Sunday, July 24, 4:36 am: The coup of the summer has arrived. We got picked up to head to the San Francisco airport. Final destination: Sarajevo, Bosnia.
Monday, July 25, 12:02 pm: The eagle has landed.
We flew into Sarajevo through the rain, but as soon as we parted the clouds, I was so glad to have the first window seat I have had in a very long time. Sarajevo is immediately striking. It is nestled in the mountains, this bastion of glory in a beautiful valley.
Connor, Wendy, and I hailed a cab and began our sojourn into this city, and another quick thing to just jump out and grab you is the architecture. It is very interesting, but it is also riddled with bullet holes, scars from mortars, and rockets, and evidence of engulfing flames that wreaked havoc on the city for 4 long years of siege from 1992-1995 as the Serbian forces engaged the Bosnians in an atrocious ethnic cleansing war. Our cabbie, who spoke about three words of English, pointed out all the shrapnel and devastation he could, and we sat speechless as we weaved our way to the hostel. He also gave us a sense of the life of the times, ending it with the proclamation: ˝Clinton! Super!˝
The Residence Rooms hostel is buried in an alley in one of the busier areas of the city, right across the street from the Cheers bar. No one yelling NORM! but the influence is still here.
Sarajevo proved to be an immensely travel-friendly city from the start. The people running the hostel are gracious and accommodating, English is very prevalent (even though we would prefer to have a modicum of the native language outside of being able to say Thank You to our waiters), and the city is just downright gorgeous. We explored the neighborhoods around for about an hour before deciding that any sense of accomplishment could only be reached with naps under our belts.
Three hours later, dazed and drowsy, an old friend from grade school, Joe, wanders into the hostel, and the four of us again go about the exploration. First stop, food. The BBQ veal caught several eyes and fulfilled numerous taste buds, and refueled, we set upon a nighttime constitutional of the city. We walked up and down the main drags for a couple hours, stumbling across the first McDonald`s to open in the country, having just served up their first Royale`s with Cheese but 5 days prior. It was a sight for sure. Also a highlight was, for the first time, hearing the Muslim call to prayer as the sun set into the mountains. Sarajevo has a high Muslim population, and it would be a difficult endeavor to avoid finding a mosque in this city. The minarets tower over the neighborhoods and can be seen for blocks, a sight that is truly interesting and beautiful.
Day one was exhausting. Little sleep on the plane means little adventuring aside from the walking tour, but even that was an outstanding adventure.
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