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Published: June 13th 2008
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Hi @ all:
So my story about my first trip to Serbia! My Friend is Serbian and he always tells me how great it is in Serbia and how great the Balkan-region is. As I like to discover new places we decided to traval all the Balkan-countries - starting with Serbia!
I was very sceptical because you nearly hear just negativ things about those countries - and I wanted to know how the real lifestyle of the people living there is.
At 1 of June 2008 we took a plane from Zurich airport to Belgrad Nikola Tesla Airport. The flight was really ok and not expenisve (180 euros). Arriving in Belgrade the first thing we did is take off our pullovers because it sooooo hot there. After getting out of the Airport in Belgrade you have a wide range of taxis - but they are very very expensive (about 1800 dinar to the city center). So we took the "JAT-PREVOZ" from the airport to the center of Belgrade. The bus is really good and the Bus-driver was very polite. We drove about 20 min. and arrived into Belgrade. The first impressons were - ok but nothing special! We did not
stay this day in Belgrade. We wanted to explore Serbia and stay in Belgrade for our last few days. So we took a Bus to get to Smederevo. Smedervo is a little town near Belgrade and has a wonderful caslte on the riverside of the Danube.
So the first SHOCK in Serbia. We had a complete drunk Bus-driver - but the good thing is he did not recognize us and so we drove free to Smederevo ;-). But the driving of the Serbian people is just horrible. I was praying to get well to Smederevo because the Bus driver drove very fast and did not care about red light or other participants on the streets. After 1 hour horror-driving we arrived in Smederevo. It was late (about 8 o'clock) and it was very hard to find a hostel there. The center is very beautiful, there is a white big church surrounded with lots of cafes and a lot of people! We ask people where we can find any hostel?! I was amazaed that nearly everyone we ask could speek englisch. A nice women said, if we like we could go with her she has a house and would like to
take us to her - we could stay a few days in her house. I was a little scared about that, I thougt she is a killer or something like that - but she was such a nice and friendly women. She lives in a big house near the center alone her kids live in Belgrade. We stayed there for 3 days and she did not want to take any money from us!!!!!! So we bought her some presents and she was crying when we gave theme to her. Thank god my friend could speak serbian because she did not understand any word in English. So the next day we were sleeping until late in the afternoon because we were really tiered. Then we explored the City of Smederevo and I must say that it is a really lovely litte town. The castel is just huge and amazing. We met there some young Serbian people and they took us in an "car" to an etho-village near that town. This village was just amazing - I felt in love with that village. It shows the serbian culture and mentality. There were dancing folkores and it very intressting. That evening I tasted
my first time the Serbian national drink "Sljivovica" - Man was I drunk that evening...!
After our stay in Smederevo we took a bus to get to Kragujevac - the Detroid of the Balkan as it was explaind by our Bus-driver! ;-). Kragujevac was nothing special. The city is bigger then Smederevo but very dirty. The only thing i really liked was the big market where you can get everything. After this we got one to Kraljevo. This city was exactly the same as Kragujevac just smaller. After that we got with a Bus (The public transport in Serbia is HORRIBLE!!!!!! also the streets) to Vrnjacka Banja. This is also a very little but beautiful city. There we met some hot Serbian chicks and had a great time with them. We were gouing out in this place on a concert of a Serbian Rock Band...and it was great! The next day we safed our love with the Serbian chicks on the "Brigde of Love" in Vrnjacka Banja...this was very funny. Young people go there and lock up there love with a lock...very funny.
From Vrnjacka Banja we got back to Belgrade. A horribel (again) Bus drive to Belgrade. We
started at 7 o 'clock in the morning and arrived at (!) 3 o'clock afternoon in Belgdrade...it was soooo anoying! In Belgrade we searched and found a hostel near the Bus Station (BAS). Then we got something to eat. A typical Serbian meal: THE "PLJESKAVICA" - yummy. It is like a hamburger just about 5 times bigger and better! After that we went some sightseeing in Belgrade. And I must say the center is very beautiful. And the girls arrrrr they are veryyyyyy adorable! That night we were just sleeping because it sooo stressful and we needed a cup of sleep. The next day we explored the DELTA CITY CENTER (Shopping mall in New Belgrade)...oh my god do not ever come the delta city center with a women (!). This mall is sooo huge but nice to see. After that we again got to walking around in the Knez Mihajlova (center)...drinking beer from plastic bottels (2l cost 190 dinar=about 2,50 !!!!!!) again we were completle drunk. In this sitation we ate again a Pljeskavica and got to a "Splav" (housboats on the river)...this is soooo amazing. We were dancing and drinking with beatiful young Serbian people and gypsy-music...it was a
fantastic evening. After that we were relaxing with some guys and girls from canada on the Kalemegdan park...this is a must if you visit Belgrade because it is very relaxing and cool there!
The next day begun with a horrible headache and we were very sick! As it was ou last day here, we decided to see another cultural highlight in Belgrade - the curch of Sv.Sava. It is a really impressing big church in the central district of Belgrade. And it is really very cool there. The best thing I liked there was that you feel very very very safe, because everywhere are policemen/women present! Not just in the City Center!
To sum it up: The trip was very good. I liked it much! The Serbian people are totaly diffrent as I would have expectet it, because they are very friendly and they are PARTY-PEOPLE!!!! Espacially the younger-generation is really cool...
I recomend it to everyone to go and visit this place...
Here are some usefull phrases (I learnd them also ;-))
Cao/Zdravo - Hi
Dobar Dan - Hello
Kako si? - How are you?
Dobro - good
Lose - not good
Koliko kosta? - How
much is it?
Ti si lepa - You are beautiful
Ja se zovem ... - My name is
a ti? - and you?
Pivo - Beer
Rakija - taste it ;-)
Currency is Dinar (1 euro is about 80 Dinar)
Taxis are cheap if there are licsenced caps...if not avoid them.
Don't take the public transport if you are not sure where the bus is driving
Policemen/women speek English, ask them if you don't know anything
!!!!Avoid talking about Kosovo!!!!!! If you like to talk about Politics be careful but the most people are ok with that topic but don't say anything wrong about Kosovo!
Be respectful in a curch! ...hope you the Info was good for you!
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