Teenage Belarusian Models Tell Harrowing Tales of '700 Kilometers of Hell'

[Larry1]

Two teenaged Belarusian models walk from Minsk to Moscow. Here is their story:

Belarussian Models Tell Harrowing Tales of '700 Kilometers of Hell'

When a pair of teenage Belarussian models set off on foot for the daunting 700-kilometer journey from Minsk to Moscow, they wanted to do something bold — to go on an epic adventure they could one day tell their grandchildren about. There was no way they could have anticipated what lay ahead: a drowning scare, pilfering strawberries from village garden plots or fleeing to escape a lascivious truck driver clad only in his underpants.

... Having left school behind, and with prospects of modeling work in Asia and Europe in their immediate future, they decided on a whim to go on a memorable adventure.

The very next day, the 17-year-old brunettes set off on foot for the Russian capital, armed with only the most basic essentials.

"We bought a tent, two sleeping bags, a flashlight, a map, some energy bars and water and took off," said Liza, the quieter and more reserved of the duo. "We had some extra clothes in our backpacks, thinking it might get cold out there, portable cell phone chargers and a few cans of insect repellent."

Gloria — Liza's bubbly, effervescent counterpart — chimed in. "We didn't even have a hairbrush with us! By the end of our journey, our hair had turned into a couple of giant filthy dreadlocks," she said, laughing.

... With no money and inadequate supplies, the young travelers had to be resourceful to ensure they had enough to eat. They would ask strangers at gas stations to buy them snacks. But often times, people didn't believe their tale and responded with rudeness.

"There was a lot of name calling, but we got used to it at some point and didn't let it get to us," Gloria said.

"Most of the time we ate bread, pastries and chocolate bars, since we didn't have much choice at these gas stations. I hate chocolate bars now. We ate so many of them. But they were a good source of calories and energy," Liza told The Moscow Times.

Gas stations were few and far between in Belarus, the teens said, so there were days when they didn't eat at all.

... As they passed through small villages, the girls often swiped fruit and vegetables from garden plots, leading to several run-ins with angry villagers and their even angrier dogs.

On one such occasion, an elderly lady in Smolensk tore out of her dacha. "She called us thieves and threw us out of her garden. We were about to leave, but decided to take a chance and ask from some food," Liza told The Moscow Times.

The girls told the babushka their story, showing her pictures and videos, and ultimately won her sympathy. "She insisted we stay with her. We spent two days at her place, eating, sleeping and bathing. She washed our clothes and gave us some food to bring with us," Liza said.

"After that we were rested and ready to continue our journey," Gloria said. "But at the same time it was incredibly hard to leave the warm house with food, beds and hot water and get on the road again."

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/belarussian-models-tell-harrowing-tales-of-700-kilometers-of-hell/525843.html

You might be asking why the girls' parents let them do this. The girls lied to their parents, telling them they were going to fly to Moscow.

The girls initially told their families that they would fly to Moscow.

"It was the hardest thing — lying to our parents. I'm afraid our trusting relationship with them has been ruined," Liza said with a sad smile. "But we didn't tell them about our plans because we didn't want them to worry about us," she added.

The girls' parents hadn't suspected anything until they received an anonymous call from a concerned stranger who had likely caught wind of the adventure thanks to their diligent social media updates.

"This woman called and told my mother we were in danger traveling on foot and threatened to call the police," Liza said. "My mother called me and demanded proof that we were in Moscow. She wanted a screenshot of our geo-location. We had to ask a Moscow-based friend to send us a screenshot of one that we could then forward to my mom," she explained.

Once they finally arrived in Moscow, the girls called and told their parents the truth. "My mother cried when I told her, saying she couldn't trust me anymore. It was difficult," Liza said.

"I think we will get what's coming to us once we get home," Gloria added.

Read the entire article if these excerpts interested you.

If I had been their father I would have been worried too. I wonder what's coming to them when they get home.

Here is a photo of the girls:

[HoundDaddyLee]

Based on the photo above, I doubt they have a future in modeling anywhere. Just my opinion...


HDL

[Larry1]

Based on the photo above, I doubt they have a future in modeling anywhere. Just my opinion...


HDL

But keep in mind that they're not wearing any makeup (as far as I can tell) and if this photo was taken during their trip they had pretty much no hair grooming opportunities. 

It would be interesting to get the opinions of various people on this question.

[HoundDaddyLee]

But keep in mind that they're not wearing any makeup (as far as I can tell) and if this photo was taken during their trip they had pretty much no hair grooming opportunities. 

It would be interesting to get the opinions of various people on this question.

Yes it would be. But I find the most beautiful women do not need makeup. If they need their "warpaint" to be beautiful then it is just an illusion of beauty.

But I agree, that if it was taken mid-journey they may have been a bit bedraggled.


HDL

[Anotherkiwi]

...if this photo was taken during their trip they had pretty much no hair grooming opportunities.

But I agree, that if it was taken mid-journey they may have been a bit bedraggled.

I can't remember seeing too many horses in paddocks in Moscow!