July 19th

This morning we bid farewell to Hotel Slavija and Belgrade and made our way south towards Niš, the third largest city in Serbia behind Belgrade and Novi Sad.  On our way, our un-air-conditioned bus broke down on the side of the highway.  After a short wait, we were on our way with a new, AC-stocked ride.  Nis is the birthplace of Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor of Rome.  He built a magnificent villa in the suburb of Mediana, the ruins of which are currently being excavated.  We continued on to what is known as Skull Tower.  After the second Serb uprising in 1809 against the Turks was crushed, the Sultan ordered the skulls of the Serbs to be built into a tower as a warning.  Most skulls were eventually taken down by family, but several still remain.

Upon arriving in Nis, we were welcomed by beautiful weather, an awesome hotel (a step up from Slavija), and a city that was a nice change of pace from Belgrade.  We had a delicious Serb meal, and spent the day exploring, including visiting the Turkish fortress in the city center.