to Belogradchik: ups and downs

May 21, 2015

This, our eighth day cycling, is not a typical routine for us. Usually a good rhythm is to cycle 3 or 4 days and then take a rest day. We decided instead to ride shorter days and take a couple of rest days in Belogradchik. This strategy worked well until today. Today we have a climb out of Zajecar and expect to climb at the end of the day into Belogradchik. We also are crossing 6 or 7 streams and 5 small villages. We knew there would be ups and downs but did not anticipate the degree of steepness of the ups and downs. It was a tough day, and though knowing rest days are ahead helped us get there.

The day started with needing an exit stamp for Serbia and then entry into Bulgaria. We are at the border before 7 am and wait. Getting out of Serbia was as time consuming as getting in, again there is no urgency by the border guards to get their workday started. Once done we are off cycling into our 9th country.

In the past, border crossings would mean there were people waiting for you to exchange money. We had used all the Serbian Dinar on food for today, so this task could wait till we reach Belogradchik.

Impressions of Serbia (for only 2 days):

1. Money is the Dinar, 100 dinar = 1 USD

2. Along the sides of roads were purple salvia and red poppies. Areas where the grass hadn't been cut, farmers were cutting and hauling in wagons to feed their animals

3. Very friendly people, waving to us along the road, friendly honks from the cars

4. We see cat and dog food being sold in the stores

5. Road kill was turtles and snakes

6. We were served our salad before our main course.

7. Heinken, Carlsberg and Tuborg beer gave way to Amstel

8. The most colorful shrines along the road were where there had been loss of life in traffic accidents

9. Houses were now more individual houses rather than row houses

10. Border crossing in and out of Serbia is a slow process, seems opens at 7 am