lauren_s_kahn

Here is my trip report/blog from my 2014 stay in Belarus:

http://altecockertravels.weebly.com/...tors-2014.html

thursdaysd

Enjoyed it! Kudos on visiting Belarus. I've considered it a couple of times but decided against coughing up for the visa as all I really wanted to see was the fortress/memorial at Brest. Sounds like a good visit, though. Do you have a link for your trip organizer?

gertie3751

Just finished reading. Very interesting and a memory-jog for me. I did the trip in 1974 from Warsaw-Brest-Minsk-Smolensk-Moscow by bus. Can't comment on the Jewish stuff, but your account brought back the old feelings of frustration and bleakness.

lauren_s_kahn

Actually I did not find Belarus bleak. Most of the people there look at the problems in the Ukraine and just want to leave well enough alone. If they do not get involved in politics, no one bothers them. Similarly no one bothered me.

Yes the visa process is an impediment but you eventually do get the visa. After all, they want you to come and spend money.

My land arrangements and guide for the Brest area were arranged by Franklin Scwartz. He can be reached at [email protected]. In addition to his work with tourists (really a small part of what he does), he is involved in a variety of businesses--some of which are charitable. Money he makes from tourists is plowed back into his project restoring Jewish sites. I highly recommend him. I had an excellent guide in Brest who previously guided a group of which a cousin was a member. That was how I connected with Frank.

I was in Minsk for Belarus' national day, July 3rd and got to see the Soviet style parade complete with tanks. It was somewhat amusing though. After the tanks it devolved into less pretentious vehicles such as buses, trucks, snow plows,etc. At that point, not so interesting.

The Brest Fortress is something to behold and worth the trip by itself.

irishface

Interesting trip report! thanks for sharing!