“Serbia and Two Gypsies Wandering the Countryside”

• August 9, 2020
• By Daryl
• 0 Comment

After a good nights sleep, rain serenading us with a rhythmic beat on a hot tin roof, we set off for the caves nearby. The roads are still wet and the clouds are menacing, dark and turbulent. As we drive through tree tunnels, with limbs that completely cover the road, the sun penetrates the canopy. A little stream follows the road. As we approach the caverns, the traffic picked up, a different pattern from our normal drive. The road seems extra narrow. The farms pass us by with open fields used for hay and corn; lots of corn.

We get to the cavern and a huge parking lot full of cars, this is Saturday and the locals are getting out. We buy our ticket and wait for the next tour. About 76 people start shuffling their way to the entrance. With our mask mounted, we enter the devils caldron with mist flowing out. A scene for a horror movie, it looked like clouds in the cool cave air. The Serbian guide talked for about thirteen minutes, then we slowly flowed to the depths past broken stalactites and green tinted stalagmites. The cavernous expanse was wet and dripping. It was not the best cave we have been to, but it is said to be the largest in this limestone rich country. The crowd halted in a large cavernous room, another speech was about to start, so we snuck off to the end of the tunnel and exited. 

A waterfall is next on our list and another carnival atmosphere develops. It was a wonderful walk to the waterfall, over wooden bridges and a damp trail. It was a short pleasant hike, pictures captured, with selfies standing by the waterfall and the rapids that followed the canyon. Another bridge lead us to a few restaurants, created out of an old grain mill. Stands were set up with wares for sale, and everyone is selling honey. Some had wooden items or hand knit little shoes for babies. We passed another lady with sacks of four different flours and meal. If we were flying home, I would have purchased each stone-milled product and enticed Bunny to make some bread with it.  

The restaurants are busy and everyone is eating trout from the fish hatcheries on site. They all had large puffy bread about the size of a Costco pumpkin pie, only twice as thick. 

 We took pictures by the stream, by the mill, next to some men skinning a sheep and anywhere we thought looked cool. I found some prune/plum trees and had my fill. They are my favorite plum. We head out just in time, as the cars are pouring into a space that has no room. We got past the 33 cars that were maneuvering to find a parking spot. There was one left, the one we just emptied. As we drove out, we passed another eleven cars and I yell out don’t go! There is no parking. My voice tapered off on deaf ears with Bunny poking me into silence.

We drive out in pursuit of our next stop. We drive past rain soaked field full of corn in a cloud covered sky. Sunflower fields are suddenly everywhere. The sunflower head follows the sun throughout the day. Today, they bow their heads down praying for sun and protecting their clusters of seed from the rain. It is a strange sight with all the heads facing down, it looks like you could walk across the tops, they are so dense. We are driving mostly through rolling valleys as far as the eye can see. Purple mountains can be seen off in the distance. 

The time is getting late and hotels are non existing. We come into a town and the only hotel is sold out. An uncommon occurrence and the hotel clerk can not explain. We search out every place our lady in the cell phone takes us, but to no avail. So we go to the castle to view before it closes, but they closed an hour early. My stomach is growling and I eat every snack in the car, looking to distant villages, but no vacancies. Finally we found a shared home or hostel, who will put us up for the night. No air conditioning, or air flow, but it was cheap and the grounds were beautiful. The property lies on the shores of the giant Danube River, which borders on Romania.