Day 14 (ish)- on a train from Sarajevo to Mostar

Hello from Sarajevo Station where I'm sat on a train bleary-eyed, but ready for a quick stop in Mostar before I head to Dubrovnik, the last leg of the trip (!)


After spending a relaxing morning at my apartment writing a previous blog post, I headed down the steep hill to the Bazaar, not looking forward to an ascent later on! 


The Bazaar centre was smaller than expected, but it was certainly not lacking in terms of my other expectation- pigeons! A vast abundance of them, in fact! I've never seen so many birds in one place. I wandered around the charming Bazaar with its various souvenir and clothing shops, as well as restaurants and cafés. It had a completely different feeling culturally compared to the other cities on this trip, but it made for a refreshing change seeing a formerly persecuted race in Bosnia and Herzegovina walk freely without judgement or punishment.


Following on from my ambles around the Bazaar, I headed to the Genocide Museum 1992-1995 to educate myself a bit more about the atrocities Bosniak Muslims faced in the 90s. I knew a little bit about what had happened, but seeing real life testaments, as well as objects associated with the war really took me aback knowing how awfully the Muslims were treated. Stories that took my breath away in particular were from a lady who lost 111 relatives in the Genocide, as well as a letter from a teacher who lost her 11 year old pupil at the hands of people she used to teach, effectively because she drew the short stick. I pored over the graphic exhibitions and left hoping genocide will never happen again to the Bosnians, and hoping the same could be said for other parts of the world experiencing similar- sadly, if only it could.


Seeking more light-hearted relief, I ascended the Avaz Twist Tower to get a good panoramic view of the city, and its natural surroundings. After seeing signs for "the best falafels" at the Bazaar, I couldn't resist going for dinner there (in spite of the fact that it's been a staple of my diet throughout this trip). And, when you know you're eating homemade falafels with homemade hummus and pittas, you know you're in for an authentic experience. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside- just how they should be 😋. 


I made my way back to the apartment (thankfully mostly by bus, but there was still a bit of steep ascent!) , had a chat with host Amina about a variety of issues, and said that I'd promote her apartment with those I know, so for £42 for 2 nights, and that view, it's a steal! https://www.booking.com/Share-An7AWV 


Sarajevo is a great city, and has really flourished considering what has happened within recent history. I wish I could have spent more time there. Maybe at some point again in the future...


Til next time!

Tom

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