Dueling Guides
Ron & Diane, fascinated art critics
Afterward we hit the road for Lithuania. Along the way, we learned more about Chernobyl.
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant
On April 26, 1986, just across the border from Belarus in Ukraine, the worst nuclear power plant accident in history occurred. 400 times more radioactive material was released than had been by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima Japan. Most of the fallout cloud drifted north over Belarus. The fallout was detected throughout Europe. Rivers, lakes, forests, wildlife, soil and ground water were contaminated.
Serious health effects of the contamination are still showing up in places as far away as Germany, Scandinavia and Turkey with patterns of increased thyroid cancer, Down’s Syndrome, birth deformities, chromosomal aberrations/mutations and brain/spine/nerve abnormalities.
There is a 17-mile exclusion zone around Chernobyl where officially no one is allowed to live. However, there are approx. 10,000 people, primarily elderly "resettlers" who lived in the region prior to the disaster, who have returned to the area.
Farming or any other type of industrial purpose would be dangerous for at least 200 years. As for the reactor where the meltdown occurred, it is estimated it will be 20,000 years before the land will be fully safe again. The defunct Chernobyl nuclear reactor is now enclosed in a large disintegrating concrete shelter and 200 tons of extremely hazardous, highly radioactive material is still contained within it.
As we travel through the area, we’re thinking, “Don’t touch anything. Don’t breathe in."
The countryside is beautiful and well-tended. There are miles of lush rolling farmland. Revenue from the crops goes directly to the government while the farmer who works the land gets a small wage. Everywhere we see old one-room houses with well-tended vegetable gardens, stacks of firewood for heating, chicken and goats in yards and laundry drying on lines.
War Memorial
For lunch, we stopped in historic Polostk, a once powerful regional city dating back to the 9th century, situated on the Dvina River. A school celebration was going on in the central park. Excited children were dressed in their Sunday best, girls in frilly Slavic dresses and ribbons, boys in hand-me-down suits and ties, their families out to enjoy the musical festivities. It was like traveling in some kind of time warp. So Norman Rockwell.
Town Festival
The Local Fuzz
Festival Queen?
Belarus-Lithuania border crossing took 2 hours. Officials boarded the coach to match passports with faces. When queried if anybody carried stashes of contraband spirits or cigarettes, someone replied that none of us smoked. In shock, the officer replied, “No one?” Naturally, we couldn’t admit that about spirits. Linda’s two bottles of wine didn’t count, right?
Our break stop at a ‘rest area’ was a dilapidated outhouse with its warped door almost hanging off the hinge. Some of the macho he-men took a nature walk in the woods while the ladies used the clean and fresh onboard lav-y. Minutes later the guys came flying out, hopping around, slapping off swarms of voracious mosquitoes. Hope no one got any bites where it would really hurt.
Rest Area
By late afternoon, we arrived in Vilnius. Our modern high-rise hotel overlooked the pretty little town located on the Vilnia River. Especially after the Bates Motel in Vitebsk, we were ecstatic to have nice modern accommodations (with wifi!) and a pleasant dinner at the hotel.
