http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Serbia/West/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Europe , Serbia , West en-us Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:59:07 BST Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:59:07 BST I've spent the last 3 days in Serbia fighting the cold rain and gloom. I've decided I need a warm break full of sea breezes and sunshine. Yep I'm coming home for the holidays. I'll be home for Thanksgiving and staying through the New Year. Then I'm off again to South America Central America and where ever else my heart takes me. I'm looking forward to walks on the beach a day of pamper http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-330857.html Having decided to do a run for Montenegro from Veliko Tarnovo I knew it would be a big couple of days. I had made up my mind to skip Belgrade completely except for a couple of hours until the next train. That lasted as long as it took for me to get off the train and start talking to a French guy Igor and all of a sudden I'm spending 12 hours in Beograd providing adequate justification for the p http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-330030.html So nun also wieder in Belgrad. 7 Uhr frueh und es regnet Werd gegen spaeter mal im Hostel vorbeigucken wollen was kochen. Bis die dort wach sind will ich die Gelegenheit nutzen ein wenig von meiner Rueckfahrt aus Istanbul zu erzaehlen. Ich weiss net ob ich die letzten 2 Tage so beschreiben kann wie ich sie erlebt habe. Kann gut sein dass dabei ein wenig vom Humor verloren geht. Oder auc http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-325808.html So nach etwas laengerer Pause bin ich wieder da. Ich hab schon Beschwerden gehoert ueber die ich mich im uebrigen sehr freue dass mein letzter Eintrag zwecks mangelnder Laenge nicht unbedingt zur Ablenkung ablenkunswilliger Personen beitragen konnte...Was ich schon mal sagen kann ist dass ich auch net weiss wann ich das naechste Mal online sein werde. Ich versuch mal die Tage seit Freit http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-324065.html Heute is ein Bloedtag...Kurs vorbei haelfte Leut schon weg und ich merk dass meine Reiselust irgendwo zwischen Erdgeschoss und Keller haengen geblieben ist...Sollt vielleicht wirklich hier im Hostel anfangen arbeiten D Weil ohne was richtiges zu tun hierbleiben is ja irgendwie auch daemlich. Nuja werd mich morgen mal bissel sammeln damit ich dann Sonntag oder Montag hoffentlich in die Pus http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-322869.html Stell mir grad die Frage ob ich dieses Internetcafe als aufsuche weil ich tatsaechlich was im Netz machen will oder wegen der Musik die da laeuft. Planungshilfe fuer spaetere Reisen Mp3Player als net 5 Minuten vor Abfahrt bestuecken...Dann guckt ma net schon nach 4 Tagen gelangweilt in die Roehre. Oh by the way...Ich bin gar net so bloed. Nachdem ich mit den Klamotten im Rucksack inzwischen http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-322109.html Waehrend ich als immer dachte mir koennts net warm genug sein muss ich jetzt feststellen dass bei mir mit so ca. 42 Grad die Schmerzgrenze erreicht ist. Ich tu nix mehr hab nur noch das Gefuehl zu zerfliessen...Ih baeh. A propos. Ich wollts ja net glauben bis ich mir vorgestern selbst so ne Klimaanlagenerkaeltung zugezogen hab.Ansonsten steht die Luft halt ein bisschen. Ich glaub ich muss a http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-320854.html Heute musste mein ueblicher Besuch im 'Bistro Slavija' leider ausfallen. War heut in ner eigentlich viel zu teuren Bar. Aber einmal geht das schon. Ich weiss noch net ob ich das ganz toll oder eher ganz seltsam find wenn mir der Kellner das Glas hinterherschiebt wenn ich mit meinem Stuhl 10 cm nach links oder nach rechts ruecke...Naja ich leb sowieso bissel wat ueber meine Verhaeltnisse...Dafu http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-319885.html 12 Aug good grief we leave the hotel at 0515 this morning....complete with breakfast 'to go'. 