3 - 6 July, 2008 - Belgrade/ Jamena/ Novi Sad
Travelling to Belgrade was not part of my original European plans. I had kind of intended to go to Switzerland... just as a little break from Marisa (no offence dear, you're awesome but after 3 weeks travelling together, I think we did need some space) but, at the very last minute I was convinced to change my mind and go to Belgrade instead.
I have learnt over time that quite often, no matter how hard you try to plan for things, plans almost always go awry. You just have to be flexible to change and sometimes, those changes turn out for the better.....
So, I wake at 4:30am to pack and head out at 5:30am (breakfast-less because nothing was open at that hour) to catch my train to the airport in Berlin. What surprised me that morning was the number of people already on the train at that crazy hour! The train was not exactly packed, but it was pretty darn full, why are people going to work so damn early in the morning?!
It turns out, what I had thought was a direct flight from Berlin to Belgrade was not in fact, direct at all. I had to land in Stuttgart Airport, collect my luggage and re-check in at Stuttgart Airport to catch a different flight to Belgrade. It was such a hassle, and Stuttgart Airport was being renovated so finding the check-in counter was a real pain the behind...
I was starting to get nervous, it was early, my mind wasn't quite awake yet, I hadn't had anything to eat and I was lost in an airport that I didn't know I was going to land in and by the time I found the counter, the lady checking me in asked me where my visa was? Well... I was told by an expert that Aussie travellers do not require a visa to enter Serbia, and that's exactly what I said to her - heheh, I wish I did say that but no, I didn't (I'm not that quick in the mornings)... Fortunately she didn't ask me which expert I was referring to, because the answer would've sounded so stupid. I reckon she thought I was from some asian country, until I pointed out that she was in fact holding my AUSTRALIAN passport, which means I don't need a visa - it was at about this point that images of Border Security and asian women weeping on tv were starting to flash across my mind..... silly, I know but when you only have a few hours sleep and find yourself lost in a strange airport, and now someone has put doubt into your mind about your validity to enter a country, I think funny thoughts will cross your mind too.
While waiting for my flight, I bought a 36gm packet of M&Ms to stave off hunger pangs. The only other choice for food was a variety of bread and looking at bread at that time made me feel ill. So, chocolate for breakfast it was and as soon as I got to my seat and the plane started moving, I was out like a light.
Travelling is exhausting and stressful. Belgrade better be worth it.
Note on Germanwings Airline, they were ok, but boy were those seats close together, the seat in front of me was merely millimetres from my knees, and if I found it cramped I can't imagine how ordinary sized human beings will fit.... when we got off the flight, they gave each passenger a bottle of mango & chilli flavoured fizzy water. What a bizarre combination, and to be absolutely honest with you, it didn't taste half bad, however, at that time of day, with very little in my belly, fizzy drinks was the last thing I could stomach.
Another note, just for me to remember... I have never been anywhere in the world where I was the one and only asian person on a flight, and that happened TWICE that morning. On the way to Stuttgart and on the way to Belgrade.
Me.
The sole Asian.
I felt special :)
So, I, the special Asian, arrive at Nikola Tesla Airport, Belgrade and get through customs and immigration with not much drama. I even get my bag pretty darn early too, no waiting for this girl!
Or so I thought....
I had expected an entourage, marching band, waving flags, streamers, cheers and the whole shebang when I stepped out the door, but no. There was nobody. I won't tell you how long I had to wait for my guide to arrive. And he calls himself Mr Reliable.....
To be fair, he did have car trouble a few days prior, and I was surprised to see that the car was even drivable but that's a different story and this is my story, so I get to tell it how I like it and skew it to my advantage :p
So, 2:30pm and I'm in Belgrade.
The city looks beautiful. It's not pretty like Prague but does have a kind of old world charm with lots of new buildings sprouting up here and there. It kind of feels like a growing teenager, quickly developing and changing from the old to the new and just trying to find it's place in life... I think it's at a pretty good place right now, not too big, not too small, with lots of history attached to it but others may beg to differ.
It's not quite what I had expected, much bigger than I had thought it would be. Traffic was terrible! Serb drivers are amongst the craziest I have ever come across. Fortunately, I have my own private tour guide/ driver/ interpreter on hand to show me around.
First thing we did was drop off my bags and before I was whisked away to explore the city. Surprisingly, and a rather pleasant change, was the fact that there wasn't too many tourists around. It was particularly nice not to hear the irritating American accent (they were bloody everywhere in other major European cities), and was really good to not see any photo-snappy-happy Asian tourists.
I was pretty much it. Me: the irritating photo-snappy-happy Australian-Asian tourist. And it felt great being the only tourist in town. Hell, it felt great being the only Asian in town (I don't imagine there would be too many here....)
