Stay true to the dreams of thy youth

So, I indeed I entered into the late-20s today around 11am. By late-20s, I mean past 25 years of old, which just sounds ungodly old to me. A bit hard to believe, except for the fact that I still feel young, both physically and at heart, so I really can't complain. There seem to be no upside to growing older, after the final hallmark of renting cars for cheaper once you reach 25 years of age.

It has been a rather unconventional birthday, and birthday eve for that matter. I caught an Egypt Air flight from Cairo to Istanbul on the evening of the 23rd, arrived in Istanbul at 8pm and hopped on a 10pm overnight train to Sofia. After an entertaining night of drinking bad Greek wine with a number of European and Canadian travelers, I arrived in Sofia with six minutes until my next train heading to Belgrade... I made it, despite this six minutes requiring the exchange of money and the purchase of a ticket.

Serbian countryside is beautiful and actually reminded me a bit of Colorado mountains. Rivers run alongside the train tracks and the scenery fluctuates between farmland, forest and mountains. Since arriving in the city yesterday evening, I have found everyone to be extremely friendly and helpful. Multiple times today people thought I was Serbian. Purchasing a new journal at Mamut, a bookstore downtown, the cashier spoke a few words to be, which I didn't understand. Only after I said "Sorry?" did he say, "Oh, you aren't Serbian? You look really Serbian. Welcome to Serbia."

I woke up this morning, and the cute attendant at the hostel wished me a happy birthday. She had apparently seen the birthday on my passport. After a leisurely breakfast of Nescafe 3 in 1, yogurt, and pastry, I walked around downtown and then around New Belgrade looking for the Contemporary Art Museum. When I did find it, it was unfortunately under renovation. Instead, I headed back downtown, saw a few churches, took photos of random graffiti, and hung out in cafes reading Orphan Pamuk. All in all, an exceptional and random birthday. I enjoyed it however.

I'll try to post some photos soon and offer some more entertaining travel stories involving 4am border crossings and the sort.