25 - 28 September 2013
Day 1: Bus ride
The bus ride was actually quite pleasant. We did have to get out at the border but it was an easy check and I even had a bit of a sleep on the bus (rare for me). The bus arrived really early in the morning, it was still dark, and I was kicking myself for not taking the later bus so I could arrive when things were open. I busted out the map and headed off toward to hostel I had marked. I went past the zoo, although I didn't know it at the time, and I could hear roosters crowing because the sun was coming up. Definitely not something I'm used to hearing in the heart of a city.
Hostel
I arrived at the hostel, and it wasn't great so I won't mention the name. I booked in early and the guy said he'll just put me down as arriving for that night so I didn't have to pay for two night but he either stuffed it up or lied. I was worth it anyway to have a sleep and a shower.
Fort
There is a castle/fort right next to the hostel and it's kind of like a park so I went for a wander around it. It's a cool idea and lot's of other people agree because there were a lot of people around. The Slovenian guy I met in Skopje was coming on the later bus and I knew he was staying at the Sunrise Hostel so the afternoon's mission was to go find him. His hostel was much nicer than mine, although not as cheap but it was worth the extra. We made plans to go out for the night and because I had to go back to my hostel to change anyway, I decided to check out and move into this better hostel at the same time.
Rejected
We headed to a place that was recommended to us by the girl at the hostel but I got us rejected because there was a dress code and I was in thongs. Instead we went to a bar, had some beers and played some pinball. On the way back we stopped at a bakery type place where my friend ordered us a pljeskavica (hamburger) and a coconut bun thing. Both of them were really good; the Bulkans do some great meat. We weren't ready to end the night so we stopped at the bar next to our hostel and had a chat to some local girls who happened to be out for a birthday. One of the girls spoke fluent English but the other wasn't as proficient to the conversation swapped between Serbian and English to cater for all.
Day 2: Sightseeing
Today was a bit of an aimless sightseeing day. We started with going to see the birthday girl from the night before at her work, although it was super busy so we decided to try again later. We hopped on and off the train a few times, saw a student rally, walked through the main mall and went in search of a Big Z building that I was told about. We think we found it but it seemed to just be offices and not really what we expected (whatever that was). We also stopped at a church. On the way back we stopped in to see the birthday girl again and she gave us some free cake each, score! In the evening we had a few beers and played cards with the small handful of people in the hostel.
Day 3: Fort, again
A French guy from my hostel and I went out to see the fort and the zoo today. We looked at all the military equipment in the fort, climbed up the observation points and eventually made a whole lap around the place. We even got told off by security for walking on the walls.
Zoo
This zoo is the most depressing place on Earth! It was cheap to get it but all the animals were old and/or sick. None of the enclosures looked very nice and it wasn't like the animals were tortured but they just seemed neglected. My notes say I thought the place was like an animal retirement home. The only exception were the reptiles we seemed happy enough or at least not sad (do reptile have emotions?).
We helped a bird crack a nut open because he looked like he was having a hard time, saw some kangaroos of all things, fed an elephant (although we probably weren't meant to) and wondered why the aquarium in the zoo was selling aquarium supplies and sea grass. We finished the day with another burger (they're that good) and my notes tell me we went to a French place although I can't say I remember it.
Day 4: To Sarajevo
The bus ride was early so I bounded out of bed, hangover free and caught a bus without any hassle.
Day 1: Bus ride
The bus ride was actually quite pleasant. We did have to get out at the border but it was an easy check and I even had a bit of a sleep on the bus (rare for me). The bus arrived really early in the morning, it was still dark, and I was kicking myself for not taking the later bus so I could arrive when things were open. I busted out the map and headed off toward to hostel I had marked. I went past the zoo, although I didn't know it at the time, and I could hear roosters crowing because the sun was coming up. Definitely not something I'm used to hearing in the heart of a city.
Hostel
I arrived at the hostel, and it wasn't great so I won't mention the name. I booked in early and the guy said he'll just put me down as arriving for that night so I didn't have to pay for two night but he either stuffed it up or lied. I was worth it anyway to have a sleep and a shower.
Fort
There is a castle/fort right next to the hostel and it's kind of like a park so I went for a wander around it. It's a cool idea and lot's of other people agree because there were a lot of people around. The Slovenian guy I met in Skopje was coming on the later bus and I knew he was staying at the Sunrise Hostel so the afternoon's mission was to go find him. His hostel was much nicer than mine, although not as cheap but it was worth the extra. We made plans to go out for the night and because I had to go back to my hostel to change anyway, I decided to check out and move into this better hostel at the same time.
Rejected
We headed to a place that was recommended to us by the girl at the hostel but I got us rejected because there was a dress code and I was in thongs. Instead we went to a bar, had some beers and played some pinball. On the way back we stopped at a bakery type place where my friend ordered us a pljeskavica (hamburger) and a coconut bun thing. Both of them were really good; the Bulkans do some great meat. We weren't ready to end the night so we stopped at the bar next to our hostel and had a chat to some local girls who happened to be out for a birthday. One of the girls spoke fluent English but the other wasn't as proficient to the conversation swapped between Serbian and English to cater for all.
Day 2: Sightseeing
Today was a bit of an aimless sightseeing day. We started with going to see the birthday girl from the night before at her work, although it was super busy so we decided to try again later. We hopped on and off the train a few times, saw a student rally, walked through the main mall and went in search of a Big Z building that I was told about. We think we found it but it seemed to just be offices and not really what we expected (whatever that was). We also stopped at a church. On the way back we stopped in to see the birthday girl again and she gave us some free cake each, score! In the evening we had a few beers and played cards with the small handful of people in the hostel.
Day 3: Fort, again
A French guy from my hostel and I went out to see the fort and the zoo today. We looked at all the military equipment in the fort, climbed up the observation points and eventually made a whole lap around the place. We even got told off by security for walking on the walls.
Zoo
This zoo is the most depressing place on Earth! It was cheap to get it but all the animals were old and/or sick. None of the enclosures looked very nice and it wasn't like the animals were tortured but they just seemed neglected. My notes say I thought the place was like an animal retirement home. The only exception were the reptiles we seemed happy enough or at least not sad (do reptile have emotions?).
We helped a bird crack a nut open because he looked like he was having a hard time, saw some kangaroos of all things, fed an elephant (although we probably weren't meant to) and wondered why the aquarium in the zoo was selling aquarium supplies and sea grass. We finished the day with another burger (they're that good) and my notes tell me we went to a French place although I can't say I remember it.
Day 4: To Sarajevo
The bus ride was early so I bounded out of bed, hangover free and caught a bus without any hassle.
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| There is a pilot school |
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| Some guns and tanks in the fort |
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| More guns |
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| More tanks |
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| Panorama of tanks (I like tanks) |
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| The coconut bun thing |
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| The Slovenian, the Russian and the Frenchman |
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| Got seagulls? |
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| Moats in the fort |
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| Looking back over the fort from the highest lookout point |
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| Looking out at Belgrade from the lookout |
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| Looking away from Belgrade from the lookout |
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| A cannon that fires 30cm diameter shots |
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| A tank |
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| Another tank |
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| Don't ride the bomb! I had to evade security for this shot |
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| Can't remember what this is |
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| Less gravity in the northern hemisphere |
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| A Lynx |
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| Goat things |
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| Raccoon |
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| Feeding the elephant a biscuit |
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| Feeding a peacock |
