As we headed to Bosnia, we also left the river lowlands and entered a mountainous region of the Balkans that was an amazing geologic experience. The layers of rock, the uplifting of mountains, the rolling fields, the steep mountains, little hamlets tucked into the hillsides created a cacophony of visual images that my camera cannot come close to capturing. Among the most interesting were the fields with tractors cutting, raking, and baling hay next to farmers cutting, raking, and stacking hay by hand with long wooden rakes and pitchforks. This appears to be a mainly subsistence farming region, as one would expect. At times it looked much like New England.
We had a pleasant lunch on a mountain summit hotel that could have been in the pine forests of Oregon. It was relaxing and good food. Abbey and I went for a little walk along a path in the woods, which was so good for my soul!
Entering Bosnia was uneventful. Somehow I expected the border between Serbia and Bosnia to be a huge military presence. The bus driver had collected our passports, we stayed on the bus, Serbian officials stamped us OUT of the country, handed the passports back to the driver and a kilometer later the procedure was repeated with Bosnian officials stamping us INTO the country (the stamp is so light we are all a bit disappointed! Must have been running out of ink…maybe it’s a statement…..)?
More amazing sights of tiny farms and hamlets nestled in the hillsides and then we came to the Drina River and the town of Visegrad, most famous with tourists for the old Ottoman bridge that crosses the river, similar to the famous bridge that used to be in Mostar but which was blown up by NATO forces in the mid 90’s. After a photo-op stop we then headed along more windy mountainous roads for 3 hours, arriving in Sarajevo at 7 PM. The evidence of the siege of Sarajevo is everywhere. Rebuilding is indeed going on and there is a good spirit but it is almost shocking and definitely sad to see all the bombed out buildings, bullet ridden walls, and mortar hole remains. I am sure we will see much more tomorrow!
We had a pleasant lunch on a mountain summit hotel that could have been in the pine forests of Oregon. It was relaxing and good food. Abbey and I went for a little walk along a path in the woods, which was so good for my soul!
Entering Bosnia was uneventful. Somehow I expected the border between Serbia and Bosnia to be a huge military presence. The bus driver had collected our passports, we stayed on the bus, Serbian officials stamped us OUT of the country, handed the passports back to the driver and a kilometer later the procedure was repeated with Bosnian officials stamping us INTO the country (the stamp is so light we are all a bit disappointed! Must have been running out of ink…maybe it’s a statement…..)?
More amazing sights of tiny farms and hamlets nestled in the hillsides and then we came to the Drina River and the town of Visegrad, most famous with tourists for the old Ottoman bridge that crosses the river, similar to the famous bridge that used to be in Mostar but which was blown up by NATO forces in the mid 90’s. After a photo-op stop we then headed along more windy mountainous roads for 3 hours, arriving in Sarajevo at 7 PM. The evidence of the siege of Sarajevo is everywhere. Rebuilding is indeed going on and there is a good spirit but it is almost shocking and definitely sad to see all the bombed out buildings, bullet ridden walls, and mortar hole remains. I am sure we will see much more tomorrow!
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