Written by Kathy Mitchell, Professor, School of Health and Community Studies

Belgrade to Zagreb by Train

Belgrade, Serbia is a city recovering from war and economic challenges. The rail system offers a great opportunity to see the countryside in a way that gives a view to the past and the promise of the future.

The station in central Belgrade is run down, busy with travelers and frequented by beggars - often young children who are sent by their parents to find any spare change. Cute ragamuffins are adept at pick pocketing, so beware. Theft in Eastern Europe is not unusual.  Money and passports are easily lifted as a gypsy woman bumps into you and screams abuse while her colleague picks your pockets and grabs your suitcase.

The train tickets from Belgrade were purchased on line from Canada and arrived in a sleek looking envelope. I went first class since I travel alone and need some sense of potential security.  First class is just a number -- not to be confused with Via 1.

The train sitting on track one was marked Belgrade to Zagreb and looked like Titos Blue train, minus the engine. The temperature was 30 degrees and there did not seem to be any air conditioning, not that I expected any, as this was indeed Serbia.

Food and water were also not available however I am always prepared so I embarked. While this was a 10 hour trip, it seemed like a good adventure, and since I was expected in Zagreb I had no Plan B operational.

A sealed metal train with no circulation heats up quickly. Soon the temperature was over 35 but I discovered that the window opened, so I was able to cool off en route. Leaving Belgrade, there was a large gypsy or Roma camp and small children played in the garbage heaps. The poverty was distressing. It led me to understand the need to beg and pick the pockets of affluent westerners. The countryside en route became flat and fertile with fields of market produce and orchards with apples, plums and apricots.

Meanwhile, inside the rapidly heating train, I ventured to the washroom which was in desperate need of Mr. Clean and had no water. However, I met a few English speaking travelers en route, who shared stories about their journey of self-discovery on the rail system as they made their way from Bulgaria to Bosnia. Since there are few tourists in this area, we were a breed of independent free spirits who recognized each other and celebrated being together on the road.

We passed through villages, stopping at each small station. As we crossed the border from Serbia to Croatia, we were saluted by the blue uniformed station master and inspected by customs officers and police. I doubt that I posed much of a threat to national security, as I was a sodden puddle of perspiration by then. However, I showed my passport, smiled in my Canadian way, and said “hello” and “thank you” in both official languages.

The machine guns and sniffer dogs from both border guards made me reflect quietly that I was here on my own and needed to pay attention to everything that was happening as there were no English subtitles in this script. My cell phone worked like a charm and it provided some small comfort to know I could call home -- no matter how excessive the roaming charges might be!

As I passed over the border to Croatia, the difference in scenery and standard of living was immediately evident. New homes, cars and T V dishes showed the impact of a better economic climate, and the sense of optimism that reflected a limited involvement in the wars of the 1990s.

The miles and hours passed in conversations: an Irish father and son who were connecting with each other as they headed to Bosnia; a young student studying in Greece was going home to Slovenia; a woman travelling to see her grandchildren who spoke no English but showed photos with the global pride of grandmothers. The warmth of the train was eclipsed by the warmth of the people I met on the journey.

When I arrived in Zagreb, I checked into the Regent Esplanade Hotel -- where the Orient Express guests spent the night en route to Istanbul -- and where  I was served a chilled glass of champagne on arrival. This was a great ending to a fantastic trip. Next train was going from Zagreb to Ljubljana. Another trip that promised more adventure and discovery. But trip would have to wait...

Advice from the Road

Travel with only that which you can carry or wheel; I spent a month with one carry on bag and a lot of scarves. She who travels the fastest travels alone!

I am delighted to talk with anyone interested in Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, and Budapest.

Kathy Mitchell mitchek@algonquincollege.com

613 727 4723 ex 5389

Editor’s Note: Kathy Mitchell is the recent recipient of the International Alliance of ALS/MND Humanitarian Award for 2009 presented in December in Berlin for the work that she has done in Eastern Europe with patients and families with Lou Gehrig’s disease.