【明報專訊】In recent years, the Baltic states have risen to popularity among backpackers and package tours. For instance, Latvia's capital, Riga, finds a place in every tour that claims to venture into the "exotic beauty of the ex-Soviet states". Back in 2008, however, I had the whole floor of a Latvian hostel for 5 euros. Tourism was at an infantile stage as far as I saw, especially for Asian tourists. While I explored the country, I forgot its people were equally keen to sample an unfamiliar part of the world out of me.