THIS is my first trip to Serbia and I have to say the logistics, at least as regards anyone interested in playing in the Belgrade Trophy International, could hardly be much easier.
I caught a 13.20 flight yesterday with Air Serbia from Heathrow Terminal 2, arriving at Belgrade Terminal 2 at about 16.40, ie 20 minutes ahead of schedule.
I had been unable to get Serbian dinars in London at short notice, and I knew currency-exchange shops in Serbia are normally shut on Sundays, but I discovered online that there should be a Menjačnica machine - probably more than one - at Belgrade airport.
Indeed I found it, or one of them, before reaching passport control and was able to use it to change a 50-euro note into dinars.
On leaving the terminal building I found bus stops immediately outside, and the bus I wanted - actually a minibus - was stationary at the stop while the driver had a cigarette.
I paid 300 dinars - less than £3 - for a ticket, and had to wait about 10 minutes for the bus to leave, during which time I was the only passenger until a middle-aged woman got on.
She turned out to be Serbian but living for work-purposes in Ealing, West London, making frequent trips back to Belgrade.
She had a heated-sounding conversation with the driver, and then explained to me she had been telling him about a taxi driver who had tried to rip her off by demanding a much-higher-than-normal fare to where she wanted to go in Belgrade.
The woman reckoned other taxi drivers were angry with him because he was scaring away would-be customers.
Eventually another taxi driver came over to the bus and agreed a fare with the woman, and she left after returning her ticket to the bus driver but not getting a refund of the bus fare (perhaps she did it as a kindness, thinking the man would be able to reclaim the fare himself as a mini-bonus?).
Since I was the only passenger we fairly bombed along the highway and into the city without stopping until we reached the minibus's final destination, Slavija Square.
I checked into my accommodation, the Hotel Slavija, which is where the tournament is being held, unpacked, sent an email to the tournament organiser confirming my arrival, and was out exploring the nearby area by shortly after 18.00.
It was quite a shock - well, a surprise, anyway - to discover smoking in bars and restaurants is apparently still normal in Serbia.
Nearly everyone I have seen wears a mask on public transport and in shops, but hardly anyone does outdoors.
According to the British Foreign Office "masks are mandatory ... outdoors when the area is crowded." I guess it all depends on what one regards as crowded.
The rule that establishments are supposed to limit customers to one per four square metres was certainly not being observed in the bar I visited last night, nor was the other rule that gatherings are limited to five people (I moved seats so a group of about eight could sit together).
Getting down to specifics, and admittedly from a relatively small sample size, I can thoroughly recommend Nikšićko dark beer (6.2%).
Are face masks mandated during play, Tim (and if so are players complying?)?
ReplyDeleteGood luck! Martyn
I do not know for sure, but I suspect facemasks will be mandatory. Round one is at 17.00 today, so I should know then, if not before!
ReplyDeleteJust found these (newly published, I think) rules:
ReplyDelete18- As we are playing under specific conditions, by allowance and recommendation of Institute of Public
health of Serbia "Dr. Milan Jovanović Batut," all players are obligated to follow advice – especially to
pay attention is obligatory to wear face masks (properly) during the event. The player who is not
following this rule will get a warning. In the case of the repeating not wearing the mask Chief Arbiter
will make a decision, which can also be a loss of the game.
19- Losing the game by Article 18 is final, and players cannot appeal.
20- Arbiters will check all tournament players' body temperature at the Playing hall entrance every day.
The player with a temperature of 37 C or higher is not allowed to enter the Playing hall. The player with
a high temperature has a right to get one more checking (after 10 minutes passed from the first one). If
the player's body temperature is still high, the player cannot play that round. Checking of the player's
temperature will be before the game starts. The recommendation for players is to come earlier. All
checkings when the round starts are on player's time.
21- The player who finishes the game is obligated to leave the playing hall.