Week 3 review
Feb 15-Feb 21
This initiative is called Journey to the East, but in many respects I could also call it Journey away from the West. Last week, crossing the Balkan beyond Belgrade, I was particularly struck by the post-Cold War conditions, of countries seemingly unable to re-energize, as was promised by the West in decades of propaganda. Also, it became very clear that the West, triumphing and even for a while celebrating an “End of History”, did very little to improve lives of the many, besides consolidating a new power base of the few. European Union projects often are scattered across the landscape. The money should be there, but where is the labour to materialize them? Young people are hard to find, while older generations seem stuck in what pejoratively is called “Ostalgie”. So the West fades out while approaching Türkiye, but the East is not yet present? Not yet? I zoom in on the smaller, seemingly insignificant moments, a growing habit to greet each other. I realize that I raised my arm so many times, with the beginning of a smile in return. Since I start to feel more tired, lacking the adequate recovery time for leg power and ligaments, and get worried about some nagging injuries, the introduction of the cheerful greeting is very timely.
这个被称作“东游记”的项目，在很多方面，我觉得它也可以被称作“离开西方之旅”。上周，我穿越了贝尔格莱德之外的巴尔干地区，被那些看起来无法如西方几十年宣传承诺的那样重新焕发活力的国家所震撼。更明显的是，尽管西方一度庆祝“历史的终结”，实际上并没有做出多少实质性行动来改善大多数人的生活，除了加强少数新兴权势集团的权力基础。欧盟的项目通常散布在整个景观中。资金似乎已经到位，但要将这些项目具体化的劳动力又在哪里呢？年轻人似乎难觅踪影，而老一代则似乎被困在所谓的“东欧怀旧”之中。所以说，当趋近土耳其时，西方渐渐隐去，但东方真的还没现身吗？还没有吗？我注意到了那些看似无足轻重的小事，比如越来越多的互相问候。我意识到自己已经无数次抬起手臂，换来的是一个个开始绽放的微笑。随着我开始感到越来越疲倦，腿部力量和韧带没有充分的恢复时间，我对一些持续不愈的伤病感到担忧，所以频繁的愉快的问候就显得尤为重要。
Feb 22
Belgrade, Serbia
塞尔维亚，贝尔格莱德
骑行97KM
in the loser's lane to Belgrade
在通往贝尔格莱德的'失败者'之路上
Not only religious imagery changes while landing in the Christian orthodox paradigm, but also its architecture, becoming more glorifying, with less details referring to piety.
不仅宗教意象在进入东正教范畴时发生了变化，其建筑风格也随之变得更加辉煌，与虔诚相关的细节变得更少。
Feb 23
Belgrade, Serbia
塞尔维亚，贝尔格莱德
Visited the Yugoslavia Museum, an incredible exhibition, respectful and critical, to cope with the life and legacy of Josip Broz Tito, who tried to develop a middle way between the blocs of East and West, co-established the Non-Aligned Movement, and for a while kept together a region of multi-identities forged by centuries of historical turmoil.
参观南斯拉夫博物馆，这是一个令人印象深刻的展览。对约瑟普·布罗兹·铁托的生平与遗产给予了既尊重又深刻的呈现。铁托努力在东西方阵营之间探索一条中间路线，共同创立了不结盟运动，并曾一度成功地维系了由历史风波铸就的多元认同区域的团结。
Feb 24
Banatska Palanka, Serbia
塞尔维亚，巴纳茨卡帕兰卡
骑行98KM
Saying goodbye to Belgrade after a rest day. A drizzle makes any equestrian statue a bit sad.
在休息了一天之后，我向贝尔格莱德告别。细雨让任何一座骑士雕像都显得有些悲伤。
Less than 10 km out of Belgrade my Komoot navigation works well, for roads that hardly exist.
刚离开贝尔格莱德不到十公里，我的Komoot导航系统就开始精准导航了，哪怕是那些几乎看不见的小路。
Feb 25
Donji Milanovac, Serbia
塞尔维亚，下米拉诺瓦茨
骑行95KM
Early this journey I call the Rhine the Great Provider. Then the Danube may be called the great divider. I lost count how many countries are separated by it, but the desire to controle it, is very old. The Golubac fortress as a majestic sign of an unseemingly unchangeable fact of this river.
在旅程初期，我把莱茵河誉为伟大的赋予者。那么，多瑙河就可以称为伟大的分界线。我已经数不清它穿过了多少国家，但对于控制它的渴望，历史悠久。高卢巴茨堡垒矗立着，作为这条河流永恒不变真理的壮观象征。
Who could ever predict that what used to be one of the harshest borders in history, dividing two systems in one continent, is now a pittoresk Euro Velo Cycling Path: The Iron Curtain Trail.
谁能预见到，曾是历史上最为严酷的边界之一，在一个大陆上分隔两种体系的，如今却变成了一条风景如画的欧洲自行车道——铁幕小径。
The Further East, the smarter cases of re-use. City bus relaunched as beehive business district.
越往东，再利用的案例越聪明。城市巴士变身为蜂巢式商业区。
Feb 26
Vidin, Bulgaria
保加利亚，维丁
骑行106KM
My last few days in East Serbia were a serious blow to any life embracing energy. So much I saw is related to death. The Villages with no people but many barking dogs who came to chase me as if they want to teach me a final lesson. The many little road monuments of young traffic victims. The badly maintained roads, covered by eternal "temporary solutions" to hide potholes and worse, the microplastification of nature. But most intriguing, the vast cemeteries where clearly money has not been an issue, with giant gravestones even for people who haven't died yet. Graveyards more expensive than the nearby hamlest. What is life, when it is answered by such a death cult?
在东塞尔维亚的最后几天，我所经历的一切似乎都在剥夺生命中的活力。我所见的太多都与死亡有关——无人的村落里，只有成群的狗在吠叫，它们追赶着我，仿佛要给我“上一课”。路边那些纪念年轻交通事故受害者的小型纪念碑。那些维护不善的道路，被永久性的“权宜之计”覆盖，以掩饰那些坑洞，还有更糟糕的——自然界中的微塑料污染。但最引人深思的，是那些明显不在乎花费的广阔墓地，巨大的墓碑甚至为那些还未离世的人建立。墓地的奢华远超过附近的小村庄。当生活的价值被这样的死亡文化所回应，我们又该如何理解生命本身呢？
Feb 27
Bechet, Romania
罗马尼亚，贝凯特
骑行112KM
I’m curious to know the supply chain for this shop, making a living for business addressing the countless domestic chores and the required tools to tackle them. I also wonder why, next to cooking food, this is such a typical Chinese enterprise.
我很想了解这家店的供应链构成，它是如何通过提供应对家庭日常琐事所需的工具和服务来维持营业的。我还在思考，除了烹饪食物，为什么这样的企业会成为中国的典型代表。
Feb 28
Pleven, Bulgaria
保加利亚，普列文
骑行95KM
Crossing the Danube one final time before hitting the mountainous roads of Bulgaria. 1 euro cash. Happy to find one in the midst of various currencies.
在踏入保加利亚多山道路之前，我最后一次跨过多瑙河，只需1欧元现金。在多种货币中能找到它，令我感到欣慰。
Battles, battles and more battles, Eastern Europe may have removed a few Socialist heroes, but their nationalist ones are all over.
战争接连不断，东欧虽然淡化了一些社会主义英雄的形象，但民族主义的英雄却无处不在。
Journey to be continued...
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