I'm am kicking myself for not being able to stay in Sarajevo for one more night. Today is the end of Ramadan, and it's a huge party tonight.
Instead I'm in Vienna. Very nice, pretty and clean... the antithesis of Bosnia.
I fly tomorrow morning at 10:35. I'll be back in Montreal at around 17:00.
And then I begin my fight with jet lag. Should be fun!
Til next time.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Thursday, October 11, 2007
bah
Seriously. What is wrong with me? Why do all my posts end up being short essays. It's a curse I tells ya.
Sarajevo, Bosnia
Alright. Gonna keep this short... no really! Not like the last time where I said it would be short and ended up being book-length!
Took the early train this morning from Mostar to Sarajevo. Amazing scenery... but a pretty sketchy train. Swarthy looking bosnian men chain smoking everywhere. Got to Sarajevo and saw my own breath. It's freaking cold and raining.
Staying at Haris Hostel tonight. Will try to go out tonight, and then take it easy tomorrow before m y afternoon flight to Vienna.
This is it. The home stretch.
And let me tell, only having one day in a particular city sucks.
Walked around Mostar yesterday in the rain, which made seeing all those bombed out buildings even more sombre. I'd post pictures, but there seems to be something wrong with the 'Blogger' picture upload functionality. When I get back to Montreal, I'll be posting up a proper slideshow of pictures. What I've posted here is just the tip of the iceburg - I've almost filled 2 2GB memory cards with pictures and videos.
The famous bridge in Mostar was nice and all, but it would have been nice if it was sunnier out. I also went to the main mosque and climbed the minurette.
Sarajevo has been interesting, but the weather definitely puts a damper on it. I went to the spot where Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his pregnant wife were assasinated by Gavrilo Princip, the spark that started World War I. Yes... Franz Ferdinand is not just a scottish rock group.
Otherwise, it's somewhat similar to Mostar, but bigger. That's a good thing.
Random bits:
- In 2 days, I've eaten Bosnian Burek 3 times. Might go again on the way back to the hostel. So tasty!
- Bosnian is one of the pedestrian unfriendly countries I've been to. Comparing this driver habits here to Switzerland is like night and day.
Alright. That's it.
I'm not 100% sure, but this may be my last post until I get back to Montreal saturday evening. Internet is busted at the hostel, and not sure yet what I'm doing in Vienna.
So either way, til next time.
Took the early train this morning from Mostar to Sarajevo. Amazing scenery... but a pretty sketchy train. Swarthy looking bosnian men chain smoking everywhere. Got to Sarajevo and saw my own breath. It's freaking cold and raining.
Staying at Haris Hostel tonight. Will try to go out tonight, and then take it easy tomorrow before m y afternoon flight to Vienna.
This is it. The home stretch.
And let me tell, only having one day in a particular city sucks.
Walked around Mostar yesterday in the rain, which made seeing all those bombed out buildings even more sombre. I'd post pictures, but there seems to be something wrong with the 'Blogger' picture upload functionality. When I get back to Montreal, I'll be posting up a proper slideshow of pictures. What I've posted here is just the tip of the iceburg - I've almost filled 2 2GB memory cards with pictures and videos.
The famous bridge in Mostar was nice and all, but it would have been nice if it was sunnier out. I also went to the main mosque and climbed the minurette.
Sarajevo has been interesting, but the weather definitely puts a damper on it. I went to the spot where Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his pregnant wife were assasinated by Gavrilo Princip, the spark that started World War I. Yes... Franz Ferdinand is not just a scottish rock group.
Otherwise, it's somewhat similar to Mostar, but bigger. That's a good thing.
Random bits:
- In 2 days, I've eaten Bosnian Burek 3 times. Might go again on the way back to the hostel. So tasty!
- Bosnian is one of the pedestrian unfriendly countries I've been to. Comparing this driver habits here to Switzerland is like night and day.
Alright. That's it.
I'm not 100% sure, but this may be my last post until I get back to Montreal saturday evening. Internet is busted at the hostel, and not sure yet what I'm doing in Vienna.
So either way, til next time.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Mostar, Bosnia
I'll be quick here as I want to explore, but I've arrived safely is Mostar, Bosnia and let me tell ya... this is a world of difference between Crotia.
Remnants of the war are everywhere. Remains of bombed out buildings and massive cemetatries dotted the route as the bus entered Mostar.
I'm staying at Majdas Rooms for the evening and taking the early train to Sarajevo. That train, by the way, is renowned as one of best train rides in Europe with some unbelievable scenery. I'm looking forward to that.
