8.30 a.m. The train is running towards Beograd or Belgrade.
Last night it came at 11 p.m. and after a few minutes stop left Podgorica Station. It is a small train and I easily identified compartment No. 475. Conductor saw the ticket and my passport. There are three berths on one side of the cabin and good bedding is already spread like good linen, blanket, and pillow. I went to sleep on the lower berth and young person who had lower berth went to the middle berth. He knows good English and a sports person whose family lives in Serbia and Montenegro. At 11.20, the first check for passport at the Montenegro side came. It is easy. The passport officers came to the cabin, saw the passport and then stamped it. After one hour, train stopped for Serbia Passport control. They also came in, checked the passport and stamped. We then went to sleep. It is very comfortable. I got up at 6.30 a.m. There are mountains and weather is foggy. The villages were in sight and lot of forest area. It is cloudy all the way and cool also. I tried to make a cup of tea using my electric kettle but the electric current is not there in the socket. There is a covered washbasin in the train with water coming. Zarco may be waiting at the station. He must have checked the time of the train before coming. Train has picked up speed now.
9.30 a.m. – In 30 minutes we would be in Belgrade. The conductor had returned my ticket. It was drizzling outside. I have noticed that in most of the long train journeys, the tickets are kept by the conductor and returned just before the end of the journey. I could now see more and more homes on both sides of the train. It was a good journey. The bus might have been quicker, but it would not be as comfortable as the train.
6.10 p.m – Zarco was supposed to receive me but he called to tell me that he would be late. I was sitting in the Sun Hostel's open garden lobby. When I had reached the station at 9.30 a.m., there was no one to receive me. The railway station seemed to be pretty old. The design was similar to any other European Railway Station but it was dirty and not mantained. While I waited, a taxi driver came to me many times, hoping I would hire the taxi but he did not know the way to the Sun Hostel. He was dissapointed when I called Zarco's office and told that he would be coming in 5-6 minutes and asked to wait near the Information Counter. Zarko met me warmly and brought me to Sun Hostel in a taxi. Today, the UN Secretary General Boon's entourage was on road and therefor the main road was closed down. Hostel is in a street. My bed will be ready in 2 hrs. This is a hostel of Nicola who was in the Conference and Chairman of this Association’s Board. We went to a nearby restaurant and had coffee and omelets for breakfast. We talked on hostelling matters and then came to the Hostel. I was given a bed in a room with 2 bunk beds just in front of reception on ground floor. Toilet is on ground floor and bathroom is on 1st floor.
Zarko went with me to the other side before coming to the hostel. I bought a sim card for 280 Dinars and a Bus ticket card for 10 rides for 600 Dinar. I had exchanged 30 Euro in the morning at the station. Zarko also found out that there are two buses going to Pristina and from there is an easy connection to Tirana, Albania. Also I can go to Novosad in the morning and come back in the evening. Zarko also found out the phone number of Indian Embassy. I talked to someone from Delhi who is P.A. to Ambassador. He will take time and then speak to me. Later he phoned me that the Ambassador is busy for next two days. But the Ist secretary, Navin Saxena will meet me tomorrow at 11. 30 am. The ambassador is a lady from Manipur. It is same for IAS and IFS probably in their training, not to entertain ordinary persons. I don’t mind. I remember one Ambassador (Azarbaijan) sitting inside with no one in the Embassy but his P.A. said he was very busy. They have to justify presence with heavy work.
Zarko left the Hostel and will come back at 6 p.m. I took shower at 4 p.m. and went out to eat. There are many small restaurants nearby. I went to Chickenmate. I ate a big chicken burger with salad and iced tea for 405 D which was not cheap. But it was so heavy that I did not take dinner. Zarko came at 6.30 p.m. and we went out in a Bus. He gave me a guided walking tour for almost 2.30 hrs. I was quite impressed by the historical buildings preserved and maintained in Belgrade. These were not affected by 2nd World War or 1991 War and later bombardment by Nato and Americans. We finally went to Fortress and saw the view of Rivers Sava joining river Danua.
It started drizzling. We sat in a restaurant there and had Beer and of course enjoyed the rain. One glass for me and three glasses for Zarko. There was some party going on in a family and the music and dance was entertaining. Rain did not stop. Zarko borrowed one umbrella from the restaurant and we walked to the Bus Stand. I wanted Zarko to come up to the hostel stand which he did. In fact he left me to the hostel. We had a long chat on pre and post Serbian war. Tomorrow I will write down what I have seen in Belgrade.
Zarko will come at 11.00 a.m. and we will go to Indian Embassy and then to Tito Memorial Park.
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