It began when chatting with my brother, he mentioned “Guca Festival” a four-day Balkan Music Festival. As with all my other plans, the idea of a Serbain Trumpet festival peaked my curiosity. I stumbled across this professional site, and sent off my inquiry. Now, it was about 3 weeks ahead of the festival, so I wasn’t holding out much hope. Much to my surprise, I was given instructions on how to secure accommodation, and offered one of the “last spots” . Decision made, I Paypaled my money, and secured my spot, and my ride from Guca to Belgrade.
24 Hours on a Bus
Now to get to Guca, I would be coming from Croatia, and in an attempt to be thrifty, I decided that my best course of action was to take a bus ride. This involved 3 buses, and a 3 am border crossing from Croatia to Serbia. I began my journey in Korenica, Croatia at around 4 pm, and reached Belgrade the following morning at 8am. The adventure was not over, once in Belgrade, I still had to make my way 3 hours south to Guca. Luckily, if you wander up to the ticket counter, and repeat “Guca” a few times, you can walk away with a direct ticket to the tiny village. While waiting for my bus (it cost a whooping 1180 dinar or ~ $11) I ran into a group of German students, also headed to the festival, so I knew I was on the right track.
Guca is another 3.5 hours south of Belgrade, and the ride is a highly picturesque, winding your way through the mountains and villages of rural Serbia. Pulling into the tiny village, overrun with campers and festival goers was another experience. The bus station is crowded with locals offering up accommodation and most people prefer to camp. However, I had booked myself a swanky bed in a house already. My room housed 2 other girls, and we were in the kitchen on pull-out couches. The house also had guests camping the in yard! The highlight of course was the functioning bathroom, and the 9am breakfast call.
Guca Fun
Once I had finally arrived and showered and napped a bit, I was ready to go out and take in the festival. During the day, groups of trumpeters roam the streets, and most people hang out by the pool or river to stay cool in the unrelenting sun. There are also parades, and cultural programs (all narrated in Serbian) and many many many vendors selling everything from toys to giant clay pots for cooking. It was an experience for sure, and I also quickly realized that my only food options were potatoes, tomato salad, and the (luckily) delicious fresh baked bread loaves.
At night is when the real fun begins, the main stage was crammed in a tiny church yard, and the many kiosks sold beer at a rate that was cheaper than water, all the signs on an excellent time. By this point I had happily linked up with the other girls staying in the house, and we all immersed ourselves in the traditional Balkan music. To say the festival was a blast is an understatement. Each night, the concerts began later and later, and ended only by 2am, then it was out to the streets. Where revelers climbed the famed “Guca Trumpeter” and sang songs as they meandered home. It was definitely a highlight of my adventure!
Follow the Moment
The most memorable moments of my summer began, much like this trip to Guca. With a conversation or a connection that sparked an interest. From there, I followed the moments, and was able to say yes to so many other adventures, from this weekend, to a week-long yoga retreat in Portugal.
So much of our days, weeks and years are set aside and planned down to the minute, however, I found that leaving space, allowed me to fully explore paths that piqued my interest. On your next vacation, I challenge you to do the same, plan somethings, but leave space to follow your interest, and get lost in the moment, you never know what you might find!
