From Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina through to Belgrade, Serbia.

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From Planina Vlasic, we travelled to Sarajevo, the city which has rebuilt itself after the horrors of the Serbian aggression in 1992-1995. On our way to our hotel, we stopped off at a cafe, where Rozle showed us how to drink coffee, in the traditional Bosnian way. He is an hilarious raconteur, and had us all in hysterics. Poignantly, a Muslim cemetery beside the cafe reminded us we were in a region only recently ravaged by war.

We also stopped to visit a tunnel museum, created, to show how the residents of Sarajevo survived the Serbian attacks, by building a tunnel underneath the airport. Sarajevo is surrounded by mountains on all but one boundary. The airport, a strip of land between the city and 'free' Bosnia, the relatively flat land area of the region, was under the control of the UN. The other three city boundaries were along mountainous regions. These elevated areas became occupied by Serbian nationalists, who had a birds-eye view of the city, and bombarded it indiscriminately. Citizens tunnelled day and night for four months, to create a life-line to the outside world, so essentials and armaments could be transported back and forwards. It is incredulous to think all this death and destruction happened under the nose of the UN, and they were unable to intervene until over 11.000 people had lost their lives.



I firmly recall the horrors unfolding on our TV screens in NZ in the early nineties, and it seems almost surreal to actually hear and see stories first-hand, from those who suffered. Again, a people who refused to let evil triumph, and who believe their story must be told, so future generations don't repeat the mistakes of the past. In addition, tunnelling seems a common strategy used by people to survive in times of oppression.



Sarajevo was an interesting city.....very Muslim in character, as it was established by the Ottoman Empire over 500 years ago. We enjoyed excellent food, and wandered through the old historic city centre. English is widely spoken, and the shop business owners welcome the many tourists who are now flocking to this place. It is becoming a favoured destination of Middle Eastern tourists. It is clearly a city rebuilding, with a commitment to re-creating exact replicas of the many buildings which were destroyed during the war.



After our regular early morning briefing, we farewelled Bosnia Herzegovina and travelled another 330kms into Serbia, and onto Belgrade. Our travel took us through a country of beautiful green rivers, stunning gorges and mountains. Sheep farming is more obvious, as is subsistence agriculture. The winding roads were both a challenge and a delight to ride on. The BMW GS 800 managed two up Kiwis, who are slightly heavier than when they first left, (strangely!), with no trouble. It handles well, and Shane is comfortable at the controls......a great stable German machine, which is just as well, since I nodded off a little, as I am prone to do!!



The ride into the city, in very heavy traffic, was again slightly hair-raising, with passing manoeuvres undertaken that appeared risky, but were managed expertly by Rozle, who is very experienced in riding in these conditions, and never compromises the safety of his clients. Fortunately, all the riders are confident and willing to take risks, albeit calculated ones.



We get to enjoy a much needed rest-day in Belgrade today, and no doubt soak up a little more of the ambience and history of this region.

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Photos

Muslim Graveyards dot the country side.
Euphorbia grows wild everywhere, and these graveyards are a constant and poignant reminder of the loss of life.

Sarajevo old city centre.
Bustling narrow lanes in the old city centre.

We found beer!
Alcohol isn't common in this Muslim city, but Rozle knows all the best places to eat and drink.

Briefing.
Each day begins with a comprehensive briefing and plan of our route and proposed stops along the way.

Comments

[Kate]

Kia Ora
Loving your stories Jill! We remember the Serbian war well as our friend Marjyan was always on the phone to his parents in Saravejo .. His mother a Serb and his father a Croat. Back here we are dreaming travel non stop at the Writers Fest..last night speakers from Mexico, NYC, Zimbabwe, Samoa, USA, Ireland, Oz, Holland and NZ. Keep the blog rolling! K and A xx

[Your brother Timmy]

Eagerly awaiting the next instalment
Hey Jill, little bro' here! I have been reading your blog with great interest. You should take up as a travel writer! It certainly seems like you and Shane have picked an absolute gem of a holiday. Please keep the stories and photos coming! XXX, TIMMY!!!!!