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Budapest Belgrade, So SCARY, Seems like war

From A trip around Europe in Belgrade, Serbia on Sep 26 '06

Diane and Fran has visited no places in Belgrade
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On the train where we slept. It is like the war but it was funny but not confortable
On the train where we slept. It is like the war but it was funny but not confortable
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So we took the train to go to Belgrade, and we had the most scary moment of our travel. We waited for the train to arrive in Budapest station. It was around 23h and you can imagine in this kind of station at this hour how can it look like. SCARY. The train arrive with 1h30 of delay. We got inside and we were lucky to find a compartment empty. We closed the curtains and switched oof the light to be sure that nobody get inside and ask to sit down with us.

THe train started to leave and we find out to put our seat as it looked like camping bed (see pictures). So we started to sleep. The train made a bit of noise but it was ok. But at 2 oclock in the morning, we heard somebody shouting, somebody opened the door and shout "PASSPORT". I jumped out of the bed and i was really scared. I took my identity card and Fran his passport. When I showed my identity card, the guy said "NO I WANT YOUR PASSPORT" still shouting. I said scaried that it is a EUropean I identity card (i thought it was available for Serbia) and he answered "NO I WANT YOUR PASSPORT NOW". I jumped on my bag to find my passport and I show him it. I was so scared. It was like that 4 time during the travel every 1 or 2 hours. (for the passport and the ticket). At 6 oclock we arrived in the surrounding of BElgrade and a group of 10 guys (looked like they were workers) got into the train in the compartment next to ours. (some of them looked inside ou r compartment. I was so scared, I was maybe the only women in all the train. I said it Fran ,this is the war, we are going to die. THe group of guys started to converse. But this kind of people doesnot speak, they shout. SO we could not sleep anymore (see pictures). So I decided to woke up and to have a l ook outside. I looked behind the windows, and i was more scared yet. THere were the trains of the second war where they used to close juives people in there. I think they gave these trains to the poor countries. SO we arrived at Belgrado and It was not finish. THe station looked really scary, grey, dirty... We bought our ticket to go to Tessaloniki on the night and we left our luggage to the consigment. We went for a walk and to take a breakfast and all the people were poor and not really clean. We were a bit scared still but maybe because of our ignorance. We walked through Belgrade all the day and I did not like at all. There was nothing to see. We were relaly bored. THe only good thing we found was in a cofee, a cofee with caramel. It was really sweet and good. Another anecdot. We went to a supermarket, to buy some food and Fran took some pictures of the olive oil. THe security guard came to him and said that it is forbidden that he can't take pictures without authorization, that he will have to take the camara. We had a little argument with him. It is funny, they think that maybe they are still in the war (their eyes look like they are still scared i am not joking). I dont know it is just a small supermarket and they act like they are Harrods or Lafayette. We came back to the station and took the train to Tessaloniki on the night

After 4 hours of sleep (or less)
After 4 hours of sleep (or less)
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I did not like at all.


