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Published: September 1st 2010
Location: Banja Luka, Jajce, Medugorje, Mostar, Sarajevo
Length of Stay: 5 Days
Cost per Day: $58
I never, ever planned to step foot into Bosnia on this journey...
However, it has turned out to be an ok destination... although I probably wouldn't feel the need to return in a hurry...
Apart from a few reasonably nice spots, its not that overly exciting, but nonetheless very interesting as far as wandering around the streets and coming face to face with dilapidated and bullet ridden buildings...
It was only a mere 15 years ago that Nato airstrikes were in full swing and the country had been embroiled for a number of years in a war with Serbia and Croatia...
Ethnic cleansing, major war crimes... remember Slobodan Milošević...
I have only ever heard Bosnia referred to as Bosnia... the Herzegovina portion, well... I didnt really find anyone that could explain it to me in a manner that I could understand...
I did find this little bit online though...
The country is home to three ethnic groups or so-called "constituent peoples", a term unique for Bosnia-Herzegovina. These are: Bosniaks, the largest population group of three, with Bosnian Serbs in second and
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA
ouch... them there are some pretty serious bullet holes... Bosnian Croats in third. Regardless of ethnicity, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina is often identified in English as either Herzegovinian or Bosnian. The term Herzegovinian and Bosnian is maintained as a regional rather than ethnic distinction, while Herzegovina has no precisely defined borders of its own.
Its really, really interesting to visit countries side by side... sometimes the people are so dramatically contrasting...The Croats and the Bosnians are very, very different from one another... in physical appearance, in demeanor...
Not an overly great deal of smiles, joy and sparkle... they have had it rough though havent they...
Sarajevo was a pleasant surprise... quite a nice place to spend an afternoon...
Unfortunately while I picked a fantastic hostel as far as aesthetics, cleanliness and facilities, I failed to notice the neighbours and it wasn't till night fell that I discovered that a really rowdy English bar was opposite... Needless to say, I had an all niter watching CNN and sitting on the computer reading all about the Australian Federal Election that was taking place back home...
Going off to have a sneak peak at Serbia now...
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Brian
non-member comment
It looks poorly after the wars....Shame