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On my last afternoon in Sarajevo I visited an old synagogue, which today serves as the Jewish Museum: once again I was struck by the extreme lack of visitors (and low entry charge) at this small but interesting and informative museum. I talked at length to the curator, who I assume is a member of Sarajevo's small remaining Jewish community. Since the 15th century the city had a large, vibrant and socially-accepted Jewish community (mostly descended from Jews expelled from Spain), but under the Nazi occupation they suffered immensely.
I also visited a museum next to the spot where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was killed, which was dedicated to that event and its preceding history. This was possibly the dullest and most uninformative museums I've ever visited, but as entry only cost 2KM (€1) I can hardly complain. Unreassuringly, I was the only visitor in the building.
This morning I had a lengthy journey (train for the first half, bus for the second) from Sarajevo to Mostar. This journey took me through some of the most breathtakingly jaw-droppingly beautiful scenery I've ever seen. I can't believe that Bosnia isn't a more popular tourist destination: it's so rich in natural beauty; the whole journey was through towering mountains and past glistening lakes.
Mostar itself is also really attractive: its Old Town feels like somewhere from a fairytale! Sadly (and somewhat unexpectedly) it is absolutely swamped with tourists! Every single shop and restaurant in the Old Town is dedicated to selling overpriced souvenirs/low-quality food to tourists. As far as I can ascertain there isn't a great deal to do here aside from wandering through the narrow streets and gazing at the surrounding mountains, so one night here is quite enough. That said, the hostel I'm staying at (called Majda's Hostel) is really lovely and homely, and run by a kind and friendly woman called Majda, who lived in London for five years and as such speaks excellent English.
Tomorrow I'm catching a 7am bus to Kotor in Montenegro; I estimate that I'll arrive there at 1pm at the very earliest, possibly a fair amount later. I don't know how long I'll stay in Kotor or where I'll head after that.
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