Note: Written 14 July 2011

I am the happiest girl ever right now.

I just purchased a bottle of Jack Daniel’s at Duty Free. Now I just need to find some Schwepps ginger ale to ensure continued delight.

Belgrade’s airport, Nikola Tesla Airport, has two levels of security. Once as you are used to seeing before customs and another after duty free and a couple of cafes before your gate. I guzzled my final bottle of Rosa (a local still water without too much sodium) that I picked up at Hudson News when I discovered the second checkpoint!

The second security is in what looks like a glass-fronted room which serves as your entry to a larger room where a few gates host their typical row seating. My room included my flight to Paris and a Jat Airways flight to Vienna that would depart a few hours later. It’s pretty much dead quiet in here besides a couple of stereotypical white American business men chatting softly. How very unusual.

Staring at the dot matrix printer with its continuous stack of paper pouring over the counter of the gate desk, it’s hard to imagine something like QR code boarding passes becoming adopted as standard worldwide in any near future.

The “Izlaz Otvoren” (“Gate Open”) sign has come on so it’s finally time to board. Goodbye Beograd, you are a strange but enjoyable one. And thank you for the whiskey.