So, a synopsis of the last blog post: in the second half of January, Anna and I had gone to my parents' summer house, where I was going to make repairs. The romantic weekend in the countryside failed because the cottage was not suitable for an overnight stay and we did not find any meaningful hotel option. It was around eight in the evening, when we decided to go back to Riga, and then the biggest adventure of this trip just started.
To get to normal cleaned asphalt roads, several kilometers had to be driven through sparsely populated areas and category C roads. I already like to drive on such roads, especially on snow. My conscience does not allow me to hurt cars and specifically damage them, but still, I have to admit that I also allow myself to be a little more aggressive and drive more rudely in a rental car than at the wheel of my personal car. I unlocked the anti-skid system and allowed to slightly slide the bmw in the turns. It also improved Anna's mood, and it seemed that all the absences of the last hours would be over, until in one turn we were dragged too far and the car slipped into the ditch on the side of the road.
I got out in the field to assess the situation. Nothing was crazy there, the roadside ditch was not very deep, but when I wanted to get back on the road, I realized that I had stuck thoroughly and we would not be out without help. We tried to put Anna behind the wheel and I pushed myself, but we didn't get anything more than dirty hands. Ok, I really had to figure out what to do next. I called our builders, whom I met a couple of hours ago, I think maybe he was here, but of course he was already back in Riga. I spent summers at this place, and I had some childhood friends here, but I didn't know anyone anymore, and I definitely didn't have their phone numbers. My parents might know someone here, but I didn't want to call them because I didn't want them to know I was here. I remembered that the car rental from which I rented this car has 24/7 customer service. I called, no one picked up. Call again, again the same. What's the point of advertising 24/7 customer service if it doesn't really work? Something had to be done. We were already stuck here for about 40 minutes. No car had passed. It was real countryside here, and probably the locals went to bed around this time. I remembered that a kilometer ago we passed a house. My solution was this: we leave the car here, go to their house and ask for help. Anna said that in the dark on a cold winter night, she would not look for a house that she did not even remember seeing. I asked what else she offered. Anna's plan was to call all her friends in a row, and someone around here would have some acquaintances to help. I asked if she knew someone from this end, she replied that no, but it was a better plan than going on a forest road in the winter to look for some mystical house. I felt Anna pull on and swell at a quarrel I didn't want at all. So I suggest that she stays in the car and calls her friends, I go to that house, and who first finds help sends the other person with a message. Anna agreed and I went to look for that house.
Since it was really dark, I turned on my phone's flashlight and went in a quick step to seek local help. We had already been on this road for an hour for sure, still no car had passed. I really hoped that my plan would work first. I was gone for about 10 minutes when my phone announced that the battery was low. Shit! How I didn’t think that the flashlight would eat up my battery at abnormal speeds. What to do now? Turn back or continue your journey? I decided to continue and stick to the current plan. After another 10 minutes I got to the house I was looking for. Everything was dark, no light was on, the dogs were not barking. I decided to knock on the door, and I hoped that no crazy countryside man with a shotgun lives here, who shoots at everyone who crosses the boundaries of his property - I have probably seen too many American cinemas, but in Latvia that kind of stuff doesn’t happen. Knocking on the door, no reaction. I knocked on the window, too. There was no car in the yard, everything showed that the house was empty. Yes, the countryside was dying out. Can this day ever end? I couldn't call Anna and find out how she was doing. I started to fantasize that maybe I would have to spend the night in the car. Gasoline seemed to be enough to run the car from time to time, but it would be so stupid, and then I would have to accept Anna's accusations about this whole failed night. Whatever, I went back. But a car has to pass sooner or later. I went and thought that I should have called LAMB Autoklub, or a similar service from the beginning, but then it seemed that such a small issue, with a couple of men, or a normal 4x4 could be pushed out in a few seconds. Maybe Anna is already too cold and will be especially irritated now? I guess there is nothing to think about things that and how could be, I needed to think of a solution. As I approached the car, I heard that there was some roar of cars and people laughing around the place where we were stuck. As I approached, I also noticed car lights and human silhouettes.
I realized that either Anna had found help, or some crazy countryside guy was attacking poor Anna and demolishing my car (joke). In any case, I took a step, and I was present at the very moment when my rental BMW was being pulled out of the ditch by Amarok. Anna stood aside and talked to one of the rescuers. Noticing me, she happily gestured and looked proud that she had talked for help.
It turned out our rescuers were 3 locals who drove home after work and saw a snow-covered BMW and a sexy blonde, of course, stopped. Anna told them the story, and the guys in the car had everything they needed to pull our car out. Of course, all 3 guys flirted with Anna, but I wasn't in a position to object. I also got to hear comments and jokes about how I have left my own lady in the woods, and that I am lucky to be able to run back right now, otherwise they would have gone to party with my Anna. But in general, all the guys were in a very benevolent mood, and before we parted ways I gave them a couple of bottles of different drinks that lay in my trunk and were meant for our romantic weekend at the cottage. Well, we could already feel like friends.
The guys left and we went home in a calm spirit. Anna was suddenly in a very good mood. She felt like a winner in our unofficial race over who would solve the car problem first. I had no objection to that. I wanted to forget this day sooner. We didn't talk much on the way home, we were both really tired. Anna fell asleep halfway before, I also got sleepy, so I went to the Circle K to pick up RedBull. On the way home, I thought to myself that I had unfounded prejudices about the countryside and the people who lived there. It seemed to me that there was complete poverty and depression. However, the guys who saved us drove a fresh Amarok were very positive and witty guys. Maybe life in the countryside is not as bad as we townspeople think now?
