Took a bike trip to Braslav, positive experience. The swamps are terrifyingly gnarly, the nettles are over our heads, and instead of forest roads there are bumps and knee-deep mud puddles. Horseflies and red flies bite even through repellent. Everything we love about MTB. Crossed the border easily, almost with no line; all you need is insurance, a cheap Balta or Ergo.
Stayed overnight with relatives, so I can't help you there. When we were heading back, they didn't inspect our stuff. The gravel roads are often terrible, torn up due to the abundance of cars and agricultural trucks. Whenever possible, we turned off onto a meadow or into a swamp. As I've said more than once, a washboard-style dirt road is my least favorite thing.
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