Day 9: The Sultans Trail from Belgrade to Sofia

#lookback September 13, 2025

Wild camping in a cornfield

At night, the rain is gentle. There is no sound as zen as the soft raindrops on my tent, what a pleasure. At seven o’clock, I am awakened by distant church bells. Half an hour later, they ring again. The mass must be over. Time for me to get up.

A follower writes to me, “Sleeping next to a cornfield, what a spooky setting!” Creepy things often hide there, and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre also took place in a cornfield. Not long after, I feel eyes on me… could it be? It turns out to be a curious young kitten. I have survived my adventure; I can go on!

Always those dogs

The route mostly goes over asphalt and through quiet villages. Everything seems deserted, as if only dogs reside there. At every house, I am barked at either cheerfully or aggressively, from deep, heavy barks to high-pitched yapping that hurts my ears.

An exquisite lunch with muddy coffee

The temperature is rising significantly; there is no shade to be found. It’s sweltering. Around noon, I arrive in Despotovac, where I immediately dive into a cool restaurant. I eat wonderfully and get acquainted with Serbian muddy coffee. Once the worst of the heat has passed, I walk on to the Manasija Monastery, founded in the early 1400s. It is impressive to walk around there and once again observe the devotion of the local residents.

As I walk out of the monastery, a young man runs up behind me. He asks if I’m the Australian man who has been traveling around the world for 25 years with a cart. No, I’m not, but I would love to do that for another 25 years. If I stay in good health, it should still be possible!

Hospitality at the picnic spot

300 meters from the prayer area, there’s a picnic area where you can camp. There’s one other tent, a campfire, and about 20 adults and children are having a great time. I’m immediately invited to join them later; they have enough food and drinks.

A boy about 12 years old asks if I would like to learn some Serbian. He teaches me how to greet and count a bit; it’s quite touching. However, I quickly go into my tent afterwards; I’m not feeling well, it seems like I’m getting a cold and I have a slight headache. I’m skipping the drinks this time.