Cyrillic Labyrinths in Belgrade and Novi Sad

It really blows my mind to think that it’s only been one week since I left Pula! Seems like forever ago!

So, last night turned out to be pretty funny. Mike and I walked around for two hours trying to find the Bohemian Quarter (Skadarska Street). After two hours of walking in circles and never finding it, we finally settled on pizza slices down the street from the hostel.

After dinner, we had a couple of drinks at a bar, got delicious ice cream, then went back to the hostel and watched “Legally Blonde”. I know we should be taking advantage of Belgrade’s supposedly excellent nightlife, but I haven’t seen any places that have really caught my attention (they're hiding somewhere in this Cyrillic maze).

This morning I left the hostel at 9:00, had a delicious piece of cake and a sub-par coffee in a hotel, then caught the bus to Novi Sad. It’s supposed to be the nicest city in Serbia; so far, it’s just as exhaust-ridden as Belgrade, and just as much of a Cyrillic Labyrinth.

I got lost in some random suburb, then finally found my way back to the main square, which is quite pretty and full of colourful spires and painted cows. I have so little sense of direction that I couldn’t even determine where the Danube was; I finally found it, and remembered that I’m not a huge fan of that river.

I crossed over to the fortress and spent a few hours wandering around there.

The EXIT music festival is held there and I can imagine it would be a pretty cool venue.

It’s really hot outside and I searched for somewhere shady to sit and read but couldn't find anywhere out of the sun, so I went to a nice, traditional restaurant on the Danube, which reminded me of the one I ate at with David in Prague. I ordered a Greek salad and was a little afraid the waiter was going to bring me a fish paprika, but the salad arrived and it was exactly what I had in mind.

When I got back to the hostel this evening, Mike had left a note on my bed that he'd be back later in the evening for drinks. Luckily, two guys from Sarajevo had arrived and I chatted with them while I waited.

They got me really excited to visit; one of them talked about how so many cultures live together in the one city, three religions side by side. He described Balkan people as “primitive and passionate: when we love, we love, and when we hate, we hate.”

When Mike returned from his busy day, he informed me that he’d done reconnaissance work and found the Bohemian Quarter! We walked there together and had a drink at an outdoor patio, then went for one more drink at a bar called “Only Fools and Horses”. There were a bunch of locals singing along to the live music there and I really enjoyed the place and the night. It's nice to have some company for a change!

I'm back in the hostel now, where my room tonight is an oasis of quiet, unlike Mike’s room, where someone is snoring already.

We are going to Sarajevo tomorrow and, frankly, I’m happy to be getting the Hell out of Serbia. I had a good time here, but the exhaust fumes are going to kill me and I’m ready for a bit more beauty than it has to offer.