Bosnia-Herzegovina 3: Sarajevo

Sarajevo certainly has been put on the map a few times in the past.
The assassination of the heir apparent of the Austro-Hungarian Empire that triggered World War I in 1914. One hundred years ago. I don't remember that.
The Winter Olympics in 1984 - the perfection of Torvill and Dean ice dancing to Bolero. Thirty years ago. I do remember that.
And most recently and painfully,  the war and the longest siege in European history. 1992 - 1995. The world remembers that.

A detour to Medjugorje means we have to drive the last portion to Sarajevo in the dark, which isn't too bad even through the mountains.  Our hotel is right in Old Town, in the shadow of Gazi Husrev Bey Mosque. Dinner is at a tiny restaurant, a one-woman operation called "To Be or Not To Be." The crossed-out words refer to Sarajevans' determination to survive, just one of ubiquitous reminders of the war found here.

The following morning, we explore the neighborhood while waiting for our guide.

Old Town has a Turkish feel to it - more of the Ottoman influence than modern Turkey

 

True to its name: Pigeon Square is in the heart of Old Town

Coppersmiths' Street

The local guide we hired is a journalist who fought and lost his father in the war. No better way to learn about what's been going on in Sarajevo. What was supposed to be a two hour walking tour turns into an all day endeavor - the best value for an introduction to a city anywhere.

He discusses a range of topics from how the Ottomans have a longer lasting influence in this country than elsewhere in the Balkan (because the Bogomils initially embraced them) to the circumstances surrounding the war of course. But the most heartfelt topic is the firsthand account of the attack and siege.

A Sarajevo Rose refers to an explosion site that killed more than 5 people where bright paint was applied after the war for enduring memory. This one is in front of a Catholic church.

 



An apartment building near "Sniper's Alley" still bearing scars of the war.



 

Having burek for lunch with our guide

 

 

Men playing chess in front of an Serbian Orthodox church. A bit surreal maybe, but life is back to normal - almost.

 

Locals enjoying tea in Old Town



Latin Bridge at dusk: at the far end is the site of assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir of the Hapsburgs in 1914

 

Latin Bridge from the other side at dusk. The assassination site is just to the left of the bridge. Our hotel is just a block away.

By now we are well aware that "Bosnian" refers to the nationality and "Bosniak" to the ethnic/cultural group, and similarly for "Croatian" and "Croat." When you throw in Serbs, it gets even more complicated. The Serbian aggressors during the war are often referred as the "cetniks," a derogatory term. I do teach our guide one thing - the Bosniak classification of kidney cysts, which he finds curious.

We finish the tour too late to go up to a hill for a panoramic view of the city at sunset. So we do that the following morning. The Tunnel Museum, at the site of the only conduit with the outside world during the siege will have to wait till next time.

Bijela Tabija (White Bastion) affords a fine view of Sarajevo. Our guide holds the map showing the guns and tanks positioned around the city during the siege.

Moving on to Split, Croatia. Heading south, we pass through Jablanica, among other towns, where Tito defeated the Nazis but now it is more famous for spit-grilled lamb barbeque.

Jablanica: south of Sarajevo, famous for split-grilled lamb barbeque

Bosnia-Herzegovina 2: Medjugorje

We change our plan and decide to visit Medjugorje today before going to Sarajevo rather than on our way back from the latter, as it will give us a little more time in the post-Sarajevo portion. I have always known about Medjugorje but was not aware of its exact location until I started to plan this trip, so it came as a pleasant surprise that I could pay a visit without committing too much time.  I feel a twinge of guilt making a last minute schedule change like this based on pure convenience, however, as many devout Christians no doubt plan months and years ahead their trip to Medjugorje, one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the world, despite the lack of recognition by the Vatican to date. (A commission has recently completed an investigation, the results of which are not known yet.)

But after leaving Mostar, we first make a relatively short detour to Blagaj. It is significant as the place containing the source of Buna River but I am drawn to it mainly because I could not resist the evocative image of a cliff-side house that was formerly a whirling dervish monastery.

Approach to Blagaj: early blooms in an orchard with snowcapped Mt. Velez in the background

Blagaj: an old whirling dervish monastery at the Buna River source

Via a partly mountainous route, we arrive at Medjugorje about an hour later. Medjugorje is surprisingly quiet.
The church complex seems more modest than that in Fatima, Portugal and certainly far less hectic than the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico. The surrounding town appears somewhat crude and disorganized. After a short exploration, we head up the hill to the site of the first apparitions, but not before an impersonal encounter at the church information desk of all places, which is unexpected since we have had nothing but warm reception elsewhere in Bosnia.

