Destination: Sarajevo

(Day 1 of vacation)

It is said that once upon a time (before 1992 when the Yugoslav army & Bosnian Serb forces destroyed most of the city) Sarajevo was "the" city in Eastern Europe. It had a gorgeous buildings, a diverse educated population (still does), and a growing economy.

Nowadays, it's very rundown. Most of the buildings & monuments have been blown up and torn down. Many have been replaced with Soviet-style cement block buildings. Those left standing have significant bullet damage. The Olympic Stadium was in repair. The door-operator told me to try again next week (yeah, that's going to work). It could be fixed up, however the Bosnian war left Sarajevo poor. As such, it does not have money to spend on refurbishment.

There are only 2 things standing which are worth seeing in their current condition: the old city and the tunnel museum.

The Old Town, an area of 10 blocks, has many small shops, pretty cobblestone streets (murderous for those walking in stillettos), and gorgeous architecture representing a mixture of religious influences. Workers in Sarajevo are especially known for their great craftsmanship in creating metal things.

The tunnel museum consists of a movie of the war (shows buildings getting blown up), 1 wall of newspaper clippings, and a 25ft area of the famous tunnel, which brought supplies in & out of Sarajevo during the 4 year Bosnian war. The part that makes this museum impressive is that the original owner of the house/museum (under which the tunnel is located) is also the person who owned it during the war. His experiences and descriptions of the war and the tunnel are remarkable. He talked about the constant flooding in the tunnel, the gas and electricity lines there, how only 1 person from each family would be granted a permit to use the tunnel - this was to ensure that they would return to Sarajevo and their family, and not abandon the city.

Many important historical events have happened in Sarajevo, however there is no evidence of them and no historical markers to explain the history. It would be smart to read-up on the history before traveling here.

Pic1: Rose of Sarajevo - these are found on the sidewalk wherever a shell exploded.
Pic2: Old Town.
Pic3: The tunnel.
Pic4: A photograph from the Tunnel museum. It shows the Holiday Inn right after the bombing.
*Click on pics to make bigger

Bosnia & Croatia trip

The trip to Bosnia & Croatia was amazing and well-needed. It was a whirlwind trip (9 days, 5 locations!) with many great adventures which I'll tell in subsequent blog posts.

Some interesting things from the trip:
1. I did NOT end up in any ER, and had no major injuries. Quite an accomplishment for me, considering my history of trips!

2. The best way to see this coast is via yacht. Many visitors rent a yacht and travel from port to port. Next year, I will do the same. Who wants to join?

3. The tap water is very clean in Bosnia & Croatia. There are pretty fountains all over town, just running, where you can get a drink or fill up a water bottle.

4. Croatia, Bosnia & Slovenia have some of the most impressive national forests in all of Europe. They are well-known for these in E. Europe, but not elsewhere.

5. E. Europeans are very nice and well-educated. Many spoke multiple languages. And all were happy to give us directions or even provide us with the history of their town.

6. E. Europe has the world's worst vegetarian dishes. All meals come with meat. If you're a vegetarian, prepare to lose weight. Also, don't mention to anyone that you are a vegetarian because they will look at you weird and then proceed to serve you the "vegetarian dish" which has meat on it. For meat-eaters, apparantely the fish is fantastic.

Grand Tetons, part 1: I’m missing the best vacation ever right now…

Every 2 years, my 2 favorite families (the P’s & B’s) spend one week in the most gorgeous place on earth… the Grand Tetons. As this is my favorite place to visit, I long ago promised myself that I would never miss the Grand Teton trip. However, the P’s & B’s pulled a fast one and went last year, in an “off year,” and are now there for the 2nd year in a row. As I’m far away in Europe with only expensive last-minute air fares to get me there, I’ve had to miss both trips… so sad.

The Grand Tetons national park is not well known, especially in comparison to its twin, Yellowstone. However, it has some of the most gorgeous natural scenery in the world. This is especially true if you love the outdoors and cowboys. Surrounding the Teton mountains is a flat valley with a river that snakes through it (appropriately called the Snake River). The Tetons pierce out of the valley in a jagged Alp-like manner (or “Teton-like,” if you prefer the French terminology). The tops of the Tetons are covered in glaciers, the bottoms are covered in alpine meadows (full of wild flowers), Aspen groves, pine groves, mountain lakes & stream, hot springs and grass land. Animals like buffalo, moose, deer and other small critters are plentiful. In the 1940’s, the park was made particularly famous by the photographer Ansel Adams who captured the stunning scenery in black & white photographs. The most famous photo being “The Tetons & Snake River.”

The Grand Tetons offers so many activities for the outdoor lovers: hiking, rafting, canoeing, biking, swimming, horseback riding, visiting the geysers of Yellowstone, boating, trips to the local town of Jackson Hole, attending a rodeo or demolition derby (if you’re lucky!), or attending a play or concert. Skiing is also available in the winter… it has always been a goal of mine to go skiing here in the winter. If you’re a town-lover, there are many things to do/see in Jackson Hole, the local town. There is good shopping, fun dining, an old fashioned theatre playing musicals and an annual music festival. The best part of the town experience happens at the end of summer: the rodeo and demolition derby! If you have never attended a rodeo or a demolition derby, you are missing life. Sitting in the stands cheering as people get muddy is very entertaining. FYI, the car that has the most room to be compacted, like a caddie or a station wagon, will always win in a demolition derby.

I dream of this week every year. Thus, I’m very upset that I’m not there. I keep wondering who will encourage you all on the hikes and to beat you at the nightly game of poker? :) Next year I will join. Preferably, let’s go at the end of July so that we are there for the rodeo!

*The pic above is a pic of the Grand Teton (on the left) and Mt. Moran (on the right) at sunset, taken from the Jackson Lake Lodge. Clicking on the link will make it larger.