It was a long travel day yesterday, ferry from Korcula and then bus from Dubrovnik with the border crossing. Technically it took 7 hours. Almost the first words out of my new innkeeper's mouth was - 'you could have swim'. Apparently if you had a car, it is possible to car ferry and drive in about 3 hours. Not sure it worked for me nor was it publicized in my research.
The trip was relatively uneventful. The bus station in Dubrovnik was sad. And the border crossing went pretty quickly. Exit bus, walk, passport control to exit Croatia, passport control to enter BiH, get back on bus. (I won't get into Schengen zone facts and figures)
This was not like crossing into Croatia from Slovenia. Mostar is decidedly middle eastern. Hotel is fabulous and modern. The old town is like a scene from Lord of the Rings with the little cobbled streets and bridges and hobbit houses. We are also off the Euro and using the KM which means convertible mark, about 2/1 to the USD. And it seems English is pretty widely spoken. Mosques replace cathedrals and the souvenir shops look like the souks in Iraq.
I was very tired so a quick beer and a veal stuffed with cheese and procuitto and fries for dinner.
My innkeeper kindly invited me for breakfast. Basic European breads and cheese and meat and fruit. And the option for cooked eggs.
Then it was off to the walking tour.
As much as she tried not to dwell, everything revolves around the leveling of most of the city during the war of the 1990s. It has all been rebuilt according to UNESCO standards and it is amazing. There is the river and a small stream so there are nine bridges in total. All but one were destroyed. The most famous being the Stari Most. And it has also been rebuilt and is the major tourist attraction.
Whatever you may think or have read, The Hague clearly came to the conclusion that Croatia and Serbia wanted to split and annex the two halves of BiH and incorporate their ethnic populations. BiH had other ideas. And the final peace settlement essentially left the original parts of Yugoslavia in tact as independent states.
There aren't many scars of war. But close to the bus station are a couple buildings and what is known as the 'snipers tower'. An old high rise bank building that was 'repurposed'. As well as a small cemetery where every marker indicated the year of death as 1993.
Upon my return to town, I find the streets filled with day tours. While enjoying a beer, one of the keepers of the bridge does a dive - after collecting enough money from bystanders.
And I just had a quick snack of cevapi which is minced meat shaped like a sausage and served with pita and a tomato and eggplant sauce. There might have been another beer.
The trip was relatively uneventful. The bus station in Dubrovnik was sad. And the border crossing went pretty quickly. Exit bus, walk, passport control to exit Croatia, passport control to enter BiH, get back on bus. (I won't get into Schengen zone facts and figures)
This was not like crossing into Croatia from Slovenia. Mostar is decidedly middle eastern. Hotel is fabulous and modern. The old town is like a scene from Lord of the Rings with the little cobbled streets and bridges and hobbit houses. We are also off the Euro and using the KM which means convertible mark, about 2/1 to the USD. And it seems English is pretty widely spoken. Mosques replace cathedrals and the souvenir shops look like the souks in Iraq.
I was very tired so a quick beer and a veal stuffed with cheese and procuitto and fries for dinner.
My innkeeper kindly invited me for breakfast. Basic European breads and cheese and meat and fruit. And the option for cooked eggs.
Then it was off to the walking tour.
As much as she tried not to dwell, everything revolves around the leveling of most of the city during the war of the 1990s. It has all been rebuilt according to UNESCO standards and it is amazing. There is the river and a small stream so there are nine bridges in total. All but one were destroyed. The most famous being the Stari Most. And it has also been rebuilt and is the major tourist attraction.
Whatever you may think or have read, The Hague clearly came to the conclusion that Croatia and Serbia wanted to split and annex the two halves of BiH and incorporate their ethnic populations. BiH had other ideas. And the final peace settlement essentially left the original parts of Yugoslavia in tact as independent states.
There aren't many scars of war. But close to the bus station are a couple buildings and what is known as the 'snipers tower'. An old high rise bank building that was 'repurposed'. As well as a small cemetery where every marker indicated the year of death as 1993.
Upon my return to town, I find the streets filled with day tours. While enjoying a beer, one of the keepers of the bridge does a dive - after collecting enough money from bystanders.
And I just had a quick snack of cevapi which is minced meat shaped like a sausage and served with pita and a tomato and eggplant sauce. There might have been another beer.
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