Running in Serbia & Skopje Fusion-Confusion

In Serbia, we stayed in a city called Novi Sad. Given the places we had already visited, there wasn't much to impress us in this city. It didn't help that the skies were a dreary gray and pouring rain down upon us during our stay. We joked that Novi Sad was indeed "sad."

The previous night, I was up most of the night with a major case of runner's leg syndrome, and so I desperately needed to move my legs when we got into town. Sitting in a car for hours on end, day-after-day is pretty hard for someone whose vacation days typically involve pedaling for hours on end, day-after-day. So, after checking into the hotel, Ferit and I laced up our running shoes to explore the city. At least we can say: "We went for a run in Serbia." Call me silly, but I think that's pretty cool.

When we got back from our run, we enjoyed a cup of tea, courtesy of the kitchenette in our room. I really enjoyed my cup of tea, not only because of the message written on the teacup, but also because of the cup's educational artwork.

We got a good laugh at the teacup in our hotel room.
(You may need to zoom-in to also appreciate the artwork.)

We walked to the nearest mall for dinner, where we all ordered Chinese fast-food. It was comical to me to order Chinese food from a Serbian-speaking Chinese man. Fortunately, there was someone in line who spoke English and Serbian who was able to assist us. I am happy to say that this is the first time I've ever eaten Chinese food without experiencing a headache for dessert.

After a couple hours of driving the next day, we arrived in Skopje, Macedonia. Serving as the country's capital, the city was an interesting fusion of absolutely everything -- democracy and communism, east and west, old architecture and new architecture. As we walked through the streets, we definitely felt as though the city was confused as to its identity.

A view of Skopje.

For the first time, though, I felt as though we had left the familiarity of the Europe with which I was familiar. As as we were settling down for dinner, I heard my first Muslim call to prayer. It was eerily beautiful. Despite the fusion-confusion, I really enjoyed walking through the narrow streets and marinating in the exoticness of the city.

The me and the he.

Two girls on a bridge.