Beograd

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Journey and Arrival

I wokeup in the train with an old Serbian couple in my car, and sleep wasn't coming back. The old lady seemed releived that I was alive and promptly forced me to eat lots of food, literally shoving it into my face. It was hard to complain, it's quite nice :D

The highlight of this train journey was unquestionably pasing through Nis. The train passes along at the equivalent height level of a 2nd storey building across an ad-hoc Serbian city that's not so far removed from what one imagines of the favelas of South America, with buildings placed almost randomly and squadrons of old ladies which bags across their backs, carrying items across the town.

Only 2 and a half hours late, we arrive in Belgrade, not quite as bad as Marija's prediction. An uphill trek to the nice Star Hostel and then a downhill trek back to the station to meet Rajna, who I definitely did not remember as being quite so stunningly beautiful! Some authentic (crazy) Serbian driving later and we were at a hotel with a burger and a beer, with her boyfriend and henchman, and I had recommendations for the night out.

Back at the hostel, the best laid plans went astray as a local Serbian guy suggested proper dinner, at a communist style canteen. This was followed by a live music pub-crawl of the town and then a pork-steak-burger-thing on the Kraja Alexandsar. Here, we spend a long time talking to hardworking, authentic, bitter locals. The Serbian attitude left me a little miffed though, where they seemed to have a certain underestimation of their own responsibility for their own position. Either way, it was an insightful, unexpected evening, and a good night's sleep.

2nd October

Up a little later than anticipated, I got moving, after first making a painfully slow and unfair money exchange with an anal australian fellow. Went to head for the Tesla musuem, the one thing I did want to see, but kept getting sidetracked by the impressive buildings, parks and statues.

Before I knew it I was back outside the Star Hostel, where I encountered an old woman on the street, who apparantly wanted to touch my hair!
Then down to the train station, where I got fleeced once again. Then out of bitter Belgrade, north to Zagreb

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Comments

[John]

well, that's not a partisan statue;))... It's prince Milosh, and some priest;))

[Tad ik]

Fair enough, I just looked at it and thought "cool statue"...