6 hour train journey from Croatia to Serbia resulting in more stamps in the passport. Arrive in Belgrade. It's quite a sprawly city so we have a bus tour with an extremely enthusiastic and knowledgeable local guide. We pass some harrowing sights of bombed apartment buildings from during the troubles in http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-319623.html Heute sind wir nach der Schule erstmal n Kaffee trinken gegangen. Bzw. ich bin erstmal vom Kaffee abgewichen. Was mir aus welchen Gruenden auch immer bisher noch nie untergekommen ist Heisse Schokolade aus weisser Schokolade. Die hat mich nach dem ersten Schluck vor ein ernstes Problem gestellt Soll ich mich aergern dass mir dieses Geschmackserlebnis 26 Jahre lang vorenthalten geblieben ist http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-319475.html So schnell gehts dass man nen Tag lang zu nichts kommt waer ja auch eher unschoen wuerde man sich zu Tode langweilen. Deshalb kam gestern nix dafuer gibts heut gleich eineinhalb Tage Naja ausser mir is ja auch niemand drauf angewiesen DAlso Sonntag sollte ich ja zu der Schule gehen um mich einstufen zu lassen. Das war lustig. Mir ist es recht lange gelungen meine Haltung Solang ich ni http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-318993.html So zwei Stunden frueher als erwartet durft ich also in Belgrad aussteigen. War selber massivst ueberrascht wie problemlos es an der Grenze lief. Hab meinen Pass gleich wieder bekommen und die Koffer blieben diesmal auch zu Ein paar meiner Ansichten muss ich jetzt schon revidieren. Z.B. woran man in den 10 Minuten die man zum packen noch hat net denkt waer eh nicht wichtig gewesen. Stimmt s http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-318171.html Today marks my last day in Belgrade I spent time picnicing with danilo's family at a camptypething on the danube. I guess you could consider my time this morning at the Freestyler today but not really. Interstingly enough danilo and I got to row after all... at least we got to paddle a broken down boat with 7 people in it. Fun huh Good picture for coach I guess. Anyways tommorow morning I h http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-315413.html So the train I was originally getting from Sophia to Belgrade never actually turned up so I had to wait around another 8 hours to leave. The train then was about 4 hours late getting into Belgrade which though not a problem for me caused loads of people to miss their connecting trains. Whenever any of the backpackers asked when we would actually arrive all the ticket inspector would do was to http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-309315.html Nogmaals groeten uit Belgrado Even weer een snel berichtje.Gisteren zat ik op het terras voor mijn hotel met wat te eten en een biertje komt er een Karadzicdemonstratie langs... muziek vlaggen posters met het hoofd van K aardig wat politie eromheen. Niet al te veel mensen 200 of zo. En verder was het rustig Toch wel apart...Vandaar o.a. de ruine van het fort hier bekeken en een museum o http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-307896.html Hier volgt een bericht van uw oorlogsverslaggever live uit Belgrado De kogels vliegen me om de oren ik schuil nu achter een brandende auto...O nee toch niet niks aan de hand hier Dus gewoon groeten uit een warm en zonnig Belgrado hoofdstad van ServiTwee erg rustige dagen gehad in Sighisoara waar ik nog wat musea heb bekeken oude gebouwen e.d. Je hebt in Sighisoara een huis waar Vlad http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-307468.html In the words of Ian Oliver translated on the internet Behold come down percussion hammer. PROLOGUESerbia Serbia Serbia. Ah Serbia. In order to fully appreciate our experience the reader should imagine a constant stream of beautiful leggy 6ft1 women. Now with that in mind the blog may begin. We arrived in Belgrade after a lengthy 13 hour overnight train journey in our own 3 person slee http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-298503.html Finally I'm heading West and aboard the Orient Express not the expensive American Tourist version rather the cheap local version no red velvet curtains lino rather than carpet and a surprising lack of female travellers. I'm not sure why this is...Following a VERY full 5 days in London including ingesting amazing amounts of food and drink catching up with as many people as possible Helga http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-287670.html Okay.....so I haven't blogged for a while so I'll have to catch you upWe went to Dubrovnik Croatia for a few days it was awesome one of the most beautiful old towns yet. Our legs got strong from the seemingly millions of stairs we had to climb to our hostel...the streets were so narrow that compact cars have to back up down one switch back then forward on the next then back down the next one http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-286095.html Hello allSo we left Dubrovnik and we were not too happy about that. The place was fantastic and we really missed it especially after where we headed next.We took a