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A double shot of Minsk, thanks to poor planning and an inconvertible currency

A double shot of Minsk, thanks to poor planning and an inconvertible currency

Old Jul 27, 2013, 10:34 pm
  #16  
 
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It' s a good thing you have a good sense of humor, otherwise, you'd be going crazy by now. I have to agree with you on their hiring practices over there, there are way too many hot females working at that airport...

Eric
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Old Jul 28, 2013, 10:59 am
  #17  
 
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This is absolutely hilarious and fascinating.

I ran into a college friend-of-friend at the Newark Airport a couple of weeks ago. He was off to Minsk on business. I said, "Uh oh." It always seemed to me to be on the "places to avoid" list. I'm not saying that I'd be on House Hunters International, but you've given a peek at a completely fascinating part of the world.

You have managed to convey the beauty amid relics of the Warsaw Pact.

Above all, your sense of humor is spectacular. "No I have no idea how that knife got there, but you better check real thoroughly for anything else, Irina." I think that's my line of the week. Thanks for that.

Счастливого пути!
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Old Jul 28, 2013, 1:04 pm
  #18  
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This was sitting in my desk drawer for almost a year:



I began to realize that the only way I was going to offload it was by actually returning to Belarus and using the rubles to essentially defray the cost of the trip itself. If the purpose of obscuring the location of the currency exchange at MSQ was to either force people to eat their lost rubles or return to spend them, well played.

Assuming I'd need another "Go Trip" in January, I planned to head back over the long Martin Luther King weekend.

PLANNING

While I initially figured I'd do another one nighter in Minsk, my desire to burn only a few vacation days made me look into just staying in Minsk for 4 days. I know what you're saying, "He's a government worker, why doesn't he just use his sick days for vacation like everyone else?" For your information, I'm saving them for the inevitable breakdown that requires involuntary admission to a mental health facility.

Or rehab.

I debated buying a revenue ticket in Y, which would come in at around $900 out of EWR, but when LO scheduled their 787 on the WAW-ORD route in for January I decided to splurge on an award ticket in C, settling on a routing of PHL-FRA-MSQ-WAW-ORD-PHL. First two legs on LH, next two on LO, final leg on UA. It included an overnight in WAW and, while I've been to Poland before, I've never been in Warsaw other than to fly in/out of WAW.

That left the planning of where to stay and what to do in Minsk. Like any of us would do, I launched into a thorough search and, through multiple mediums and sources, found that this was the most legit place to start.

Now, whatever fun I may poke at Andrei's expense throughout the report, I must begin by saying that I would wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone either looking to spend time in Belarus or anyone who is forced to be there. But we'll get to him later.

I asked for recommendation about lodging, not wanting to pay the $200ish for the Hotel Minsk or any of the other classier establishments near the center of town. Andrei has worked entensively with this company, and recommended I go for an apartment instead as "I would save a relative fortune."

Their site looks amateurish and did raise a few red flags in my mind, but I wasn't using them for anything other than an airport transfer and 4 nights in an apartment. I picked a one bedroom apartment, prepaid a few hundred dollars through PayPal, and rolled the dice that Yuriy would be there at the airport to pick me up.
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Old Jul 28, 2013, 1:15 pm
  #19  
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Originally Posted by FlyIgglesFly
I grabbed a cab to the airport outside of the hotel, which took around 30 minutes and cost ~30 Euros. Not extortionate, but with the conversion rate as high as it was the driver had to show me the price on a calculator. I know my Russian numbers, but once you start getting into the tens of thousands I get lost. I didn't negotiate ahead of time, operating under the assumption that if a taxi parked outside of the hotel ripped off a guest and it got back to the hotel, some sort of harsh, Eastern Bloc type punishment would be meted out.
Or, a nice kickback to the bell captain?
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Old Jul 28, 2013, 1:20 pm
  #20  
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Originally Posted by SPBanker
Or, a nice kickback to the bell captain?
Orrrrrrr, that.
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Old Jul 28, 2013, 4:13 pm
  #21  
 
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Very entertaining and well written! Looking forward to the rest of round two.

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Old Jul 29, 2013, 4:05 am
  #22  
 
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If you've got any more of those 'profits' left over I'll be doing a trip back to Belarus in September so I'm sure we could come to some sort of arrangement
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Old Jul 29, 2013, 7:26 am
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I am getting the kind of anticipation (usually reserved for macabus, eightblack and others) for the rest of your report.
I have a drawer full of Dongs, Colones, Bahts, Riels and Ouguiyas . I will not go back to spend my Ouguiyas
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Old Jul 29, 2013, 8:10 am
  #24  
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Originally Posted by havepointswilltravel
I am getting the kind of anticipation (usually reserved for macabus, eightblack and others) for the rest of your report.
I have a drawer full of Dongs, Colones, Bahts, Riels and Ouguiyas . I will not go back to spend my Ouguiyas
Thank you, thank you. I'll work on one tonight. If I posted one while at work I'd actually look too busy for a government employee. The 83 year old woman whose cube is adjacent to mine might spread rumors that I harbor ambition.