Medjugorje: St. James church, rather modest, predates the apparitions.

The right knee is supposed to be always wet, but since I touched the wrong knee, I will never know.



A walk up Apparition Hill: a rocky trail covered with sharp edges may be by design. We were not about to emulate many pilgrims who do this barefoot.

Site of the original apparitions at the top of the hill

"Blue Cross" at the foot of Apparition Hill

On our way back down the hill, we stop at one of the gazillion gift shops. It is being tended by a Mexican American from California, who has a rather interesting life story. Some years ago, he needed to change his life around. He heard about this place, packed up, came and never left. Recently his druglord cousin in Mexico was arrested which made international news. He could have led a similarly criminal life had he not moved here. I tell him that he absolutely made the right choice even though he is poor here by his own assessment and "has no insurance or retirement." He knows all the visionaries personally and directs us to some of their houses which are just around the corner. Imagine, some of them allegedly receive messages from Virgin Mary daily.

Bosnia-Herzegovina 1: Mostar

As soon as we cross the border from Montenegro into Bosnia, or more accurately Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the first sign greeting us is a testament to the confusing nature of this country: "Welcome to Republika Srpska," which actually means "Serbian Republic." It's not the same as Republic of Serbia (or simply Serbia) which is an independent country with Belgrade as its capital. Rather, we are entering "Bosnian Serb Republic" which is a part of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Trying to get these names straight is just scratching the surface of the complex regional history here which was marred by "the Bosnian War" including ethnic cleansing of 1992 - 1995. Suffice it to say for now that we are entering Herzegovina (the general description of the southern, smaller part of the country), of which the largest city is Mostar, one of our major stops in this country.

First town after we cross into Bosnia is Grab in the Herzegovina mountains, so I naturally grab a quick photo.

In mountainous and rural areas, the navigator in our rental car and my portable WiFi hotspot are again worthless. But fortunately, the road signs are decent and we rely on the good old AAA maps, and there is of course the body language to resort to when asking for directions.. I mean, people did travel before the age of GPS and mobile devices without getting lost all the time. So we manage to connect the dots: Trebinje, Ljubinje and Stolac before reaching our destination, Mostar. Minarets are clearly visible in Stolac, announcing we are now in a country where Islam is the dominant religion.

In Stolac, these medieval tombstones are strewn on roadside.

By far the most significant monument in Mostar is its Old Bridge. Not only is it in a picturesque setting but it has long been also a symbolic centerpiece here. Its clout has only increased as it fell victim to the war in the 90's and was rebuilt by 2004. After we check into our hotel in Old Town, I open the window and there it is - the unmistakable Old Bridge. In fact, the Old Town is quite compact and it appears as if it can be included in a single frame as a backdrop to the Old Bridge.

View of Old Bridge from our hotel room

View of Old Town from Old Bridge

We soak up the atmosphere of the compact Old Town in a short pre-dinner stroll in a windy late afternoon. At the foot of the Old Bridge is a sign "Don't forget 1993" which is the year when the bridge was bombed, perhaps the most traumatic single event of the battle that raged among all three groups of the city. 

The new section of Old Bridge, rebuilt in 2004, is essentially indistinguishable from the old section of the first few steps

Old Town at dusk

At dinner, we engage the young man serving us in a conversation about his country. Unprovoked, the first thing he states is that the Muslims here are moderate, embrace the Western ways and have nothing to do with the radical image America has. I tell him that we see a sizeable number of Bosnian immigrants and refugees in the Bay area and he responds that he was three years old when the war ended and his father could have moved to the States like his cousin in Oakland but chose to stay in his country. He is very positive about the future of Bosnia with all groups living happily and prosperously together - his girlfriend is a Croat and his best friend is Catholic. I doubt the actual picture is that rosy, especially given the depressed economy and rampant corruption I hear about, but if all young Bosnians were intelligent, inclusive and energetic like him, then indeed they have a bright future.

Bosnian fare: every item was delicious

Coppersmiths' Street is deserted in the evening in the off-season

The morning of our departure, we enter the mosque for yet another view of the Old Bridge.

View of Old Bridge from top of the minaret at Koski Mehmet Pasha Mosque

At Herzegovina Museum, across from a cemetery packed with graves of young people who died in the war, we watch a short silent movie about the history of the Bridge consisting of footage before and after its destruction and reconstruction. It is a moving experience and a final activity as we leave Mostar. A visit to the funky monument to Bruce Lee, apparently enormously popular here cutting across all ethnic lines, will have to wait till next time.

