RADON, RAKIA AND REVELRY - Pirot, Niška Banya and Niš, Southern Serbia

......the previous blog saw us finishing up our month in Bulgaria, and our thoughts about the country........

Shady canal path, Pirot 

We couldn't have imagined being welcomed back into Serbia in a more Serbian manner. The accommodation we had chosen in Pirot was owned by a sociable fellow in a pork pie hat by the name of Dragan (this seems to be one of the most common names in Serbia). Although his English skills were on par with our Serbian, he greeted us warmly and ushered us through a courtyard into his sunny backyard full of fruit trees, and sat us down. For the next few hours he made us strong Serbian coffee, gave us homemade rakia and beer, and called his friend who lived in Australia, but happened to be visiting to come over for a fantastic chat. It was a wonderful few hours. Once our room was ready, both men insisted on showing us the wee apartment, making sure we knew where the spare bin bags were, how the shower worked, which switches powered which lights, both talking over each other in Serbian and English- it was really funny, they were like a comedy duo. Finally they said cheerio and we ventured out to buy our immediately needed supplies- fruit and salad, eggs, bread, cereal, pavlaka (our favourite, a mix between sour cream and yogurt) and of course, rakia! This was another thing we had greatly missed being away from Serbia. The friendly booze seller at the market suggested the kajsija, or apricot, which we agreed with and were more than happy with the smooth taste. 

Chilling out with Dragan in Pirot

Pirot was that kind of place, friendly, laid back and relaxing, and we immediately felt comfortable, and happy to go with the flow and chill out after our busy time in Bulgaria. We looked forward to having spare time for cooking, washing clothes and generally catching up on normal life tasks. 

We enjoyed the absolutely fantastic market area around where we were staying. Pijaca, in Serbian, these bazars are the great highlight of travelling in Serbia, and we had sorely missed them in other countries. Amazing for simply wandering and looking, we loved the range of fresh and local produce- nothing imported or out of season. Only big, colourful, juicy looking fruit and veg, as well as the periphery outlets. These included bakeries, dairy shops, fish, butcher's and cured meats shops and BBQ meat sellers (bit of a theme going on here!). Add to that the cleaning supplies and electronics shops, cafes and ice creameries all in the adjoining market area, and there was hardly a need for the supermarket. After a few days, some sellers even recognized us and said hello. 

Pirot central market

There weren't a huge amounts of tourist sites to visit around Pirot, but instead we slowly wandered around the town over our week's visit, getting a feel for the place. Many locals rode bicycles around, which gave a lovely old fashioned feeling to the place.

Old buildings along the canal, Pirot

The renovated fortress was quite beautiful, but brought more to mind someone's luxury house, and certainly not a defensive structure- especially considering it was on a flat piece of land directly at the base of the town's biggest hill! Waiting with some Serbian tourists for the late opening gates to be unlocked, Rich spied a man walking leisurely down the path towards us, and said "That's the caretaker". I asked how he knew, and he replied, "Because he looks as though he couldn't give a shit"! He was correct. 

Pirot fortress entrance

Steep stairwell, Pirot fortress

Pirot fortress on a glorious day

Moat around Pirot fortress

The highlight of Pirot's wanderings had to be the delightful canal running through the centre of the town. Extremely (and rather strangely) well maintained, the clear water ran between lush mown grassy banks, and on either side quiet, shady cobblestoned paths lead to various parts of town. Locals used this space, enjoying fishing, walking, sunbathing and swimming. Some fair sized fish could be seen in the crystal clear water. 

Beautiful walk along Pirot's canal

Well maintained and well used, Pirot canal

A dazzling sunny morning was spent at the local pool, a rather grand affair, complete with humungous swimming pool, sunbeds and umbrellas, restaurant, and best of all 80's music pumping out from speakers. Serbs really love 80's music. Being school holidays, the place was quite full for a week day, and the summery atmosphere was brilliant. Unfortunately after a couple of hours, threatening dark clouds started to appear and get closer. When the life guards cleared the pool, we knew it was time to take shelter under the bleachers, where we were caught for about an hour in an absolutely torrential thunder and lightning storm. The air was cool afterwards and we left having thoroughly enjoyed taking some sun on our bodies. 

