Bistrampolis, Lithuania

Panevezys, Lithuania

Panevezys Lithuania has become my home outside of the US. I have spent more time there than any other city outside of the US. There is nothing flashy our tourisity about Paneveazys. It is a very moderate income community. Most people live in high rise apartments.

I had an apartment that i shareed with two other guys. All three of us were teaching english and a vocational school. we had kids from 9 to 40...I was kinda crazy.

The picture here is of the bus station. I love this place. This is not a city wide bus terminal but rather a country wide one. Within three hours I could be anywhere within the country!!

Panevezys also is the place where I discovered "Kavines" or cafes.....I ate like a king here. You have to remember the exchange rate was 4 to 1 at the time. I remeber going in and having a steak dinner for lunch everyday for about $4.50.....It was amazing.

Ignalina, Lithuania

After Leaving Deguciai the next place that I went was to the small (but larger) town of Ignalina. ignalina was a lot of fun. I was brought there by a Nun to help work a summer camp. The kids were great...very diffrent from kids in the US.

I did not get the opportunity to do much exploring here except if we were going some place with the kids.

Ignalina was the first place I ever experienced a Hostel. for those of you unfamilar with a Hostel, they are very very cheap rooms or aprtments that travels can rent for an evening or a month...often times the facilites are shared and very low quality...but hay its wat you get for $10 a night. Hostels can be a bit scary at times depending who else is there with you.

Deguciai, Zarasai, Lithuania

The next place that I visted was the very very small town of Deguciai in Lithuania. I stayed at drug rehab house out in the country for the week. I was literally dropped off here for a week with no instructions and no translator. This was one of the most taxing experiences of my life! I was thrown into an enviroment with a buch of guys from Russia, Lithuania, and Latvia who were all trying to get clean by removing themselves from society. I sepnt a week living with 30 guys and only being able to speak to the two guys who came with me.

The guys were very poor and had no resources.....I learned very quickly that I did not know poor. Meals were a real challenge with the guys, you could not be picky because you could not ask for things.

The country setting was beautiful and peaceful. It was here that I experienced what would latter become one of my favorite things....the Russian Sauna.