Getting around
This is more a travelling and planing blog so if you are looking for my daily life, you’ll have to look somewhere else :)Archive for 2010 On two weels to the Black See and back.
Chernobyl
This day was all about Chernobyl. A two-hour bus ride took me and some other tourists to the site where the worlds largest civil nuclear disaster took place. The guide told us it’s “perfectly safe”. Very often he showed the radiation with a dosimeter. This picture shows the radiation on the wheels of the military vehicles used on the site in 1986. The reading was high, put sill “safe”
The town Chernobyl is in the three km zone. Still people lives and works here, but only temporary. It’s the staff working on the site, such as our guide. I took a lot of pictures, so here is a gallery. To morrow I’m off to Odessa, I will skip Gamlesvenskby, it’s to hot sitting on the bike, I long for water and to go swimming.
Body temperature
As I today arrived in Kiev it was 37 degrees Centigrade. And neither me nor my bike has no AC 😦 I thought I’d never say this: I miss the Swedish summer. This picture is taken at the border, only 34 degrees.
But it is worth all the effort, Kiev is, as far as I can tell after 6 hour, a fantastic city. Much bigger than Minsk and more cosy. The ride down here was very dull, strait, strait, strait, strait, strait, a small bend then strait again. The roads are ok, a bit bumpy but nothing my suspension can’t handle.
As I arrived at my hotel I saw two big BMW GS-bikes. Great I thought. Then I saw the plates, they are swedish. Joakim and Uffe are on the way to Georgien to and go around the Black See. In the lobby we then met a Norwegian man and we are planning to spend the night in Kiev.
Therefore I will not write so much more, just show you som pictures.
Cars and people waiting to cross the border, as always bikers have a special lane to pass them all. Saved me at least 3 hours.
This reminds me of Africa, every where I stop people gather to inspect the bike. All in a very friendly way. A a matter of fact many things i a bit like South Africa. Very broad roads with bad pavement and some giant pot holes, min busses instead of busses for public transportation.
Kiev is a long way from any ocean, wy don’t you just build a stair with water coming down over it. Very popular!
Belarus and Minsk
Today I started off early in order to get to Minsk in time for lunch, but I didn’t calculate enough time for border passing. First queuing up, but being on a bike, I just passed it so that was ok. Then started the paperwork. I just realized how lucky we are having the Schengen agreement.
- First – passport and VISA-check. Same procedure as at the embassy in Stockholm. Where are you staying, how long, why do you travel through Belarus etc.
- Second – health insurance. I’m insured by my Swedish insurance company and had paper proofing that. But no, I had to by an extra one. 2 €…
- Third – inspection. They checked my bike papers and it was all ok. This was another 4 €, still don’t know what for.
- Forth – customs. And some new forms to fill out. But this part was for free!
All this was made in different places, no way they could organize it so all is done at the sam place. This took four hours! I ended up in Minsk at 2 o’clock.
The EU-border – a new kind of iron curtain?
Well, Minsk is much as I imagined it, but nicer. The town has a nice touch of Soviet building mixed up with large parks and a river. There isn’t much spectacular sites to visit but I’ll show you som pictures to get a feeling of it.
Town Hall
The river with a recreation area
Monument from the great patriotic war
A square with lots of Belarussian stars
A banner showing the proud Belarussian?
I never felt unsafe in this town. There are police all over the place, often local. My hotel asked me to move my bike or I would get a fine from their policeman. As far sa I can judge, they are very friendly. I had big problem finding a legal parking lot in the city. As I always do, I then just parked on the side.
But then came the police…
I didn’t want me to take a picture of him, so I shot this from behind. Anyway, he allowed me to stay for an hour. I you watch the picture with my bike you will see my sunglasses on the seat. I left them there by mistake, and no one took them during the hour I was gone. Would that happen in Stockholm?
Latvian food and drink
Peter – there was a very nice girl at the museum recommending another restaurant, and she is for shure better looking, so I followed her advise instead of yours. Perhaps we can try your place out together in Vilnius?
Anyway, the restaurant Snekutis served 10 different home-brewed beer, I didn’t really manage them all but the four I tasted were all very nice. And why can’t you taste the beer before in Sweden. The owner didn’t speak any foreign languages so he just poured up some different beers and let me taste before i choose! This one was the best – but I don’t know its name 😀
To go along with the beer I choose a Latvian stew. It was “nice” but I could have managed without the ketchup.
