ILLEGAL AND SICK IN MINSK.....

Marcus you are right in both of your comments... I didn't think of that.
I am sick!! for the second day in a row. It's some kind of sinus infection and I have a fever, not sure how high.

I just called Yuri, the agent for the flat, regarding my registration.
Registrations are much more serious in Belarus than in Russia.

Yuri has the most sinister Russian accent I have ever heard when he speaks English! Thanks to Hollywood films etc... there is a certain stereotype as you might know. With his dark voice and strong accent Yuri sounds like a really dangerous mafia person, or some old-time KGB agent from a film. He doesn't bother with using "the" or "a" at all when he speaks. It's clear what he means, but it makes the speech sound very abrupt. And he doesn't like to speak to his customers unfortunately. He simply promised to help me tomorrow and hung up.

He needs to help me though - because the situation with the registration is already problematic. He says he can fix it..... and I hope he is right. But whatever he does, it's going to be something outside of the law.

According to what the female officer at the immigration office said, there is a big problem, because you can not stay in a private flat if you have a business visa, and my visa is for business in Vitebsk, not Minsk. The person who sold the invitation said that it didn't matter at all.

It's very infuriating that all these regulations exist, but they are not documented clearly anywhere, and the tourist is not informed what they are. I had to search on the internet etc. That's how I got in touch with the guy who is a guide.

It's a terrible shame to be sick while on holiday, but today I will study some Russian to see if I can improve just a tiny bit.

I have read all the tourist material that I took from the Minsk tourist agency.
The things that interest me the most are the historical sights they mention, a few new eco-parks and maybe visiting a sanatorium. If anyone has been to a sanatorium, please tell me what it is like?

I think I got sick because I kept accidentally eating milk which clogs up my sinuses. Then I was smoking a bit, which I normally never do, but I got nervous about problem with the credit card and the registration. You must all think I am a real idiot to mess up for myself!

Hopefully I will be fully recovered tomorrow, and Yuri can "fix" the registration as he says he can.

And I can do some real sightseeing and planning. Also maybe apply for a Russia visa.
I have a crazy idea of going back to Sweden the "Northern" route. I.e. travel through Karelia and up to Murmansk, then there are buses from there into Finland and Sweden. We'll see though.. I haven't even got a visa to Russia yet.