For some reason I expected Sarajevo to be similar to Belgrade. Perhaps it was because of the relative proximity or the fact that they were both part of Yugoslavia, but I was pleasantly surprised by the vast difference.
The bus ride from Belgrade to Sarajevo took about 7 hours and passed through gorgerous scenery and windy mountain roads. Due to the bus schedule and availability of my host in Sarajevo, I didn't arrive until almost 11pm at night, but thankfully she lives pretty close to the station and met me half way so I wouldn't be completely lost. My host's name is Zoe and is originally from Turkey, although she reminds me at every opportunity that she's not actually Turkish but Ocetian. And me being my ignorant self had to ask "What?" when she first mentioned it. But Zoe is unique because she has autism/asperger and very open about it. She said to me when we first met, "I tend to talk AT people and not talk WITH them." It's been interesting hanging out with her and observing some of the quirkiness. She is very much a creature of habit and routine, but clearly she is high functioning since she holds a full time job as an English teacher and college administrator. Kudos to her for participating in Couchsurfing and forcing herself to interact with people all the time.
Sarajevo is situated in a valley and the city is basically laid out in a long strip with the river and tram lines running down the center from east to west; to the north and south are both mountains and ski areas a bit further away. Obviously there are great ski areas nearby since the 1984 winter olympics were held here, before the war started. The city was under siege by the Serbs for three years in the early 90s, but since then has rebuilt much of the city. There are brand new shopping malls emerging in the center, but reminders of the suffering and violence are evident throughout the city. Just walking along the river to the city center, I spotted numerous buildings riddled with bullet holes and spotted a couple of the famous "Sarajevo Roses." The roses are floral like patterns made from dropped mortars on the concrete. Many of them are erased as the city replaces the asphalt but I really hope they consciously preserve some of them as a memorial to the war.
Yesterday I took a 10km walk with Zoe at the foothills of the mountains and then she showed me this amazing little hang out cafe/bar called "The Golden Fish." It was possibly one of the most atmospheric establishments I've ever visited - filled with antiques, mismatched plates, old sewing machines turned into tables, etc. We also walked around the city center, which I've dubbed "Little Istanbul" because the Ottoman influence is so strong that you feel like you're in the Middle East sometimes. Today is my last day here and I will head to Mostar on an early morning train tomorrow.
The bus ride from Belgrade to Sarajevo took about 7 hours and passed through gorgerous scenery and windy mountain roads. Due to the bus schedule and availability of my host in Sarajevo, I didn't arrive until almost 11pm at night, but thankfully she lives pretty close to the station and met me half way so I wouldn't be completely lost. My host's name is Zoe and is originally from Turkey, although she reminds me at every opportunity that she's not actually Turkish but Ocetian. And me being my ignorant self had to ask "What?" when she first mentioned it. But Zoe is unique because she has autism/asperger and very open about it. She said to me when we first met, "I tend to talk AT people and not talk WITH them." It's been interesting hanging out with her and observing some of the quirkiness. She is very much a creature of habit and routine, but clearly she is high functioning since she holds a full time job as an English teacher and college administrator. Kudos to her for participating in Couchsurfing and forcing herself to interact with people all the time.
Sarajevo is situated in a valley and the city is basically laid out in a long strip with the river and tram lines running down the center from east to west; to the north and south are both mountains and ski areas a bit further away. Obviously there are great ski areas nearby since the 1984 winter olympics were held here, before the war started. The city was under siege by the Serbs for three years in the early 90s, but since then has rebuilt much of the city. There are brand new shopping malls emerging in the center, but reminders of the suffering and violence are evident throughout the city. Just walking along the river to the city center, I spotted numerous buildings riddled with bullet holes and spotted a couple of the famous "Sarajevo Roses." The roses are floral like patterns made from dropped mortars on the concrete. Many of them are erased as the city replaces the asphalt but I really hope they consciously preserve some of them as a memorial to the war.
Yesterday I took a 10km walk with Zoe at the foothills of the mountains and then she showed me this amazing little hang out cafe/bar called "The Golden Fish." It was possibly one of the most atmospheric establishments I've ever visited - filled with antiques, mismatched plates, old sewing machines turned into tables, etc. We also walked around the city center, which I've dubbed "Little Istanbul" because the Ottoman influence is so strong that you feel like you're in the Middle East sometimes. Today is my last day here and I will head to Mostar on an early morning train tomorrow.
There is a famous iconic bridge is Mostar that appears in every picture of the travel book. Rick Steves has just fitured Moster in his show. WL
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