Travelogue
Four Days in Belgrade
by David Fox
Belgrade [White City] was nearly destroyed after WWII and,
during the time of Tito, it was rebuilt to look as it does today.
Since the Socialist era, the town has been modern and has built
up culture, museums, and interest groups that still function today.
Our hostel was on the north end of the old city near the Kalemegdan Fortress. It’s worth it to go to the Military Museum,
but at the same price, the Ethnographic Museum is only one
room. Your choice. Expect to pay about 30-50 percent more
since you are in one of the biggest cities of the Balkans. Belgrade is a nice change along the Danube River. Supposedly,
there is a ferry tour of the river everyday for 2.50 euros, though
we didn’t venture on the water.
Another option when you arrive is to take a Whistle Stop Bus
Tour by the major monuments so you can get your bearings.
Number 41 is the route that makes a big square from near the
fortress to the parliament building to the bombsites—be careful taking pictures from this area down to Tito’s grave and back
up again.
Kalemegden fortress in Belgrade
The best thing you can do for yourself is to find an information
booth, marked with the symbol i. Souvenirs are also reasonably priced here. Close to Republic Square is the Knez Mihailova walking and shopping district. We had dinner at the
Orao Pizzarija to celebrate the end of the first day in Serbia.
Turquoise Water and Sea Urchins:
Exploring in Budva, Montenegro
by Todd Shealy
Getting to Budva is usually an overnight trip. You can take a bus from Skopje
to Podgorica, Montenegro’s capital. From there you can catch one of the frequent buses to Budva.
My friend and I stayed at the Hippo Hostel (www.hostelworld.com) in August
2007. Other than a water restriction, our stay was typical of hostelling. The staff
was friendly and recommended where to go and what to see.
We spent a couple of afternoons on the beaches and spent some time walking
the beach at Budva
around the Budva Old City. If you have time, it’s possible to take one-day excursions to the cities of St. Steven and Kotor, and even Dubrovnik.
We took a water taxi out to St. Steven, an island connected by a short jetty. From the docks at Budva, the ride was about 45 minutes. On this
part of the Adriatic, the beaches themselves are a bit narrower, and the sand ranges from big grains to small stones. What you miss in terms
of a “strand,” you make up for in the quality of water—clear and turquoise blue, amazing. For one of the beaches, we had to pay one euro to
enter, but most are public.
At St. Steven, there was a path overlooking a section where rocks descend to meet the sea. I just had to try the water. The rocks were a little
sharp getting in, but I didn’t think much of it. The next day, however, I had some spots on the bottom of my right foot and it hurt all day. I realized I had stepped on a sea urchin. I know this because the next day when I was swimming with my goggles I saw urchins everywhere among
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