Gone for good

BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA

The fact this region was torn apart by a bloody war is inescapable from the moment you cross the border. Rural villages are peppered with burnt out shells of houses, the families long gone, the farmground left untended, possible still mined. Tall apartment buildings strafed with bullet holes and fractured from bombs that fell less than 15 years go. We were both a little taken aback at the remaining evidence of the war. Its everywhere you look. The people are rebuilding, shops are renovated and have new facades, but often they form only part of a larger building, which is still in ruins.

Arriving in Mostar we walked from the bus station through to the old town. I couldn't help but wonder how many people were hurt or killed as we walked past scores of bullet holes, explosion scars and ruined buildings. Many of the residents left town when the war came, like our host Lena who escaped with her family to a small village away from town. She explained to us that when they returned everything was different. Houses were destroyed, the place was in ruins, and interestingly, street names had been changed.

The town of Mostar got its name from a 16th century bridge (Stari Most - Old Bridge) over the Nerevta river. We walked through a photograph exhibition at the bridge which describes the events surrounding the desperate attempts by the locals to save it from being bombed and its inevitable destruction during the war. It has since been rebuilt, allowing an age old tradition of bridge diving. Each year, young men jump from the bridge into the water below. Quite a leap, all to gain the approval of your mates and to pick up chicks. In 2005 the bridge was admitted to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Mostar

It ıs very confrontıng to see people goıng about theır daıly lıves ın thıs broken cıty. Some buıldıngs have been rebuılt whıch only serve to hıghlıght the damaged ones even more. The surroundıng countrysıde ıs very beautiful wıth huge mountains and long winding rivers. The traın trip from Mostar to Sarajevo was particularly beautıful with all of the best scenery on dısplay.

SARAJEVO

From 1992 - 1995, Sarajevo was a city besieged. The Serbian Forces had surrounded the city and its occupants suffered one of the longest city sieges in history. Some estimates suggest as many as 11000 people died, the city was starved of electricity, water, food and security. In a desperate attempt for survival, the recently formed Territorial Force (Local men and women armed with whatever they could get their hands on) set about defending their heartland.

On the footpaths all over the cıty there are 'Sarajevo roses' whıch are old shellıng damage fılled wıth red concrete. Thıs ensures that tourısts and resıdents alıke never forget what happened. There were stıll plenty of damaged buıldıngs but ıt ıs certaınly becomıng a good tourıst destınatıon. Bosnıa ıs a beautıful country but due to the land mınes everywhere, the countrysıde ıs off lımıts for now. I wouldn't expect that to change anytıme soon.

The Sarajevo Rose