Belgrade NoteBook- Day 1

Why you should be careful flying FlyDubai

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Fly Dubai is a low-cost airline that supplements routes operated by UAE giants Emirates.

From Dubai, FlyDubai connects to various global destinations. But the experience with budget airline can be annoying, if what I went through yesterday is anything to go by.

The Dubai-Belgrade flight apparently packed to the rafters, we were forced to check in our precious hand luggage to decongest the cabin.

"Don't ask any questions!", a ground staff barked when I argued that I have all my valuable electronics and my old passport with valid visas, etc, in my hand luggage, and I was thus uncomfortable checking it in.

Fortunately, one of the ground team, a Kenyan, cooled me down in Kiswahili and only then did I agree to risk having my valuables checked in, my legendary Kisii temper having boiled over in the Dubai heat!

Tennis star Novak Djokovic most popular figure here

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Travelling to Serbia, I had one thing in mind: Dig into the life of the nation’s world number two tennis star Novak Djokovic.

And indeed, as our bus snaked through the cocktail of modern and historic buildings in downtown Belgrade, I picked out a restaurant and café with a huge poster of the Covid-19 vaccine rebel tennis star with the caption “Greatest Ever!”

The Novak Café and Restaurant is one of the assets Djokovic owns, and it’s run by his parents and family, our guide tells me.

“We love him here very much… He’s such a star,” the lady guide offered. Thankfully, having noted my interest in Serbian sport, she offered to organise dinner at the Novak Café and Restaurant in the course of our stay here.

I only hope Djokovic happens by, but even then, meeting his family at the restaurant would be a great deal already!

Belgrade, a city rich in history and culture

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Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, is also known as “the City of Culture”, “City of Inspiration” and even “City of Sports and Festivals.”

Belgrade develops and changes fast, protecting its rich and diverse history within the mixture of culture, architecture, and urban spirit, we are told in our media introduction on the sidelines of the World Indoor Athletics Championships.

“With some of the most attractive locations, Belgrade Fortress – the oldest cultural and historical monument, Skadarlija – the bohemian quarter in the city centre, Knez Mihailova Street; Old and New Royal Court, Federal Parliament, Temple of St. Sava, Zemun and many others, Belgrade makes the cultural centre of Southeast Europe,” the Media Guide to the championships explains. Belgrade is one of the oldest European cities with the heritage which has lasted over 5,000 years and is dotted with landmarks, monuments from the past, traditional art and famous attractions.

Temperatures rising in Serbian capital as winter fades

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Records have it that the lowest temperatures ever recorded in Serbia were minus 39.5 degrees Celsius on January 26, 2006, in the region of Karajukica Bunari, a village located in the municipality of Sjenica, southwestern Serbia.

The highest the thermometer has recorded here is 45.2 degrees on July 24, 2007, in Leskovac, the administrative centre of the Jablanica District in southern Serbia. That’s why Team Kenya members were worried over what to expect here.

But on arrival at about noon yesterday, we were welcomed by comfortable temperatures of 11 degrees with the weekend forecast predicting sunny spells with temperatures see-sawing between eight and 10 degrees Celsius.

But even then, we have to dress warmly with layers of the team’s official Nike apparel.