After a few days, we felt the need for a longer walk, and spied a lookout marked on our map. It turned out to be yet another beautiful walk up a hill through dense woodland. Serbia may not have as many forests as Bulgaria, but what they do have are just as appealing, although it has to be said, there is usually rubbish on the paths in Serbia. Ascending from the town, things became quiet and rural almost immediately, with only a few little houses on large blocks without electricity. A couple of landowners tried to speak with us and give us plums as we passed. Our lack of Serbian is so frustrating sometimes. At the top, we were rewarded with a magnificent view over Pirot and beyond. Losing the path on the way down, a large man and his dog walked with us for a short time to show us the tiny path leading steeply back down into Pirot. 

Bees and haystacks, Pirot

Wonderful location for a new house, Pirot

Views from our Pirot forest walk

Loving the forest around Pirot

Old shack along the path, Pirot

Made it to the top, Pirot

Late afternoons/evenings were spent in Dragan's garden, sometimes just the two of us, sometimes with Dragan or a friend, agreeably relaxed and drinking some Slovenian beers. Dragan generously insisted on buying us dinner a few times, rather embarrassingly, but we couldn't refuse his hospitality. This consisted of huge pieces of juicy BBQ meat, which of course we loved. 

Overall, Pirot was a good, slow first stop into Serbia. 

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With the train line in southern Serbia being defunct, we were forced to take a bus to our next destination- Niška Banya. It ended up being fantastic as the road followed the old train line through some stunning scenery. Almost straight away we entered a wide valley, with green wooded areas and tiny villages with red roofed cottages dotted high up on the hillsides. Later, the bus passed through a dramatic, deep gorge, following the river. It reminded us of journeys in the valleys of Tajikistan, but greener. Lastly was open rolling landscape with vineyards, before we were unceremoniously dumped by the side of the highway- we had expected to be dropped into the village centre. As we were standing around looking confused, a little local bus appeared out of nowhere, picked us up and took us the final few kilometres. 

Niška Banya was a lovely surprise. All we knew of it was that it was one of a few Serbian spa centres, and not having visited any before we were keen to see what the village had to offer. As soon as we stepped off the bus we were enamoured with the pretty place. A huge park and treatment centre took place in the centre, surrounded by many massive ancient walnut and shade trees. Decrepit, once grand buildings surrounded the park, and little streets led off to charming areas of houses and gardens. One of which was our guesthouse, probably the best apartment we have ever had in Serbia. The family's welcome was warm and thorough, and the apartment had everything we could possibly have wanted, and more. Everything was perfect and the kitchen was amazing- even having a toaster, an extreme rarity in the Balkans!

Niška Baya was all about brisk walks around the parks and town. Various mineral streams with different properties sprung up around the place and flowed out through numerous fountains, taps, ponds and culvets, all with people lying around in them enjoying taking in the hot water, high in radioactive Radon. The village is famous for this water and it's healing properties, apparently especially therapeutic for recovery after operations. Many walking wounded with crutches or bandages could be seen limping about and the busy clinic building itself looked like it hadn't been changed in decades. Most popular was sitting in the central park with one's feet dangling in the water (Sal gave that a go). Kids also loved playing in the fountains in the pond and many older people simply lay submerged in a pool with the water swirling around them.

Funky old water fountain, Niska Banya, Serbia

Radon Hotel, named after the curative waters

Faded grandeur in Niška Banya

Odd building in Niška Banya, Serbia

Our big walk was up to the viewpoint at the top of the closest hill to see where the paragliders took off. The wind was particularly fierce that morning and it was terrifying to imagine launching oneself off the edge up there. We enjoyed the peaceful walk through the always pleasing combination of beech and oak forest. The colour and early morning sun shining through the trees was glorious. Coming down, our legs were aching from the steepness, but we felt good to start the day off with some exercise. 

Huffing and puffing up the Niška Banya hill

Much needed rest on a rock, Niška Banya

Niška Banya was so small it only had a couple of little general shops, a tiny tourist market and a couple of ice-cream sellers, so in a way we were looking forward to moving on to a larger town with more facilities. On our departure, our hosts gave us a bottle of homemade rakia and a bag of plums. Could a gift be more wonderfully Serbian?! 

