A short trip to Banát
I start the journey from Pardubice – Prague – Belgrade – Serbia – Rumanian border – Rovensko, to Banát, Rumania.
There is no need to talk about the journey to Prague and then the flight to Beograd. Everything went well and in 1 hour and 10 minutes I was at “Nikola Tesla Belgrade International Airport”. I rent Opel Astra in Avis and leave. I have to drive through Belgrade and then continue to the east. The journey is ok, only with increasing distance from Belgrade the signs are disappearing so I have to orientate without them. Unfortunately, it is quite tricky. I need to get to Bela Crkva but I am on the other side of the Danube river and there is only one ferry once a day. I have to return and after 60 km long by-pass I get to Serbia-Rumanian border. The poor fellow I am about to meet has been waiting for me for 3 hours at the border. I approach the Serbian side of the border and ask where can I park the car because rented cars are not allowed to cross to another country. There is a large paring place for at least 5 to 8 trucks but the officer is uncompromising: nowhere here, go back to the village and leave the car there. I ask why am I not allowed to leave the car here, as I do not bother anyone here. He does not pay any attention and keeps saying “go away”. It rains a lot, so I will get wet on the way back. Oh well. I have to try it somehow. Fortunately, I see a taxi staying at the fourth house from beginning of the village. I get off to have a look. Immediately, a lady appears at the doors and asks me what I need. She agrees I can leave the car for two days there and, moreover, her son will give me a lift to the border and on Friday he will take me back. It costs me 800 DIN (approximately 10 euros) but never mind. Most importantly I get to 1km distant border without getting wet, and the car will hopefully be ok. The lady invites me in till her son comes and asks me where am I from and we talk. I understand her more or less. In a while the son arrives and we depart. At the Serbian part of the border the officers “play” with my passport only for 5 minutes, all the time joking with my taxi driver.
On the Rumanian side of the border the situation is much more interesting and I wait 20 minutes for my passport to get to the EU country. When I ask what the problem is, officer tells me that he knows only green passports and the violet ones. Never mind, we cross the borders and I meet Franta and Vašek waiting for me. We start 150 km long journey, which is supposed to take us 2 hours but eventually takes 4. It is raining a lot and we drive old Dacia with Czech license plate. The guys are very nice and we talk during the whole way only with a short stop in Bozovica (local larger village where you find even a few cash machines, bistros, etc.). We have a coke and two beers. We pay 9 lei in total (approximately 3 euros). Then we continue. Here the distances between villages vary from 15 to 50 km. We drive last 15 km on only forest or rural roads. I get a whole farm cottage for my accommodation. Food awaits us – a soup, sausages, and fried meet. The owner goes to bed after meal and I go to bed under heavy duvet.
I wake up in the morning and after the first look outside it is clear that in five minutes I will be running with my camera shooting pictures like a crazy one. Beautiful hills, nature, foggy vapor above the Danube valley. The village is full of freely moving pigs, hens, cats, lots of dogs and even horses, people greeting in Czech. Peace is present everywhere. I get home made sausages, eggs and homemade lime tea with honey for breakfast. Kitchen and dining room in one is situated in a small house. Living rooms are over the yard. I am welcome by host’s father and wife. We go back to Bozovica with the host where in local pub we arrange everything needed. Then we have lunch: traditional soup with minced-meat balls and thick cream. As a main dish we have pork and chips, which is not so special. Everything is settled and I try to find out whether it would be possible to change the flight and hotel. Before leaving we walk again through the village while school ends. The guys tell me that they have 12 years school attendance.
It is a kind of central village so it is relatively busy. I manage to arrange everything so we go back to Rovenska for my luggage and go to the border. Only using a different way along the Danube River by Nova Moldava. The first 18km of the road from Rovenska is dusty with stones even in this direction. And we even drive for a while in the streambed or along a way where I am afraid we get stuck. Fortunately, we survive and continue along the Danube River. Lots of fishermen park right along the road. Some of them have tents for camping. We stop in Nova Moldava where Franta buys a skirt for his daughter. In a while we are at the border. Last coffee, saying good-bye and specification of next steps. I cross the borders without any problems and I walk the rest on foot. Hence, I leave Rumania and Banát area to where I know well I will come back soon and for a longer period. It is very nice area still not yet discovered with unbelievably warm and sincere people. My rented car is ok. The Serb takes some more euros (unfortunately he only wants to make profit) and I drive to Belgrade. In 1 hour and 40 minutes I am in the hotel. In the evening I go to the center. Lots of people everywhere. I sit in a garden restaurant, eat salmon and drink local Jelen beer. It is Friday morning and after the breakfast I go well in advance to the airport to return the car and to have a new ticket issued because in Belgrade electronic tickets are not yet accepted. Unfortunately, I find out that the CSA office opens as late as 45 minutes before the departure. Therefore, I have to go by car back to the city center to the local CSA branch. Fortunately, its address is written here and I have not yet returned the car. The CSA office is found and I drive back to the airport. With a short delay during check-in and after buying some of the local plum brandies I head to the airplane. The flight is ok and in one hour and 15 minutes I land in Prague. Short journey ends but I look forward to going back.
