Adventure Stage 9 - The end is near | Serbia

Serbia - the land with no toilet paper or internet cafes.  Actually....they are out there....I just can't find them.  

After 2 1/2 days here in Belgrade, I'm on my way out of town tonight.  Another overnight train.....this time to Budapest, Hungary.

Belgrade has been interesting.  Here's a few highlights:

• I saw the Pee-Pee boutique here on the main street.  I was afraid to stop in to see what it was.  (Actually....maybe I should have - maybe they had toilet paper!).

• Met a lady named 'Baby'.  She was eager to practice her English with me - I met her here in the theater before I went to see the movie 'Troy'.  Baby was about 60 years old, worked at the theater, told me all about her English speaking daughters.  Very nice lady.

  
  

• Serbia was worn-torn for much of the 90's.  Two buildings still stand on the main street that were bombed by NATO a few years back (when they came for Milosovich).  New friend Nikolai told me some about what it was like to live here during those years.  The country has been full of ethnic tension for so long.  It's hard for me to imagine that all these groups have been so eager to fight each other.  There is no more fighting now near the capital Belgrade.  There is a bit in Kosovo (the train went around that part of the country instead of through).

• Met other travelers again, including an Irish guy (Danny).  Danny and I explored the city at night, saw the old fort.  Very beautiful city at night.  Danny was gone the next morning.  He was replaced by Denny.....another guy from Amsterdam.  Now Denny....he is a seasoned traveler.  He's near the end of his 10 month 'around the world' trip.  He also (like Tom in Istanbul) has rigged up his own coffee filter.  I'm such a rookie traveler compared to this guy.  He was teasing me for buying new socks here in Belgrade....called me a 'rich tourist' for doing such a thing.

• The women seem to be proud of themselves here.  I saw at least half a dozen of them with t-shirts that say 'Cutie' on the front.  One girl had 'PRETTY' across her front.....(although I wouldn't disagree with her).

I'm tired.  The end of my trip is near.  I'm on the way to Budapest tonight....then likely to Warsaw for a couple of days.  Stay tuned.....one or two more stages left!!