Minsk, Belarus – Thursday, October 30, 2008 – 3:27pm local time
We’re here! We landed in Minsk shortly after 1pm local time, and we’ve navigated through passport control, customs, and hotel check-in. I can now say that I am safely and securely in Belarus once again! Our flights were uneventful, even enjoyable. You have to hand it to the European airlines when it comes to efficiency of service and in-flight food. We flew Lufthansa from Philadelphia to Frankfurt and again from Frankfurt to Minsk. Two meals on the first flight and another on the flight to Minsk. Sure beats the US airlines’ policy now of pay-for-everything. On our flight to Philadelphia from Norfolk, even water cost $1! I’ve not been a big fan of Lufthansa in the past, but they were good this year. The flight attendants even smiled.
Minsk is the same and ever-changing. There is new construction everywhere, hundreds of new apartments going up between the airport and the city. We noticed the same thing last year. As ever, though, it’s always the same, just huge blocks of apartments with precious little diversity and essentially no single family homes. Apartment living is de rigueur for big city dwellers worldwide, but I sure wouldn’t swap having a lawn for city life! We’re getting a little rest in our hotel this afternoon before heading out this evening for a church service. Our seminars start first thing in the morning. It’s so good to see our friends again. More to come.
Scott