To get to normal cleaned asphalt roads, several kilometers had to be driven through sparsely populated areas and category C roads. I already like to drive on such roads, especially on snow. My conscience does not allow me to hurt cars and specifically damage them, but still, I have to admit that I also allow myself to be a little more aggressive and drive more rudely in a rental car than at the wheel of my personal car. I unlocked the anti-skid system and allowed to slightly slide the bmw in the turns. It also improved Anna's mood, and it seemed that all the absences of the last hours would be over, until in one turn we were dragged too far and the car slipped into the ditch on the side of the road.
I got out in the field to assess the situation. Nothing was crazy there, the roadside ditch was not very deep, but when I wanted to get back on the road, I realized that I had stuck thoroughly and we would not be out without help. We tried to put Anna behind the wheel and I pushed myself, but we didn't get anything more than dirty hands. Ok, I really had to figure out what to do next. I called our builders, whom I met a couple of hours ago, I think maybe he was here, but of course he was already back in Riga. I spent summers at this place, and I had some childhood friends here, but I didn't know anyone anymore, and I definitely didn't have their phone numbers. My parents might know someone here, but I didn't want to call them because I didn't want them to know I was here. I remembered that the car rental from which I rented this car has 24/7 customer service. I called, no one picked up. Call again, again the same. What's the point of advertising 24/7 customer service if it doesn't really work? Something had to be done. We were already stuck here for about 40 minutes. No car had passed. It was real countryside here, and probably the locals went to bed around this time. I remembered that a kilometer ago we passed a house. My solution was this: we leave the car here, go to their house and ask for help. Anna said that in the dark on a cold winter night, she would not look for a house that she did not even remember seeing. I asked what else she offered. Anna's plan was to call all her friends in a row, and someone around here would have some acquaintances to help. I asked if she knew someone from this end, she replied that no, but it was a better plan than going on a forest road in the winter to look for some mystical house. I felt Anna pull on and swell at a quarrel I didn't want at all. So I suggest that she stays in the car and calls her friends, I go to that house, and who first finds help sends the other person with a message. Anna agreed and I went to look for that house.
Since it was really dark, I turned on my phone's flashlight and went in a quick step to seek local help. We had already been on this road for an hour for sure, still no car had passed. I really hoped that my plan would work first. I was gone for about 10 minutes when my phone announced that the battery was low. Shit! How I didn’t think that the flashlight would eat up my battery at abnormal speeds. What to do now? Turn back or continue your journey? I decided to continue and stick to the current plan. After another 10 minutes I got to the house I was looking for. Everything was dark, no light was on, the dogs were not barking. I decided to knock on the door, and I hoped that no crazy countryside man with a shotgun lives here, who shoots at everyone who crosses the boundaries of his property - I have probably seen too many American cinemas, but in Latvia that kind of stuff doesn’t happen. Knocking on the door, no reaction. I knocked on the window, too. There was no car in the yard, everything showed that the house was empty. Yes, the countryside was dying out. Can this day ever end? I couldn't call Anna and find out how she was doing. I started to fantasize that maybe I would have to spend the night in the car. Gasoline seemed to be enough to run the car from time to time, but it would be so stupid, and then I would have to accept Anna's accusations about this whole failed night. Whatever, I went back. But a car has to pass sooner or later. I went and thought that I should have called LAMB Autoklub, or a similar service from the beginning, but then it seemed that such a small issue, with a couple of men, or a normal 4x4 could be pushed out in a few seconds. Maybe Anna is already too cold and will be especially irritated now? I guess there is nothing to think about things that and how could be, I needed to think of a solution. As I approached the car, I heard that there was some roar of cars and people laughing around the place where we were stuck. As I approached, I also noticed car lights and human silhouettes.
I realized that either Anna had found help, or some crazy countryside guy was attacking poor Anna and demolishing my car (joke). In any case, I took a step, and I was present at the very moment when my rental BMW was being pulled out of the ditch by Amarok. Anna stood aside and talked to one of the rescuers. Noticing me, she happily gestured and looked proud that she had talked for help.
It turned out our rescuers were 3 locals who drove home after work and saw a snow-covered BMW and a sexy blonde, of course, stopped. Anna told them the story, and the guys in the car had everything they needed to pull our car out. Of course, all 3 guys flirted with Anna, but I wasn't in a position to object. I also got to hear comments and jokes about how I have left my own lady in the woods, and that I am lucky to be able to run back right now, otherwise they would have gone to party with my Anna. But in general, all the guys were in a very benevolent mood, and before we parted ways I gave them a couple of bottles of different drinks that lay in my trunk and were meant for our romantic weekend at the cottage. Well, we could already feel like friends.
The guys left and we went home in a calm spirit. Anna was suddenly in a very good mood. She felt like a winner in our unofficial race over who would solve the car problem first. I had no objection to that. I wanted to forget this day sooner. We didn't talk much on the way home, we were both really tired. Anna fell asleep halfway before, I also got sleepy, so I went to the Circle K to pick up RedBull. On the way home, I thought to myself that I had unfounded prejudices about the countryside and the people who lived there. It seemed to me that there was complete poverty and depression. However, the guys who saved us drove a fresh Amarok were very positive and witty guys. Maybe life in the countryside is not as bad as we townspeople think now?
21.02.21
Everyday life