Day off in Belgrade, Serbia

Hello from Belgrade, Serbia!

We have been in Serbia for several days now, after quickly passing through Croatia. We were only in Croatia for one day, but the country left a good impression with its friendly people and beautiful scenery. We spent the night in Vukovar, a city heavily hit in the war. Much has been rebuilt, but there were many places in the cities and towns we rode through where evidence of the war still remains. Bombed building now vacant, and the sides of buildings riddled with bullet holes. Crossing into Croatia and then into Serbia, we had our first official border crossings with customs officers. It was quite a sight to see our riders with our bikes in line for the border crossing with all the cars! We had heard rumors that the crossing into Serbia could be long and slow because of burocracy, but we sailed through without even a question of where we were going and how long we would be in the country.

The people in Serbia have also been incredibly friendly. As we ride down the highway, divers from both directions honk and wave. When we've needed directions, people are happy to help and many speak very good English. The city of Belgrade is very busy and hectic and a little overwhelming after spending so much time in small villages and towns. Last night we went out to a strip of clubs along the river where there is a vibrant night life, even on a Monday night.

From here, we have one more night in Serbia before crossing into Romania. We will be there for three nights and then we will be in Bulgaria. (I hear that's where they've been hiding the mountains!!) It is hard to believe that we will be at our destination in less than 3 weeks!