On my way back to the hotel I made some photos of Vilnius. As I have discovered before most eastern european cities have two faces. One very polished one:
And one, as a matter a fact often just around the corner, not so fancy:
Vilnius Museum of Genocide Victims (KGB)
You probably know this man, in horror equals only few. As Soviet Union “took over” Latvia the republic got Sovietizied and KGB moved in. In Vilnius there is a museum showing the unforgivable actions KGB caused the Latvian people.
The museum is placed in the former KGB headquarter. The building was originally built as a court, but there was little justice made there. The most horrible part of the museum is not the basement with all the cells and torture chambers – it is the exertions showing pictures of killed people. People killed just because they where not accepting the dictatorship of USSR.
Even so, here are som pictures from the basement:
This picture shows a chamber wich was flooded with water up till a foot hight. Probably not warm water.
No one will hear you scream – 20 cm of stuffed walls and doors made it sound proof.
KGB-archives – as they were found. shredded. Luckey some were not destroyed.
On the upper floor there i a nice exhibition showing the resistance and lots af KGB artifacts. If you lived here as KGB ruled one of this stamps would make life better for you.
But you could never be certain – KGB had a special divisions putting in microfons in civilian homes. All the watched by officers in rooms like this.
This was all made for the people’s best under the star of USSR.
A very nice touch is the inscription on the blocks af the building showing the names of people who died.
Donnerwettwer – thunderstorms!
Last night on the Baltic See was magnificent, thunderstorms and some very impressing lightning. As usual, the look extremely nice on water where you have free sight. Luckey I could sit inside avoiding the heavy rain. As I still didn’t have any camera I just stole another pic.
As I went from Riga to Vilnius I wasn’t that lucky. I got caught in a very heavy rain. But I could escape into a resting area and took my bike all the way into the sitting area. The ride to Vilnius was dull, highway and lots of trucks. I didn’t tak any gravel roads because I wanted to get here as soon as possible. There where rain clouds all around me – and they where black. Some 10 minutes after I arrived in the Hotel it was raining cats and dogs.
Spending the evening with an Ukranian Israeli
The Israeli man in my cabin turns out to be an Ukrainian who moved to Israel 20 years ago. He now lives in Stockholm with his Latvian wife. Hi’s giving me some tips for Kiev and Odessa.
Oh, did I mention, the boat has wireless Internet access. 😀
Ipad
I just tested an Ipad for the first time… and I want one. A kind Russian guy let me have a go on it. Just imagine all students in school having one and all literature was digitalised. No more “I forgot my book”. That is a future I like!
Just passed Sollenkroka heading for Kanan. I’m not used not being the captain travelling this waters. But what an evening this is, I just see the view to remember all the time. Nice to know that I’ll be back. Sorry – still no camera, I’m not allowed down to car deck.
I probably won’t be able to connect to the web until tomorrow in Vilnius. Towards evening that will be.
On the ferry but still at shore
Just checked in and got mu cabin. As I’m travelling alone I enjoy meeting people. So i booked a mens cabin for four people. I know it’s gambling but so far it turned out quite nice. One Portuguese, one Israeli, one Lithuania and one Swedish – me! No one knows each other – that fine with me, makes me fell a bit more secure.
Right now I’m on the upper deck enjoying the sun but not the view, frihamnen is not a pretty sight. Unfortunately, I left my camera on the bike so I will use a public one to illustrate this article.
My plans for tomorrow are to get out of Riga as fast as possible. Kim and I stayed here last year so Riga is not important for me this time. It’ s not far to Vilnius so I plan to spend the afternoon there. The road between Riga and Vilnius is quite dull, pawed highway. Perhaps I try to find a d-tour with some gravel. All that I will find out tomorrow as the day goes along. That’s one very nice thing by travelling alone, you don’t have to plan everything in detail.
Packing the bike went very well, I filled the right and left panniers to 70 percent leaving enough space for souvenirs. The top box is empty so that I can leave my helmet and other stuff secure with the bike. In the tank bag (?) I have unimportant stuff. I managed to mount a tube, originally built for tractors, on the bike as well. Perfect for extra tools and a flat tire repair kit.
Hmm, I just realized the ship left shore, I’m on my way over the Baltic See, or at least Lilla Värtan 😉
I’ll be back soon…
Visa
I just got my visa for Belarus, a strange feeling. It can’t be many more countries in Europe (if any?) that still requires visa for Swedish citizens. Right now, my bike is in the shop for 20 000 km service, I’ll pick it up tonight and get all my stuff on it
Anyway, I’m off tomorrow, ferry leaves in the afternoon. On Wednesday I’ll be in Vilnius. (Hans-Peter – I’ll think of you as I visit the KGB-museum) 🙂
Getting around 
