bosnia herzegovina - sarajevo

I'm getting tired.

The places we have been are amazing, and this whole trip is incredible, but I cannot deny that after 11 months, I'm slowing way down.  My blogs may begin to reflect this as well...I'm giving what I've got!

Sarajevo is a picturesque city, located in a lovely valley, surrounded by the Alps.  The city is famous for its religious diversity, with Islam, Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Judaism all coexisting for centuries.  Sarajevo holds the site of the assassination that sparked World War I, was the host of the 1984 Winter Olympics and in the early 90s, the receipient of much destruction due to the Bosnian War.

While in Sarajevo, we took a tour from a local man named Skender.  He was born and raised in Sarajevo, and was only 7 years old when the conflict broke out in 1992.  During those four long years, he explained, his mother would keep him contained in the basement with the windows covered most of the time, so that if there was an explosion outside, they would be safe (or safer, I should say).  This was not uncommon.  As I mentioned, the city is in a valley, and the Serbian troops had an incredible advantage from the mountainside, looking down on it.  From 1992-1995, thousands of Sarajevans lost their lives under the constant bombardment and sniper shooting at civilians by Serbian forces.

On the cold, gray day we took the tour with Skender, there was a very sad feeling as we meandered through the city, looking at the damage still lingering on many of the homes and buildings from the bombing.  From the hillside Jewish cemetary we saw the front line view of "sniper alley" where many civilians were shot (due to the clearing) just trying to bring food back to their families.  People lived in constant fear of leaving their houses, as Serbian troops were ruthless in hunting them down.

We visited the "Tunnel of Hope," an underground, citizen-constructed tunnel, created to link Sarajevo (which was completely cut off by Serbian forces) with Bosnian-held territory past the airport. According to wikipedia, it was "1.5 metres in height,1 metre in width, and ran for approximately 960 metres (3,150 ft) in length. During the time it was used, it is estimated that 20 million tons of food entered the city, and 1 million people passed in and out of it."

We also saw a few "Sarajevo Roses" throughout the city...explosion marks filled with red paint to mark where mortar explosions resulted in one or more deaths.  It is estimated that on an average day more than 300 shell rounds were fired into the city.  While in transport from one destination to the next, Skender showed us video footage from the war, including a massacre that made me have to turn my eyes from the screen.

There were lighter moments on the tour, where we saw the pretty 450 year old "Goat's Bridge," and saw beautiful views of the entire city of Sarajevo from both the Yellow and White Bastions.  Skender was a great tour guide, and I can't imagine growing up in the manner he did, and the family and friends undoubtedly affected by the war.  I kept telling Guy I couldn't believe he was younger than us, he seemed too "grown up."  I guess that's what war does to people.

It was certainly a somber day.

Aside from learning the incredible and terrible history of Sarajevo, we did see some other lovely aspects of Bosnia.  We wandered the charming streets of Old Town, where a cobble-street lined maze of restaurants and shops led us to some delicious dining experiences, including meat and rice stuffed vegetables and cabbage, cevapi - small grilled sausages made of calf meat served with onions, sour cream and pita bread, and delicious soups, salads and breads.  Patisseries were not in short supply, and we ducked into one to sample some yummy things.

Our final stop during our stay in Bosnia was a day trip to Mostar, a larger city also victim to much war damage during the 90s.  While there only a few hours, we managed to see what appeared to be still demolished buildings (we assumed from the war) throughout the city.  Contrast that with one of the most incredibly beautiful sights...the "Old Bridge", which looked as though it came right out of a fairytale.



On a final note...one thing we saw throughout the city that brightened my spirits a bit during these cold, dreary, and fairly depressing days...a sign of spring, (that I remember even from home during this time of year)...daffodils.