Farwell present from kind apartment owners, Niška Banya, Serbia

Just too comfy, Niška Banya apartment

The third largest city in Serbia, Niš, was just down the road from Niška Banya, and having visited most of the sights of Niš on our 2020 visit, this time we simply hoped for a stopover few days of relaxing and catching up before heading to Belgrade. We fondly remembered the city from our first months of travelling around the Balkans when everything was new and exciting. It's still interesting now, but after spending so much time in small towns and nature for the last six weeks, the city and it's noise and overwhelming amount of shops wasn't exactly inspiring for us. If nothing else, it was a good warm up for Belgrade!

Modest memorial to those Niš residents who died during the NATO bombing

Niš fort

Scary things happening at that memorial! Niš

Lovely mansion turned into apartments, Niš

Our great accommodation find was a superb and old fashioned example of a retro Serbian flat, right in Niš centre. The décor looked as though it had been unchanged in style for a long time, although the upkeep and cleanliness were perfect. The kind hostess finished her fag in the kitchen and showed us around the huge space. It's very rare we have a separate bedroom, kitchen, balcony, bathroom and loungeroom!

Sal loved these retro taps, Niš apartment

Our time in Niš was spent visiting the fabulous fresh market, the weekend flea market, and hitting the many op shops (second hand shops to you non-Aussies). A few early morning walks along the river and around the fort area rounded out our excursions. 

Trying to find the railway station, we became lost in an interesting estate full of factories and one random train engine. We couldn't decide whether the industrial buildings had been abandoned or were still in use, it was quite difficult to guess! Either way, they had a decrepit and funky feel, and we were waylaid there for quite some time.

Ruin of an industrial past, Niš

Random train engine dumped in Niš industrial area

Not sure if this factory was abandoned?

Thankfully, trains were running out of Niš- after our last few bus trips, we were happy to get back on the Serbian railway for the trip to Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. Although the bus trip would have only taken us two and a half hours, our train obsession saw us more than happy to take in the scenery for six hours on the tracks. 

Awesome, and smelly, Niš railway ticketing office

We spent the month of August at our favourite hostel, the Sun Hostel in Belgrade. As during past visits we enjoyed taking a break from our travels, and simply hanging out with old and new friends, chatting for hours at a time, drinking rakia, eating awesome Serbian food, and generally relishing in the intense socialising. We ventured out into the summer heat a few times to further afield suburbs in the city, but generally we were more than happy to focus on the company of our mates in the hostel environment. Some planning was also involved for the next part of our trip, to Serbia and Herzegovina. 

Fantastic trip to the hairdressers with good friends, Belgrade

Cool New Belgrade apartment block with "TV" windows

Can't get enough of Balkan food! Belgrade

One of many fascinating displays of Tito related memorabilia, Yugo Museum, Belgrade

Young boy soldier, Yugoslavia Museum grounds, Belgrade

Fountain drops, Belgrade

......next up, some fantastic new destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovina......

HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE- Mixing it up in Abu Dhabi, Serbia, Hungary, Scotland and Kuala Lumpur!

.......previously, the last blog of our amazing latest Central Asia trip- Andijon and Kokand........

Leaving Central Asia is always slightly bittersweet for us, but we had a busy schedule ahead for the year, and plenty to keep us occupied.

Abu Dhabi airport can be a bit of a hub when travelling between Asia and Europe, and never having visited the city before, we opted for an extra night at the surprisingly cheap airport hotel. When we visited Dubai years ago on the way to Iran, we had hoped to visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi for a day trip, but never quite got around to it. Having crossed our minds now and again since, we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to see the huge complex.

