Belgrade train station in the middle of the night.

We were loaded up like camels as usual, and standing right next to the train, on the platform, as we looked for the compartment number we had booked. When the train just started moving away from up. Here we were in Belgrade station, the temperature dropping, and surrounded by very suspicious looking characters, and the next train was at 3am. The waiting lounge was square, with wooden benches, but there was no chance of us getting inside. It was lined with people on the benches and the floor, spread out for the night, with sack like blankets, and bundles bags all around them. There were screaming babies, and children walking around shivering from the cold with hardly enough clothes on. The waiting room was also full of smoke, as nearly everyone over the age of 10 was either smoking or drinking from a vodka bottle. So we stayed outside on the platform. Through the smokey glass window of the waiting room I saw what appeared to be a women with underpants over her trousers, dancing and performing to her sleeping audience, as she waved a bottle of whiskey in her hand. When she turned around I saw it was a young girl or boy of about 8 years old. I suppose they were Gypsies. There were creepy men who eyed us as we went from platform to ticket office - which was warmer - and back. Eventually they kicked everyone out of the ticket area, and everyone spilled onto the platform. We went to a bench on the platform which was further away from them but still in the light, so it seemed safer. The temperature reached -5 Centigrade. At 2am we got all hopeful that there was only an hour to go, then they announced it would be delayed for 3 hours, and leave only at 6am. I went into the ticket office, it was ridicules that the room was empty which everyone froze outside. We were battling to stay awake. SO we spread out one sleeping bag, sat on it and covered ourselves with the other, and had some cheese and bread. Eventually y the train arrived at 4am after being sent to the wrong platform a few times. And we settled into a compartment with 5 men, and found it was the most pleasant of our trips, we weren't harassed at all.