Biking Serbia

22 August 2023, Ada, 49.03km
Relax Apartmen 4000RSD [R689]

We cycled 49 flat km from Horgoš to Ada in 34° temperatures, sweating in the excessive humidity from 0900.
Before setting out, we had to pay the hostel for our accommodation. They had originally requested cash (Serbian Dinar), but had agreed that we could pay by credit card having confirmed there was no ATM in town.
We had understood they would return in the evening with a credit card machine. Instead the woman arrived this morning and asked me to go shopping with her at the corner mini market. I waited beneath the aircon while she filled her basket with goodies. Once at the till, she realised she had not selected enough supplies to equate to a night in one of her rooms and added several packets of cigarettes until the till read €28, €2 short of her fee. I paid for her shopping with a credit card and we parted on excellent terms.
--
Can one incident confirm a vague impression? While eating ice cream* from a garage shop, seated on a raised petrol tank cover in the shade, Charl and I compared our first impressions of Serbia. Less disposable tax dollars (no flower baskets filled with riotous colour in public spaces); marginally more willing to greet than in other parts of Europe; marginally less patient or careful when overtaking cyclists.
Within an hour I was confronted by an approaching truck overtaking a tractor towing two trailers. Usually when a driver sees me on the opposite side of the road when beginning to overtake, they drop back and wait. Not this time. I had lots of time to react and a flat grassy patch to pull off onto, so no problem, really, but indicative of an attitude, perhaps...
*Pistachio chocolate and berry cream.
--
Remember Hungary's Tisza river? We encountered it twice today, crossing it from west to east early on and from east to west just outside Ada. It meanders south, flowing into the Danube east of Novy Sad.
--
We had selected accommodation in a hostel in Ada, there being no campsite, but had not made a reservation. When we arrived at the hostel, it was to find it was fully booked. Two women in reception, ignoring my disreputable and, I'm afraid, smelly, state, made a couple of calls on my behalf and booked us into a fabulous little apartment. As it had aircon and self-catering facilities, we did not mind it being outside our budget. So nice to be spoilt.