Belgrade and the end of Varna

The Former Yugoslavia - Four countries down, One to go.

(Ok, let's not talk about the Kosovo issue - I'm going to try and get down there so any comments about my opening statement can be saved for a few weeks, thank you!)

As always seems to be the case whenever I'm traveling on my own, as soon as I finished my last entry my plans changed and my train journey through Bulgaria and Serbia with new friends, became a night bus to Sofia and a 9 hour train to Belgrade... on my own with only strange old men to keep me company. The night bus left Varna at quarter to one in the morning and I had planned to sleep on the way to Sofia - the incessant rattling of some bus part and the fact that, it turns out, that the back seat of the bus is not cool... it is blimmin hot!!!, meant that I had a grand total of an hours sleep.

The main flaw, in my plan to get to Belgrade, was going to be the connection between the bus and the train - Bulgaria's use of the internet to display travel information is not exactly user friendly. Luckily the train to Belgrade wasn't leaving until midday so I had a few hours to go and re-take some of the photos that were lost in the Great Varna Camera Heist of '09. (AND they had even turned on the lights in the cathedral so I could actually see the frescoes.) The weather in Sofia was really nice as well so, although Sofia still remains to dullest capital in Europe, I did get to revisit it in a better light.

I was really worried stepping on to the train to Belgrade - it was exactly the same inside as the horror train from Sarajevo to Budapest last year and all I could think about was the possibility of getting bitten by more seat bugs. Ew!! Luckily, the day wasn't as hot as it was on the day of the aforementioned horror trip and the whole journey (although interspersed with bored) was generally really pleasant.

Serbia, like most countries in Eastern Europe, has some stunning scenery and the train track weaves through some really pretty valleys - sheer, rocky cliffs that descend into lush, green valleys, meandering rivers and tumble down houses... very rustic and sweet. I spent huge periods of time standing in the corridor looking out the windows trying to get the perfect picture - hopefully a few turned out ok! As well as beautiful scenery and a little boredom, I had some old men to keep me company - they knew I didn't speak ANY Serbian but still insisted on talking to me and so, I'm ashamed to say, I reverted to the tried and true smile and agree... still don't have a clue. The other highlight of the trip was the Bulgaria-Serbia boarder crossing where everybody in my compartment got kicked off the train (hence there being room for the old men to sit)!!! One guys for only having an EU ID card and no passport and the other two for illegally importing goods. (From what I could see it was electrical wire - ?)

So finally, at 8pm, I got to Belgrade, made the stupid decision of walking to the hostel (up a hill with 15kg pack), got lost and discovered that Belgrade has a mosquito problem... I did get to the hostel in the end after asking for directions and helping three small children practice their English - just a bit of 'Hello. My name is...' The hostel is about 15mins walk from the center of town, on the same hill where they're are building a MASSIVE (!!!!) new 'temple' (aka. church) - marble tile, domes, stain glass windows and all.

As part of my month of being a 'yes person', (I figure I can sleep for the month after I get back), after nearly 24hrs of traveling I agreed to go out - well, Belgrade is known WAY more for what happens there at night than during the day. I'm glad I did because it meant I made a major discovery in my quest to travel in Eastern Europe as a vegan - not only is there a vegan shop across the road from the hostel, there is a 24hour supermarket on the main road that sells vegan food too... I LOVE BELGRADE ALREADY!!!

This morning I slept - I know exciting... but it is also one of the best things about traveling on your own; do what you want when you want to, change the plan or do nothing at all. (I didn't sleep all the way from Varna and did get home at 4am so I do feel the sleep in was justified.) My plan for Belgrade is to stay for four nights and then catch a night train down to Montenegro. I'm thinking of spending a couple of days exploring the city and then use it as a base to go on a few day trips to some other towns and a couple of monasteries.

This afternoon I did my first explore of Belgrade. The city sits beside the meeting of the Danube and Sava Rivers and so, as with most raised, riverside land, has been fought over again and again for centuries - 115 battles in the last 2300 years, razed 44 times! So I went up and had a look around the Kalemegdan Citadel, which covers a really large area, most of which is just a nice park. Most of the current fortress was built in 18th century, although many of the gates are older. (And there was a park bench shaped like a water melon!)

It was a really lovely walk down the hill from the hostel to the fortress; large parts of the 'old' town are pedestrianised and there are lots of street side cafes - it generally makes for a relaxed but vibrant atmosphere. The old town isn't really that old - most of the buildings are from the 18th and 19th century (good old Habsburgs) but it is pretty impressive that so many of them survived to communist cull of beautiful buildings that happened throughout the rest of Eastern Europe. There is also a lot of art around the city and in a few of the squares there are mini exhibitions of clay sculpture - odd but pretty cool too.

As well as generally walking about having a look and taking photos, I went to the Ethnographic Museum for more ethnic costumes and fun information on the traditional methods of Serbian textile production! (There were also mock-up interiors of different houses in different areas... completed with different table displays - Christmas, Easter, Saint's Day, etc.) All quite cool (and in English) and appealing to my openly geeky self.

Am hoping to see the National Museum and make a trip to Tito's grave tomorrow - don't worry I'm still trying my hardest not to get obsessed with communist history of the former Yugoslavia (although I did buy a Yugoslavia pin for my collection today)!

Will write again soon!

Rose x