Into Bosnia

The three hour bus ride from Dubrovnik to Mostar took us through some really pretty countryside. Bosnia & Hercegovina is gorgeous – very mountainous with winding rivers, waterfalls and wetlands. Upon arrival in Mostar, we were picked up from the bus station and driven to our hostel. Driving through town, we were able to see just how many scars remain from the war. In certain parts, such as the street that was the former front line, almost every single building is a mere shell or a ruin. There were buildings that are absolutely peppered with bullet holes, both in the city and throughout the country. I don’t think either of us quite realised just how raw everything still is.

Mostar, however, is still quite beautiful. The famous bridge, the Stari Most, which was destroyed in 1994, has been rebuilt and is a stunning sight. Strolling through the town that first night, we ran into Melissa and Matthew, a Kiwi couple we had been chatting to on the bus ride from Dubrovnik, and the four of us had some drinks and dinner.

The following day we spent exploring and buying some souvenirs. Bosnia & Hercegovina is extremely cheap – a pint cost us the equivalent of a pound, and dinner later that night (a full sized trout for Dave and veal for me, plus drinks) cost 14 pounds. We were also lucky enough to witness a guy jump from the bridge, which apparently the young guys of the town do to get money from tourists, and we climbed the minaret of one of the mosques, ascending the (narrow) staircase for some great views of the town.

Our only regret is that we didn’t have the time to do the tour of some of the countryside that was offered at our hostel. It was run by the hostel owners’ brother, and our regrets only intensified when we met the guy and his big, friendly personality.

On Thursday, we jumped on another bus to Sarajevo.