- Looking Over Sarajevo
On day 5 in Sarajevo Carey and I spent most of the day walking around and hiking (read: getting lost in random neighborhoods). The above shot is one of my favorites from the trip. I’ll just post the pictures without much narrative. Not much had gone on that day. The most interesting part of the hike was the cemetary we went through, complete with the guarded grave of the first president of an independent Bosnia and Herzegovina, Alija Izetbegović. A lot of the graves were from the war. Just thousands of them all with the same years on them during the siege (mostly 92). Here are pics from that hike.
- This clock tells how many hours of daylight are left, rather than time, to aid prayer scheduling.
- A street dedicated to rug-mongers. Yes, I just made that word up.
- Graves
- The Grave of B&H’s First President
- Another View of the City
- Move Graves
- Me in Front of a Fortified Hill
Another View of the City, This Time with Carey
A View of the Old Library Where We Saw the Concert
Another City View, Not How the Cemetaries Are Built Right In
Carey Walking Along a Fortified Hill's Wall
A Good View of the Manor That's Bombed in the City Center
Walking Along the City's Edge at the Site of an Old Fortress
Looking out from the City
On day six Carey and I followed the recommendation of our hosts, Ben and Ivana, to visit a town called Mostar. Mostar is so named because of the famous bridge there (most, pronounced like moss with a “T” sound, is the Slavic for “bridge”). It was a site of some of the fiercest fighting during the war, as you’ll see from some of the scarring. The damage sadly included the destruction of the original bridge, but it has since been rebuilt. Despite the damage, it’s still a beautiful city, though you can still sense some ill-ease in the air. One obvious symptom was the gigantic church steeple, erected specifically to be taller than any of the local mosques’ minarets. Still, it was a nice experience if a little touristy. I think the most memorable thing for me was the strikingly emerald water in the river.
Misty Mountains and Winding Roads
More Mist on Mountains, This Time with Water and an Old Bridge
Mountains and Sky
Signs of Battle in Mostar
The other side of the street; the tourist town we were visiting was the scene of one of the war's front lines.
The Base of the Church with the Bell Tower
The Tall Tower
Still a Lot of Rebuilding to Do
They Are Making Progress, Though
Approaching the Bridge at the City Center
Looking back on our Way to the Bridge
A Look at the Tower, with Another Sign of Who is Boss Over the Town
Not Sure if This Was Supporting a Football Club or a Partisan Group or What
Wandering around the Back Alleys
More Wanderings
The Not Famous Bridge in Mostar
The Beautifully Emerald Water
The Bridge for Which the Town Was Named
