Sarajevo!

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4 November

Eight hour bus ride from Belgrade to Sarajevo. We hope that the bus driver liked his mandatory tip of 80 dinar for stowing our luggage on the bus. This ride was less exciting than the first one, but as we approached Sarajevo we already knew it was worth it.

Sarajevo is tucked in a valley and much of the city rests on steep slopes. Our first views of the city were breathtaking. The cityscape was dotted with a mix of mosques and Christian churches. It was already night and the city lights seemed to go on forever through the valley and into the mountains.

We realized that another American was on the bus. He had a hostel reservation already so we shared a cab and joined him and a few other travellers at a small hostel in the heart of the Old Town.

Our first impressions of majestic Sarajevo persisted as we took an evening walk throughout the old town. Sarajevo has not (yet) been overwhelmed with tourists, so the place has a genuine feel to it. The old town is lovely--a mix of Istanbul and Eastern Europe. The streets are cobble-stoned and aligned with small shops selling amazing sweets, tasty food and, perhaps our favorite...Bosnian Coffee. (The same as Turkish Coffee, wherein the fine coffee grounds are heated on the stove and the coffee is gently poured into tiny cups.) A few cafes serve Turkish Delight with the coffee.

5 November

Left the hostel for a city tour. First, we saw the tunnel at the airport. During the Serbian siege against Sarajevo, the tunnel served as a lifeline between the trapped Bosnians in the city and the Bosnian zones beyond the airport. Next we went up the steep slopes to the Jewish cemetery to view the city and also see where the siege began. Finally, we moved to higher elevation to view Sarajevo as a whole. The vantage point was next to Muslim cemeteries--many of the deceased were killed in the 1992-5 war.

We are informed that Sarajevo was the longest sieged city in history, at about three years. (Stalingrad was less than a year?).

We explored the city on our own for the rest of the day. We dared not miss seeing the Latin Bridge, where Archduke Francis Ferdinand was assassinated, thus leading (through a complicated series of events and decisions) to World War I.

We then walked around the vicinity of the Holiday Inn. During the war this was the only functioning hotel in the city and the refuge of journalists. It is on the major street nick-named Sniper Alley. During the war snipers in the surrounding hills would fire indiscriminately at anyone who treaded this area (or anywhere else in the city).

Many reminders remain of the war. Sidewalks and buildings are blasted with holes. Some of these holes are filled in with red paint, indicating that people were killed. Sometimes plaques bearing the names of the deceased are nearby--a poignant reminder of the cost of war.

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Photos

Pippa and David happily married
Walking up the aisle after the ceremony in St. Tomas Church, Prague

A Halloween Wedding
The seasonal decor at the wedding reception

Panorama of Prague
Charles Bridge over River Vltava with Castle in the background

Serbian Parliament in Belgrade
The view from our hotel window

Marcus enjoying his Bosnian Coffee
This delightful start to the morning is served with lots of sugar and some Turkish delight ... yumm!

Tunnel
This tunnel built in 1993 was a lifeline to the Bosnians besieged in Sarajevo

Sarajevo under fire
This photo was taken from the vantage point of attacking forces. Note the bombed out government building in the centre and Holiday Inn to the left of this (yellow building).

Hostel Ljubicica
Our hostel right in the centre of town did not escape mortar attacks in the 1992-95 war