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Published: January 13th 2015
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After Chad we headed back onto our flight and got ready to endure a 22 hour flight to Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. We slept on the flight so when we landed we can go straight to Mostar from the airport in sarajevo.The focal point of the city is the Old Bridge (Stari Most), built in the 16th century when the city was controlled by the Ottoman Empire. The bridge stood for over 400 years in its original form until 1993 when it was completely destroyed by
centrifugal forces during the war following the collapse of Yugoslavia due to
inter-faith boundaries between Muslims and Christians. This lead to many
refugees to flee their beloved country to other countries such as the United States. It was rebuilt with international help and completed in 2004. It’s a grand symbol of connecting the people and cultures of the east and west. After the long plane ride we finally landed in Sarajevo. We got a taxi and were on our way to a 1:30 hour ride to Mostar.
On
our trip to Mostar we saw lots of graves throughout the country a large portion of those graves are due to the war. We also noticed the cultural landscape and the many mosques we saw, but we also saw many churches, this shows that muslims and christians live amongst each other in the country. When we finally reached Mostar we saw the many cafes, restaurants, and pubs and above all(figuratively and literally) we saw the 24m high bridge that we would jump off of. We wasted no time and went straight to finding the diving club because enjoy adrenaline.
The old bridge in Mostar is frighteningly high at 24m and is the sole attraction in Mostar. We had read a few negative stories about the bridge before we went - such scare stories as the river will likely be too shallow, the stream too strong, such that you will be swept downstream, and that you will get a heart attack from jumping from 40 degrees C into the icy cold waters below. But despite the frightening stories we were determined to go up onto the bridge and jump. We walked into the diving club and
Pansion Nur
Where we stayed handed over the 25 euros to jump. The money doesn't go to the divers but towards the upkeep of the bridge whom the club looks after. The club only gets 4 tourist jumpers every 3 weeks. The divers taught us how to jump and how to stay vertical in the air and how to land and hit the water. We went onto a plank that was 10 meters above the water and we practiced our jumps there. When the divers thought we were ready we went to the bridge. We made a bet, the divers agreed to rate our dives as if we were competing in the annual diving competition and the loser had to buy the winner a beer(beer is a very popular drink and is served virtually everywhere). They tell us the water is really cold so they spray us with freezing water at the top. As for the depth of water, there is no chance they would let you jump without it being safe - we were told we had to wear shorty wetsuits for added protection even though we wanted to wear board shorts because they added more flair and looked better. As all major disputes
Sarajevsko
One of the most common beers in Bosnia in the world are solved Miguel and I played rock-paper-scissors to see who would go first. I had to go first and as I went to the edge of the bridge and stared down that water, I started to feel a lot of adrenaline and a bit of fright. On three I held my breath and jumped. The impact on the water hurt, a lot but overall it was a successful jump and a lot of fun. The water wasn't as cold as we heard but It must of helped however that they did hose us down for ages with really cold water at the top to get you used to it, either way, I think I was far from a heart attack. The stream at the bottom is quite strong I suppose but I comfortably made it to the side with a half hearted breaststroke. Miguel was up next and well, he won, I’ll just leave it at that. When we finished we went up to chat with the divers and we spent about an hour there and had a couple of beers(legal drinking age is 18) with them and they even gave me and my friend commemorative posters
Beer
The cost of beer in Bosnia of the annual jump contest. It was really pleasant and the highlight of my trip. When it started to get late we headed out on foot to our near by hotel. We spent the night at the Pansion Nur and got ready to head out to the Philippines.
COSTS:
Flights: $2,766.46
Hotel: $40
Taxi cab to Mostar and back: 2 x $123 = $246
Money to jump: $29.48
Beers: 2 x $1.51 = $3.02
Total Cost: $3084.96
"Bosnia and Herzegovina." Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 12 Jan. 2015..
This source helped give an overall view of Bosnia. Advin is from there, but has not been there since he was a child. He wanted to know what it is like post-recovery. That way, we can enter the country with modern knowledge and not just as outsiders.
"Cost of Living in Bosnia And Herzegovina.". Prices in Bosnia And Herzegovina. Updated Jan 2015. Web. 12 Jan. 2015..
This source was used to figure out costs for one of the most popular items in Bosnia and Herzegovina: beer. Although frowned upon in the United States, beer is almost a rite of passage for young men in Bosnia. We wanted to be prepare incase we had to indulge in the traditions.
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