Day 1,402

здраво србија

To get from Hungary to Serbia we had to ride through a tiny corner of Croatia. Not on the Danube but through the countryside. At the border I nearly rode straight past the official as since entering the EU there haven't been any. Here it was just a nice lady who waved us through after a quick chat and an apology from me for ignoring her. In a large patch of grass with shade from trees, a flood-damaged church offered a great sheltered spot for lunch. We should have waited, because after barely an hour’s riding, and another hour eating, we reached the border crossing into Serbia, right behind a very full coach, which took ages to get through customs. It actually took longer for us to exit Croatia than we spent riding through it, and we then had to wait whilst they went through the same routine half a mile down the road to enter Serbia. Still at least we had entertainment this time, some poor lad was having his car taken to bits by the customs officers guided by a sniffer dog. Another hour and we were on our way. 

Stuck at the border

After that delay, our plans for a super long distance day were abandoned. A few miles later we reached a campsite and headed in for our first taste of Serbian hospitality. Technically they were closed, but we could stay. We joined the random selection of people who, like us, had nowhere better to be than here, and joined the party. There was a lot of beer, but we'd cycled from England so naturally the owner popped out and returned with more beer. We were fed, then the pear vodka came out. We fell into bed at some point and slept like logs. Our host was still fast asleep when we left at 10am! 

Кампинг Апатин, aka Camping Apatin, aka Heaven. We recommend you visit!

The surface of the Eurovelo 6 here has slowly deteriorated. Today we had some fantastic double-track to ride, we wove our way along, avoiding the mud and potholes. Then a major treat - a section of the Danube called the ‘Amazon of Europe’. Having cycled in the Amazon we had high expectations and it didn't disappoint. We saw wild boar, jackals who strolled away nonchalantly as we approached, and more amazing bird life. The trees were much older and taller than what we were used to. Snakes and lizards were sunning themselves on the path, and a chorus of what we think were frogs, but nothing like we've heard before, sang for us as we cycled along. It was bliss. 

A proper tree

Now we'd prepared well with water and food as we knew we were in a fairly remote area. All day long we saw no one. The two small towns we passed were ghost towns with abandoned buildings, slowly decaying, and being Easter Sunday we'd been warned that any shop would be shut anyway. I gave up hopes of a cool drink and an ice-cream and we started looking for a place to pitch our tent for the night. 

For several hours we’d ridden by many perfect spots, but now nothing. Eventually we saw another area close to the water. It was a mix of grassy areas and small, slightly ramshackle buildings that locals use as a summer base by the river. We headed down and randomly parked our bikes alongside one. We decided to cook tea and see what happened. After a few minutes we heard a family arrive and head for a swim in the river. Then, a few minutes later a family of cyclists arrived next door. Thank goodness we hadn't stopped there. Feeling brave I went over and explained who we were and was it ok to stay there for the night? The lovely mum just beamed and said “yes, enjoy yourselves!”. So we did! It wasn't quite top 10, but definitely top 20!

Only the inner - always a winner!

We were up and tent packed by 6.30am, and on the road by 7am, just in case. Then a very hot ride to Novi Sad. A brief chat with a young couple who had two small children on touring bikes, just for the weekend, but with big plans as the children grow. Then, wilting under the blazing sun (it’s 33°C here, and it’s only April), we arrived at our apartment, our home for 4 whole nights and 3 whole days. Blogs to write, films to create and photos to edit, then bikes to check over, clothes to wash, then maybe a day of being tourists!