Not much of a border passage between Russia and Belarus. When we left Russia they were only interested in the Russian registration paper for the car. They didn’t even take a glance at the passport or the visa stamps or registration papers. That was a relief since we did not bother to reregister after our tour in Kazakhstan.

At the Belarus side they did not even ask our nationality and they were not interested in the documents for the car. They only tried to make us buy a medical insurance for 5 Euro each. But refused and told them that we already had world wide travel insurance.

The highway to Minsk was great. We tried to pay the toll fee in local currance they said it was impossible, only American dollars, Euro or Rubles was valid as a currency for foreigners. It is so very like old eastern countries.

Today our SAAB passed 80 000 kilometers on this journey, that is equal to two times around the world! Our SAAB is a real hero!

Minsk was cold and rainy, but we did take a tour around town anyway and walked along Praspekt Francyska Skaryny and through old town. During the WWII Minsk was completely destroyed. The Soviet architects had a field day rebuilding, and burst out in building monument after monument along the Praspekt Francyska Skaryny.

We also visited the charming little green cottage, where the Marxist party had their first illegal party congress in 1898. It was there, in the combined work- and bedroom Lenin wrote the manifests.

We also checked out the old department store GUM. In Minsk GUM still is a bit soviet style, and not at all as the very modern, fancy and expensive GUM department store in Moscow.

Today we made a daytrip to Dudukti cultural village. The entrance fee was six euro, and included in the ticket price was a few tasting of traditionally made food. At the first station we were served 20 centiliter moonshine, dark brown bread, honey and pickled cucumber! While eating and drinking we could study the three different home-distilling equipments.

There was also a lot of other thins to see like a blacksmith's workshop, pottery, carpentry and how to make cheese, butter and bread. But the weather was cold and rainy so we didn’t want to stay too long. Instead we decided to travel the 200 kilometers to Vilnius in Lithuania.

The price level in Belarus is slightly lower than in Russia, but petrol is a little more expensive. The roads are fabulous though. It was quite a while ago since we traveled this good road.

According to what we have read, Belarus are supposed to be the last outpost of old style Soviet with huge monuments, a still very active KGB and traditional way of life in the countryside. Sure, we see some horses and carriages in the countryside, but apart from that it feels like a slight exaggeration. Minsk is like every other modern European town. We do not feel more watched over here. Not even once we have been stopped by the police, in fact we have hardly not even seen the police here in Belarus. Our advice to someone who are looking for old style Russia – pay Ukraine a visit to instead.

Getting out of Belarus was a bit of a hassle. The receipts from the toll road fee was supposed to be accounted for at the exit border. But of course did no one tell us that beforehand. But after some digging ton the trash, we found them all. Then we had to pay transit tax for the tow days we had been in the country. The man behind the counter tried to cheat us for 30 $US. After we questioned the fee in presence of other travelers and personnel, we only had to pay 15 $US.

In all it took us two hours to exit Belarus, and about 20 seconds to enter Lithuania. We went strait to Vilnius, found a cheap guest house where we could park in garden. When we stepped out of our car we got kidnapped right away by a hippie bar owner. He had the bar in the corner of the garden, and wanted us to come and try his freshly brewed beer.