1836 – SECOND DAY OF THE FIFTH EXPEDITION |

2016-09-09

It’s 10 AM and Renārs dance with drones above the museum is interrupted by museum’s worker Aiva who has received news from the old miller about UFOs in his garden. Also the gooses made a lot of noise when they say the big buzzing gadfly near their pen. That’s why old man who has never seen anything like it was really worried.

We wonder how we would feel if few years ago when drinking our morning coffee we would see a drone outside our kitchen window. It’s something to think about. Good that the old miller had strong nervous system.

Aiva shows us the museum and tells it’s history. Viktors Ķirpe who at the time was the chairman of “1.maijs” kolkhoz, had an idea to make a small memorial corner to save the history of the parish. Collect stories of farmers, parish inhabitants and of people who were sent to Siberia. That’s how Kalncempju cultural started. It was opened in 1985.

Anyway, it’s wonderful place for motorcycle, cycling and walking tourists. For just 3 euros you can spend the night here and see a really interesting object close to Northern Latvian border.

We head for Katleši in Žīguri parish where we hope to find the old mill and an ancient cemetery. We find a beautiful place named Mitra hill that can be accessed by crossing two forest rivers.

With some help from locals we manage to find old Katleši mill. When looking for them we accidentally find an old Soviet time monument to Kaķīšu family, Soviet power activists that were killed here.

Not far from it we also find the old cemetery that could be 250 years old. It is obvious that vandals have visited this place like many others in Latvia. Some people just don’t respect the ashes of our ancestors.

The weather is sunny and farmers are in a hurry for a harvest that is bad this year due to a rainy summer.

Not far from Viļaka the road leads us to “Baltais Briedis” motocross track., Matīss leads us through the turns for a few laps.

He gets really excited and checks husky’s capabilities in a huge jump. “It’s an old track with rich history. It’s wide with nice relief that ensures big speeds. Long but at the same time safe jumps. Who has the biggest balls wins here!” Matīss describes the track.

He has won many awards here but the most important was won in 2008 when he secured Latvian championship in the last stage.

At the dawn we arrive at Egļavas forestry where Aldis Pušpurs has created a museum and gives us accommodation.

This trip is full with museum nights!