SQUISH

Yesterday was a real "only in Serbia" moment.
I was riding the bus down to the main busy street that runs by Ada Cigalnija (wikipedia it for an idea of what it is, although my spelling is almost certainly wrong) when I noticed a massive traffice snarl. It was clearly an accident, and it appeared to have happened at the intersection ahead. I expected a fender bender or at worst some idiots who got Tboned because of driving too aggressively through a red light or something.
The sight that finally greeted my eyes was far more, um, arresting. I can only make a best guess at what happened, and I may be off the mark, but the basic facts were pretty obvious. There was:

A) a large public bus stopped some 20 meters past the accident, with its side sporting some significant scratches, dents and marks, and a few of the windows smashed in.


B) a gypsy cart, badly mangled, although the passengers apparently did not suffer any injuries. As a sidenote, I should mention how original these gypsy vehicles are; they are almost always built completely from scratch from scavenged parts, the ultimate in do-it-yourself. They're powered by lawmower and tractor engines, run on anything from wooden wheels to bicycle wheels, usually have some sort of large space in the back for carrying cardboard boxes or people, and yes, they drive these hodgepodge creatures on all the main roads just like any other car. It's quite a sight to see one cough and sputter by right in the middle of the center of Belgrade, right among BMWs, Mercedes, and of course the ubiquitous Yugos.
This particular gypsy car, however, and perhaps this was the crucial factor in the accident, was not engine powered. It was propelled by...


C) one big ass horse, splattered all over the road in a humongous pool of its own blood which had been spread a good quarter mile down the road by the tires of passing cars.

That was it, no explanation, no crying or hysterical people, just two cops waving people along while a photographer documented various details. Everything had a very "business as usual" feel to it, adding to the already surreal feeling the scene created.

Squish.