The Balkan Journey - Chapter 2: Croatia

Trains are my favorite part of the journey. It gives you a real sense of travel as you breeze pass the small houses, farms, railway stations; waving adiós to people, but really sending them a telepathic signal  “yes, I am going to explore new places while you continue with your usual boring life here”. So I took a lazy train, albeit it was tagged as express, from Budapest to Split to explore the beautiful landscape of both the countries. It was an unique experience, least to say, from the point I boarded the train.

At around midnight we saw some gypsies on the train, only to realize they were border control officers, on board to check our passports.

I handed over my passport and he asked me annoyingly,”I need a photo id of yours”

I replied hesitantly “I just gave you my passport and that is my photo id”. 

He looked at me irritated and commanded in a clear, loud voice “I need some other id so that I can make sure this passport is real”.

I searched my wallet and handed over my Japanese driving license (which is all in Japanese but had my good old picture). The officer matched the picture of the passport to the license, stamped my passport happily and moved on.

Lesson learned “If you can’t convince someone, then confuse them” and that is exactly what the officer did to himself.

Early morning we caught the first glimpse of Split, and it looked absolutely picturesque, but as soon as I got off the train station, the feeling of  “most beautiful city in the world” or “Mediterranean summer”, as the locals call it, vanished quickly. It seemed more like a busy port, full of tourists and back packers who were waiting for small boats to luxury yachts and mega-ships to carry them to “far far away islands”. First impression can be deceptive though. As you roam around this historic city, centered on the beautiful Diocletian palace, you quickly get mesmerized by its beautiful architecture, squares and churches.

By the day, you can explore the small shops in and around the palace, walk on the waterfront, enjoy kremšnite (creamy cakes) at its numerous bakeries and cafe or simply sunbathe on its small but characteristic beaches. By the night, you can have drinks at the small bars lined up on the steps inside the old town or groove your move at the many clubs on Bacvice beach where partying strictly starts after midnight.

One of my stranger-waiting-to-be-friends from Split told me that food in Split is simple and boring yet flavorful and scrumptious. The food is influenced by many different cultures and regions such as Slavic, Hungarian, Turkish, Greek and Italian, naturally making a very interesting cuisine. Some of my favorite spots

Konoba Nikola – A small restaurant just outside the city serving simply the best grilled fish and sea food in the whole of Split. Mostly popular among locals, you will not know this place unless someone spills out the secret.

Konoba Marjan – Near the waterfront towards Marjan hill, this small restaurant serves delicious fish and is rated highly on all travel websites.

Zrno Soil – A relatively new name in the small list of upscale restaurants, with a breath-taking view and equally amazing food.

Pizzeria Galija – One of the oldest pizzeria. Good food but poor service. Don’t bother to order anything other than pizza.

I am sure there are many other experiences in Split and I wish I could try them all, but as a traveler I had to move on to explore a new unkown.

My trip to Croatia was more like a teaser as it was short-lived and did not take me to any popular destinations such as Dubrovnik and Hvar, but it still showed me Split - a jewel in the crown of Croatia. 

The Balkan journey - Chapter 1: Belgrade

As a 35 year old teenager when I decided to visit Serbia, all my friends grinned that I picked up that destination due to its popular nightlife. Having been there I’ve to admit that the night life is sensational and popular for good reasons. Apart from the undeniable reasons, I did not expect much out of the Balkan nation that is known for all the wrong reasons, including its history of fighting countless wars. For me it was a thrill of exploring a new country especially with a Serbian friend who happened to be in Belgradeand generously offered me to show her city.

Just after landing in Belgrade I was very disappointed to see, what can be called a modern infrastructure. I come from India and given the hype on emerging countries like India and China, it was disappointing for me to see that a country like Serbia can have such good infrastructure, especially a nation that was bombed just two decades ago. I am not sure which part was disappointing, that Belgrade had such good roads or unadopted Indian roads that are like a slap on your face as soon as you land in the city.

Driving from the airport through the new Belgrade to the old Belgrade is like cruising through a time machine at instant speed. All the history that you have read about the Balkan nation starts flashing in front of your eyes as old historic buildings, graffiti on walls, orthodox churches, bombed buildings, empty hotels, hot Serbian gals and we-do-nothing youngsters sitting in numerous cafes all over the city.

The city is like none other in the Balkan region or even the whole of Europe. At the confluence of two large rivers the city has a character like none other. The city is like the wine that is complex yet elegant, powerful yet up front, bold yet easy-drinking, age-worthy yet matured. It lingers on you for a long time.

It is one of the few cities in the world that has been bombed so many times and yet it has recovered every time and recovered gracefully. You can witness debris of a destructed building in the heart of the city like a wounded soldier who just returned for a war along side a fancy café where young Serbs passionately indulge in their national hobby of watching beautiful Serb gals.

The city, which through out the history has been at the crossroads between the west and orient, is located at the confluence of Sava and Danube rivers that adds a different charm to the city. One can witness the different era and style of Belgrade at every bank of these rivers, from the typical European style architecture in centre historic town of Zemun to the modern buildings in the new Belgrade. The most recognizable and distinct feature of Belgrade is the floating cafes, river clubs or barges that are spread along the banks of the rivers.

Naturally Belgrade is a sharp contrast from the rest of Serbia where massive urbanization has made Belgrade home for more than 1.5 million Serbs, accounting for more than 20% of the total population of Serbia. This has led to increased unemployment which currently hovers at around 23%, putting more pressure on the already fragile economy. The Serbs need to go back to the fields and plow the rich agricultural land. Very few countries in the world have such vast farm land like Serbia and the Serbs naturally ought to use that to build their nation and economy.

I am no expert on the Serbian economy but as an outsider I found the city exceptionally beautiful and worth exploring, so definitely put it on your Bucket List and you will surely witness something truly majestic.

People in Serbia naturally like to eat and it is very obvious from the variety of food they cook, which has elements of former Yugoslavian cuisine as well as the Ottoman Empire, while Austrian and Austro-Hungarian rule richly influence the Serbian desserts. Serbs love their meat and dishes such as Cevapcici (ground meat sticks) validate their love for good food. Another popular dish is pies and Burek tops the rank. Its flaky, greasy pastry filled with cheese or meat but I promise that you will not stop eating it once you try. I found the food a bit too salty but that would not keep me from enjoying the delicious Serb cuisines.

Overall Serbia is a hidden gem in Europe and will definitely become a hot tourist destination as people know more about it.