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Published: September 17th 2007
It has been a while since I have done much writing here. Partly because I just had trouble finding the time. Another reason is because I just could not find much to write about. I was seeing cathedrals, buildings, stuff. It was all very interesting but I think I was a bit worn out of it all. I am sure I have great stories to tell about all those places but eh, nothing jumped out and said write about me. I also had some real terrible weather after leaving Vienna it was cold and rainy, and I was feeling sick. (Vienna was amazing by the way, and there I have a ton to talk and write about, including great friends, but that is quite overwhelming. The article is in the process lets say.) But all that changed today.
Why today and not yesterday? Why now and not then? Well I think it all comes down to the fact that I am in the most wonderful city I have been to so far on this trip, Sarajevo in Bosnia Herzegovina. It was not that long ago that this area was in a war with Serbia. Sarajevo was essentially surrounded by Serbian forces on all sides except for a small area of the Sarajevo Airport covered by the United Nations forces. Beyond the UN forces and the airport was the free Bosnian Territory. The only lifeblood the folks from Sarajevo had. Only the UN would not allow the Sarajevians to connect with their other Bosnian counterparts. This was a huge failure on the point of the UN and for almost 4 years Sarajevo was bombed and shelled from the Serbians who had the high ground.
So what the Bosnians did is they dug a small tunnel that connected Sarajevo with the other Bosnian area so that they could continue to bring supplies and ammunition in to hold off the Serbians as long as possible. What an amazing feat this was in my eyes. Stop reading for a moment and think for a bit. What would you do, if another country wanted to take your land and extirmate your people? What Sacrafices are you willing to make?
I think this whole tour that I went on sits a little bit stronger with me then maybe it normally would have because I am in the process of reading The Diary of Anne Frank for the first time. If you have not read the book, go out and buy it. It is a must read for everyone. This is a book all about the sacrafices people made, during a very dangerous time, simply to survive.
Our next stop after that was up into the Serbian held hills around the city. We stopped at the spot that in 1984 was the Winter Olympic Luge course. It boggles my mind that how only 10 years before the world had their eyes on Sarajevo for a completely different reason. It must have been a joyful and wonderful time for this city.
So as I sit here and write this I can hear the Muslim call to prayer in the background. I have never heard this before arriving to Sarajevo. It is quite beautiful and peaceful. So many times in America we think of Muslims and all we can picture are the fanatics and Jihadists, but that could not be further from what the true muslim people are like. They are friendly and welcoming. They are tolerant and understanding. They smile and they enjoy life. This speaks volumes for Sarajevo, whose main population is Muslim, but within walking distance there is a Catholic Church, an Orthodox Church, a Mosque, and a Jewish Synagogue. So where many times we are lead to believe that so many of the wars out there are started by religieon, we need to remind ourselves, that they are started by ignorant people out to make a quick buck.
Sarajevo is a city that completed something for me. I do not think I can quite put into words what it is. It has given me a better understanding of people. A better understanding of politics. A better understanding of tolerance. A better understanding of culture. I took a picture today for the first time in 2 weeks. It was a picture of the City of Sarajevo from atop one of the Hillsides. I took this picture because I know I was looking down upon one of the greatest cities I have ever been to. Thank You Sarajevo for making me feel so welcome.
By the way as always these are simply my views, opinions, and observations. They are by no means what is actually going on and I am by no means an expert on any of the stuff I write about. I am just sharing my experiances with anyone who stumbles apon this site.
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Phil
non-member comment
Having fun
Ed, It sounds like you are having a great time !! Is there a way you can post any pictures? You writing is very interesting.... You should write a book about your trip .