Justiceiro avatar Justiceiro on Jul. 27, 2009 @ 12:19AM said
Wow. I'm speechless. Thanks for making American tourists look good by comparison.
Sne011 avatar Sne011 on May. 4, 2009 @ 06:00PM said
Can't believe how people can travel like you two, not knowing anything about place you're going to...Belgrade is a lovely city, well I love it because I was born here, but all foreigners I know liked it. Ok, you don't have to like it, but that bad? Come on...Yes, public transportation could be scary to people from developed countries, Serbia is poor, but people are great. And there is a LOT to see here...Foreigners are sometimes judging and skeptical about Serbia because of bad propaganda during years but I still didn't hear comments like yours after visiting Belgrade or any other town in Serbia, and I've never met someone that ignorant and limited...bad for you
b1986s avatar b1986s on Mar. 29, 2009 @ 09:16PM said
Stay at home Diane. I don't really think you're the travelling type, let alone one to try and give advice to others. Belgrade is one of the best cities I have been to in Europe, with friendly people, low prices and loads to do. When you were scared on the train did you not think to speak to people and have some fun instead of cowering in the corner? AHHAHAHAHAHA you make me laugh
LisaB avatar LisaB on Mar. 18, 2007 @ 05:23AM said
Diane, having red your article, I suggest next time you stay at home with the comfort of BBC.
wAnderlust king avatar wAnderlust king on Mar. 18, 2007 @ 05:23AM said
Haha ... Reading your other blogs (ruins in Rome, Zoo in Cologne ...) I think I can recommend you one thing: go to your nearest police station give them back your passport and thank them for giving you a chance to travel. Its not for you.
vukad avatar vukad on Mar. 18, 2007 @ 05:23AM said
Sounds scary... me so scared now!
wilsparky avatar wilsparky on Mar. 18, 2007 @ 05:23AM said
I've been to Belgrade several times and I stayed there for three months in 2007 over Christmas time. It was nice and the people were not scary to me. As for the trains which used to have Jews in them in WWII, you should know that the Serbs were the only ones in the Balkans who fought against the Nazis and saved thousands of Jewish people. Your ignorance is really terrible. As for men with loud voices, I suggest you meet more ordinary workers from around Europe, they are all boisterous. Come to the UK and you will see what I mean. I live near Manchester and I felt much safer in Belgrade at 2 o'clock in the morning than I do in Manchester. Serbs are OK and they have been the victims of terrible propaganda for a long time. There is nothing to fear from Serbs unless you are a terrorist.
DiRist avatar DiRist on Mar. 18, 2007 @ 05:23AM said
Dianne and Fran.First,people in Belgrade is much cleaner then you have ever been.Second,people are not scared.Only two scared idiots were you to,with no reasons...Third,Belgrade is a capital of night life of south-east Europe and there is a lot of interesting things to see... So dont give that kind of twisted judgement about Serbia to other people who never been here.
New York lady avatar New York lady on Mar. 18, 2007 @ 05:23AM said
Such a shame you didn't have any friends to show you around Belgrade. It is beautiful city and people are so friendly too. My advise to you with your next travel is to prepare more and to get some good guide books. Every European city around train station is not the nicest so please don't judge Belgrade on that. Cheers!
Serbiandude avatar Serbiandude on Mar. 18, 2007 @ 05:23AM said
The only thing i have to say is LOL, or OMG. I really don't understand ppl who takes train to travel ( to save money or what ), to to Easter part of Europe and act like you 2. Since im from Serbia i can tell you that your one ignorant woman and probably didn't read any book about the destination where you are going so writhing sh*t about MY country is really terrible thing to do. First. Trains are old and Serbia is not Japan to have modern standards, and compared to them England, USA, France, Germany.... are also way behind. Second. Passport? You trying to be funny? At least he asked you on language that you can understand, and when he asked for passport you should have given one to him. Serbia is not part of EU so we DONT have "shengen" thing ( soory for spelling ). Third. U go scared of 10man coming/going to work. And you got so paranoid you thought it is WAR? Thats just sad.... Forth. We ship Jewish to kill them?!? WOW thats is the best thing i ever heard so far :) During WW2 ( when Serbia was ocupied )1M+ ppl where killed ( not Soldiers ) for not joining Germany. With that kind of knowledge you have i would ship u back to elementary school. Fifth. Train station. The building was built in 1885 so its older then 120 years. sixth. poor and dirty? Perhaps we are poor but we are sure not dirty. Perhaps you need to change your contacts. seventh. There is nothing to see? Tell we something, have you ever heard about Kalemegdan fortress? If not read something about it on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalemegdan#History eight. Ask about 15K+ ppl that comes to Serbia for all over the world ( to Novi Sad on EXIT music festival ) what do they think about Serbia....
London boy avatar London boy on Mar. 18, 2007 @ 05:23AM said
Dear Diane, You shoud stay a liitel bit more in Serbia to see what is realy life and enyoment! For you is the plaice like some iceland in Grece and Spain where the most of peple are tourists! When you going to citys you going too fill it, not to run away from it and bealive me if you stayed a couple of days in any city in serbia you will love it! So I think the best thing for you is to seat at home in some small vilige, and sometimes go to some fancy seaside! Traveling is not for you for shour!!!
Rooobert avatar Rooobert on Mar. 18, 2007 @ 05:23AM said
Dear Diane & Fran, first of all, a little advice.... next time you arrange a trip, be sure to know exactly WHERE you are heading to.Travelling and not knowing anything about that certain city is ofcoarse going to be shocking. you couldn't have probably expected Serbia to look like London or Germany ect since its not in the EU, and has been fighting many wars over the past decades. The people in Belgrade are friendly, especially to strangers and foreigners, but the problem is, you only went to one cafe, and one supermarket. This kind of experince with the security camera, and/or the poor people is seen all over the world, i am not sure why you were so surprised. have you any travelling experience? Don't judge a book by its cover, my advice to you is, only if you had one bad moment there, doesn't mean you will have more.Go back there, go to the city center, meet some people-it gives a completely diffrent picture. Staying at one place, for a couple of hours, and judging the whole city just by that is unraccional and unfair for people who read what you have written. Rember, every experience in life is a GOOD one. Because its an experience. So don't judge, and focus on the good things, not only the bad ones. And next time, you oughta google some stuff about a country before entering it.Now thats not too much effort is it? I don't know for you, but for me the point of travelling is to meet things which I won't find in my country. So give Serbia another try, it's not all as bad as you 'presume' it is. cheers

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