1999
Paddling Belgrade "AN DER SCHONEN BLAUEN DONAU" by Dragan Simid (Yugoslavia)
Mel Baughman received the following letter and story in 1997, but hadn't access to a scanner and finally misplaced the piece till this month. We hope and pray the current conflict has left Dragan and his loved ones untouched..Editor
Belgrade. March 22nd, 1997
Dear Mr. Baughman
I would like to thank you on your February 2 letter. I regret to inform you that I broke my right knee-I slipped on icy surface while I was walking with crutches-and found myself in a hospital. Rehabilitation will not be over until June, and consequently, Amur expedition will have to wait until July 1998.
When I read Cliff Jacobson's statement that HUT magazine is a "publication for serious paddlers," I decided to join MCA and subscribe to HUT. Not because I consider myself a serious paddler, but because I want to become one. Would you be so kind to inform me about height of membership fee subscription rate for Belgrade, Yugoslavia?
I am enclosing one rather personal view on leisure canoeing on Danube. I don't know which topics are of interest to HUT magazine, but if you like this story, you may use it in HUT. I may also supply you with some photos and a map of the area. (I should add that I send the very same unpublished story to England based Paddlers International. I doubt they will use it in their newsletter, but you never can tell.)
Yours very sincerely
Dragan Simid
Ustanitka 144
11000 Beograd
Yugoslavia
"AN DER SCHONEN BLAUEN DONAU"
by Dragan Simid
During spring and summer months, Belgrade river banks and willow-groves owe their charm especially to the little egret and to the night heron. First night herons appear in the tree crowns of the little island by the name Koniska Ada in the Danube river branch by the end of March. Silent and motionless, exhausted by lasting migration, the first little egrets will appear in the beginning of April. Later during April, when the river rises up and floods banks and groves wrapped around in the strong scents of the blossoming willows, and wind trifle with the first shaggy fluffs of the poplar trees. The third nesting bird of the breeding colony in the very heart of the city will arrive the Squaco heron.
Those days of July, my girlfriend Duda had a hard week on her job and she was at the end of her strength, exhausted and depressive. On Saturday morning I woke her up with lot of difficulties so we would be able to sail before the pleasure crafts occupy the banks.
"Listen, I'm very tired. We won't go far, won't we?"
"OK"
Duda wasn't wide-awake yet, her paddle strokes were slow and sleepy. At that time of day only fisherman, wrapped in the morning mist, can be seen in their slender river-boats untouched by centuries, as they give themselves to the river streams. Oily-still water was carrying one such river boat. The fisherman sat on the middle thwart, ruddering with one hand and whacking against the water with the wooden cone with the other hand. Cone is 40 cm long wooden rod with a hollow on the lower end which is made for traditional catfish fishing. With each blow a sound is produced as the one when you put your finger in the bottle neck and take it out with the noisy "pop" sound. That irritates the catfish so he comes to check out what is going on in the green-muddy water he sees red wobbler. He swallows it greedily, only to realize a moment later that with red wobbler he also swallowed big treble hook. So curiosity killed the catfish!
I noticed that Duda paddles easier and easier with every stroke. I knew how much stamina she had, and I knew that this day outdoors would enable her to face the problems at work more easily.
I directed the canoe to the river Sava., which at the base of Belgrade fortress' walls flows into the river Danube. We sailed by the medieval dungeon - the Nebojsa (Daredevil) Tower - and went on with sailing on Danube river branch near Koniska Ada Island. The colony of the little egrets, night herons and squaco herons now is a noisy place where parents come flying every moment to tend their numerous off-spring. Ten years ago the colony counted about 1,000 nesting pairs and was located on Veliko Ratno Ostrvo Island. In 1987, 260 pairs moved to Koniska Ada Island and the rest joined the other colony 15 km down the river. Among those 260 pairs, squaco heron is represented only by three pairs. We spend some time under the willows which are white from the bird droppings, enjoying to see how the ruffled young little egrets clumsily try to leave the nest.
