D19 - Belarus Embassy

29JUN - Day19 - Kiev - Km2139

Ahir era el dia de La Constitucio a Ucrania, aprovada l'any 1994, 3 anys despres del col.lapse de la Unio Sovietica. Fa bon temps i la gent passeja pel carrer, Kreschatik, el carrer principal esta tancat al transit rodat i la gent hi passeja. Com que tinc temps lliure aquest mati decidexio buscar on es l'ambaixada de Bielorusia, tinc 2 adreces diferents i un dels carrers esta repetit 3 vegades en el meu mapa, o sigui que tinc 4 possibles llocs per visitar. Encerto a la segona, l'ambaixada obre dema a la tarda per visats.
A la nit vaig a sopar a Rio, davant de l'ambaixada alemanya, hi ha jazz en directe pero el local esta gairebe buit. Despres de sopar agafo un taxi per anar a Shooters, una discoteca no gaire lluny del centre. Esta ple de gent jove, la majoria noies de 18-22 anys que han acabat els examens i surten a celebrar-ho. Parlo amb 3 d'elles, txetxenes, van emigrar a Kiev amb la familia al principi del conflicte. S'han passat tota la nit amb una beguda entre les tres. Les convido a un altre cocktail i ballem fins les 3.
Avui m'aixeco tard i vaig directament a l'ambaixada de Bielorusia a demanar el visat, ja som a dijous i dilluns voldria agafar el tren, no em queden gaire dies i no tinc ni visat ni bitllet de tren encara. Puc demanar el visat "express" per 115USD a l'instant o demanar-ne un de normal que tardara 4 dies, no tinc prou dies. He de demanar el car.
budapest2beijing@gmail.com

Yesterday was the Constitution Day in Ukraine, the centre of the city was full of people enjoying the good weather. Knowing that the embassies are closed I decide to check where is the Belarus one. I have one address in my guide but a different one from internet. One of the street names is repeated 3 times in my map, so I have 4 possible locations for the Belarus Embassy in Kiev. I mark all 4 in my map and decide to walk first to the closest to my appartment. Wrong attempt, the second is also on a walking distance, this time is right, I see the red-and-green flag. I check the openning times for visa applications, tomorrow is from 14:30 until 17:00.
At night I go for dinner to Rio, opposite the german embassy, a jazz band is playing, very few people. At midnight I take a taxi to Shooters, a pub on the hill between Kreschatik and the river Dnipro, not far from the Rada (the ukrainian parliament). The place is full of young people, mainly women, the exams period is over, they are celebrating it. I talk to three chechen girls, they don't speak much english. They have been all night with one drink between all three, I invite them for another one, 3EUR, they are happy.
Today in the afternoon I have to go to the Belarus embassy, everything is very easy, I give the address of my friend's mother (giving a female name is more credible when a foreign man visits Belarus). I buy the mandatory insurance for 10EUR and get the "express" visa, more expensive but ready in 10 minutes, instead of 4 days waiting for a regular one.
budapest2beijing@gmail.com