Majda picked me up at the bus station and we had a bit of scare on the way to the hostel. We were stopped at a red light and a car came up next to us. 4 normally dressed men were inside, and the man in the passenger seat flashed a badge and pointed to a spot to the right-front of the car. Automatically, we assumed that they were stopping us. Visions of secret police flashed in my head.
Majda started pulling to the curb and the car honked, and the man pointed again, a smile on his face. Both of us had no idea what was going on.
The light turned green and the car simply went in front of us, and sped along the road. They weren't pulling us over... they just needed right of way. I'm pretty sure they were laughing about it.
30 minutes later, Majda was still a little shaken up over it.
Once we got to the hostel, Majda gave me the lay of the land, recommended where I spend my afternoon. Majda's mother came out with the welcome plate of local delicacies, which was Peksimeti (fried dough with sour cream and plum jam) and Boem (which is a local cream cake). Both were delicious. She was incredibly informative, and even went into the history of the war and how it affected her family. She was here for the 1st wave of attacks when the Serbs were attacking both the Croats and Bosnians. She relocated to various european countries. Her parents were here for the 2nd wave of attacks on Mostar when the Croats turned on the Bosnians, after the serbs has left. Her parents were forced out of this very flat I'm writing this blog entry. After the war, someone else had laid claim to the apartment, and only after court preceedings, were they given back the flat.
I didn't want to press her too hard about the war, as it's obviously a very touchy subject. I asked her if there is any anomosity between the Croats and Bosnians in the area. In business, Bosnians and Croats work hand-in-hand. There is some division and still some ill feelings when it comes to family and friends, and who you associate with. For the sake of her own well-being and perhaps sanity, Majda tries not to think about any sort of division, and tries to live her life.
As with the hostel in Dubrovnik, where 'Papa' sat down with me for 30 minutes and gave me a history lesson about Croatia, sitting down with Majda do get her personal perspective was incredibly rewarding. This is something else I wanted from this trip, and my expectations have been exceeded.
Another good thing about coming to Mostar is that I get to meet up again with Anthony from Arizona. He had left his passport at the hostel Dubrovnik, and somehow managed to get into Bosnia. I have the passport with me. I have absolutely no idea how he did this... my passport was checked 3 times during the 3 hour bus ride. I'm looking forward to getting the story later when I see him.
I shared a room with Tony, Chris (from NZ) and Karla (from Austrialia, but living in Madrid) two days ago in Dubrovnik. Funnily, I'm sharing a room with all three of them again tonight. Chris is travelling with his guitar, has a massive repertoire of songs, and even plays a mean mouth harp.
Alright... this post turned out longer than I thought (and I had to rewrite a portion because the internet froze up). Time to explore Mostar.
Next post should have details of my afternoon in Dubrovnik yesterday. I visited the old city. Amazing.
Til next time.
Remnants of the war are everywhere. Remains of bombed out buildings and massive cemetatries dotted the route as the bus entered Mostar.
I'm staying at Majdas Rooms for the evening and taking the early train to Sarajevo. That train, by the way, is renowned as one of best train rides in Europe with some unbelievable scenery. I'm looking forward to that.
Majda picked me up at the bus station and we had a bit of scare on the way to the hostel. We were stopped at a red light and a car came up next to us. 4 normally dressed men were inside, and the man in the passenger seat flashed a badge and pointed to a spot to the right-front of the car. Automatically, we assumed that they were stopping us. Visions of secret police flashed in my head.
Majda started pulling to the curb and the car honked, and the man pointed again, a smile on his face. Both of us had no idea what was going on.
The light turned green and the car simply went in front of us, and sped along the road. They weren't pulling us over... they just needed right of way. I'm pretty sure they were laughing about it.
30 minutes later, Majda was still a little shaken up over it.
Once we got to the hostel, Majda gave me the lay of the land, recommended where I spend my afternoon. Majda's mother came out with the welcome plate of local delicacies, which was Peksimeti (fried dough with sour cream and plum jam) and Boem (which is a local cream cake). Both were delicious. She was incredibly informative, and even went into the history of the war and how it affected her family. She was here for the 1st wave of attacks when the Serbs were attacking both the Croats and Bosnians. She relocated to various european countries. Her parents were here for the 2nd wave of attacks on Mostar when the Croats turned on the Bosnians, after the serbs has left. Her parents were forced out of this very flat I'm writing this blog entry. After the war, someone else had laid claim to the apartment, and only after court preceedings, were they given back the flat.
