A-Z Country's Capital Challenge

[Metro_Aviation]

Leg 93 — Latvia/Riga

Our next leg takes us to the Baltics and the country of Latvia. Latvia’s landscape is shaped by its short rolling green hills and forest that span across roughly 50% of Latvia’s land. The capital Riga is home to around a third of the country’s population, Riga is also known for its Unesco Art Nouveau building style which can be found all across the city. Along with Riga’s architecture Latvia is home to the widest waterfall in all of Europe The Venta Waterfall, traditional clothing dances and folklore based upon the country’s old pagan traditions, and the inventor of denim, Jacob Davis, being born in Latvia.

Route

• Vientiane(VTE) - Hanoi(HAN) - Paris(CDG) - Riga(RIX)

Flight 1: Vientiane Wattay International Airport(VTE/VLVT) - Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport(HAN/VVNB)

• • Airline: Vietnam Airlines

  • Flight Number: 920

  • Aircraft: Airbus A321

  • Departure Time: 20:45 UTC+7

  • Arrival Time: 21:48 UTC+7

  • Flight Time: 1h 03m

  • Cruise Altitude: 27000ft

Boarding onto our Vietnam Airlines flight taking us to nearby Hanoi

Takeoff from Vientiane Laos

Reaching our cruising altitude of FL270 before beginning our decent into Hanoi very shortly

VVNB in sight as we make way for Runway 11L

Touchdown welcome to our first time to Vietnam

We now need to rush over to our next gate here at the International Terminal for our flight to Paris

Flight 2: Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport(HAN/VVNB) - Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport(CDG/LFPG)

• • Airline: Vietnam Airlines

  • Flight Number: 19

  • Aircraft: Boeing 787-9

  • Departure Time: 00:19 UTC+7

  • Arrival Time: 7:08 UTC+2

  • Flight Time: 11h 49m

  • Cruise Altitude: 32000ft

Boarding onto our long night flight taking us to Europe

Takeoff from Hanoi we won’t have much to see for the next 11 hours till we descend into Paris

After hours of crossing Eurasia the sun begins to rise over Germany

On final for Runway 26L at LFPG

Touchdown and welcome back to Europe

Crossing Runway 26R to reach our Gate at Terminal 2C

Deboarding into CDG where we will soon board the last flight of this leg taking us directly to Riga

Flight 3: Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport(CDG/LFPG) - Riga International Airport(RIX/EVRA)

• • Airline: airBaltic

  • Flight Number: 692

  • Aircraft: Airbus A220-300

  • Departure Time: 10:20 UTC+2

  • Arrival Time: 13:33 UTC+3

  • Flight Time: 2h 13m

  • Cruise Altitude: 35000ft

Boarding onto our long night flight taking us to Europe

Takeoff from 27L at CDG

Passing the boarder into the Netherlands as we reach our cruising altitude

Descending into the clouds over the Baltic Sea

Turning into the Gulf of Riga to land into Runway 18

Final into RIga

Touchdown

Welcome to Latvia

[Metro_Aviation]

Leg 94 — Lebanon/Beirut

Next we head to the Middle East to the country of Lebanon. Located on the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and sitting right on the Mount Lebanon Range, Lebanon has a unique climate and topography found nowhere else in the Middle East. Lebanon has a warm moderately dry Mediterranean climate whose mountains reach above 10000ft that block out the Syrian Desert East of Lebanon causing Lebanon to be the only Middle East country without a desert. Instead, Lebanon is home to some of the only ski resorts in the Middle East which open for 3 months in the wintertime. This means citizens can ski the slopes of Lebanon in the morning while swimming in the warm Mediterranean ocean by the afternoon in Beirut: the capital and largest city of Lebanon. Additionally, Lebanon is known for its long and ancient history. From Byblos known to be the birthplace of the oldest known alphabet, to Baalbek home to the temple of Jupiter, the largest roman temple ever created, Lebanon has made a name for itself.

Route

• Riga(RIX) - Istanbul(IST) - Beirut(BEY)

Flight 1: Riga International Airport(RIX/EVRA) - Istanbul Airport(IST/LTFM)

• • Airline: Turkish Airlines

  • Flight Number: 1758

  • Aircraft: Airbus A321

  • Departure Time: 11:14 UTC+3

  • Arrival Time: 13:59 UTC+3

  • Flight Time: 2h 45m

  • Cruise Altitude: 35000ft

Boarding our first Turkish Airlines flight taking us to Istanbul Airport

Takeoff from Riga Latvia

Reaching our cruising altitude as we pass over an overcast Lithuania which we will travel to soon enough

We now begin our decent into LTFM

Passing by Ataturk Airport as we make our way for Runway 34L

And touchdown, welcome to Istanbul this afternoon

Flight 2: Istanbul Airport(IST/LTFM) - Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport(BEY/OLBA)

• • Airline: Turkish Airlines

  • Flight Number: 829

  • Aircraft: Airbus A350-900

  • Departure Time: 19:31 UTC+3

  • Arrival Time: 21:01 UTC+3

  • Flight Time: 1h 30m

  • Cruise Altitude: 39000ft

Boarding onto our Airbus A350 taking us on the short flight over to Beirut

Takeoff during this beautiful sunset at Istanbul

Turning our heading Southeast towards Lebanon

Sun dips fully bellow the clouds as we pass over the Sea of Marmara

Preparing for our decent into OLBA as we pass over the island of Cyprus

Beirut in sight as we make way for Runway 16

Touchdown

Welcome to the country of Lebanon