IMDonehere

Well, not everyone is as brilliant as you NewBe. Did you turn down your McArthur this year?

Now go into your passive/aggressive mode and pretend you did not insult Peg. Three, two, one.

NewbE

I would think that following the news from a country you are actively attempting to visit would be a priority. This isn't late breaking stuff, nor is it obscure information.

And if the purpose of this board is sharing advice and learning things, then I can't see why my urging tourists to inform themselves about current events in the countries they are planning to visit is an insult.

Pegontheroad

Actually, while I appreciate the information you gave me, I do feel a bit miffed, if not insulted.

I learn about countries I'm interested in. I am not interested in Belarus. My plan was merely to get through it on the way to Smolensk.If I'd planned to stay there I would have bought a guidebook and learned something about it.

I have found that I often become interested in the history and government of a country once I have visited. I've read about the history and culture of the Baltics since I've visited them, and I am now reading another book about Poland.

I know nothing of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, etc., either. I don't think I have enough years left to visit them, so I doubt that I'll ever learn about them.

cdnyul

From the chatter on the Polish travel sites, travelling to Russia through Belarus on the PKP Intercity train "Polonez: is not recommended. Russia considers that to be an "internal" border and foreigners are supposed to cross "international " border. How that rule is enforced appears to be at the Russian agents discretion, but that has ranged from arrest, deportation or heavy fines.

If you decide to spend more time in the Gdansk/Tricity area you might be interested in Piasnica Forest https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massac..._Pia%C5%9Bnica

and the Gdansk Post Office
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defenc...fice_in_Danzig

Near Gdansk there is Stuthoff
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stutth...entration_camp

On a lighter note, Frombork is definitely worth a visit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frombork

Mark

NewbE

Peg, my point was not that you should have bought a guidebook about Belarus, but that you should have read a couple of news headlines about the route you planned to take. Sorry if that sounds harsh, and sorry indeed if it miffs you. You are a scholarly person, so it surprised me. And because I know people whose lives are deformed by Belorussian politics, it also miffed me, that a well-read and well-traveled American would be all, wow, you mean I can't just take the trip I planned?

annhig

well bully for your, NewBe. I doubt if many people here, even the best informed, have had the situation in Belarus on their news horizon, unless, they, like you, they have some special interest or knowledge.

yes this is a place to impart knowledge, but there is really no need to do it with a sledgehammer.

NewbE

Hardly a sledgehammer. And the news about the Belarus and its dispute with Russia has been top headline news, as it threatens at any moment to become a shooting war or at the very least another opportunity for Russian aggression.

But we're not talking about random well informed people, we're talking about a person who was planning to go, planning quite actively.

Shall we be sweet and pretend that's just fine?

Pegontheroad

Thanks, annhig.

Now I'm getting mildly irritated.

NewbE, perhaps you should just drop this subject. I do read the newspaper every day, as well as newsprograms on TV and on the internet. I've seen nothing about Belarus.

dfourh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjvDOsIvkH4

StCirq

Nobody else has, either, Peg, even those of us who live in Europe and read European newspapers and watch European television. Al Jazeera has had a documentary on Montenegro recently, but zip on Belarus. Nor BBC World, nor CNN Europe, nor any of the French channels.

Ignore NewBe. She lives to irritate and incite. It's not you.

annutick

I can't agree that russian airlines are not safe. They are fine, but you can use any other airlines to get to Moscow. Then you can get a train and very soon, in a couple of hours (train called Lastochka) you will arrive to Smolensk.