Today is the last full day of Klaipeda's Sea Festival. Instead of hitting up the folk craft stands yesterday, I went to the beach with some colleagues. Now, I didn't go to just any old beach. I went to the Women's beach (a.k.a the nude beach for females) with the other instructors. I've never seen so many different shapes and sizes exposed before; it was fascinating to behold and somehow very natural. I should have done a better job massaging in sunblock on my back and shoulders, because now I have some nice red strips gracing this part of my skin. I was too insecure to strip down to my birthday suit -- which was a good thing because my back feels like a furnace. Would not want my entire body feeling as if it were on fire.
Went to the unimpressive Armenian restaurant yesterday. Top highlights from that place -- the banana milkshake and watching the shishkebabs cook over the wood stove.
Woke up early this morning to see off almost all of the other instructors. Karklu dormitory is pretty empty now that both the students and staff have left. A bit odd that it's been a whole month, but the whole experience feels as if it started only a few days ago. The only thing that gives evidence to a time progression is the fact that both sets of my tennis shoes have given out. I have no idea how many kilometers or miles I've walked over the past 2.5 months. Were I a more clever person, I would have bought a pedometer beforehand so that I could have kept track of the distance.
After hugging everyone and attempting to some sense of closure (failed miserably), I went back to my office to finish packing everything up and turned in my key. Walked with Ellen back to the dorm so that we could get ready for Sea Fest shopping. Was very thankful that Rita accompanied us, because I was able to find some really nice linen and other items for wedding presents. Felt a keen sense of anxiety when people bumped into me to get to the booths they wanted to go to or pushed me out of the way to look closer at a wooden spoon. I hate being a part of the zoo that festivals become, but I stuck it out.
Went to lunch at the Black Cat Cafe pub a little later. It felt good to be out of the sun and give my burn a bit of a rest. Split away from the others so that I could watch my student dance in the festival, but I couldn't find the venue where she said it was. Plan B -- stopped in at a FABULOUS chocolate shop near the first round about towards Arkropolis. The woman spoke English very well (I was struggling with the Lithuanian pronunciations). Now, I'm no "chocolate expert," but I will say that her recommendation of the chili chocolate ball was flippin' delicious! (see photo) The shop clerk was very pleasant to me and allowed me to store the chocolate that I bought at the shop so that it wouldn't melt while I went to the Akropolis to pick up some black currant Lithuanian wine (it's borderline exploitation that it is only 10 LTs per bottle -- $4.50 per bottle). Took three different buses to do the errands that I've wanted to do for a long time. Am now relaxing and trying to do some packing while I wait for the others to return from Palanga. I'm hoping to convince everyone that eating at Chili Pica tonight will be a good idea. I love the Itališkos Pica (Italian pizza). I don't quite know what's in the green sauce, but add it to jalepeno peppers and salami equals crazy delicious.
Tomorrow is my last full day on the Baltic coast. Will head with the others to Nida, the southernmost town on the Curonian Spit. Pray that my sunburn cools down a bit.
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