BL #21: Feel the Danger in Bosnia

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Geo: 43.34, 17.81

People warned me before coming to Bosnia and Herzegovina the first time - this place is dangerous, and all travelers should stay as far away as possible. I'm obviously not a very quick learner, otherwise I would not have been stupid enough to have returned to Mostar, and especially not after having visited Scandinavia, one of the World's cleanest and safest destinations. Even having had Croatia as a short stopover to bridge the culture gap didn't fully prepare us for the dangers we would find in Bosnia today ...

A law should be passed to ban all travelers from coming to Bosnia and Herzegovina, for their own sake - only bad things can happen when, for less than the price of a couple of beers bought at a Scandinavian grocery store, we can get two big glasses of wine, in one of the most expensive restaurants in Mostar! Increasing the level of danger was how, when we had trouble deciding which wine to go with, the waiter brought us out a sample of the wine that was a good 1.5 ounces! And to bring the peril to an obscene level, we were offered a couple of complimentary shots of rakia, the local brandy that is to strong that it can instantly vaporize your liver!

If we had come from a country like Spain, where wine is cheaper than water, it would be safe for us to consume alcohol so quickly, and in such quantities, as our tolerance would have been at an acceptable level. Even though we had some drinks in Croatia and overdosed on wine at the smorgasbord on the Stockholm-Helsinki ferry, the nearly complete lack of alcohol consumption in Scandinavia nearly did us in tonight!

How terrible would that have been, had we been so tipsy that we stumbled off the top of Mostar's venerated Stari Most? To tumble off of the famous and elegant masterpiece of a bridge originally built in the 16th century, then destroyed in the 90s when war broke out in the former Yugoslavia, only to be rebuilt in 2004 ... positively tragic! Towering over 20 metres above the Neretva river, we surely would have suffered some horrific injuries if the stories are true, of tourists taking the plunge without the proper training and technique, and winding up with dislocated shoulders and knees, or even worse, an atomic wedgie of epic proportions.

Tourists really should stay away from Bosnia, with its fascinating history, amazing natural beauty, kind and welcoming people, and some of the lowest prices you'll find anywhere in Europe. It's simply way too dangerous to visit a place like this, because, well ... there's too much of a danger that you'll want to stay longer than planned ...

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Photos

Beautiful Lamps ...
... and even more beautiful are the prices in Bosnia, a fraction of those in Croatia. I don't even know how much these would cost back home, but here they were going for something like $10-15.

Elegant Old Bridge ...
... Stari Most is the symbol of Mostar, and one of the most beautiful sights you'll see anywhere in the World, perfect in its simplicity.

Stari Most by Night ...
... no matter how many times I've seen this bridge, it never gets old. Positively magical, especially when lit up at night.

Divided City ...
... historically, the Neretva river has divided Mostar into the Muslim and Catholic sides.

Who Knew ...
... that Bosnia had a little slice of Adriatic paradise, in the town of Neum?

Meaningful Stencil Art ...
... Mostar has a very sad and complicated history, and there are many tributes to the tragedies the city has suffered, all over the place.

War Scars ...
... rebuilding is slow in Mostar, and this is just one of many examples of buildings full of bullet holes around town.

Legacy of the War ...
... even more extreme than buildings with bullet holes are these burned out shells.

Artisan ...
... you can't see that well from the picture, but Art Studio Pandur produced some very unique copper work with a technique pioneered by the proprietor's father, hammered by hand and painted.

Cheese Platter ...
... with three types of cheese to start dinner - one smoked, one soft and havarti-like, and a buttery and creamy spreadable cheese.

The National Platter at Sadrvan ...
... including cevapcici, peppers and onions stuffed with meat and rice, the Bosnian version of dolmades but without the nasty briny flavour, stewed lamb, potatoes, and delicious grilled bread. Way too much food!

Comments

[mostarski]

I know the guy who made this stencil. The stencil represents the general who gave his life to protect people of Mostar. His name was Mithad Hujdur Hujka. He was a very important figure during the war in Mostar.