Velnezers lake aka Devil's lake 😈 in Latgale, Latvia.

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Velnezers lake also known as Devil's lake can be found in Latgale, a region in the East of Latvia.

It got the nickname Devil's lake because it's surrounded by legends and mystery. There are stories about people disappearing in the forest, about not a bird that sings and that it's bad luck and dangerous swimming in the lake.

It's said that people don't know how the lake came to be. Some say it's because of a meteor impact, others claim it's because of an earthquake. One thing's for sure though, it's not like any other lake you've visited before.

As mysterious as it is it's also absolutely beautiful! The water is crystal clear and the silence surrounding it makes it the perfect place to find some peace and quiet.

This Devil's lake was the playground for our first Destination Challenges in Latvia. Muhahahaaaa 😈.

Paul (Passport Diary) and I were tasked to find it and take a walk around and that's exactly what we did...

A letter to a loved one from Sigulda castle, Latvia

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In Sigulda I had to find a castle from where I had to send a handwritten letter to a loved one on handcrafted paper.

Sending a letter!

It's been ages since I've done that so it was really a pleasure to sit down at that beautiful old desk and write a letter to my grandma who was sick at the time.

She absolutely loved receiving the letter from her travel crazy grandson and I'm happy to let you know that she got well. Not sure my letter had anything to do with it but very happy she's back on her feet.

When did you send a letter to somebody you love last? Feel free to let me know in the comments ;-)

Cooking pink soup and a typical latvian desert at the 3 Pavaru restaurant in Riga

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Cooking missions, they keep coming back and I love it. My kitchen skills improve gradually while travelling the world. This time I was learning from Archy Trinkuns a latvian top chef! Such an honour...

He told me about his passion for food and his love for being creative and cooking with fresh ingredients. First he took me to the second biggest food market in Europe to find the right ingredients and then we hit the cooking block at the 3 Pavaru Restaurant where he works.

It was such a pleasure learning from him...

Folk dancing in the streets of Riga

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Folk dancing is a big thing in Latvia and that's what my 3rd mission on the Latvia Challenge was about. I had to find somebody to teach me the basics and go dancing with her at the local folk bar Ala Pagrabs.

Luckily I was just catching up with Vita who was introduced to me by Zane Enina a Latvian blogger whom I met a year before in the Yukon. Vita told her colleagues at !Mooz agency about my challenge and they reached out to their network of friends as well. Within an hour I got in touch with Eva Kokina who is in a Folk dance group called DA Perkons. Social powers at work right there!

Watch me shake those hips below... ;-)

The hunt for a black cat, a dragon and a peacock in Riga

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I absolutely love the kind of missions where I have to find things hidden in plain sight. For my second mission in Riga I had to find a cat, a dragon and a peacock...

As usual I reached out to the community and in no time I got 3 locations. The hunt could begin...

Landing a Boeing 737 at Riga airport

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I was on my flight to Riga with Air Baltic when suddenly the lovely flight attendant approaches me mid air with an envelope holding my first mission on the Latvia Challenge.

You can imagine my surprise when it told me to land a Boeing 737 at Riga airport. The airport I was flying too... My heart started bouncing and sweat was breaking out... Luckily the devil is in the fine print. There it was stated that it would, obviously, be in a flight simulator.

How cool is that!!!

One of my best experiences EVER so far. It felt sooo real and I really was motivated to bring the plane home in one piece. I'm happy to say that I'm a better pilot than a pottery baker :-)

Find out how it all went down below...