July 4, 1963
We got up early, rested and sad to leave this city we had
grown to love but very soon we were off, leaving Greece for the second time in
our lives.
Our engine sounded and acted a whole lot better and we took
all the slopes manfully. Northern Greece is not as lush as along the coast but
it is still attractive country. We began to climb up into hills again. We
arrived at customs about 10:00. The customs house is beautiful with a lovely
garden and all kinds of flowers we plant at home too. The officials were very
cordial and nice. There was an handcrafts shop selling souvenirs for charity
benefits so we bought six shish kebab knives. The cute little Greek soldier in
the sentry box was dressed in the wide pleated white skirt, pom-poms on his
shoes and all, he waved back as we passed him waving.
Yugoslavia was pretty grim. Right away the roads got worse
and we went careening along down a densely wooded Valley, right on the very
edge of a cliff with barely enough room to pass anything. The cities all look
very dead, everything closed up and deserted looking. At one point the markings
were not clear and we got off on the wrong road. It really was terrible. We saw
a mine with overhead conveyors carrying the ore some place while we were
wandering around. Later on we went on what was obviously a detour. We could see
the new superhighway being built across the valley, tunnels and nice wide road.
We found a tiny little tree to provide some shade and had lunch on what we had
brought from Greece as we had found no place to buy anything more in
Yugoslavia. (We only had permission to drive on the friendship highway as that
was the only visa they would issue.)
One little town we passed must have been having elections as
we saw crowds of people and some were coming and going in carts. We got a
picture of one cheerful cart full. In places the fields were very attractive,
little strips tended like gardens with wheat, hay, corn, tobacco and other
things alternating. Families were working, grandma, grandpa, mother, father,
children and the baby sitting on a blanket in the shade on the edge. They use
horses and bullocks and tools like in India, nothing modern.
Then we got on the “Autopat” and really whizzed along. We
passed Skopje which the highway bypasses, never knowing it would be so terribly
destroyed in a couple weeks by a big earthquake. This is the “Highway of
International Peace and Brotherhood” and every now and then there would be a
surrealistic monument to celebrate. It was only two lanes but it looked like a
superhighway to us after what we had been on!
By evening we got to Nis and follow the signs to the “Camping”
which we had found in our Europa Camping book. You have to stay where the
campsite is and wandering around the city is frowned upon. It was dead, shabby,
boarded up, deserted like all the other towns. The camp was in a grove a very
tall trees, nice green grass. The baths and toilets were fair and here we were
initiated to the usual wash-up and cooking facilities. Hand basins around the
edge of an open shed and everyone washing, shaving, washing dishes most
unconcernedly. There was gas and nice tables for eating meals. The camp was
quite full, 20 to 30 cars and more kept coming. They had classy tents, air
mattresses and sleeping bags and all kinds of stoves and gadgets.
We went out to find some supper. Found a fairly nice
restaurant and sat outside under the umbrellas. We had shish kebabs, fried
potatoes, some kind of soup, salad. It was too early for anyone else to be
eating but people strolled by and eyed us. You can tell with their loud, open
behavior with all the girls in short skirts that they think of everyone as
equal. We hunted around for shops to get supplies and found a little bakery
where they had ice cream. We got cones. We tried to explain to the little old
proprietor and his wife we were American and when they understood they came
around the counter and shook hands, read and smiles. People seeing the D on our
car would spit on the ground, they hate the Germans.
July 5, 1979
We made breakfast at the gas stoves and made friends with
two middle-age ladies in zoot suits going to Pakistan with a VW bug. They were
old hands and had real nice equipment. Oh for more time to visit.
We really traveled to get across Yugoslavia as soon as
possible. The highway was very good mostly but some places are cobbled and that
was rather wearing. We saw big commune farms as we went north, weedy and
neglected looking compared to down south. There were rest stops and overpasses
like in the States. Often no road on either side of the overpass but anyway
they had them! About noon we went through Belgrad which is a big modern
handsome city with skyscrapers, big public buildings, parks, fountains, etc. we
got groceries and a very nice little shop, tried to ask for stamps for John at
a kiosk but no one could understand us. There was a lot of building going on.
We found a grove of saplings outside town for our lunch. It was right next to a
huge combine factory. We did see some modern farm machinery in the afternoon.
The road was very good all afternoon. Daddy got sleepy so
mother drove a little while and that woke him up in a hurry. We passed an
American family in the afternoon stopped as we had stopped, thinking we might
be in trouble. They were in a red Microbus too and were going to Teheran. Fun.
We sure saw a lot of Microbuses. Got to Zagreb about 5:30 and followed the
camping signs to a place down by the river, where there is a recreation center
and the camp.
It was fairly small as camps go but the young people’s
center was very organized and there was plenty to do. A lovely swimming pool, a
huge training field, a tennis section with 15 courts, and the canteen with an
auditorium and stayed behind. There was a small section for us Capitalist
tourists and it was quite crowded, got more so in the night. We went over to
the canteen for supper and sat around a table waiting for it to come. It was
good but sparse and expensive. We got showers over in another building and fell
into bed.
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