It was nice to not have to get up early and pack on this Sunday morning. So we didn't. We did have to make the 11am cutoff for the continental breakfast which we did. We checked out just before noon and caught the 12:30 shuttle to the airport to wait for the other incoming choir tour members who were due at 1:30pm. We found our guide (Rauel) and around 2:00pm we started seeing people come through the frosted glass doors of the 1950's Soviet style airport. Since there were several flights arriving around the same time from various airports, it took awhile to for the group to assemble. Finally, however, it did and we loaded onto our bus for the 25 minute ride to the Radison Blue Lativja. We quickly got checked in and I headed on foot to the Genocide Museum which was only open until 5pm and not on Monday or Tuesday.
It was only a 12 minute walk from the hotel and I found it easily. I just had an hour to see the museum so I started in the prison area in the basement of what was the KGB building. It was very sobering to see and read about what went on down here for so many years. People were imprisoned, tortured, and executed here. Their graves for the most part have never been discovered and the tally of those killed is in the 10's of thousands for this prison alone. The upper two floors contain exhibits about the struggle for freedom and the Soviet and Nazi attempts to quench that. Alas, the hour finished all too quickly and I was back out in the heat and humidity of the day for my walk back to the hotel.
Angela was off doing a choir event and I didn't know where. So I read and waited until 6:30 before I headed to the mall across the street to find some dinner. I found some sushii and it was good. She returned around 8:00pm and we took a short walk before returning to the room to watch more of the European Cup soccer playoffs before retiring for the evening.
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