[MINSK] Budget and Itinerary

ESTIMATES

Belavia (Tbilisi - Minsk) - 280.00

Airbnb (19 Nights) - 442.50

Visa (Belarus Embassy Jakarta) - 270.00

City Lingva (3-Week Russian Course) - 650.00

Food Allowance (BYN20 x19) - 380.00

Uber Allowance (4 Days) - 30.00

BYN2,052.50

[MINSK] A Place Called Niamiha

Niamiha is three Metro stops away from school so I always told myself that I’d go there “one of these days” except that I have a master’s degree in Procrastination and I wasn’t really planning on going until my very last week in Minsk. However, the sudden arrival of a friend lured me out of my lair. In the end, he ended up showing me around the city I’ve been living in for the last fortnight. When the visitor becomes the guide! Anyway, I love Niamiha because of the chill vibes. It’s just so vibrant and full of life.

[MINSK] Minsk 15:15 Tour

The good thing about my course is that there are activities, like a city excursion for instance. You already know well how I tend to be on full student mode instead of default tourist mode whenever I move to a new city to study a language. I live just right across the main train station here in Minsk and that’s the only area I really need everyday access to. Suffice it to say that I haven’t really gone sightseeing yet until my second week, when teacher and I joined this tour they call 15:15 Minsk.

[MINSK] Why Oh Why, White Russia

To be honest, I’ve only ever heard of Belarus twice in this lifetime. First was in that South Park episode where Jesus was being interviewed on TV and there were people being shot and run over by a tank behind him. He was supposedly in Belarus, which he kept pronouncing as BeLArus. That was hilarious, but obviously inaccurate and made for laughs like Borat in Kazakhstan. The second one was when a Filipina won some minor beauty pageant held in Minsk. Aside from that, I was totally clueless about this country.

[VISA] Belarus (Single Entry)

Belarus has no consular representation in the Philippines. Their embassy that has jurisdiction over Filipino citizens is the one in Jakarta. The good thing about this embassy is that they have a VERY detailed website regarding visa application. They even have separate pages explaining how to send your documents, how much you are going to pay and how, as well as the requirements necessary for almost every type of visit you can imagine. As such, it’s not really that hard to get that visa!