I felt special :)
We walked along to a few places, Knez Mihailova, or Prince Mikhail Street is a long shopping mall with some beautiful historical buildings and a water fountain that people drink from. This street leads into a big park/ garden area called Kalemegdan which surrounds the historical Belgrade Fortress. We didn't visit the Fortress today, just walked upto the park and turned back but it looked pretty awesome and grand. We also visited a church or two... one of them being the stunning Temple of St Sava, a Serbian Orthodox Church with a magnificent domed roof
Aaahhhh, look how beautiful it is! You should see the inside, even though it is not yet completed, you can already see how amazing it will look when it is finished.
What I saw on this first day in Belgrade is that the Serbs really enjoy the outdoor life, when it gets dark and the weather becomes cooler, the families start coming out of their hiding places for some fresh air and exercise. Many congregate in and around the parks and gardens, like outside this Church and around Kalemegdan and at first, that to a Melbourne girl is so strange to see parks full of people at night whereas the same could not be said in Melbourne. Parks and gardens tend to become eerily quiet when it gets dark and probably not the best place for a girl to go exercising at night.
It's about 7:30pm now and I haven't eaten anything bar the small packet of M&Ms at the airport but I am no longer hungry, I am beyond hungry now. If I eat anything now, it might come back up in a different shape and a different form. I also haven't slept much either, but am too caught up in the excitement of visiting this city and seeing my dear friend to remember that I need some shut-eye.
Just as well, cos I don't think we got any sleep that night... too much talking, not enough sleeping. The same night, I was also introduced to Serbian beer, Jelen Pivo - Deer Beer - now how did the Serbs know it rhymed in English??? A thought for another day. So we stayed up and talked and watched a lot of tv and talked some more and I think I fell asleep around 7:30am the next morning.... and woke again at 11:30am....
Day 2 - Belgrade
Second day in Belgrade started off with 4 hours sleep and about 2 hours of sitting around waiting for the guide to wake up... and only because I was told by his uncle to go wake him.... yeah, smart uncle, get the girl to wake the grumpy guide. So awake the giant becomes, and I have never known a man to take longer to get ready... waiting... the bane of a tourist's life...
Day 2 we visited the Belgrade Fortress. A pretty darn amazing site with awesome views of the city and could be much more awesome when restoration work is complete and they are able to open up a few more of the underground rooms/ tunnels/ chambers or whatever is down there. It was a pleasant experience, nice relaxing walk all around the Fortress and through the Gardens.
We had a late breakfast/ late lunch (it was about 4pm at this stage) at the restaurant at the top of the Fortress and it had some pretty amazing views of its own. Cute restaurant too. Boy do they serve a lot of food.
Look at that! 10 sausages, loads of chips, big salad and all the bread you can eat.... I ain't gonna be able to finish all that! Look at my face, that's one sleepy face.
We walked back down to Knez Mihailova for some souvenir shopping... the thing with Serbia is that, there's not a lot of choice for souvenirs... there are handmade clay thingies, and paintings, and leather shoes, and lace table cloths... and that's pretty much it. Even the postcards didn't have much variety.
But, tourism doesn't appear too big an industry at the moment, good for me, not so good for Serbia. But that's just now, it's only gonna boom in the near future, so I'm glad to have the chance to see it before it all happens.
Anyway, while Mr. Tour Guide was looking at souvenirs, I wandered off ahead on my own and was very suddenly approached by an artist street vendor. He stopped me in my tracks and stood right inside my personal space and intruded into my comfort zone. I wasn't exactly sure what he wanted at first, my first thought was to take a few steps backwards to regain my personal space but he started pointing at my face and saying something in Serbian... ok, so one of them vulture artists again, I must look really gullible....
I figured that he was saying I have a pretty face and he wanted to draw or paint me (whatever is his medium) but then he would ask me for money afterwards.... like the one I encountered in Paris last year. He didn't speak English so he called one of his mates over to translate, so here were 2 weirdos in my personal space. Where the hell is my guide??? Why is never around when I need him?? I need to be saved!
Here I am, each step that I take backwards, he takes one step forwards... you have a beautiful face, he wants to draw you, please go over to see his artwork, you don't have to buy.... I don't have to buy? yeah right.
Not long after, but not soon enough, Mr Tour Guide decides to step in and shoo the weirdo man away. And we make our way home to rest.... it was too much walking for the giant man.
One thing I have noticed about Serb drivers is that the road "rules" seem to be followed very loosely and are so different to any other European city that I've come across. They're traffic signals are confusing, and the lane markings are confusing. And they drive fast! I've been told that I must look both right, then left and then right again before crossing any roads here....
So we get home pretty early for a rest and had planned to go out later that night, perhaps to some bar for a drink or a maybe a late cruise on the river, and this night is one of those times where plans can go awry.
The car got a flat tyre, so we couldn't go anywhere, too dark to change or pump it up so we just went back home and watched tv and talked and watched more tv and talked some more... once again, too much talking and not enough sleeping
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