some
>cases not having lived in villages for more than 70 years, since the
>October revolution.  This is of course a bit more true for Byelorussia
>than the Baltic republics.
>
>God loves me.  Remind me to thank Nanny for praying for me every
>night.  I had ugly, cold and rainy, weather the whole way from Vienna to
>Krakow, which continued throughout my nearly two week stay there. 
>However, the day I received my Soviet visa Indian summer arrived, staying
>sunny and
>warm virtually until I arrived here in Riga for the "Greenway East-West
>Consultation".  The day after my arrival here bad weather broke
>again.
>
>Greenway is a loose association of ecological activists throughout Eastern
>Europe, largely sponsored by the Dutch (who have been working in this
>field for a long time - tho the Brits are trying to move into it in a big
>way.)  This fifth annual "consultation" is particularly interesting for me
>because I get to be with many of the friends I made on my journey again,
>who I haven't seen for months.  There should be between 50 and 100 people,
>representing nearly all the countries of Eastern Europe, in a rural
>retreat type of center.
>
>I left Vilnius Monday morning after breakfast of tea with milk and
>sugar (rationed), jougurt, some kind of delicious sweet cheese pancakes,
>good black bread, butter, cheese, and decent salami, with my gracious
>hosts, a couple who are both mathematics professors teaching some computer
>language courses at a local technical institute.  Their only son is now in
>a postgraduate applied mathematics program at Notre Dame.  I stayed with
>them a week and apparently they were delighted to have me, both because
>they were used to having a young man around and because I was American. 
>The GREEN LITHUANIA newspaper came to photograph my departure, as did the
>GREEN WAVE television show.
>
>I spent my first night alone in a chilly, damp fir grove, surrounded by
>owls and snorting bucks.  I arrived in Panevezys about noon the next day
>and called my contact from the Green Movement (not the Green Party - tho
>both have members in parliament).  I was apparently early and they
>couldn't speak English (the local English teacher hadn't gotten off work
>yet.)  But they sent out search parties and found me wandering around down
>town looking for something to eat, such as ice cream or pastries sometimes
>available on the street.  I was feasted and squeezed for every bit of
>information about American life.  I had a nice bed to sleep in a big house
>and was sent on my way the next day after a hearty breakfast with
>sandwich, apples and juice (or rather jam water).  The next evening I
>stayed in a village just before the Latvian border with the in-laws of
>the people I stayed with in Panevezys.  I spent a pleasant afternoon
>listening to my Grateful Dead tape with their 16 year old, long-haired
>heavy metal guitarist son, and the evening with the good English and
>German speaking son-in-laws, who were there helping with the beet harvest. 
>The following day I rode into Riga (population 1 million), right to the
>university ecological center.  They had accomodation prepared for me.  The
>food situation is worse here than in Vilnius.
>
>The Soviet dollar shops have the worst selection in Eastern Europe
>and the prices are above even Western standards.  They have souvenirs,
>alcohol, chips or nuts, cookies and chocolate.  There are some good
>restaurants at the top of the local price range, but even so the demand is
>high.  The average person earns about 200 rubles (or rubbles as they say
>here) per month, or perhaps 2000 a year.  The dollar shops and Intourist
>hotels charge the old rate of nearly two dollars for one ruble.  Banks
>give nearly six for one dollar.  Black is around 20.  (I stopped for the
>night at a newly reopened monestery between Brest and Vilnius, in
>Byelorussia.  The head priest wanted to give me 10 rubles for one dollar
>- and then sent me on my way the next day with a bottle of cognac!)  The
>fact is I changed a fifty dollar travelers check in Brest for about 280
>rubles and have only spent half in nearly three weeks.  I have had plenty
>of food (but there sure as hell is no junk food or fast food.)  I could
>have lived off what I found along the side of the road, cabbages,
>potatoes, apples, etc.  The problem is that the people just don't have
>quite enough money to get along.  As in Romania, food is available, for a
>price.
>
>I had a superb lunch today, my best meal in Latvia so far.  Beer (hard to
>find), smoked chicken (the most common meat), cheese, luxurious black
>bread, trout, and vegetables (including citrus wedges) for 13 rubles, and
>I only had to wait in the rain for thirty minutes to get inside.  A friend
>told me she couldn't remember seeing oranges in Latvia and hadn't seen
>bananas since she was a child.  In addition to sugar, alcohol, gasoline,
>and laundry soap are rationed.  After lunch, I had my beard trimmed and my
>hair cut (only the split ends.)  I spent the whole afternoon organizing my
>downloads, both those from Vilnius and here.
>
>SovAm Teleport: 
>
>SFMT            TCN             MCI-MAIL        TELEMAIL       SOURCE
>EIES            COMPUSERVE      DIALCOM-32      DIALCOM-46     TYMNET
>DIALCOM-44      GE              CERN-21         ANSWER-BANK
>
>Institute of Global Communications (IGC):
>
>APC Networks                                       Other Networks
>============                                       ==============
>
>a. ALTERNEX    (Brazil)                            1. Alternet
>o. cOmpost      (Zerberus - DBR/GDR)               4. Cosy
>c. ConflictNet (Conflict Mediation)                8. DasNet
>e. EcoNet      (IGC - USA)                         3. EIES
>f. FredsNaetet (Sweden)                            2. Poptel-GeoNet
>g. GreenNet    (England)                           6. TCN
>h. HomeoNet    (IGC - USA)                         7. Well
>n. Nicarao     (Nicaragua)
>p. PeaceNet    (IGC - USA)
>s. Pegasus     (Australia)
>t. The Music Network (TMN - UK)
>w. Web         (Canada)