I didn't want to press her too hard about the war, as it's obviously a very touchy subject. I asked her if there is any anomosity between the Croats and Bosnians in the area. In business, Bosnians and Croats work hand-in-hand. There is some division and still some ill feelings when it comes to family and friends, and who you associate with. For the sake of her own well-being and perhaps sanity, Majda tries not to think about any sort of division, and tries to live her life.
As with the hostel in Dubrovnik, where 'Papa' sat down with me for 30 minutes and gave me a history lesson about Croatia, sitting down with Majda do get her personal perspective was incredibly rewarding. This is something else I wanted from this trip, and my expectations have been exceeded.
Another good thing about coming to Mostar is that I get to meet up again with Anthony from Arizona. He had left his passport at the hostel Dubrovnik, and somehow managed to get into Bosnia. I have the passport with me. I have absolutely no idea how he did this... my passport was checked 3 times during the 3 hour bus ride. I'm looking forward to getting the story later when I see him.
I shared a room with Tony, Chris (from NZ) and Karla (from Austrialia, but living in Madrid) two days ago in Dubrovnik. Funnily, I'm sharing a room with all three of them again tonight. Chris is travelling with his guitar, has a massive repertoire of songs, and even plays a mean mouth harp.
Alright... this post turned out longer than I thought (and I had to rewrite a portion because the internet froze up). Time to explore Mostar.
Next post should have details of my afternoon in Dubrovnik yesterday. I visited the old city. Amazing.
Til next time.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Way too much to see... too little time...
Greetings from Dubrovnik, on the southern tip of Croatia on the Adriatic. The view from the balcony at my hostel (The Backpackers Club) oversees the marina and is amazing.
Hostel is owned and operated by a very friendly older couple who do their best to make you feel welcome. When I checked in, there was welcome shot of Croatian plum brandy. At the moment, I'm waiting for lunch - BBQd fresh fish, pototoes and vegetables. Everyone calls them 'Mama' and 'Papa' and I understand why.
(1 hour later)
Oh my god. That meal was amazing. Fresh, complete fish, simply cooked with olive oil and salt on the BBQ. A parsley and garlic oil mixture to drizzle on the fish. On the side was potato and collared greens, mashed with garlic and olive oil. Home made red wine on the side. I ate 1 and half large fish, and 2 smaller fish. So stuffed and satisfied. All for 50 Kuna (about 8-10 dollars)
Anyway, where was I...
Coming back home on Saturday, and coming to the shocking realization that there is still so much I want to see and there is simply not enough time. That's it... I need to do another trip like this... and then probably another (and repeat). I've now got the traveling bug...
My 3 nights on Hvar were amazing. Great hostel, great people, great food, and bar scene. Saturday night was particularly amazing as we kept getting free rounds of Rakia. Interestingly, every shot we had was different. 1st one tasted like Chocolate Mint, the next few rounds tasted like Tequila (which wasn't necessarily a good thing... good burn though), and the next one I had tasted faintly like Annis seed.
1st nights crew in Hvar was a good mix of Aussies, Irish, Brits, a few Canadians etc... Saturday, it was me and a whole lot of Americans. Good people, but I was getting razzed pretty good (for example, jokes about Canada being the 51st state etc...)
Sunday night, Sylvain from Paris showed up (who seems to be following me around!) and finally I had a non-yank around!
Saturday, I walked up the hill to the fortress and took in the view. See for yourself:
Sunday, during the day, a whole bunch of us rented scooters and drove around the island. Had a freaking blast! Went to Jelsa and found a beach to swim at. There was a seagull on the beach with a fishing lure through 1 leg and through the other foot... basically it was stuck. A bunch of the guys performed emergency surgery on the bird and managed to get the lure out of the foot but had to leave it in the leg. Not sure that bird will live, but they gave it a chance.
On the way to Jelsa, we went through this tunnel that was dark and cold, and extremely unnerving. On the way back to Hvar town, we went an alternate route up the mountain. Let me tell you - driving a scooter up a mountain on a narrow 2-way road with no guard-rail (i.e. nothing stopping you from a 500 foot drop) is freaking scary. Made it ok though, and that whole day is one of my highlights of the trip. The views we saw were breathtaking. Here's a picture of the scooter gang on top of the mountain:
I've been very lazy today, enjoying the hospitality here at the hostel. Gonna explore Dubrovnik this afternoon and evening and then come back to the hostel to chill with a couple of beers.
The plan for the rest of the week is a little hectic, and not overly ideal.