A film footage showing the destruction of Old Bridge in 1993

Mostar has been a good introduction to this country. Shall we say, one must start at Mostar? Mostar should certainly get most stars,  or even more stars?

Montenegro

Most visitors to this little known country (independent only since 2006), at least to its coastal region, seem to include it in their itinerary because of its proximity to Dubrovnik essentially as an afterthought. We are no exception but hearing enough praise about its natural beauty I have always had it on my short list. But with barely two days here, I keep my expections low and my motor running (literally as we now have a rental car).

Border crossing from Croatia into Montenegro is smooth and we arrive at the Bay of Kotor in mid day. The Bay is more like a complex-shaped lake dotted with villages on its shores, quite an impressive sight. The towns do not have the sophistication of Dubrovnik and seem generally poorer. We soon reach the town of Kotor, our destination. Just rolling our suitcases from outside the city wall to our fine small hotel and sitting down for a quick but horrible lunch (seafood risotto without visible seafood) on one of the squares give us a good idea of what this place is about. Tiny, charming and sturdy with stones.

Old Town Kotor, Montenegro: Pedestrian Only. Serbian Orthodox churches on this square. The mountains form a backdrop.

 

I am anxious though to get started on the drive inland. After all, this country has mountain as part of its name so we should try it. The afternoons are precious as the sun sets well before 6pm. This region is in the same time zone as Spain, meaning it has the opposite problem from what we experienced on the Camino walk last year - the sun rises and sets too early. Never have I valued the concept of Daylight Saving Time so much, which actually starts in the U.S. today.

We set out for Centenje in the mountains. If all goes well, it should take an hour and a half to reach this old capital. Alas, my portable wifi hot spot doesn't work in this country. Nor does the navigator in the car. Somehow we manage to find our way up and once the first of the 25 hairpin turns starts, we know we are on the right track. The numbering is a great idea as it gives a reference point like mile markers for a marathon. There is immediate gratification of the stupendous view of the Bay carved into the mountains.

 The view starts immediately upon ascent into the Montenegrin mountains.



A view from Hairpin Turn #25: the Kotor Bay

"I can't believe I live here AND get free food."

We reach Nyegusi, a small town of rugged charm which belies its historical importance as the home of a Montenegrin dynasty lasting more than two centuries. Leaving Nyegusi, I am looking for a good spot to photograph Mt Lovcen, a significant place as it is THE black mountain. A shepherd and his herd appear as if on cue to form a foreground. Thank you kindly. There is more hairy driving ahead. It is not very reassuring to start seeing phone numbers for auto repair services written on the stones forming the barrier to the cliff.  We give a very superficial look at Centenje, an old capital.

Nyegusi near Lovcen National Park

 

Mt. Lovcen, the Black Mountain, which gave this country its name. On top is a mausoleum (a faint man-made structure).

 It was a no brainer to choose a different route for return which descends to the Bay of Budvar. It was getting very dark so a cursory look at Budvar will have to do. It is just as well since it looks like a mass beach destination. We drive past a few casinos which exude nowhere near the opulence of Casino Royale. Daniel Craig isn't going to pop out. The James Bond script writers had a vivid imagination for associating this country with that movie.

Budva Bay at dusk

When our last planned stop for the day comes into view, a small island called Sveti Stefan, it is very dark. Again, just as well, since the island now being owned by the Aman Resorts means it is for your eyes only and no access.

Sveti Stefan, now owned by Aman Resorts, which means "keep out, unless you have $1000 minimum per night"

Back in Kotor, the town is deserted after all the day trippers from Dubrovnik have left. Dinner is superb at a restaurant tucked away in a corner.  The quality of food seems inversely proportional to the visibility of the establishment.

The following morning we set out early for a hike up to the fort overlooking Kotor and built mostly by Venetians but dating back to the ancient Illyrians. The steep climb is rewarded by a superior view. The sun is in a favorable position in the morning rather than the afternoon and I correctly guessed - I wish it was always the case.

Old Town Kotor as the climb starts on the town walls

Climbing higher: Old Town Kotor from the town walls

 

Fortress of St. John, built on the old fortification site of Illyrians

 

Kotor Bay from the top

 

Driving out, we stop at Perast, which seems to take a back seat to Kotor, but to be fair, with a promenade right on the water, it has unique charms. Plus the two tiny islands in front. We drive inland to cross the border into Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Perast on Kotor Bay

Two small islands facing Perast, one of which is artificial - which one?