>Date:  26-Oct-90 18:39 CDT
>From:  M.L. Endicott [72330,72] [72330,72]
>Subj:  movin' on
>
>Arrived conference fine.  One day ride from Riga.  Lots of new and old 
>friends!  Leave for Tartu, Estonia, monday.  Two day ride.  Love, Marcus


>Date:  26-Oct-90 21:48 EDT 
>From:  LUCIAN ENDICOTT [72330,72] 
>Subj:  movin' on 
> 
>Dear Marcus, 
> 
>     Am still having problems with my new software, so have not yet
>been able to save your previous two messages -- will save them as
>soon as I figure out how to do so, so do not delete them.
> 
>     Everything is just fine here.  No news.  Talked on the phone
>with Nanny and Poppy this evening -- they are just fine.  Keep up the
>good communication and stay in touch.  Love, Dad


>Topic 36  Greens in Latvia 
>mendicott reg.eeurope     3:10 pm  Oct 26, 1990 
> 
>Environmental Protection Club of Latvia (Vides Aizsardzibas Klubs - VAK)
>Kalnciema 30 
>226046 Riga 
>tel & fax: 612850 
>[Arvids Ulme, President; tel. 62-35-22, 93-33-82] 
>[Tija Karklis, VAK/USA] 
>[4,000 members] 
>[first congress Riga 27 February 1987] 
>[publication: STABURAGS; monthly journal; since April 1988; Juris
>Kajaks, editor, Riga tel: 272139 (home)] 
> 
>ELPA (BREATH) 
>Balasta dambi 3, a.k. 12 
>226081 Riga 
>tel: 465-875 
>[Mairita Solima, editor-in-chief] 
>[Latvia's first environmental newspaper] 
>[30,000x weekly] 
> 
>VIEDA 
>Ecological Education Publishers 
>Odessa Street 17, room 210 
>226081 Riga 
>[VAK] 
> 
>Latvia University 
>Ecological Center 
>Rainis Boulevard 19 
>226098 Riga 
>tel: (+7-0132) 225304 
>tlx: 161172 TEMA SU 
>fax: 17-0132/-225039 
>pns:eyouth [account inactive] 
>[Raimonds Ernsteins, director] 
> 
>Green Party of Latvia (LZP) 
>Meza prospekta 1, Zoodarza 
>Riga 226014 
>[Green Party of Latvia (LZP), founded January 1990, 7 candidates
>elected to parliament, including VAK president and vice-president] 
> 
>Environmental Protection Committee (LVAK) 
>Peldu iela 25 
>Riga 226050 
>tel: 227460 
> 
>Enviromental Protection Commission 
>Supreme Council of Latvia 
>Jekaba iela 11 
>PDP Riga 226811 
            

Saturday, October 27, 1990

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Sunday, October 28, 1990

I woke up at 07:45 for breakfast. I woke up Prezemyslaw, as he had asked me to, and also Martin, an ex-lawyer from New York. Martin had joined the Sacred Run in Stockholm.

We met in the morning to conclude the Greenway meeting with discussion of national coordination. After the coffee break, we saw a Japanese anti-nuclear film. At lunch I had overheard Martin and Boris talking about magic mushrooms in Leningrad, and couldn't resist joining their conversation. Afterwards, I spoke with Alexander from the Institute for European Environmental Policy (Institut für Europäische Umwelt Politik - IEUP) in Bonn.

In the afternoon, there was an interesting lecture on Dutch recycling. Afterwards, I spoke with Lima from Japan about Rainbow happenings there. I saw the bus off after showing off my bike. Ingo, a Frenchman from the Sacred Run, tied a feather on it. I gave the woman translator some condoms, at Boris' suggestion, in exchange for chocolates. I spent the evening eating and drinking with the four Samara Rainbow Keepers. (They temporarily LOST the rainbow decal that I gave them!)

Monday, October 29, 1990

I awoke at 07:45 and listened to the 08:00 news on the BBC, before packing. I went to another building to breakfast with the Rainbow Keepers. They were still sleeping when I arrived. I filled up my water bottles with the previous night's boiled water. I re-filled the aluminum kettle and plugged it in. Russians almost always make a strong infusion of tea and then add hot water to each cup.

I presented American buttons and more Earth stickers to each of the Rainbow Keepers. We had lots of hot chocolate with condensed milk. Afterwards, I went to the communal shop at their insistence, so they could buy cigarettes. They were afraid that the shop would not sell them cigarettes unless a westerner was with them because they were not only Russians, but hippies as well. They said Latvians have the worst attitude toward all Russians.

I left Malpils and was on the road by 11:00. The sky was overcast with patches of sun. There was so much wind, I had to put tissue in one ear for protection. I snacked on good chocolates throughout the day. I rode 60 or 70 kilometers, almost to the town of Valmiera, before camping just off the road in a lovely place in the Gauga national park.

I ate a big can of good fish with delicious black bread with cumin seeds in it. The trees creaked and groaned all night, like tall masts of so many wooden ships. I was a bit nervous about "widow- makers", falling trees common to wild places. I remembered to close the tent door, fully inflate my air mattress, and wear my wool watch cap.

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