Early bus to Mostar, Serbia tomorrow morning. Gonna spend one night in Mostar. Then I take an early train on Thursday to Sarajevo. That's gonna be intense at there's still quite a bit of visual evidence of the early 90s war that resulted from the division of Yugoslavia. Friday afternoon, I take a flight from Sarajevo to Vienna (300 euros... but worth it so that I can see more of this area). And then I fly home Saturday morning. Monday morning, I go back to work. (Think happy thoughts... think happy thoughts... think happy thoughts)
Here are a few more pictures from Hvar.
View from the Marina:
Sunset on Hvar:
View from the ferry going from Hvar to Split:
That's about it for now. Til next time.
Hostel is owned and operated by a very friendly older couple who do their best to make you feel welcome. When I checked in, there was welcome shot of Croatian plum brandy. At the moment, I'm waiting for lunch - BBQd fresh fish, pototoes and vegetables. Everyone calls them 'Mama' and 'Papa' and I understand why.
(1 hour later)
Oh my god. That meal was amazing. Fresh, complete fish, simply cooked with olive oil and salt on the BBQ. A parsley and garlic oil mixture to drizzle on the fish. On the side was potato and collared greens, mashed with garlic and olive oil. Home made red wine on the side. I ate 1 and half large fish, and 2 smaller fish. So stuffed and satisfied. All for 50 Kuna (about 8-10 dollars)
Anyway, where was I...
Coming back home on Saturday, and coming to the shocking realization that there is still so much I want to see and there is simply not enough time. That's it... I need to do another trip like this... and then probably another (and repeat). I've now got the traveling bug...
My 3 nights on Hvar were amazing. Great hostel, great people, great food, and bar scene. Saturday night was particularly amazing as we kept getting free rounds of Rakia. Interestingly, every shot we had was different. 1st one tasted like Chocolate Mint, the next few rounds tasted like Tequila (which wasn't necessarily a good thing... good burn though), and the next one I had tasted faintly like Annis seed.
1st nights crew in Hvar was a good mix of Aussies, Irish, Brits, a few Canadians etc... Saturday, it was me and a whole lot of Americans. Good people, but I was getting razzed pretty good (for example, jokes about Canada being the 51st state etc...)
Sunday night, Sylvain from Paris showed up (who seems to be following me around!) and finally I had a non-yank around!
Saturday, I walked up the hill to the fortress and took in the view. See for yourself:
Sunday, during the day, a whole bunch of us rented scooters and drove around the island. Had a freaking blast! Went to Jelsa and found a beach to swim at. There was a seagull on the beach with a fishing lure through 1 leg and through the other foot... basically it was stuck. A bunch of the guys performed emergency surgery on the bird and managed to get the lure out of the foot but had to leave it in the leg. Not sure that bird will live, but they gave it a chance.
On the way to Jelsa, we went through this tunnel that was dark and cold, and extremely unnerving. On the way back to Hvar town, we went an alternate route up the mountain. Let me tell you - driving a scooter up a mountain on a narrow 2-way road with no guard-rail (i.e. nothing stopping you from a 500 foot drop) is freaking scary. Made it ok though, and that whole day is one of my highlights of the trip. The views we saw were breathtaking. Here's a picture of the scooter gang on top of the mountain:
I've been very lazy today, enjoying the hospitality here at the hostel. Gonna explore Dubrovnik this afternoon and evening and then come back to the hostel to chill with a couple of beers.
The plan for the rest of the week is a little hectic, and not overly ideal.
Early bus to Mostar, Serbia tomorrow morning. Gonna spend one night in Mostar. Then I take an early train on Thursday to Sarajevo. That's gonna be intense at there's still quite a bit of visual evidence of the early 90s war that resulted from the division of Yugoslavia. Friday afternoon, I take a flight from Sarajevo to Vienna (300 euros... but worth it so that I can see more of this area). And then I fly home Saturday morning. Monday morning, I go back to work. (Think happy thoughts... think happy thoughts... think happy thoughts)
Here are a few more pictures from Hvar.
View from the Marina:
Sunset on Hvar:
View from the ferry going from Hvar to Split:
That's about it for now. Til next time.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Hvar AKA Paradise
Howdy.
A real quick quick update.
Had a bitch of a time getting from Zagreb to Hvar, but I eventually made it the hostel at around 10PM. It went down like this:
- Missed the 9:30 bus from Zagreb to Split
- Contrary to what I was told, there was no bus at 9:45
- Waited to take the 10:30 bus, but it was the milk run that only got to Split at 16:30
- Once in Split, was told by one agent at a ferry kiosk, that the next ferry was only at 20:30
- Called the hostel in Hvar and was told to look for for another kiosk for cataraman tours.