 

Croatia 1: Dubrovnik

After nearly missing the connection in Frankfurt (30 minutes from one gate to the other - c'mon, really?), we arrive at Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, with just enough time to make our final transfer. It is nice that in Europe you don't pick up your luggage at the first entry point for the customs unlike in the U.S.
Upon boarding the plane to Dubrovnik, however, we are told that the bad weather may force us to be diverted to Split and driven on a bus for 3 to 4 hours to our final destination.  After flying about an hour in what looks like zero visibility, it is therefore a huge relief to see the southern Dalmatian Coast reveal itself in glory. And there it is! Dubrovnik, you are not called the Pearl of the Adriatic for nothing.

Spotting Dubrovnik from an airplane window

We are staying in a soba (no, not the Japanese noodles, but a room in sort of a bed and breakfast, often minus the breakfast, common and a good value in this part of the world), and it is a welcome gesture that the owner of the house picks you up at the airport. The short drive along the coast is stunning and the conversation predictably gravitates toward the war they suffered in the early 90's.

Dubrovnik has been a favorite tourist destination for centuries but as the world watched in horror the bombardment to this jewel of a city in the 1991/2 siege, many who hadn't made it here like myself thought the window for a visit was shut. But I do remember a global campaign to restore the fabled red roofs (a whopping two thirds were damaged) and it sure looks like Dubrovnik has come roaring back.

Staying within the Old Town is clearly atmospheric but a disadvantage is that it is a pedestrian zone so you have to lug your suitcases, sometimes over cobblestone streets. This scene will surely repeat throughout our foray into the former Yugoslav Republics - Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Slovenia.

A fourth-floor walk up is worth it if you ate greeted with a view of the Old Town.

A room with a view: Old Town from our soba

The main drag, Stradun, is stately but it must be flooded with humanity on a summer day when cruise ships disgorge thousands of day trippers.

Stradun, the main road in Dubrovnik, on a chilly March evening 

The imposing city walls are a major attraction here and we have them almost to ourselves, except we run into several groups of ... Korean tourists. But the walk on the walls is limited in the off season to hours not conducive to photography.

 

From the city wall

You can see the old vs new roof tiles.

Speaking of pictures, it is time to head up to Mt Srd for a panoramic view. A brief bout of intense belly pain in mid-afternoon (I admit, right after gulping down a scoop of ice cream at Dolce Vita, like most people here seem to do) isn't going to keep me down and we make the last cable car up. (Our food experience here is varied from the worst spaghetti ever on Stradun to the best calamari ever on G. Polijana).

The off-season hours for the cable car are limited, and we decide to stay for the sunset which means we will have to walk down. Mt. Srd is a historic place with the fort initially built by Napoleon. In more recent times, it served its defensive purpose well, as resolute locals thwarted the attack by Serbian and Montenegrin armies during the 1991/2 siege. At the top, in addition to Dubrovnik and the sea sprawled in front, you can see a chain of Dalmatian islands up north and Montenegrin and Herzegovina mountains to south.

From Mt Srd: north to the Dalmatian islands with a gravity-defying cow in the foreground

 

Mt Srd: south to the Montenegro mountains

 

While waiting for the sun to go down, we run into people with heavy photographic equipment who show us pictures of aurora borealis taken from Iceland in February which are simply out of this world. We tell them that was our original destination before we changed our minds, but surrounded by this vista, we feel no regrets. They also tell us about a spot lower down where the sunset view is ideal. With the sun already going down, I hurry down to that location, basically sprinting the last couple of minutes. I don't quite reach it before I have to stop and start shooting. The thought crosses my mind that there are still mines from the war around here so I don't want to step too far from the road.

Sunset over Dubrovnik: the Old Town on the left

It is quite dark by the time we start the descent on a rocky zigzag path.

Treacherous walk down a zig-zag path: not recommended but rewarding with a night view to the north

We go on an early morning walk east of the Old Town in search of a postcard view. With trial and error aided by random advice from a passing bus driver, we settle on a spot but the weather is overcast which does not bring out vivid colors.

Dubrovnik in early morning

We have plenty of time during the day for further exploration.

Franciscan Monastery houses the World's third oldest pharmacy, a cloister and a number of paintings depicting St. Francis in such a glorious way that he will turn in his grave.

 

Pockmarks from the 1991 war on the wall of Church of St. Savior



A view of Old Town from the Fort of St. Lawrence

Water around Dubrovnik is kept remarkably clean.

 

In the evening, we go back to the same location as this morning for another sunset experience.



Sunset over the Old Town, Dubrovnik