European Tour – Croatia and Serbia (Written by Chris)

Time Marches on as the wheels keep spinning

Preconceptions are an interesting thing. While I know that most people in our group were very eager to visit Serbia many were also very weary of the “horror stories” that seem to be around. Even neighboring countries and past residents had given us tips and warnings about it, but almost none of them have been true. It seems like the further east we go the more the nicer, friendlier, and more welcoming people becoming, and Serbia thus far has been the nicest.

In North America if someone honks at you on the road it is probably to tell you to get off it, here almost all of the honks were followed by friendly smiles and waves. If we stopped at the side of the road for a break multiple cars would stop to make sure we were alright or to confirm our directions. On one occasion we stopped to change a tire and the owner of the house came out and offered us water and food, all without speaking a word of English. really pretty much every country we’ve been through has made North American’s seem like uncaring arrogant asses. Many of us of course are not, and |I’m sure smaller towns maybe can also claim to be just as welcoming but there is just a different feeling here when you interact with people and it can’t just be because of the language barrier.

Croatia and Serbia certainly have a recent past and signs of it are everywhere. Gunshot holes in buildings, some craters in the ground, and even a pair buildings in downtown Belgrade that have been bombed by NATO. It certainly gives the expression your tax dollars at work a whole new meaning. It is a very humbling moment to visually see in person the kind of destruction you are linked to by the nature of your citizenship.

Another extreme reminder of where we are came in Croatia. In our bike map book one day it said, do not stray too far from the trail as there are undetonated landmines around. This is not to worry people back home, in fact there was a minor discussion as to whether to mention it or now, but I think it is an extremly important reminder to people about what went on. I also think ti is important not to shy away from traveling to places with a past such as this. It helps everyone undersatnd the world better and is no where near an indicator of what the people are actually like. Which, again, was extremely caring, open, and warm.

It seems hard to believe that it is already August and that even that is beginning to slip away from us. In many ways it feels that we are just hitting our riding stride and our group is really starting to figure out what it is. Last night for instance, we had a discussion about what it means to be an “Agent for Change” which quickly spun off into a 3 hour conversation. This group is so diverse in many ways and yet we are all united by the feeling that there is something wrong with the world that we are all determined to figure out and fix. That is a conversation that I never want to stop.

Serbia is now finished, up next is Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey. I’m sure it will all be be all much to fast but in the main time we will continue to ride, explore, and have our hearts touched and lives changed by everyone we meet.