Serbia to Sibiu

After what seems like ages i have finally found somewhere with internet that does not take minutes to load one photo so i have uploaded a load more. Realised i hadnt done this since montenegro ages ago.

After the last blog i headed back to serbia and to belgrade. The hostel was really nice but empty. The first night was not much of an issue as i got in at midnight after a hour bus journey. The second day i went to see some of belgrades few sights and experience the city. All day every day the cafes, bars, parks etc are full of people of all ages. I have no idea what they all do for a living, under communism everybody owned there own house so alot probably only have to work part time, how good would that be. The sights took all of a few hours so i headed to the partizan stadium to pick up some tickets. The south end where all the ultras sit was sold out but there was this guy offering them for double the price 12 euros. So i bought the ticket off him as the only real reason for going was for the atmosphere. One of the groundsmen i think heard me speaking and offered me a tour of the ground which was good. Back at the hostel and still nobody else apart from the really cool people who were running it. The main reason to go to belgrade is for the night life but i still havent mastered going out clubbing on my own so i went to the cinema. 2 quid for clash of the titans in 3D. The film wasnt great but first film in 3d so suitably impressed with the experience. Back at the hostel there were two english guys micheal and elliott from oswestry as well as some canadians. They were planning to head off the next day but once they heard about the football they wanted to go as well. The next day the weather was amazing so just went out for coffee and to do some odd jobs like burning photos onto a disc and washing. The hostel had a really good atmosphere so we never ended up going out just drinking rakija and watching films.

The football Partizan Belgrade vs. Red Star Belgrade kicked off at 6.30 in the evening so we headed out for the pre game atmosphere and walked to the stadium. Everyone speaking about the game said it was likely to marred in violence as the title race was so close and effectively whoever won would be champions. The entire route to the stadium was lined with riot police in all the gear and we were wondering what was going to happen. The stadium was packed and everyone just finds a seat to stand on as no one goes to there actual seat with the ticket. First come first serve. The atmosphere was amazing full on chanting for the entire match and as soon as it got dark out came the flares and fire crackers. I took a few videos which you should be able to view. After the game it all kind of petered out and there was none of the expected clashes although the red star fans did set fire to the stadium as they left.

The next day i headed up to novi sad where they hold the exit festival and chilled out in the beautiful town square before heading up to the fortress. There were three things in the guide book to do but the vojvodian museum looked really good so i headed there. The first section was on ancient times and all in serbian but the second half was about the revolution and communism. I was the only one in the museum which seems to be a recurring theme. Also the security cameras were not working which is why i got part followed/guided tour. Turns out the communism part of the museum had been closed down last year as "it is not the way they want to portray the new serbia." There was not a great deal to do so the following day micheal (a different micheal) went to subotica on a recomendation. There was nothing there either and three hours later back to novi sad.

The following day i took the train to Timisoara in Romania remembering to put the clock forward another hour. I met and english guy who was travelling with his mom on the train and we walked the 20 mins into the centre. The only place was a hotel that wanted 40 euros so i walked back to the station and then attempted to find the hostel i had heard about. Arriving anywhere at 11pm in the pitch black was not great especially in Romania which looks really sketchy. After finding the hostel which turned out to be one room in a hotel i went to grab some food in the student quarter. The town is the most popular place to study and the street was packed with bars, clubs and food. Despite being shattered i hung around for a bit before tiredness got the better of me. Everything starts happening at like 1am as in spain which i am only just getting used to.

A brief morning was enough in timisoara even though it was stunning as there were only a few squares and monuments to the anti ceaucescu revolution which had started there. Caught the train to Sibiu in transylvania where i am now and again got in at 11pm. I again met the english pair so we went out for food then clubbing till 4.30am. This morning i was absolutely wrecked so despite planning to head on this afternoon i am spending the whole day to recuperate. The weather isnt great but it all adds to the atmosphere. Sibiu was european capital of culture a few years ago so its all been done up. Not at all like i expected transylvania but i think some of the other towns have preserved better so sigisoara tomorrow where Dracula was born.