Sunset over Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi

Conveniently, the airport hotel offered a free shuttle there and back with an hour of so for looking around. Upon arrival at the mosque, we jumped off the bus and immediately headed to the main entrance, determined to make the most of our limited time there. The security guard quickly informed us we were not allowed to access that area- it was only for worshippers. Fair enough, but where were we to enter? Over there he said, pointing to a gigantic glass structure on the far side of the enormous car park. (By the way, although it was late afternoon, it was still over 40 degrees). We trudged over to the entrance and made our way by escalator underground only to be faced with a gigantic luxury shopping mall packed full of visitors and shoppers. Briefly noticing the surroundings and being surprised at how commercial this religious place was, we continued to hurry to the entrance, having read we would be given robes to cover ourselves with (very common in major mosques around the world, especially when they are heavily visited by non-Muslim tourists). One of the frontline staff told us that “because of Covid” no robes were available to borrow anymore, and we had the choice of buying an outfit for Richard's bare legs and arms, or not going in. We then noticed plenty of other men entering in shorts and decided to go for it, and see if the next security stop would let us in. After waiting in line with the hundreds of other visitors and finally reaching the front, we were then told we needed to go back and obtain a ticket, and produce the accompanying QR code. By this point we couldn't believe the rigmarole involved with visiting a religious monument, and were so pissed off. We wouldn't have had enough time to properly see the mosque anyway by this stage, so we legged it back to the outside area for the beautiful sight of the sun setting over the grand building, and satisfied ourselves with that and a few glimpses into the interior.

A peep into Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi

But it was still a beauty

In the end, the saving grace of the stay turned out to be the amazing hotel with a cheap price, incredible buffet breakfast and swimming pool to boot!

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August is always awkward for budget travel in Europe, so what better compromise for us than to stay put for a month at our old favourite, the Sun Hostel in Belgrade. After four months in Central Asia, we were well and truly looking forward to a relax with friends, some great food and alcohol, and of course, talking rubbish with fellow travellers. It wasn't really a stay to further explore the city as we had done extensively on our previous visits, we mostly stayed around the hostel enjoying the vibe. Although some of our old friends from the past few years had moved on, we still loved catching up with all the latest goss, and meeting loads of new and lovely people who always seem to appear at that hostel.

The gang at Sun Hostel, Belgrade, Serbia

We'd always been keen to do some sort of train trip in Northern Serbia, and now, being on our way to Hungary, we decided on a few stops on the way, starting with a rail journey from Belgrade to Sombor. A scruffy little town with an old world charm, Sombor was an extremely pleasant place to spend our last week in Serbia. The town was small enough to walk around, which was just as well as there seemed to be no public buses there, with most locals riding bicycles. The beautiful tree lined streets were perfect for strolling in the shade, which was welcome in the late summer heat. There was obligatory visits to the contrasting moody Orthodox and bright Catholic churches- quite different in style, and of course much cafe sitting in the warmth.

Atmospheric Orthodox church, Sombor, Serbia

Peeking into a ceremony, Orthodox church, Sombor, Serbia

Bright and light Catholic church, Sombor, Serbia

Lovely treelined track, Sombor, Serbia

Monastery on the edge of town, Sombor, Serbia

A rest in the shade, Sombor, Serbia

Old fashioned transport modes, Sombor, Serbia

The scenery on the next train from Sombor to Subotica was indicative of the whole region- wide open fields full of mostly sunflower and corn (both ready to harvest), and onion domed-topped churches popping up in distant villages.

Decaying old train at Sombor train station, Serbia

Unused door, Sombor train station, Serbia

Deserted train station, Sombor, Serbia

Having been to gorgeous Subotica only last year, (and loved it), we moved on swiftly across the border to Szeged in Hungary, this time by bus. Serbia presently has terrible international railway connections with most of it's seven bordering countries (as in, non-existent), with the only current train option being Montenegro. So bus it was, and being a Hungarian company, everything was very orderly and straightforward, as was the actual border crossing- one of our easiest yet.