And she could totally wake up from her nap any time now.
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Old Jul 29, 2013, 10:40 am
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Originally Posted by FlyIgglesFly
Thank you, thank you. I'll work on one tonight. If I posted one while at work I'd actually look too busy for a government employee. The 83 year old woman whose cube is adjacent to mine might spread rumors that I harbor ambition.

And she could totally wake up from her nap any time now.
Even the discussion here is pure gold.
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Old Jul 29, 2013, 11:16 am
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Originally Posted by FlyIgglesFly
Thank you, thank you. I'll work on one tonight. If I posted one while at work I'd actually look too busy for a government employee. The 83 year old woman whose cube is adjacent to mine might spread rumors that I harbor ambition.

And she could totally wake up from her nap any time now.
Oh gosh! I literally almost fell off my chair just now. This hits so close to home. Except in my case, it's a 75 year old guy who only showers once a week
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Old Jul 29, 2013, 3:29 pm
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Great trip report. Can't wait for the 2nd part.
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Old Jul 29, 2013, 7:53 pm
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awesome! cant wait for more. thanks.
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Old Jul 29, 2013, 8:34 pm
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This
Is
Excellent.
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Old Jul 29, 2013, 8:38 pm
  #30  
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I took a half day from work and headed to PHL. As usual, my attempts at explaining to my coworkers exactly where I was going failed miserably. "You know Russia? Almost that far east."

I splurged on terminal parking which, at $20 (or 170,000 rubles), isn't exactly a steal for the long walk you still have to make to the international terminal, A-West.

Full disclosure: I pack like a woman. I am not a woman. I've got my backpack, which goes everywhere, a garment bag and a roll-a-board. Folding garment bag isn't huge, but it's holding the heavier clothing that, after last year, I'm fairly certain I'll need. The puffy jacket is included.



This is what I look like in the puffy jacket. We can all agree I look like a bada** who is not to be trifled with. If we cannot agree to this, then we cannot comment on this picture with future posts.

I've got these three bags, with the plan to check the garment bag and carry the other two onboard. Lufthansa, in their infinite wisdom, believed otherwise. Despite being in business class, there's an 8 kg limit to carry on bags. I'm not sure what fully loaded roll-a-board weighs less than that, but be advised the check in staff at PHL will rigorously enforce this. And you will now be checking two bags.

This of course means a reshuffling of my change of clothes (for post-shower Senator Lounge at FRA) into my backback. And that I'm in a foul mood.

Security at A-West is usually pretty quick and painless, so I'm through in a few minutes and up to the old Envoy lounge. I kill about 45 minutes drinking water, snack on an apple, etc.

I've passed the phase where I drink an exhorbitant amount of alcohol on the flight, at least an overnight outbound. I get too dehydrated, start sweating, and have difficulties getting any real sleep when I cross the 3-4 drink threshold. Daytime flights are a different story, but overnights I try and play it healthy and pass out. Sober.

Unlike my first international F experience on AA from DFW-FRA where I had probably 12 glasses (but who's counting) of wine/champagne/scotch, vomited in the toilet, and passed out. Not sober, with the spins. If ever you're going to hit an alcohol induced rock bottom, I recommend doing so on an airline whose callsign is AA. For the additional irony.

But back to PHL-FRA. Standard old C seats on an LH A340-300. Nothing to write home about, and the seats have been complained about ad nauseum. It was comfortable enough for me, I watched a few movies, got a few hours of sleep, and landed into the transfer nightmare that is FRA.

For those faced with this daunting and confusing task, please consult this thread. NewbieRunner and the other fine folks in the Miles&More forum are saviors of many a tragically lost soul.

I disembarked and walked at a brisk pace for three miles from one of the Z gates to the Senator Lounge. I slowly understand LH's "No more than 8 kg in carry on luggage" policy. Any more weight and a transfer would become a death march for the infirm, obese, and DYKWIAs.

The new Senator lounge in...wherever the hell I was in FRA was actually nice. Crowded, but large and with a good amount of food options. No wait for the shower, and, with a 2:30 transfer I have some time to sit back, read the paper, and drink 7 espressos to wake up.

I also get stamped into the Schengen area on the US passport. Once again, Uncle Sam doesn't need to know I went to Belarus. I'll stamp out of it again on my way back from WAW.

Then it's down to the bus gates and to an uneventful E190 flight to MSQ.

NEXT: ARRIVAL
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