Tito's Train

Steven and I have now been to Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, and Montenegro. Our next stop is Belgrade, Serbia which should provide us with a finish to our time in the Balkans. For the last 2.5 months, we've been learning about the former Yugoslavia. We've seen how the countries have adapted since the split, why the split happened, and which countries are allied with whom. It's been fascinating to learn all about the Yugoslav history, and to also hear the opinions that certain demographics have about the once Yugoslav leader, Josep Tito. 

The most fascinating part of this history is that it's arguably one of the only times where an authoritarian government benefitted the people. This opinion comes from everything that we learned about the Tito's time as President and the reputation that he had with the Yugoslavian people. Most people loved him. They loved their lives during this period of harmony, absolute equality, and peace. If you ask them... they miss this time of their lives. They miss the equality and sureness of their future. It's fascinating to hear stories and learn about history in a way that you could never learn in school.

Anyway, we decided that the best way to get from Bar, Montenegro to Belgrade, Serbia was to take the slow train and experience his famous railway. It took 12 hours, and we almost didn't get into the country thanks to misinformation about PCR tests..... BUT, after a run in, bad translations with the border police, and a good 30 minutes of quiet panic on the train at the Serbian border...  (really, it was several miles past the Serbian border) we made it to Belgrade. 

The journey was long, but absolutely stunning. I would recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind sitting still, admiring beauty, and gaping at the ingenuity of this old, impressive railway.