Our first glimpses of Hungary were how tidy and ship-shape the roads were. Everything signposted, bike lanes following the highway and manicured lawns. The theme continued when we reached Szeged, a large university town not too far from the Serbian border. We checked into our central characterful apartment, and set out to explore the lovely town. We had to quickly get used to the tram lines on every road, and many cyclists on the roads and bike paths. Everyone stayed strictly in the lanes, and people waited patiently at crossings. The city was set out in a very orderly manner, and everything was incredibly clean and well-kept, with no graffiti or rubbish to be seen. We kind of missed the scruffiness of our usual destinations - it was almost a bit too perfect! A park along the Tizsa River was a pleasurable way to avoid the midday heat and the centre of town was full of oak and plane trees, cafes and grand buildings- Austro-Hungarian style with a few atmospheric Art Nouveau thrown in. The mix worked very well, and gave the town a very graceful look and we both liked it tremendously. Particularly dramatic and imposing was the Roman Catholic Votive Cathedral. Built in the early part of the 20^th century, it is the fourth largest church in Hungary, and the scope of the interior was breath-taking. There was no entry fee and we were free to wander, gape and snap away with the camera. All in all, Szeged was a great introduction to Hungary.

One of many gorgeous art-nouveau stunners, Szeged, Hungary

Parks in full summer bloom, Szeged, Hungary

Cute cafe entrance, Szeged, Hungary

Ornate synagogue, Szeged, Hungary 

Abstract statue and colourful Austro-Hungarian building in Szeged park, Hungary

Brutalist statue, Szeged, Hungary

Unusual water fountain, Szeged, Hungary

Spectacular colours in Szeged Cathedral, Hungary

Mosaics, gold and colour, just beautiful, Szeged Cathedral, Hungary

Thrilled to take a Hungarian train from Szeged to Budapest, we were even more delighted to board an older style carriage, with separate compartments and windows that opened for masses of fresh air. It's one of the best style trains we have travelled on for a short trip.

Fantastic old style train Szeged to Budapest, Hungary

Before the other passengers arrived!

Somehow we had imagined central Budapest would be something like Bucharest or Belgrade, both of which we loved. Instead, we found ourselves smack bang in the middle of tourist central. Usually, a clean and central hostel room at a bargain price would be a fantastic find. But this time, we wished we had booked something in a different part of the city. The streets and whole area surrounding the city centre were jam packed with tour groups, and every sight we attempted to see was mobbed. Sally, in particular, did not enjoy this scene. It was extremely disappointing, as many of the highlights we had anticipated visiting were just too overrun with activity to be enjoyable, and we left most sites unseen. We just didn't have the energy to cope with the crowds, and the intense vibe and action overwhelmed our brains!

Busy streets of Budapest, Hungary

As well as the jam-packed crowds, tanning salons, strip clubs, bustling bars, many beggars and homeless people, there was a surprisingly diverse cultural and ethnic mix, which was something we weren't expecting. 

Unusual statue dedicated to Liszt, Budapest

Random statue of Peter Falk as Columbo

Hungarian language was quite strange looking for us!

View over the Danube River, Budapest- still think Belgrade's is better!

Central Budapest was literally wall to wall with gigantic, over the top, ornate buildings, a mix of Baroque, Neoclassical and Romanesque styles, and practically every lane was a fancy cafe strip. We struggled to find our usual cheap and/or dodgy places to eat, but they didn't seem to exist in central Budapest. Beer wasn't too outrageously priced, but we have just been so spoilt in the Balkans with the best and cheapest beer, wine and rakia, that nowhere else can compare. 

Magnificent opera house exterior, Budapest

Number one local hero, Liszt, Budapest, Hungary

Ornate interior of Budapest Opera House

Basically, we didn't have enough time to see Budapest properly, we unknowingly chose an upmarket area to stay in, and visiting in the height of the summer tourist season was a bad idea. We simply couldn't get into it. All in all, we were pleased that we had only planned a couple of days in Budapest, and probably won't be rushing back anytime soon. Having said that, on the bus to the airport we passed many areas of the city that looked perfectly nice and not at all crowded.

Yet another Liszt statue- this one in motion, Budapest

Cobwebs on his face, Budapest, Hungary

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Contrasting our hectic, hot time in Budapest was our stay in bonnie Scotland. We had to quickly get used to the cooler temperatures and sky-high prices, but it was lovely to be in a green countryside setting and several quaint small towns and villages for most of our time there. As we were there to visit relatives, our priority wasn't so much sightseeing, but we did enjoy some rambles to some new destinations in between the family time.

