Wild child of the Balkans
Trip Start
Apr 08, 2007
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86
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Trip End
Oct 01, 2007
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Belgrade,
Serbia and Montenegro
Friday, July 13, 2007
It's actually a fascinating place to walk around as a result. Serbians will be the first to tell you that Belgrade is not a beautiful city. Perhaps not, but it is definitely an interesting one. Rather than hitting you straight between the eyes with charm and streets of picture-perfect historic architecture, it rewards those eager to explore. Because of that, it feels like more of an insider's city, where specific sights are somewhat few, but surprises lurk around seemingly every other corner. Most of the damage from bombings in the 90s (most notably in the Kosovo campaign by NATO in 1999) have been cleaned up, although there are a couple trashed buildings still lying dormant along Knez Milosa in the town center. Overall though, it feels like a lively, youthful place where people are more interested in enjoying a smoke and a drink with friendly company at a cafe than working their day away.
I got in late on Tuesday evening after an unexpectedly grueling train trip down from Novi Sad.
01: Church of Sveti Marko
It wasn't that it was a terribly long trip, it's just that it lasted far longer than it should have and it wound creating more complications once I finally arrived in town. I was supposed to catch an express train out of the station at 7:10 and get into Belgrade at about 8:30. In a predictably Balkan manner though, I ended up waiting nearly an hour beyond that before anything showed up heading my direction. And, even more typically, the train that showed up was a tiny, two-car, smoky local. The conductor tried to assure me otherwise (hey, it was headed for Belgrade, right?), but I knew it was fishy from the get-go. Having some ten additional station stops made for a less enjoyable journey, especially on top of the ripped-up upholstery and broken lights, but at least I was moving. Then, whaddya know, we get passed by the express from Vienna (the one I was meant to take) at Novi Beograd station . the last stop before Belgrade central station. Only an hour and a half late - way to go, guys!I was supposed to meet my CouchSurfing host at the station around 8:30. Or that's what I was led to believe. In any case, I finally arrived at like 10:15, and she was nowhere to be found. Wandering back and forth between the platforms and two main halls of the station didn't get me anywhere, so I had to scramble for a back-up plan. For some stupid reason, I never thought to ask for her phone number, so I couldn't exactly ring her up and say "uh, so where are you?" Conveniently though, I happened upon a card for a nearby hostel, complete with map and directions.
02: Sveti Marko dome reflected in a rain puddle
Adding to the frustration, it started to rain as I slogged it down the road to the place, but the guy running the hostel turned out to be very helpful and friendly. Despite my not being a guest, he let me use the internet for free, where I was able to log in and get a message from my host, including phone number. Once that was taken care of, he let me use his own cell phone to call her and get the address of her place. With that, I thanked him profusely and then hailed a taxi out on the main road up the street.My host has turned out to be very cool, welcoming, fun to talk with, and a bit on the wacky side (but in a good way). That's meant I've had a thoroughly entertaining place to stay while here, and I've also gotten a lot of good, local insights into the city and country. She and her usually absent roommate have given me a few pointers on good places to visit over the past few days as well, so that's even better. I spent most of Wednesday and Thursday looking around different parts of town, and then today out in the distant suburb of Zemun, a formerly separate municipality that has retained a distinctly Austro-Hungarian feel to it. The weather didn't do me a whole lot of favors on Wednesday - mostly cold and rainy off and on - but it was very pleasant yesterday and today, without being too warm. All in all, it's a very welcome change from the brutal heat I was dealing with a couple weeks ago.
I haven't had a taster of Belgrade's infamous nightlife yet, other than a few glasses of wine and beer with my host. This is the factor that brings in most of the visitors, and the city has really built a name for itself as a party center. I originally only planned to stay for three nights, but I decided to amend those plans once I realized I wouldn't get to experience a Friday or Saturday night. No one comes to Belgrade solely for sightseeing! So instead of rolling out to Romania today, I'm spending one more evening in the big city, and will be going out on the town courtesy of my host and her connections. Time to find out what all the hype is about!
Tomorrow afternoon, hangover or no, I'm off to Timişoara, Romania.
