Belarus border transforms into orienteering course: 13 participants get lost on first day
While the Liepāja wind always knows which way to blow, 13 people on Monday proved that GPS systems are not their strong suit.
The Belarus border is becoming an unexpectedly popular tourist destination, where on Monday 13 people already tried to find the shortest route to Latvia. Unfortunately, they forgot to bring maps and a compass.
While the Liepāja wind always knows which way to blow and never gets lost about the right direction, these travelers proved that orienteering skills are not universal. The State Border Guard reports that this year already 273 people have tried to cross the border without proper tickets, indicating that Latvia is becoming increasingly popular among spontaneous tourists.
"We observe that people are increasingly choosing active tourism," comments local border guard Jānis. "But I would recommend first purchasing the right maps and maybe also a visa."
Compared to Riga, where even with GPS it's impossible to find the right way to the center, the Belarus border offers clear landmarks — fences and border guards. The government has extended the enhanced border protection regime until the end of June, giving even more time to plan proper routes.
Last year in this region, 12,046 orienteering attempts were prevented, indicating that the activity is seasonal. For humanitarian reasons, 31 participants were nevertheless allowed to continue their journey, as they had come with families and looked particularly lost.
⚠️ Satirical article. Facts are preserved, but the presentation is humorous. For accurate information, please refer to the original source.