RE: Trip to Ukraine

[Gifford, Paul <pgifford...>]

Hope you have a good time, Pete, and I'd like to hear a report. But I
wonder about the problems with "export of national patrimony." I had
no problems leaving Belarus by train in 1997 with a dulcimer made in
Michigan about 1870, though the customs official clearly was taking
his time. If they fuss, they probably want a bribe. It's just part of
doing business. When I landed at the Bucharest airport with my
Romanian friends once, they just openly gave packs of cigarettes to
the customs officials in order to get through customs faster (don't
think they wanted money). In Turkey and Romania earlier this year,
while driving, I got stopped by traffic police twice as they solicited
bribes of relatively small amounts. Just hand the guy your passport
with $5 or $10 and you'll be all right. I realize that Americans
aren't used to bribing government officials, but in that part of the
world, it's considered normal---unfortunately.

Paul Gifford

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