Finland Russia Baltic Day 10
Finland Russia Baltic
Trafalgar Tours - Day 10 - October 12, 2008 - Sunday - Moscow – Smolensk – Minsk, Belarus
Today was a travel day. We woke up early at 6:00 and were out to the bus at 8:00. The porters did not come after our luggage this morning so we brought it down to the lobby so our driver could load the bags. Nikolai was back from his two day holiday and will drive our bus for the rest of the journey.
The morning was cold and dark with 52 degrees and 90% humidity. Again we had been lucky with the weather during our days in Moscow.
We followed the path of Napoleon's retreating army in 1812, traveling south west through the Russian countryside. Xavier gave us a little information about the day’s journey.
Monuments and statues commemorating various war victories dotted the parks along the way out of the city of Moscow. As we left the city we saw the bleak country and small homes.
We stopped at a remote truck stop for fuel and a comfort break. The cost to use the facilities was 10 rubles ($.40), about the usual rate here in Russia for restrooms.
Along the road vendors were selling dried fish and a few products from their gardens. There were also stands with clothing, shoes, and other items. Nikolai bought a pair of black rubber boots! Such a deal!
On the next leg of the journey, Xavier told us a Russian fairy tale. The land along this road was very flat, with some hay fields, stands of silver birch and pine trees, and a few small farms.
We are continually amazed at the good land that goes uncultivated. The soil is rich and dark. The 5 Year Plan and the concept of communal property of the socialist system still permeates the country. What the Midwestern farmers and a little DeKalb seed corn and a few John Deer tractors could do here!
Our included lunch was at a small café along the roadside in the town of Yartsevo. We got back on the bus at 1:30 and continued on our way to the border and into Belarus.
It was about 2:45 when we began to see the big transport trucks all lined up and waiting to pass through border control. Getting out of Russia was much easier than getting in.
Nikolai got out of the bus with the paperwork and was gone for about 30 minutes on the Russian side. When he got back on the bus we drove just a short way and stopped again at the Independent State of Belarus. Again, he got out, showed the papers, paid the fees, and we were off!
The land here is cultivated with flax and corn fields and also canola. There are growing and prosperous agricultural enterprises here in the countryside. Closer to Minsk there were more industries, where they make tractors, huge trucks, kitchen appliances, and televisions.
There was a time change at the border so we lost one hour. There were also a few signs written in English now. There were cattle in the fields, well kept but small farm homes, and well maintained highways. We are not in Russia anymore!
We made another comfort stop at 4:00. The rest rooms are sparse along these roadways. Xavier made an effort to stop for us to stretch our legs when we could.
This was the longest day of our tour. We still had 2 more hours to drive before we reached the capital of Minsk later in the day. We brought our books, were able to sleep a bit, and as I had the computer with us in the bus, we were able to get a head start on the day’s journal.
When we reached Minsk, at 6:00 we had an orientation tour of the city. We saw the Hero's Hill Memorial as well as other highlights of this city.
While Xavier got the room assignments and collected our keys, we got our things organized. The rooms here are very primitive and because it is not yet the 15th of October, they have not turned on the heat. Xavier referred to our rooms as “refrigerators”.
Our dinner was a set meal in the hotel. The best part about traveling is meeting citizens from other nations and comparing notes on our lives, expenses, and families. We sat around the table for an hour after our meal talking together.
Every other table did the same thing - 40 people getting along so well is exceptional. Knowing that the best hopes and worst fears of our new found friends from South Africa, Australia, Ireland, and Canada are all so similar is very reassuring.
After dinner we took a walk with a small group to the Jewish Memorial in the neighborhood. Under the full moon and brisk night air we were able to get some of the kinks out of our legs from the long bus ride today.
We came back to the hotel, finished writing the journal, and got some rest for tomorrow is another early day. We will try to get to the border of Belarus and Lithuania early as Xavier told us it could be a time consuming process.
Accommodations: Planeta Hotel - - - Meal: B, L, D
Comments
I know this message is being posted a little late, but this day of the tour was my mum's 60th birthday. I hope she had a wonderful day... x
Post a Comment!Dear Vic and Gennie, I'm reading all your journals with great interest. My wife Liz as you probably know by now is travelling with her friend Chris and through your journals I can follow their travels. I'm saving all the journals for wwhen Liz gets home so she can go through each one and re-live her trip. I will meet her in Scotland in about 10 days time. Please give her my regards. All the best, John Denman
Trafalgar Tour Map
Restroom Stop
Dried Fish Roadside Market
Belarus Countryside
Minsk at Night
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