After a loooong bus ride, I made it safely to Belgrade. Not before I missed my scheduled bus though, and narrowly avoided being left behind at a rest stop. (Note to self... there is not always an ATM handy at the bus station.) I am definitely starting to get the feeling that I'm getting more off the beaten path as far as the 'tourist trail' goes, and I realize how spoiled I've been by the fact that nearly everyone I've come into contact with up to this point has spoken English. Here in Serbia, there is the added complication (for me!) that they use the cryllic alphabet, which makes reading a map particularly difficult, and let's face it, I've already shown my weakness in that department. This is also the first place I've been where you're required to carry documentation around with you that you have been "checked in" and registered with the police. I so far haven't been asked to provide mine, but a couple of English guys that are staying in my hostel were stopped and questioned for awhile. My biggest issue so far has been that my passport wasn't stamped in Bosnia when I crossed the border from Croatia. When it came time for me to cross from Bosnia to Serbia, the border guard kept saying, "You need the stamp. Where is the stamp?? Where did you come from??" I explained that they hadn't stamped it when I took the bus from Dubrovnik to Mostar. "But you need the stamp!" Finally, he just shrugged and tossed my passport back to me. So I guess for all official purposes, I was never in Bosnia.
Belgrade gets a bad rap for being an "ugly" city. It has been destroyed and rebuilt some 40 times in its history so there is a somewhat eclectic mix of architectural styles, and it's certainly not as clean and pristine as some of the other places I've visited, but I'm glad I came. I'm planning a day trip up to Novi Sad, and then staying one more night in Belgrade before heading to Budapest tomorrow. A little change in the itinerary, but it's only a six hour train ride from here, so it'd be crazy not to go, right?
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Yes, Budapest is certainly not to be missed. Once you're there it is so easy to get around. The subway (which I think is the oldest in the world) is just a few feet under the surface, and serves a great part of the city. One thing you don't want to get burned on is buying tickets. It looks as though people just walk on and off without buying a subway ticket, but most Hungarians have monthly passes. Don't get caught without a ticket, or else you have to pay a pretty pricey fare...sadly I know this from experience ;P
Have fun while there! Oh, and one of my favorite spots was Hosok Tere (Hero Square). Lovely.
Josie,
Beautiful pictures and thoughts! I recieved your message, I am in Manzanita with the coffee boys. All of which say HI! I am enjoying keeping track of your progress. I am thrilled to hear that you continue to meet people of peace, and that you show the world another view of Americans one person at a time.
Love you,
Dad
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