Sarajevo - Mostar

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Why are you going THERE? Seems to be the standard response when we mention we are going to Bosnia.
Agreed, the only time Bosnia Herzagovina ever rated a mention in Australia was on SBS World News when it was having the crap blasted out of it, although Mary Kostakidis does have a way of pronouncing Sarajevo that makes it sound awfully exotic. Of course in reality, Sarajevo does have a rather chequered career. Back in 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his significant other were gunned down here and the rest, as they say, is history. It was an incident Sarajevo almost seems proud of. "Look at us, we started WW1".
More recently, Sarajevo hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics and all was looking peachy. Jump ahead about 8 years and Ratko Mladic and his band of Christians Serbs partook in about 1000 days of wholesome ethnic cleansing, trying to rid the city of those annoying muslims.
Let's jump one more time, and how is Sarajevo faring circa 2007?
Glad you asked.
Driving towards the city and you are met with a giant placard welcoming visitors to the "Olympic City." Way to flog a dead horse guys. Talk about clinging to any vestige of historical sanity. The irony was not lost on us seeing this placard hanging from one of the thousands of ugly apartment blocks pockmarked by shells. The hills surrounding Sarajevo are also littered with extensive graveyards providing an ever present somber reminder of it's turbulant past.
Then you squeeze past these shabby outskirts and sneak into Bascarcija, the heart and soul of the old city. It's compelling viewing. Mosques and churches compete for religious real estate space and the food, handicrafts and modes of dress give more a sense of Istanbul. If I'd been dumped here unknowingly, that's where I would assume I was. The people (can you smell a generalisation coming here) we have broken into 2 categories.
A. The older generation - big, hard featured, cranky, with lots of moustaches and beards, and the men aren't much better.
B. The younger generation - basically the opposite of group A, although they smoke even more than other europeans, if that is possible, with apparently no anti smoking laws to protect us poor puritans. As Archy (that's a whole other story) told us -"smoking good. Bosnia good smoke." Whatever that means.
A little over 100klms south of Sarajevo is Mostar, Bosnia's second city. Mostar is cut in two by the Neretva River. On one side live the ethnic Croats and on the other, Muslims. At about the same time as Sarajevo was having its little dilemma in the 90's, the two groups in Mostar were lobbing boom booms at each other across the river until finally the UN stepped in. Sounds like a nice place? Well let me tell you, it is fan-tas-tic. The old city has been largely re-built, including the 16th century old bridge which is now the 16th century 21st century old bridge after it was destroyed, have a guess when, and rebuilt 2004.
Strolling in the cobbled streets amongst Mosques, artisans tinkering away, hip little cafes etc, you can't imagine how this place could ever have been war ravaged, except for the smattering of buildings that have not been repaired providing that sharp contrast. A photo gallery also provides some startling images of those dark years. Regardless, forget its turbulent past, come now before it is overrun.
Oh yeah. Everything I said of the older generation in Sarajevo, I take back after Mostar. At least the cranky part.
So how do we sum up Bosnia? I don't know, but everything else aside, you gotta love a country with a cable tv set up like Bosnia. Channel 58, childrens shows. One more subtle press of the programme button to Channel 59, and WHAMMO! And I bet you thought John Holmes was dead. Now THAT is liberal TV licencing laws.
Speak to you again soon, back in Croatia.
Yeatesy

Like a lot of our destinations, I have done little if any research, leaving the logistics to Gaz. So when Bosnia was on our list of places to visit I was quite looking forward to exploring a country that I knew nothing about other than the war footage.
On driving into Sarajevo, the things I noticed most were the rows and rows of buildings brandishing traces of sniper fire/bomb damage and newish cemeteries dotted along the way. The trams were also war scarred but operational and I realised these sniper marks are the remnants of the war and will probably never be removed. As one local explained to me no human hand could make these marks on a building. I'm also quite ignorant in my summary as the Bosnians have done much to rebuild their country from the rubble. I was just expecting everything to be pristine.
Getting amongst Sarajevo City, I really liked the outdoor bar/cafe scene and the upbeat youth and their music make it even more interesting.
On to Mostar, and I am expecting a small town and discover this town has a great of mix of the old and new. The museum really hit the senses in showing the before, during and after war footage, making me appreciate what the Mostar people have done to rebuild and rekindle the city. The cemetery within Mostar is in the local park behind the main row of houses as this was the only place during the war they were able to get outside to bury the dead. Most of the headstones indicate 1992/3 as the time of death.
Throughout Bosnia all the villages show some Turkish influence which is evident and apparently today Turkish people number the highest proportion of tourists.
Bosnia is a tourist destination at the beginning of its boom. Well worth a visit. They also make yummy burek (both vegetarian and meat)
PENNY
ps. Pepe got booked leaving Croatia for "speeding" at 65 kph, apparently 50 kpm is the limit, and for not driving with his headlights on during the day- that's obligatory.
pps. In Bosnia, if you park "illegally" (don't they all), the spider comes and takes your car away. Pepe fortunately has been most compliant and the spider hasn't had to spin its web.
ppps.Thanks to our Bosnaian family we stayed with in Mostar, the home cooking was sensational

More images at:

www.colvinyeates.zenfolio.com

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Photos

Bosnia
No hiking here, stick to the roads

Sarajevo
Entrance to Mosque - the bouncer

Sarajevo
Big chess board, or very small people

Sarajevo
The shops - with a little turkish influence

Sarajevo
Octopus bong

Sarajevo
one of the many grave sites

Mostar
The old again, new again 16th centry bridge, built in the 21st century

Mostar
Day shoes

Mostar
street cafe

Mostar
Mosquestar