American adventures at Belarusian border!

[peacetraveler22]

I've gone through very few border crossings in my life, but the most memorable one was entering Belarus from Poland at the end of a long Eastern European road trip last autumn. Russians are politely waved through at these check points, but if they're traveling with an American, they will quickly be transported back to Soviet times in an instant, with questioning, slow efficiency, and border procedures reminiscent of the Cold War era. I wrote before that getting my visa for Belarus was very expensive and time consuming. The whole trip I waited for the opportunity to flash this shiny object to border patrol at the Poland/Belarus crossing.

At first everything was great. No lines, but we arrived during the shift change from the evening to morning crew. Everyone moving so slowly to begin work!! We waited patiently until the new crew was in place. Finally a stern border agent waved us forward, we showed both passports and then he asked for proof of insurance for me. I gave him my U.S. insurance card because the coverage is worldwide. But he quickly informed us it isn't acceptable for Belarus, and we were told we couldn't enter. An insurance agent is usually available at the crossing but on this day she was "on holiday." No other alternatives were offered. The first Belarusian border agent a real mudak! Sometimes in this region of the world the mentality is mind numbing. If there's a problem, it's yours and yours alone. "NO!", a very easy answer while creative solutions require thought and brain power that some workers believe is beyond their pay grade.

We were determined to enter Belarus so Sasha asked for the Chief, and a light at the end of the tunnel appeared. He offered to call an insurance agent from another location. She arrived quickly and the cost for the temporary coverage in Belarus was only 2 EUR. We hopped in the car and waited for our stamped passports to be handed back. Wait, wait, wait...what the hell is taking so long? After an hour, we inquired about the reason for the delay.

My U.S. passport was some type of alien to them. An American had never appeared at this border crossing, and the U.S. example they had in their system was outdated. America moved to biometric passports with electronic chips in 2007, but the equipment at the border crossing wasn't able to read or authenticate my passport data. What to do? Agents had to request an update to their system. From where did the update come? I never figured it out. After four hours of sitting in the car, our passports were returned. Fresh stamp on my $458 single entry visa! None of the agents at the border spoke English, and if I had traveled through the crossing alone I would've been totally screwed. It was an adventure to even use the toilet during the four hour wait. All bathrooms locked, a real chore to find someone to open them. More fun when a rowdy border control dog decided to attack me, snap at my hand and bark incessantly. Perhaps he didn't recognize the scent of an American woman? Some strange and exotic import that required further inspection? :)

By this time, it was already noon and we still had a four hour drive to Minsk. We arrived in the city late afternoon and walked around for a few hours with a local. My first and very brief impressions of Minsk and Belarusians are good. Roads are good compared to Russia, people are very friendly and open and the city is relaxed. No pushing and shoving on the sidewalks, lots of personal space, respectful drivers and pedestrians. A rule of law exists and it's obeyed by the majority. A simple formula for a civil and happy society. Many times people stared at me with fascination while walking in the city, maybe curious to see a foreigner? Belarus - I don't think it's a top travel destination for Americans or Western Europeans so perhaps we're an anomaly there. However, Minsk still has decent tourist infrastructure. The main tourist map in the city center has English writing, making it easy for visitors to locate attractions and navigate. And where are such signs in Moscow? I think they are finally starting to appear.

Can I say that Belarus was worth the $458 visa cost? Absolutely not because I didn't have enough time to fully explore the region. It's a real pity, but the visa was necessary even for transit on the long drive back to Moscow so I simply had to absorb the cost. I'll never pay the single entry visa price again, so Belarus will likely remain a country unexplored by my curious eyes and mind.

When we entered Russia on the return, I was again smacked with the harsh reality that sometimes accompanies travel in your country. We stopped for breakfast at a Russian restaurant, a waiter asleep and snoring in one of the booths, no one to help or assist. An hour to get a meal with no smile or greeting. A stark contrast from the neighboring countries we visited during the journey. People often ask me why I choose such weird travel destinations like Russia, Belarus and the Baltic States. Perhaps like Russia, I'm also a bit strange. :)

How about you? Any interesting adventures at border crossings around the globe?

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