The
Balkan Sampler Tour began with a much-debated drive through Bosnia & Herzegovina. After I spent a lot of time designing this trip with some local experts (my colleague Tibor was most helpful), I was poised on the plan... and, as preposterous as it seemed, I was ready to hop in Zsolt (the trusty Honda Civic) and give it a go.
Unfortunately, my travel mates, Kent and Emily, didn't have the same confidence in our route. They are, after all, the voices of reason in our adventures, so I had to at least hear them out. They found ample sites and sources (including the
US State Dept.) that, more or less, advised against traveling through Bosnia & Herzegovina... stating things like: "roads are poorly maintained... and there are still an estimated 11,000 minefields and an estimated 220,000 active land mines..." But, somehow, I convinced them that it would be fine... and sure enough it was. In fact, it was more than fine... probably the best roads we drove on all week!
The drive was beautiful and the we made it to Sarajevo far ahead of schedule, arriving at lunchtime. We spent the day in the capital... walking the streets, peeping both the mosque and cathedral, visiting a couple small museums, meeting some local folks and enjoying some regional cuisine:
Ćevapi.
Of course, we also had to check out the famous Latin Bridge over the Miljacka River, where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated (becoming the casus belli of World War I). After the sun set, we made a last walk-thru the city center and hit the road...
As beautiful as Sarajevo is, Mostar was even more amazing! We arrived in Mostar
late in the evening and found our way to the Majda's Rooms, the number one 'small hostel' in the world (according to HostelWorld.com in 2009). Majda is incredibly friendly and was helpful in our short stay and tour of Mostar and we enjoyed being the only guests that night. I talked with her for a while about the Bosnian War, and her escape to London in '93. Meeting people that have lived through these times and listening to their stories makes everything finally seem
real. I really value our conversations and perspective I gained.
Before we called it a night, Kent and I found a local joint to enjoy a couple
Sarajevsko Pivos. Then, we were up early... (or did we sleep at all?) for a run around Mostar. The city was even more impressive by day. We spent most of our time on the Neretva River by the city's most prominent landmark, the Old Bridge (reconstructed in 2004). We saw a lot of incredibly real testaments of the war, including a photography museum portraying both the destruction and the aftermath. And, although much of the city has been rebuilt, the damage is still totally visible (like in this building with a strange dedication to Lady Gaga)...
The Balkan Sampler Tour began with a much-debated drive through Bosnia & Herzegovina. After I spent a lot of time designing this trip with some local experts (my colleague Tibor was most helpful), I was poised on the plan... and, as preposterous as it seemed, I was ready to hop in Zsolt (the trusty Honda Civic) and give it a go.
Unfortunately, my travel mates, Kent and Emily, didn't have the same confidence in our route. They are, after all, the voices of reason in our adventures, so I had to at least hear them out. They found ample sites and sources (including the US State Dept.) that, more or less, advised against traveling through Bosnia & Herzegovina... stating things like: "roads are poorly maintained... and there are still an estimated 11,000 minefields and an estimated 220,000 active land mines..." But, somehow, I convinced them that it would be fine... and sure enough it was. In fact, it was more than fine... probably the best roads we drove on all week!
The drive was beautiful and the we made it to Sarajevo far ahead of schedule, arriving at lunchtime. We spent the day in the capital... walking the streets, peeping both the mosque and cathedral, visiting a couple small museums, meeting some local folks and enjoying some regional cuisine: Ćevapi.
Of course, we also had to check out the famous Latin Bridge over the Miljacka River, where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated (becoming the casus belli of World War I). After the sun set, we made a last walk-thru the city center and hit the road...
As beautiful as Sarajevo is, Mostar was even more amazing! We arrived in Mostar late in the evening and found our way to the Majda's Rooms, the number one 'small hostel' in the world (according to HostelWorld.com in 2009). Majda is incredibly friendly and was helpful in our short stay and tour of Mostar and we enjoyed being the only guests that night. I talked with her for a while about the Bosnian War, and her escape to London in '93. Meeting people that have lived through these times and listening to their stories makes everything finally seem real. I really value our conversations and perspective I gained.
Before we called it a night, Kent and I found a local joint to enjoy a couple Sarajevsko Pivos. Then, we were up early... (or did we sleep at all?) for a run around Mostar. The city was even more impressive by day. We spent most of our time on the Neretva River by the city's most prominent landmark, the Old Bridge (reconstructed in 2004). We saw a lot of incredibly real testaments of the war, including a photography museum portraying both the destruction and the aftermath. And, although much of the city has been rebuilt, the damage is still totally visible (like in this building with a strange dedication to Lady Gaga)...
1 comment:
Hey You - I've been following your adventures. Awesome stuff from an amazing guy. Be well and keep up all the craziness. Shannon McBride
Post a Comment