Barysaw: Travel guide, prices and free housing · 2026

RravikJun 15, 2009Read

Setting off from my hometown to South Africa, almost to the other end of the world, I wasn't thinking about writing anything new at all. I had at least three reasons for this: firstly, for almost a whole year before that, I had been in a creative crisis, and thoughts even visited me: "Maybe I won't write anymore?!" Secondly, the experience of past travels told me it was useless to expect creativity from myself abroad. I remember with what hope I went to England in the summer of 2003, thinking I would write there. But if I wrote anything there, it was insignificant and little. In the summer of 2004, I went to the United States, but even there, in three months, I wrote no more than five pages. In the autumn of 2006, during a bus tour of Europe, I also proved myself only as a "creative corpse." Although I could have written everywhere, it seems. Why did it suddenly start working out in South Africa? I don't know... Everything happened by itself. I just started. And it went on. I couldn't stop. I reveled in the process, giving myself to it. And there was a feeling that I was writing not only with my head or heart, but with my whole... SELF! My whole ME was participating in the process. By the way, for the first couple of weeks, I didn't think of this work as a "possible future book." I wrote because I liked it. And that was the most wonderful thing about my hobby. And if I wasn't writing a book, then what was it, you might ask?! For starters, I was throwing ordinary text notes into the "My Blog" section on "(…).ru". I wanted to describe the places where I ended up, the sensations arising from visiting them. I wrote about meetings with interesting people and events. About my experiences. I liked it very much, impossibly so, when I managed to write easily and amusingly. When the text turned out not just readable, but such that you don't stumble over it, you swallow it "in one breath." For the sake of such a result, I enthusiastically spent my free time, giving this process as much strength as I had. It is surprising that despite the fatigue, the next morning I woke up fresh and satisfied: time had not been wasted. And is it possible, while doing what you love, to waste time?! I think not. And you? It was pleasant to look through the comments of people reading my posts, to receive praise for the lightness of the style and the fascination of the presentation. However, I didn't tell anyone that I was laboring over the text, checking it several times and correcting it. And although I always remained, and still remain, somewhat critical of it, overall I am satisfied. That was my small and big joy — to entice and interest people with my "Travel Notes." My first book that was published was called "Travel Notes of Yevgeny Borisov." So, when I sent the text of the first pages of the book you are holding in your hands in electronic form to my cousin, a philologist and also a writer, he responded unexpectedly emotionally. He said he liked it very much, that I must continue writing! And that upon returning home, we would finish all this and release the second part of the "Travel Notes." He also said he would tear my head off if I didn't do it. I, of course, knew and know that Pavel praises first and then scolds (when "working on mistakes"), BUT... And it's not to say that such a thought hadn't visited me myself by that moment! I doubted for another week, gathered my thoughts, wrote. I will quote a part of that letter from my brother that concerns the publication of the book: "This is your chance, don't miss it! After all, we write something, we do something, not at all for those who are nearby, and those who believe in us, but more for those who WILL BELIEVE and one day will say: Look, Sandalkin's book showed me how it would be better, helped me figure it out easily and simply where I got confused. In my opinion, this is the HIGHEST reward for a writer! This will be a light and slightly carefree guide for those who will go on your or a similar