morning bus to Herceg Novi Montenegro from where we were hoping to catch another bus to Bar and then the night train to Serbia. We got to Herceg Novi couldn't get a bus to Bar for a few hours and ended up taking a bus to Podgori http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-282230.html I have to be fair although itrsquos nowhere near as fun. I am only here for one day not very much time to shape a conclusion of the city. Moreover it is Sunday. As with most European cities only the minimum of shops is open. As it is midsummer half the city is in Budva either burning itself on an uncomfortable and dirty beach or recovering from their hangovers from the night before. It http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-278124.html Sunday 23 March Donauschingen to Sigmaringen 100 kmVery good breakfast at the clinic of course we are in Germany. Very cold and snowing path down to the road was treacherous with ice. The roads and for the most part the cycle paths were well ploughed and salted. Stopped for lunch at a nice village. After lunch the path on the other side of the river was very muddy and snowy not nice http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-263926.html Woke up around 11am and got dressed as some of Vesnarsquos couch surfing friends had organised a picnic in a nearby mountain called Avala.Here's a short history of mount Avala from Wikipedia...StartAvala is the mountain overlooking the city of Belgrade Serbia situated in the southeastern corner of the city and offering a great panoramic view. It stands at 511 metres 1677 ft above sea level http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-258104.html I woke up around 7am but went back to sleep and woke up around 1130am. The girls Natasha Ivana and Jelena were still asleep.Ones the girlrsquos woke up it was breakfast time. Ivana wanted to go to the market near her flat to get food stuff. I went with her and I bought some onions bread eggs and some chillie powder.After we got back I made some ldquoSeeni Sambolrdquo essentially fried on http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-255890.html Woke up at 7am showered had breakfast and left Ves's house at 8am. When I got to the tram almost immediately there was tram No. 7 to the main bus station. Fortunately it was one of the old trams that you can buy a ticket from the driver.People as usual do look at you because clearly I don't look like one of them. Got to the bus station at 0840. The bus leaves Zagreb at 0900 and it takes 6 hours. http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-254747.html Evo jos smo u Beograduza tacno 12 sati krecemo za Mumbay preko IstambulaPozdrav Cabra http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-246375.html This part of the blog is probably going to be the least interesting for everyone but hey its gotta be done or else the blog isn't complete. Basically the 5th 6th and 7th were identical days of laying around reading sleeping and walking about town a little bit... we're tired from travelling and walking so much.January 5th we came back from Novi Sad by bus and got back to the residence around http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-233752.html Christmas Day was fairly uneventful with the exception of my friend Brian flying into the country. Plans were for him to fly in xmas day and continue with me and my uncle on our journey through hungary and czech republic. So far plans are going to schedule. In Serbia they celebrate Orthodox Christmas so December 25th was a normal day once unpacked me and Brian headed out for some coffee and http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-230800.html Thursday and Friday were both low key. I stayed at home and played with some of my aunts dogs during the day on Thursday. At 8pm I went to my friends university where they had an AISIC conference. After that we went to a small publike place that was actually in an alley underneath an overpass in New Belgrade it looked shady but was great. The crazy thing is they only serve wine there 2 k http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-229368.html I arrived in Belgrade last night and pulled up to the mansion where my uncle lives as Ambassador of Canada to Serbia and Montenegro. Talked to some very friendly people including his chauffeur Dragaan and a few of the guards at the front and butlers and chefs. This morning I woke up bright and early yes believe it Dylan and got to see the embassy where my uncle works. After that I walked http://www.travelblog.org//Europe/Serbia/West/Belgrade/blog-228526.html