mogno

When you think of Sarajevo, the first thing that comes to mind is the war. It wasn't that many years ago that this city was under seige. Reminders are still visible - the UN peacekeeping force, the burn-out skeleton of the former parliament building still standing, the scars on the pavement. But Sarajevo seemed to me like a city that was rebuilding and moving on, not dwelling on the past. The thing that really made an impression on me is the relgious diversity of the city. Although the population is primarily Muslim, there are large Christian and Jewish populations that all seem to coexist rather well. I'd never been in a Muslim city before, and the first time I heard the call to prayer it really hit me. It was ramadan as well. One day around ... read more

I was sorely dissapointed, waking up to drizzling rain and overcast skies as the train arrived in Split. But my patience was rewarded as two days later the sun came over the crystal turquoise waters of the Adriatic, which I was quick to advantage of. As it was originally a Roman settlement, Split has an amazing old town, which I spent much of my time wandering and half-intentionally getting lost in its narrow marble alleyways. Hvar Island, which gets more hours of sunshine a year than any other spot in Croatia is a big party island in the summer, but a bit dead this time of year. But a nice place to hang out and relax in the sun. I hung out with a nice young Israeli couple I met, Uri and Tamar, that insisted on ... read more

I love this city, especially the girls . . . The last few nights I was there I stayed with a great host - Yuriy and his girlfriend Julia, at their dormitory and was able to experience Ukrainian university life. Really not that different from American dorms, except the little things - like that their dorm was an hour train ride from the University, and the dorm had two working showers for 200 students. One of the nights I was there I made chili for them, which they all seemed to love. I also introduced them to Tabasco. The best, though was the next night when they showed me how to make Varenicky, which is basically the Ukrainian version of pierogies. Just like my grandma used to make! It was interesting talking with everyone about the ... read more

When you first pass into Ukraine, it hits you like a brick wall - you are no longer in the EU. The border guard questioning you, the men in army fatigues, the soviet mentality, feeling like you've stepped back in time 20 years, the marshutkas (more on that with the photos) and the fact that everything is written in a completely different friggin alphabet. L'viv managed to escape WW2 unscathed, and is packed with beautiful, if somewhat crumbling old buildings and more churches than you can imagine. From the old castle overlooking town, the old town juxtaposes with towering concrete monstrosities of the old soviet blocks. Talking with Ukrainians about the current political situation, everyone seems to be dissapointed that not much has changed since the Orange Revolution. Corruption is still apparent, and people are unhappy ... read more

Eger is known for it's valley full of caves turned wine cellars. There you can buy the local "Bull's blood" wine by the glass or litre, straight from the cask. Legend has it that soldiers drank the wine for strength while defending the town. With their beards stained red, attackers thought the soldiers were drinking blood. I met two American guys in the caves who only had a few hours in Eger before catching a train, so their mission was to drink as much wine as possible in as many caves as possible before they all closed. It had been a few days since I had spoken English to anyone, so they were welcome company for a few glasses of wine. They have some good pics they are supposed to email me, will post them if ... read more