Blogs from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Europe - page 7
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For the last year i have had such itchy feet to go traveling again. for this trip i and going to try and hitchhike around the Balkans without a set route, meeting new people and exploring different cultures on the way. I started with a one way flight to Split, Croatia - a beautiful medieval looking town with marble streets and quaint cafes and pizzerias. i also went to Hvar island to see the old fishing village and the rugged coastline which adjoins the crystal clear sea. i felt Croatia was quite expensive and touristy, so i soon got a bus to the small village of Jajce in Bosnia (i chickened out of hitchhiking this time). The beautiful ottoman style town hugs an impressive looking castle which overlooks a gigantic waterfall. here i stayed with a ... read more
“The Balkans produce more history than they can consume” Winston Churchill From the first moment in Bosnia I knew I will love being here. Crossing the border from Croatia you notice that things look a little bit unordered in a manner that is not quite “European”. Right after the border crossing (with a non-English speaking guard) the Bosnian flag is followed by a …Serbian looking flag. Strange. The houses are not decorated with flowers as we got used to in Slovenia and Croatia. The feeling is that you have arrived to someplace different and not “yet-another European country”. The first village you pass has a church that looks different than the ones we saw before (its orthodox). In the second village from the border you notice a mosque. Its minaret is made of wood! That ... read more
We drove from Dubrovnik through a tiny bit of coastal Bosnia & Herzegovina at Neum, then back into Croatia, before heading inland to another border with Bosnia! From there, we drove along the Neretva river to Mostar. We went around a house built during the Ottoman period before walking further into the old town to see the Stari Most (old bridge), which has been rebuilt since its destruction in the war in the early 1990s. Although many of the central buildings have been reconstructed, bullet holes and the remnants of bombed buildings are visible around the city, providing a stark reminder of how recently the city was in the middle of a war. From Mostar, we went to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia & Herzegovina. We saw the spot where Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated ... read more
So, I had been debating back and forth whether to make a stop in Mostar on the way to Dubrovnik, as the train ride from Sarajevo to Mostar is touted to be one of the most scenic routes in Europe. However, stopping there would cut into my already limited time in Dubrovnik, and all I could gather about what Mostar itself had to offer was .... a bridge. Bringing up this dilemma with Adnan's cousin, he INSISTED that it was worth the trip. So, that was that. Besides, no trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina is complete without actually stopping in Herzegovina. And...am I glad I did! Even with the unexpected added connections, double bus break-downs on the subsequent leg to Dubrovnik, AND double-paying to get onto the bus to Dubrovnik.... the trip to Mostar ranks as ... read more
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 ... read more
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Sarajevo... or home of Adnan
Published: August 21st 2010Europe » Bosnia & Herzegovina » East » SarajevoLast night, I took the overnight train from Zagreb to Sarajevo. Sarajevo has been on my hit-list of must-see destinations since I was a wee one... stemming from watching the war unfold in Bosnia on TV growing up in Germany. Now that the war is over, I wanted to see how the city has recovered from the rubble that I had always associated with it. More recently, I have also been intrigued by the unique history of this city as the cultural meeting ground between the Austrian-Hungarians and the Ottomans. Between the vicious mosquito attacks and the temperature fluctuations, there was little sleep to be had, but I was in good company in my compartment. Besides, even in the sleep-deprived state, seeing the Bosnian country-side emerge as the sun rose was simply spectacular. Amidst the beautiful ... read more
Bosnia...we were not supposed to come here...
Published: August 22nd 2010Europe » Bosnia & HerzegovinaAs you may have read in my previous entry....the rental car agreement did stipulated properly that we should not drive our car in Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina. If we were to do so, the insurances would be void during the time we stay in those countries. And let be honest, Bosnia is not Singapore! We found a way around driving in Monenegro, but I was up for a surprise with Bosnia. If you drive from Split to Dubrovnik...at one stage, you come across the border. There is no other choice than driving the 10km coastal road...which is in Bosnia and goes across the seaside "village" of Neum. There is actually one way to go around. This would have mean driving back to Korcula, and taking the ferry from there to the Mainland....very time consuming experience...and ... read more
Crossing the border into Bosnia & Herzegovina, I observed that the flags flying were not Bosnian ones, but ones closely resembling the old flag of the former Yugoslavia. A read-up on the country revealed the true meaning of those flags. Bosnia & Herzegovina is still essentially, a country divided. And no, the two entities making up the country are not in fact Bosnia, and Herzegovina. At the end of the Bosnian War in 90s, it was agreed that Bosnia & Herzegovina would be split into two parts; the Federation of Bosnia & Herzegovina (the Muslims and Croat portion in the south and west including Sarajevo) and the Republika Srpska (the Serb portion in the north and the east). We were obviously passing through the Serb section. Despite the division, Bosnia & Herzegovina is still one country, ... read more
Started off the day with a leisurely stroll around the Turkish quarter once again before heading a little east into Novo Sarajevo (New Sarajevo) for a look around. Had to see my new passion, Eastern Bloc architecture. Also, had to pick up a few things for the rest of my trip (headphones & batteries) and it had a few electronic stores with cheap goods so that was nice. Had some more burek for lunch. Got a combination of spinach, potato and meat. They asked if I wanted yogurt with it and I figured they meant it as a sauce so I said yes. Then they bring out a full glass of yogurt and I was just perplexed. Wasn't sure if I was meant to drink it or pour it clumsily out of the glass onto my ... read more
Sarajevo Turkish Delights (Day 88)
Published: August 7th 2010Europe » Bosnia & Herzegovina » East » SarajevoTook the 8am train ride up to Sarajevo. Only cost 5 euro, so cheap for a train. The scenery was amazing, reminded me of Switzerland. Except it was almost like I was in the past century. Saw tons of little cottages up in the hill, barns with thatched roofs and people herding sheep. Had a great time sticking my head out the window of the stuffy train letting the rain cool me off. The three hours flew by and soon I was checking into my hostel/guest house. Great little place run by a few locals who go out of their way to help you enjoy your time in Sarajevo. Feels more like staying in someones house than a hostel. Soon after getting organized I was out the door with a few British girls to check out ... read more
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