The best place of Belarus

I have decided to tell you about my trip to Volkovysk's chalkpits near Grodno in Belarus. It was last summer when the temperature was about 30 degrees. The good weather lasted for a long time. Our exams were passed so I and my friends wanted adventures. Several days later we packed backpacks and set off for a journey. Our team consisted of 7 people. There were 3 boys and 4 girls. We began a travel fr om Vitebsk from 6.40 a.m.. We went to Minsk by train.(12 a.m.,300km from home) There we changed trains and we went to Baranovichi.(4 p.m.,450km) There was a friend of one of us. She showed us local sights. It were a market "Kirmash" and a church. Then we went to the border of the city wh ere we bought some food and alcohol. After that we said goodbye to our guide and continued our trip.(5.30 p.m.) We diveded into groups (2,2,3)(male-female,m-f,m-f-f). We said each other we will meet at the destination point. Then we stood beside the road and we were hitchhiking. We used 4 cars before we were near the chalkpit. It was really funny! In the first and the second cars we just talked to drivers, but the third car (it was a truck) was unusual. We left behind about half a way (that we wanted to go by cars) before we got in this car. (6.30 p.m., 510km) A driver of that car was a Turk. We didn't understand almost anything he said. But we understood that his name was Abdula. He was a tanned man with a moustache. He explained that he had to stop because he shouldn't drove a car more than several hours without a break.(7 p.m. 540km) We stopped close to a cafe. There were another two Turks! They were his friends. All of them were long-distance truck drivers. We sat down the table. They ordered some food. Before food was brought they talked to us. They were nice guys but sometimes they cracked vulgar jokes. An hour or two later we got in that car again.(8.30 p.m) In half an hour we were within 20 kilometres of the place we needed. We were there as soon as we could do that with the help of the 4th driver. Everebody was there before us :). (9 p.m. 580km)

Now we had to find exact place of chalkpits. We asked local residents. They showed us a right direction and we went. We put some water in bottles from the well while we were going. There was a lot of dust on our way. It was getting colder and darker. Finally we arrived! We saw a magnificent view! We stood on the brink of a precipice. At the bottom of the hole was water. These were flooded pits. The water was azure and crystal clear. There was the bright-red sun on the horizon. The sky was coloured pink. We admired that thrilling landscape. It was amazing indeed. We were inspired and went down the chalk mountain. It was a steep hazardous descent(спуск). We were too close to fall but we have done it! Then we found a flat place near the water and started put up tents.(10.30 p.m.) Girls were preparing some food while boys were looking for firewood. Preparations had been over by 11.30 p.m. We made a fire and lighted it. There was a high flame. We warmed our hands and our bodies. Then we had a meal. We were talking about everything...  Although everybody was tired we were enjoying the surroundings. The sky was full of stars that night. Stars seemed so far away from us but we could see those small dots above our heads. We didn't need anything at that moment. We had been sitting around the campfire for 3 hours until the fire went out. A short while later I and somebody else went to sleep into tents. (We had only two tents: one was for boys and the other one was for girls.) Other people were singing songs. Everything was great except the deadly cold. I wore 2 pants, 2 pairs of socks, 2 T-shirts and a jacket but it was helpless. Anyway we fell asleep soon in spite of that cold.

I woke up at 6.30 a.m. when the sun was shining brightly. It was a warm and cloudless morning. I took off all my clothes except swimming trunks and went to the shore. I was standing there about 5 minutes and then I decided to have a swim. My morning bathe was gorgeous. Sunbeams were reflected in the water. I was jumping from the shore into the water, swimming to another side of the chalkpit. There were 2 of my friends and me who already had got up. We took some pictures and went to wake people up.  When everybody was awakened we put together food that left from yesterday. Each of us ate some food. (9.30 a.m.) So we had to hurry up and start our way home because otherwise we could be at home late. Everybody of us wanted to go at once except 2 guys who wanted to sleep. ;) We(5 people) put together our possessions and went to the road. Our way home was quicker. We used 7 cars to return home. (Krasnosel'skij - Zel'va - Slonim - Baranovichi - Minsk - Begoml' - Lepel' - Vitebsk) We were at home at 9 p.m.. Now we were the first(me and one of my friends who went with me)! There were very different people in those cars, but almost of all told us stories from their lives.

Three girls arrived in Vitebsk 3 hours later after midnight because they had some troubles to stop any transport.

Two boys who didn't go with us went to Grodno by car, then went to Minsk by train. They were in Minsk at 11 p.m.. They spent a night there and arrived in Vitebsk in the evening next day.

I remember it so well as if it was yesterday. It was a really excellent trip! I'm sure I'll make the same trip as soon as it is possible.