Turquoise and rich-pink colored dragon flies were flying around us. Banks of Veliko Ratno Ostrvo Island are covered with the yellow flowers which grow in the water and my friend Tomi appeared somewhere from the flowers, giving Duda the whole bunch.
The moment I had feared came. Duda became suspicious turned back and asked: For how long do you think we will go like this?
It was psychological hitch. As long as she didn't find out how many kilometres we had crossed, she will paddle effortlessly; but if she would find out crossed mileage, it might look to her too long and she could be very tired and the very same moment will feel tired. That's why I lied to her that we have crossed two times less than we really have. Satisfied with the answer she lowered the paddle into the water. Hugh! The crisis has passed for now.
We passed by colorful group of boats anchored in marina. In which, in the little restaurant, excellent fish soup is cooked - the specialty of the Danube river fishermen. Fishermen made this soup of small fish not worthy bringing on the market. In some willow-grove they would cross three oars, wrap a chain around them and hang sooty copper kettle on the chain. The one "on the duty" would stir up the fire and add all the ingredients, while others would drink wine and discuss about the size of the fish that ran away from them that day.
We are approaching upper end of island of Veliko Ratno Ostrvo with the wide beach with detritus of the fine river sand. Out of swimming season this is heavenly place with its flock of black-headed gulls fishing in the shallow waters or resting for a while, but now this is a overcrowded beach and we desperately tried to go around as soon as possible.
How much have we passed so far? Considering that we have passed half the way and that it is closer to return to the marina by sailing around the island. this time I had told her the exact number of kilometres. If only you could see her face! I knew she could do it. Anyway, from here it is downstream all the way even if we take out the paddies the river will take us to the marina. Sun was high, and I took out two beers from the fridge and left the canoe to the river current, which stranded us on the bank of Veliko Ratno Ostrvo Island, near the 6-metres long motor-boat by the name of "Bohemian". I pinpointed the canoe by sticking paddles around it into the river mud. Not far away from us, in the deep shadow of the willow branches bending over the water, from roots protruding from eroded bank a few night herons looking out for the food for their off-spring. They usually feed in the dawn and in the twilight, but in this time of the year they are forced to change their habits.
Owner and the captain of the Bohemian, my friend Gance, who in that very moment was stirring up the fire under the rooty kettle, invited us to join them - there is enough soup in the kettle. We spent hours chatting and taking nap in the hammock stretched between old tall poplar trees. When we got in the canoe again, a few water snails caught on the paddles. We went on with our journey with our stomachs full and little bit under influence of beer.
We approached a sandbank which during low waterlevel emerges 50-100 metres from the bank of the island. Duda got out of the canoe, happily floundering through shallow waters, letting fine sand to get between her toes, only to the very next moment to go down one of the wholes on the bottom with bewildered expression on her face. She came to the surface immediately with wet hair, only to look me angrily while I laughed, she splashed me with water.
Little further down the river large flock of little egrets flounders through shallow waters of the east bank of the Veliko Ratno Ostrvo Island. Among them, we spot four motionless giants: gray herons. We went on our voyage surrounded with lot of swallows flying and chasing after low-flying insects all around our canoe.
Out of some unexplained reason. we always paddle more coordinated when we return to the marina. With pleasure I watched Duda's silent lifting and lowering the paddle with fluent movements blending in to the one movement. We entered a marina calmed and relaxed, filled with pleasure from being outdoors.
In two weeks, in the middle of July, the colony on the Koniska Ada Island will be deserted and the number of herons and egrets on the banks of the river will considerably decrease: nesting is over, and birds move to places with better feeding conditions. Autumn migration lasts during August and September, and before thick layers of autumn fog cover the river, last of the birds from the Koniska Ada Island will leave these region.
The author is a bird watching canoeist who lives in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and anyone interested in touring or birding in Serbia & Monte Negro can contact him on following address: Dragan Simid. Ustanitka 144. 11000 Beograd, Yugoslavia.
