We arrived in Mostar in stiffling heat. Instead of pushing onto Dubrovnik that night we chose instead to stay in Hostel Miran which had been recommended by our Sarajevo hostel. I can also highly recommend this spot. If just to spend an evening with Miran the host to get some perspective.
We called in for some more tasty pie on our way to the old town. Taking in a national monument on the way - following some road signs to uninspiring Model Mostar house from the 1900's. We enjoyed going into the kitchen at this Pie shop to see how they made the pies...this was 40'c day and the kitchen was probably the hottest place I have ever been...and yet they worked happily baking their pies over open fires.
We reached the "best spot" to see the famous Old Bridge found in a mosque (where everyone was a tourist wearing blasphomous clothing even for the Vatican!) making us understand that this was a strongly Islamic city. Later we learned the cross that sits above the city on the surrounding hills was placed their after the war to remind the locals of who held the highest vantage point.
Stari Most - The Old Bridge was destroyed by artillery fire in 1993 after standing for 427 years. Like most things in B&H large amounts of money has been thrown at the reconstruction of the architectural beauty in an attempt to appease for the foreign powers inaction. And I am pleased because the bridge is a marvel. Each brick was recovered from the river below and hoisted back into place. An astonishing feat but one that symbolises the reunificaiton and hope that these people have for the future. I didn't think I could feel so much heart for a place like I did in Sarajevo but Mostar really hooked me in.
We walked over the steep marble steps of bridge and were met at the top by a local diver. The 21m drop is famous for inviting daredevils, having started at the time when the bridge was first built....yes that is 427 years ago! At Hostel Miran he has had 6 broken boned crazy tourists in the last year - the most broken bones belonged to an American with no insurance! There is a real art in diving this high and no one should feel this is just a bit of a challenge...you would need coaching to achieve this as well as God over to your right! We watched our wee mate collect up his KM (€2 each is suggested) over a half an hour period and then make the attempt. It was rather astonishing - and he lapped up the attention of the crowd. We took a walk to the rivers edge to see the spectacle a couple more times. I enjoyed dipping my feet in the icy cold river to cool me down and René sat down with an old chap as he cast out a line - with pigeon English and lots of sign we both felt there was a real story with this man that we couldn't uncover due to the language gap.
We ate dinner at a restaurant over looking the Old Bridge and then made our way back to Hostel Miran were he was showing a BBC documentary of Mostar during the siege on an old TV set up in the court yard. Miran, a 33year old father pointed himself out during the doco and noted his neighbour an 18 year old at the time of making who was part of the Bosnian army. He had previously been at University studying law. When I asked Miran if his neighbour had gone on to become a lawyer. He replied mournfully "he was killed 4 months after the filming of the documentary". Miran himself had at age 15 been working in the hospital where they had one doctor for the city, offering help by wrapping bandages and helping people where possible.
I am turning 30 in a few days. It just seems wrong that he would have to go through that. And his hosptality was amazing. Sharing his story daily to be able to educate people that such atrocities happen in a world we inhabit and see as free. I cried that night under the cover of darkness as we saw the very streets we had walked down and the bridge we had admired be torn apart. And for what I keep asking.
Mostar is another of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) devestated cities. This time destroyed by their southern neighbours Croatia. The city bares the marks of a bloody 18 month siege in the 1990's.
We called in for some more tasty pie on our way to the old town. Taking in a national monument on the way - following some road signs to uninspiring Model Mostar house from the 1900's. We enjoyed going into the kitchen at this Pie shop to see how they made the pies...this was 40'c day and the kitchen was probably the hottest place I have ever been...and yet they worked happily baking their pies over open fires.We reached the "best spot" to see the famous Old Bridge found in a mosque (where everyone was a tourist wearing blasphomous clothing even for the Vatican!) making us understand that this was a strongly Islamic city. Later we learned the cross that sits above the city on the surrounding hills was placed their after the war to remind the locals of who held the highest vantage point.
Stari Most - The Old Bridge was destroyed by artillery fire in 1993 after standing for 427 years. Like most things in B&H large amounts of money has been thrown at the reconstruction of the architectural beauty in an attempt to appease for the foreign powers inaction. And I am pleased because the bridge is a marvel. Each brick was recovered from the river below and hoisted back into place. An astonishing feat but one that symbolises the reunificaiton and hope that these people have for the future. I didn't think I could feel so much heart for a place like I did in Sarajevo but Mostar really hooked me in.
We walked over the steep marble steps of bridge and were met at the top by a local diver. The 21m drop is famous for inviting daredevils, having started at the time when the bridge was first built....yes that is 427 years ago! At Hostel Miran he has had 6 broken boned crazy tourists in the last year - the most broken bones belonged to an American with no insurance! There is a real art in diving this high and no one should feel this is just a bit of a challenge...you would need coaching to achieve this as well as God over to your right! We watched our wee mate collect up his KM (€2 each is suggested) over a half an hour period and then make the attempt. It was rather astonishing - and he lapped up the attention of the crowd. We took a walk to the rivers edge to see the spectacle a couple more times. I enjoyed dipping my feet in the icy cold river to cool me down and René sat down with an old chap as he cast out a line - with pigeon English and lots of sign we both felt there was a real story with this man that we couldn't uncover due to the language gap.We ate dinner at a restaurant over looking the Old Bridge and then made our way back to Hostel Miran were he was showing a BBC documentary of Mostar during the siege on an old TV set up in the court yard. Miran, a 33year old father pointed himself out during the doco and noted his neighbour an 18 year old at the time of making who was part of the Bosnian army. He had previously been at University studying law. When I asked Miran if his neighbour had gone on to become a lawyer. He replied mournfully "he was killed 4 months after the filming of the documentary". Miran himself had at age 15 been working in the hospital where they had one doctor for the city, offering help by wrapping bandages and helping people where possible.
I am turning 30 in a few days. It just seems wrong that he would have to go through that. And his hosptality was amazing. Sharing his story daily to be able to educate people that such atrocities happen in a world we inhabit and see as free. I cried that night under the cover of darkness as we saw the very streets we had walked down and the bridge we had admired be torn apart. And for what I keep asking.
Am torn between whether this was, or Sarajevo was the best city on our wee journey... definitely the best view for dinner though ;-) Ren
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