Enjoying beautiful gardens, Aberdeenshire

The rural, farming region of Aberdeenshire is an underrated part of Scotland in our opinion. The eastern part of the country doesn't have the wild dramatics of the west coast, but the rolling green hills, ancient treelined village roads and stone walled farms with their straw bailed up ready for collection were extremely engaging, and perfect for walks. We did fit in a couple of countryside strolls during our stay, in between hanging out and helping out with family. 

Pastural scenes in Aberdeenshire

Ancient forests, Aberdeenshire

Butterflies enjoying the end of summer flowers, Aberdeenshire

It was the big city of Aberdeen, though, that was a particular favourite, never having properly visited the city before, only flying through on a bus on-route to elsewhere. A fabulous city in the sun and warmth (which amazingly greeted us on our arrival), it is still brilliant even in the dreich Scottish weather (which, of course, we also had a taste of). Called the granite city for it's grandiose and splendid city centre structures, it had a vibrancy and lively spirit about it, with busy shopping precincts, theatres, pubs, gardens and churches. The central hub with it's many small hidden stone laneways, and buildings topped with towers and turrets was a delight. Add to that fantastic transport links (including ferries to the windswept Orkney and Shetland islands- long been on our travel list), and it's a pretty convenient and marvellous place to be. Aberdeen is a huge port city, with a massive gas and oil industry. But it was the areas from the old days as a fishing port and ship building centre that were the most evocative.

Robert the Bruce doing something heroic

Grand granite buildings Aberdeen city centre

Such a special place we literally stumbled upon was Footdee (pronounced “Fittee”), a wonderfully charming former fishing village, miraculously left intact by modern encroachments, and with an old fashioned charm thanks to it's colourful wee cottages and communal garden areas. We were lucky enough to get chatting with a resident artist whose family had lived there for five generations, who told us some background. An added bonus for the residents of Footdee, and Aberdeen as a whole, was the quite glorious miles long Aberdeen beach, with a delightful walk way and summery feel, even with the clouds and wind.

Cute little cottage, Footdee, Aberdeen

Colourful lane, Footdee, Aberdeen

Creative resident's arty decoration, Footdee, Aberdeen

Looking out to the off short wind farm from Aberdeen Beach

We didn't have nearly enough time to give the city the time it deserved, and we will certainly try and return to explore in and around Aberdeen further (bank balance allowing!)

Thumbing a lift with a sweet old couple who went out of their way to make sure we got to our exact destination in Ullapool, we were welcomed to the west coast by the usual wet and windy climate of the area. This time, however, we were spending most of our time inside with family, so it didn't particularly matter. After a wonderful long weekend full of playing games with grandkids and catching up with family, we were on our way again. 

A few short rainy and cold days in Strathpeffer and Dingwall rounded out our time in Scotland. Despite the weather we were able to get out and about and enjoy some short wanders in the fresh country environment, the exercise hopefully balancing out the huge B and B breakfasts. We were ready to fly off again after our whirlwind stay in Scotland. The pleasure of catching up with family offset the mostly dismal weather and slightly rushed feel to the visit.

Rural scenery, Strathpeffer

Old railway station turned cafe, Strathpeffer

Cheers to Robbie Burns, Strathpeffer, Scotland

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After an intensive month or so moving about, we were ready for the slower pace of South East Asia, and were somewhat relieved to arrive back in the familiar surroundings of Malaysia. Normally staying in our favourite city Penang, this time we decided that since we had less than two weeks, we would try a stay in Kuala Lumpur. Our long time regular hostel in KL was nowadays closed, and as we pored over alternative options, it dawned on us that we could rent a quite posh Air B and B for not that much more than a double hostel room. And what a wise decision that was! The apartment on the 27th floor was fabulous, with all mod cons (it's been a long time since we had access to a fridge in our Malaysian accommodation, and it was a real treat), including a gym and pool. It was the perfect place to recover from the jetlag that seems to get worse every time we fly between Europe and Asia. Our time in the city was mostly spent visiting old favourites places, eating delish Malaysian food and catching up on sleep.

Our daily hang out in between the rain, KL

We're not used to such luxury in Kuala Lumpur!

Hoping for a quieter pace this coming year, we began by heading for our December time sanctuary at Ko Fruitopia for some relaxation. 

.......and the next blog skips ahead to our time on the Cambodian coast.....