Day 4

Up, town. Fruit pancake for breakfast. Walk around Vilnius - cathederal very impressive. I go to the National Museum, then head up castle hill. Enjoy the view. Wander around, and go to the Museum of Genocide. I feel like I felt after the similarly themed Terror House in Budapest - plain shock at what the Communists did.

Hundreds of thousands of Lithuanians were affected - deported to Siberia, chased into the woods or just killed outright. The KGB and its predecessor the MGB would arrest people for political crimes, torture and execute them. Lithuanians had their culture systematically attacked by the Soviets and some who were deported had to wait decades to return to their own country. Lithuania declared independence from Russia only in 1990.

Some 6,000 children had been killed in deportations.

So it really pissed me off when someone had written in the comment book ''this is what the CIA and FBI are doing in America today''. I want idiots like that to stay on the internet, where I can ignore them.

There was no-one in the hostel who wanted dinner, so I went out by myself for pizza (justified by the Lithuanian food the previous night). I found the Irish bar, which seemed as good a place as any to meet English speakers. At the bar I got talking to a local insurance broker who bought me a drink, though he left shortly after that. Then two attractive young ladies came and sat next to me.

After a short time we start talking, but the conversation petered out and I resumed staring at the mirror behind the bar and trying to convince myself that I'm not narcissistic. Thankfully Ginta wasn't quite done with me, and her and Kristina offered to drive me round the countryside near Vilnius, especially Trakai. As they left for a cigarette break a stranger (a trader called Rob) approached me and warned me that occasionally in Vilnius girls would pick up guys, apply rohypnol and take all the money. This did seem worryingly plausible.

The girls returned, but they seemed pretty kosher so I went clubbing with them. I left them in the early hours promising to call the next day to arrange my lift.



Estimated number of units today: 8
Estimated number of units total: 20

Estimated number of girls taken to bed today: 0
Estimated number of girls taken to bed total: 0