The goal of the race: 1) Make it to Vilnius faster than the other group. 2) Make it alive 3) Meet at Cathedral Square (center of Vilnius) 4) Win.
We began our saturday morning taking the bus out to the highway. We determined the best way to get picked up would be separating ourselves from each other along the highway. It was Hannah and I versus Julie and Bree. So there, on the side of the highway, we said our goodbyes. It was during that last long hug to Bree that images from Taken began to swarm my brain. Hitchhiking?! Was I crazy? This is one of those things you're warned not to do... well, I've never been one to heed warnings.
Hannah and I began to walk further down along the highway until we came to the next onramp. We had been standing there, in the classic cardboard in hand and thumb up position, and within five minutes we were picked up! I was definitely expecting it to take at least a half hour or longer. It might have helped that we two clearly normal looking girls. The man who picked us up spoke a little english and he was nice to talk to. Through broken english he was able to tell us a little about his family which lives in Kaunas (a town half way to Vilnius), about his work in neighboring countries, and he asked us about school and our studies. Then he dropped us off near another onramp in Kaunas.
So we were back to the sign, and AGAIN within five minutes we had another ride! This man we found out was from Belarus but spoke no english at all. As we began driving we saw Bree and Julie on the road! We we're winning! The funny thing about Mr. Belarus was how particular he was about his CDs. Not only did he like to listen to a a specific song but on a specific CD- particularly number 18.
Upon arriving in Vilnius he said "autobus,"pointed to the bus stop, and dropped us off. So we had made it! Sort of. Hannah and I walked over to the bus stop and not having any idea which bus to talk I timidly asked one of the men standing there "koks autobusas vaziuoja i centra?" (which bus goes to the city center?). Somehow I don't think he understood what I was asking and just pointed to a bus number- one that didn't run on saturdays. Great. So instead of continuing in confusion we hopped on the first bus that came. Turns out it took us straight to the city center!
We had Won! Only winning really meant that we had to wait an hour for Julie and Bree to arrive.
After settling into our hostel we decided to go Bar hopping- only minus the bar and add kepta duana. Which for those of you who don't know what kepta duana is, its a delicious appetizer made from fried bread and cheese. Trust me- it is every ounce of deliciousness and more. While Kepta Duona Hopping we met some interesting people, among them were a couple of awesome Lithuanian guys who happily talked music, politics, and told us how we were pronouncing lithuanian wrong. It turned into quite an entertaining evening.
We woke up sunday morning and began our journey back out. Hitchhiking out of Vilnius turned out to be far more difficult that getting in. Julie and Bree got picked up first and then Hannah and I maybe fifteen minutes after. Our driver was the most silent man ever. The only word he said the entire time was "Kaunas," which was exactly where he took us. Upon getting dropped off in Kaunas we saw Bree and Julie walking ahead of us to the highway, just as a car stopped to pick us up.
So we get in the car with two younger lithuanian guys, and the first thing he says to us is "Beer?" Oh dear, what had we just gotten into.... We begin driving only to have them blaring metal rock music, and them insisting we take some beer. Let it also be noted that it wasn't even One O' clock. Then Tadas, our new drunk friend, explained that they were going to stop and get the driver a drink because he wasn't drinking- thank god. Not going to lie, Hannah and I definitely contemplated getting out of the car then. However, we didn't. Bad life choice. So we continued our car ride, and upon them finding out that we were from the United States they began to chant "USA!" "USA!" "USA!" Yea, that happened. Tadas kept asking us why we were going to Klaipeda, after about the fourth time of explaining I gave up. He was certainly quite the character. He kept insisting that we come with him... eeek! Luckily they had to take another exit off the highway so they dropped us off again. So long Tadas.
So there we were... again... only this time we were quite literally in the middle of nowhere. The funny thing was that all the cars who were passing us were ones that had already rejected us, twice. Then we hear a honk- It's Julie and Bree!! I see a quick glimpse of Julie waving as she goes whizzing by in a minivan. So Hannah and I began to try the desperate an depressed look. It consisted of her sitting on the railing looking tired while I hung out my thumb and tried to catch a car. It worked!
So we get into the next car. He seems like a pretty normal guy who seems to speak english well. He seems content with just driving silently as well, which was appreciated after our last ride. So we're sitting there and we notice that our driver is getting a lot of phone calls. Also, that he has two cell phones.. weird. He tells us that he just got back from a business trip in Holland. Hannah recognized him also speaking German on the phone... then he says that he needs to give one of his friends/ co-worker something. So he pulls over the car. In the middle of nowhere. Then a car pulls off behind us, there are two men and a girl inside. All of a sudden our driver opens his trunk and hand them a couple of license plates.... uuuummmmm...... who is this dude? We can over hear him telling his friends that he picked up two hitchhikers. That's us. After finishing his cigarette, he gets back in the car and continues driving. Then I notice the radio, the types that old school policemen have, in the front of his car. Needless to say- I think our driver was an undercover cop.
After about an hour we got dropped off aaagaaaiiiinnnn. So we were back to the highway. Take Four.
luckily, after about ten minutes we get picked up by the sweetest old man. He was a native Lithuania, spoke a little English, and broken German. As soon as he found out that Hannah spoke German he was so excited and began telling us all about his daughter who is going to school right now and his wife. He offered us some of the mint tea he had in a thermos, and apples. He literally would have driven us to the doors of the dorms at school had we let him. The change of pace was definitely appreciated after our many rides that day.
Clearly we did not win the race back; however, ending in a tie gives us an excuse to do it again.
The nice thing about hitchhiking in Lithuania is that it's not taboo. It is legal and so easy to get picked up. It is great to be able to a)get a ride for free and b) be able to have a unique experience. It was cool to meet back up with Julie and Bree later and hear about their stories because we knew they would be so different from ours. It's a unique experience and you never know what you're going to get. Never once did I feel uncomfortable or in any amount of danger- Even drunk Tadas was just funny. So if you ever get the chance I say do it! You'll never know until you try.