- By the time I found their kiosk, I had missed the 17:00 cataraman, and had to wait to 20:30.
- All the while, desparately trying to avoid people trying to sell me accomodations (they're like locusts)
- So settled in for the long wait, but then Sylvain from Paris who I had met in Zegreb the night comes by and we went for a couple of beers. Good guy.
- Wandered split a bit... need to visit. Beautiful.
- Caved and had some McDonalds for Supper.
- Got to Hvar at around 9:45. Wondered around the island, in the dark for 30 minutes and miraculously stumbled across the hostel. No one was there.
- Contemplated camping out on the porch, but then the owners came by.
- Went out with the owners, and met the rest of the people from the hostel for a few beers. Much fun was had.
Ok... 10 minutes are up.
Beautiful island, palm trees (although I don't think they grow naturally here), blah blah blah. Gonna explore more.
Til next time.
Matt
A real quick quick update.
Had a bitch of a time getting from Zagreb to Hvar, but I eventually made it the hostel at around 10PM. It went down like this:
- Missed the 9:30 bus from Zagreb to Split
- Contrary to what I was told, there was no bus at 9:45
- Waited to take the 10:30 bus, but it was the milk run that only got to Split at 16:30
- Once in Split, was told by one agent at a ferry kiosk, that the next ferry was only at 20:30
- Called the hostel in Hvar and was told to look for for another kiosk for cataraman tours.
- By the time I found their kiosk, I had missed the 17:00 cataraman, and had to wait to 20:30.
- All the while, desparately trying to avoid people trying to sell me accomodations (they're like locusts)
- So settled in for the long wait, but then Sylvain from Paris who I had met in Zegreb the night comes by and we went for a couple of beers. Good guy.
- Wandered split a bit... need to visit. Beautiful.
- Caved and had some McDonalds for Supper.
- Got to Hvar at around 9:45. Wondered around the island, in the dark for 30 minutes and miraculously stumbled across the hostel. No one was there.
- Contemplated camping out on the porch, but then the owners came by.
- Went out with the owners, and met the rest of the people from the hostel for a few beers. Much fun was had.
Ok... 10 minutes are up.
Beautiful island, palm trees (although I don't think they grow naturally here), blah blah blah. Gonna explore more.
Til next time.
Matt
Thursday, October 4, 2007
On my way to Hvar
Howdy.
Visit to Zagreb was short and sweet - but maybe a little too short.
Managed to walk around for about 45 minutes yesterday evening, and enjoyed what I saw. Cool little city. I might come back on my way back from the south for a day to see what I missed.
Even better is the nightlife, and atmosphere. Didn't hurt that the Croatian team beat the Amsterdam team in the football champion league last night. People were going nuts! Would have loved to stay out last night, but an early bus to Split awaits.
After 3 weeks of this, you definitely start seeing the patterns.
Roll into town
Find the hostel
Talk to your fellow travellers, and ask the following questions:
Hook up with people from the hostel, go for supper and beers.
And repeat.
Seriously, these hostels make it so easy to travel alone. I can't believe I was nervous about this trip. Last night, went out to a Crotian restaurant with an amazing outdoor terrase with an Aussie (Matt - Easy name to remember), a Brit (Dan) and a Frenchman (Sylvain) who didn't speak english too well, but I translated. Good times had by all.
All right. Time to hit the road.
Next update (assuming I can find a computer) is from the island of Hvar. Til next time.
Visit to Zagreb was short and sweet - but maybe a little too short.
Managed to walk around for about 45 minutes yesterday evening, and enjoyed what I saw. Cool little city. I might come back on my way back from the south for a day to see what I missed.
Even better is the nightlife, and atmosphere. Didn't hurt that the Croatian team beat the Amsterdam team in the football champion league last night. People were going nuts! Would have loved to stay out last night, but an early bus to Split awaits.
After 3 weeks of this, you definitely start seeing the patterns.
- Where you from?
- Where have you been?
- Where are you going?
- How long are you travelling for?
- And oh ya... what's your name
- Wait 30 minutes, apologize, and ask his/her name again cuz I forgot.
Seriously, these hostels make it so easy to travel alone. I can't believe I was nervous about this trip. Last night, went out to a Crotian restaurant with an amazing outdoor terrase with an Aussie (Matt - Easy name to remember), a Brit (Dan) and a Frenchman (Sylvain) who didn't speak english too well, but I translated. Good times had by all.
All right. Time to hit the road.
Next update (assuming I can find a computer) is from the island of Hvar. Til next time.
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