We started the day with a sumptuous buffet breakfast in the hotel’s 10th floor restaurant, which included both vegetables and porridge (not together of course!). This also gave us the opportunity to take in what the guide book described as the restaurants “intriguing” view. We can only assume that this is code for “not particularly interesting”.
Since Laura really wanted to see the old Chernobyl style power station back in Lithuania we decided to start the day by backtracking a little to get there. Initially this involved a few more unplanned manoeuvres getting back out of Daugavpils. That accomplished, we managed to find our way to Visaginas without too much trouble. Then as much as by good luck as good management, we were able to find our way to the nearby huge, concrete-slabbed and decommissioned nuclear power plant. The plant’s two reactors used to supply over 80% of Lithuania’s electricity needs, but they had to be shut down as a condition of joining the European Union in 2004 because their Chernobyl style design was considered too unsafe. Lithuania therefore is now dependent on electricity purchased from Russia, since they are still hooked into their grid. The decommissioning process is due to run until 2029 by which time all physical traces of the plant will be remove and only grasslands remain.
From the stern gun toting Russian looking guards at the main entrance Laura managed to elicit directions to the information centre. There we found the public relations officer, Ana, who was only too happy to first show us a video, and then answer questions. Afterwards Anna showed us parts of the facility using the internal CCTV system and then some models of how the plant used to work and how the waste storage systems will work. Or at least how the “temporary” storage system, due to last 50 years, will work. The site, or exact nature, of the “long term” storage facility has yet to be determined as so far none exist anywhere in the world.
Once we left on our way back to Latvia (again) we noticed, on passing back through it, that the model Russian style town of Visaginas contained not a single house. All accommodation was in drab Soviet style multi-storey apartment blocks. One of the few exceptions was a single row of even uglier single story blocks that housed shops. The town was purpose-built by the Russians in 1975 to house construction workers, and later workers, at the power plant.
Our drive back into Latvia was via the signposted ring road that took us well clear of that maze of ugliness that is Daugavpils. We continued north to Aglona in the middle of the Latgale region, noted for its beautiful lakes. We found the information centre at the back of the local hall, where a mass of local men were being interviewed about something – as its supposed to be the poorest area in Latvia and one of the poorest in the EU we thought it may have been job or social security related. The young lady there was very helpful and informative, though her accuracy was to be called into question as events unfolded.
Deciding against the recommended WWII Museum across the road, we went instead in search of the much more promising Bread Museum, only to find (eventually) that it was closed, although the building it was in was emitting delicious aromas. Our second choice was to go and see the small picturesque Devil’s Lake, so named because of its long known effect on compasses, and in more recent times, on electronic sensors. We had been given clear instructions by the lass at the information centre about taking the third “ground road” after the twin lakes, seven kilometres out of town, near a bus stop. After finding exactly such a road and spending two hours by car and on foot perversely exploring numerous back country roads and goat tracks that eventually resulted in us circumnavigating a much larger lake, we eventually discovered that she must have meant the fifth road after the twin lakes eight and a half kilometres out of town that is nowhere near a bus stop. The lake was nice, small, blue-green and obviously very deep, but perhaps a bit of a letdown after the effort taken to find it.
Honour satisfied, but knowing we were now no chance of reaching Sigulda today as planned, we decided to get as far as Jekabpils and try and find some accommodation there. Jekabpils was yet another town with whole streets ripped up in the process of being replaced so we did one and a half circuits of the centre of town before we were able to pull up in the main square. With the Tourist Office now well past closing we were still able to find the only accommodation option mentioned in the guide – after trudging up one of the afore mentioned ripped up streets that was now just a sand track. The hotel looked all shut for the season but when I inquired at the bar next door I found that it was functioning as the reception so we were able to check in. After a supermarket bought dinner – and a futile attempt to access the alleged free WiFi using any assortment of passwords that the largely clueless bar staff next door were able to suggest – we turned in for the night.
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| The decommissioned nuclear plant |
From the stern gun toting Russian looking guards at the main entrance Laura managed to elicit directions to the information centre. There we found the public relations officer, Ana, who was only too happy to first show us a video, and then answer questions. Afterwards Anna showed us parts of the facility using the internal CCTV system and then some models of how the plant used to work and how the waste storage systems will work. Or at least how the “temporary” storage system, due to last 50 years, will work. The site, or exact nature, of the “long term” storage facility has yet to be determined as so far none exist anywhere in the world.
Once we left on our way back to Latvia (again) we noticed, on passing back through it, that the model Russian style town of Visaginas contained not a single house. All accommodation was in drab Soviet style multi-storey apartment blocks. One of the few exceptions was a single row of even uglier single story blocks that housed shops. The town was purpose-built by the Russians in 1975 to house construction workers, and later workers, at the power plant.
Our drive back into Latvia was via the signposted ring road that took us well clear of that maze of ugliness that is Daugavpils. We continued north to Aglona in the middle of the Latgale region, noted for its beautiful lakes. We found the information centre at the back of the local hall, where a mass of local men were being interviewed about something – as its supposed to be the poorest area in Latvia and one of the poorest in the EU we thought it may have been job or social security related. The young lady there was very helpful and informative, though her accuracy was to be called into question as events unfolded.
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| The elusive Devils Lake |
Honour satisfied, but knowing we were now no chance of reaching Sigulda today as planned, we decided to get as far as Jekabpils and try and find some accommodation there. Jekabpils was yet another town with whole streets ripped up in the process of being replaced so we did one and a half circuits of the centre of town before we were able to pull up in the main square. With the Tourist Office now well past closing we were still able to find the only accommodation option mentioned in the guide – after trudging up one of the afore mentioned ripped up streets that was now just a sand track. The hotel looked all shut for the season but when I inquired at the bar next door I found that it was functioning as the reception so we were able to check in. After a supermarket bought dinner – and a futile attempt to access the alleged free WiFi using any assortment of passwords that the largely clueless bar staff next door were able to suggest – we turned in for the night.
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