Mazzy's Amazing Adventure: Friendly Bosnia and Herzegovina

Wow! What an experience Bosnia and Herzegovina was! I highly suggest this country to anybody going on a trip soon. Its in this awesome stage in its history between the war and becoming a hot tourist destination. It makes for an incredibly authentic and not very touristy experience but with enough touristic development that you aren't likely to get lost or lack things to do. I really believe that Sarajevo will be Europes next tourism hotspot. There is so much history in this country and some of the biggest events are very recent. The war between 1992 and 1995 have had a huge impact on the country and its people. This is evident everywhere you go. Some landscapes you are not allowed to access due to remaining active landmines and even in the capital, Sarajevo, there are still war torn and abandoned buildings. In the streets of Sarajevo you can see the "Sarajevo roses" bullet holes in the pavement have been filled with red plaster to mark the sights of civilian massacres. It truly is sad but a good reminder to never forget the pain this country has gone through.

I started by Bosnian adventure in Mostar. My hostel hosts were warm and welcome. Nina and her mother picked me up at the bus station even though my bus was almost 2 hours late. After settling in and meeting the other guests, Ninas mom made us guests a wonderful, authentic meal and we all sat out on the terrace chatting away.

Mostar was probably the one city to come out of the war the most destroyed. It was the frontline during the war and a lot of the buildings are still destroyed and abandoned. The citys beautiful Ottoman era bridge was destroyed and many people still get emotional when remembering the day it fell. It has since been rebuilt and is the highlight of the city. There is a diving club that will jump off the bridge, which might I add is extremely high! Its apparently quite dangerous and some people have died doing it. For a fee tourists can jump off the bridge also. Its about 50KM ($37 CAD) to jump feet first and about 500KM ($375 CAD) to jump head first. Even the trained bridge divers only jump off head first a few times in their career. Anybody could really walk up to the bridge and jump off at anytime... But then they wouldn't be able to sign their name in the book, which of course is mostly filled with Aussies. Besides the bridge, I absolutely adored wandering through the market (everything is dirt cheap) and enjoying Bosnian coffee at the cafes. Seeing the mosque minarets peeking above the city skyline and hearing the call of prayer 5 times a day was another novelty I very much enjoyed. Its just so peaceful to listen to. Especially at dusk.

From Mostar, I made my way to Sarajevo. The train ride was only 5 Euros ($7.50 CAD) but some of the scenery was very beautiful. It goes up through the mountains so it kinda reminds me a bit of being at home. Sarajevo, at first glance didn't seem as though it had a lot to offer. However, after a day I was absolutely hooked on this city. Its so laid back! People sit and enjoy the day in the many cafes, wandering from one to the next. The old town market is unlike any other old town I have seen. The water follows freely from the many mosque fountains. Plus, if you drink the water from the fountain in Pigeon square it is said you will return again to Sarajevo in some way, shape or form. I lazily enjoyed my time most days eating, drinking and all around living like a queen. Its so cheap in Sarajevo that anyone can afford to eat out all the time. I did several tours and day trips from the city. I did a city tour, the Tunnel of hope tour and a day trip to Skakavac waterfalls (I'll do a separate post on my waterfall adventure). There is so much to see and do around/between Mostar and Sarajevo that I could have easily spent much more time here.

Whether or not its due to the magic of the water in pigeon square, I feel I will come back to Bosnia and Herzegovina again in my life time.

Mostar

One of the largest mosques

The market.

The bridge from above.

There were bullet holes in the facade of almost every building.

Beautiful Mostar and its cherished bridge.

Those are all bullet holes.

Some more of the remaining destruction from the war.

Sarajevo

The Pigeon Square fountain. Note: the pigeons in the back ground.

Some of the Sarajevo roses.

Inside a pretty mosque courtyard.

Buregdzinica. Its kind of like Burek. Just another kind of rolled phyllo pie... but smothered in sourcream!

Vladimir and Raquel. I met Raquel at my hostel. Vladimir is from Sarajevo. He shared some stories and an unbiased view of the war with us. He also took us to his favourite cafe and restaurant. He was a very kind person!