Friday 3 July 2009

Guns, drugs, fireworks, cigarettes and a Serbian train


Guns, drugs, fireworks, cigarettes and a Serbian train. WOW! What an adventure.

Met Michaela from Sweden in the train station and sat with her all the way to Belgrade. We met Brian from Victoria on the train and I cann't help but stop smiling. I am on overload, we have seen so much today.

Brian saw one of the train employees put fireworks under the train and while he was standing in the hall a woman hid cigarettes behind his seat.

Michaela and I were in a six person (full) cabin and the fluorescent light fell out of the ceiling nearly missing us. We thought wow this is an old dodgy train. Good thing we didn't get electrocuted. An hour maybe passed with the light hanging by the wire until it gets better. The cop comes into the cabin and we just wait in the hall and doorway and doesn't he pull out of the ceiling two guns. Wow!

So at this point the train is stopped or has been stopped the whole time he searched. But I cann't believe we are still on the train. Right at his feet.

The cop checks a few more cabins but not thoroughly as they didn't get the cigarettes but a girl in our cabin says this happens daily. I guess cigarettes are expensive in Serbia so they smuggle them from Bulgaria.

So we were stopped for half and hour. Then we carry on and don't we see a guy right at our door get a pack of drugs out of the ceiling in the hall while the train conductor is standing 2m's away, watching.

They finally come to check our tickets and the two women in our cabin don't have tickets so they pay the conductor off with some smokes.

Then another guy takes the paneling off in the hall for more treasures. As we look around you can see screws out all around the paneling and windows.

Oh and the train toilets, god. The odour and filth. We went through a lot of hand sanitizer today. I have been in some bad toilets but todays have to take the filth cake.

It was a 10 hour train ride that was three hours late getting into Belgrade Serbia and I have to say that it was the best train ride I have ever had. What an adventure! The country side of Serbia was a lovely view too.

The train trip was documented with photos click on this link to check out the Serbian train ride.

1 comment:

Karl said...

Hello Sarah,

Great blog post! I will write something about your adventure in Serbia. I just have two questions: Where are you from? Australia? And, why have decided to come in Serbia?

Karl Haudbourg
http://www.ambassador-serbia.com