A Trip Through Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina

By on August 20, 2017 in Belgrade, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Europe, Serbia
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In 2014 I crossed from Bulgaria into the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. That was my second ex Yugoslav state. I followed it up with only Kosovo and Montenegro, writing detailed reports at the time including a pub tour of Pristina and backpacking in Podgorica, Montenegro’s capital, formerly Titograd.

 By 2016, how I ended up on a train to Disturbia. Serbia. It was a disturbing trip and one of the rare countries I have been to but never written about and because of my state of mind, I took less photos and videos in the capital city Belgrade, without the red star. Below are some shares and photos of my trip through Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Heretva River Bosnia

Neretva River – Bosnia and Herzegovina

Heading to Belgrade

As a tourist and long term traveler, I happened to know that there is a special train offer for a night train from Budapest (Hungary) to Belgrade (Serbia) for just 18 Euros so I booked it. It’s on off peak times and needs to be booked online (I believe).

 The train was full of racist, sexist Serbs though, most of whom were drunk, or perhaps football hooligans (wearing no football shirts). Their treatment of women and foreigners on the train was horrific. Probably the worst I’ve seen on my travels. It didn’t exactly inspire me. But I was depressed at the time, trying to keep myself alive so it was the worst of my worries at this point in time. I arrived at dawn into Belgrade and it wasn’t so charming.

I did a quick “city tour visiting a few sights, but generally I didn’t do what I normally do. I wasn’t happy so I wasn’t in and out of cafes, museums, bars and pretty streets. I had a look around, I tried two local beers, ate some Serbian food, visited the palace and some main streets. The entire trip was disturbing and it was just before I visited the gory Genocide museum in neighbouring Bosnia-Herzegovina.

 
 For some reason, I didn’t feel inspired to visit any other cities, towns or villages in Serbia at all. That felt odd and still does. I’ve only seen Belgrade (and the views in and out from trains or buses). Actually we did have a stop somewhere on my bus out of Belgrade, but by then, I was less than bothered and I was also heading to the slightly confused region of Republic of Srpska (Republika Srpska) which sounds like it should and could be part of Disturbia. But it’s a separate region and housed in what is known as modern day Bosnia-Herzegovina. I arrived in Karakaj.
 I was in each of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina over a 12 day depression period. To make things even more peculiar, this region also houses Enclava and Liberland, two also unrecognised countries. I didn’t manage to visit them, but I dipped in and out of Croatia and Montenegro too before a very sad, lonely trip back to Poland. Some final photos leaving Serbia. As far as I remember, I got a direct bus from Belgrade to Sarajevo in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Random Bosnia and Belgrade shots

Somewhere in Serbia on route to Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Taken when leaving Serbia, from the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia sid

Arrival in Republic of Srpska, Bosnia at Karakaj.
Arrival in Republic of Srpska, Bosnia at Karakaj.

white water rafting in Slovenia

Green and white water rafting in Slovenia with the BBC in 2004, my first trip to the area

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