Back to the Balkans

So after a jaunt through Italy, I found myself drawn back to the Balkan states. First stop was Ljubljana, Slovenia, but to get there I first had to take a bus from Trieste.

And that bus ride started with meeting a kind fellow from Fort Worth, Texas named Keegan. And Keegan was no ordinary traveling Texan, he was a touring folk blues guitarist making his way around Europe playing shows. We chatted on the bus as the weather turned from bright and sunny to the hardest downpour and closest lightning strike I have ever experienced. We finally made it to Ljubljana and I headed to check into the hostel I had found online. Luckily they had a bed for the night, so I unloaded my things and went for a walk around the city. After a local meal of sausage and sauerkraut washed down with a cold beer, I walked it off around the heart of Ljubljana taking in the brilliant pink church and beautifully lit historic city center, and took in a vocalist with piano accompaniment playing for the passersby in the square. After that, I called it a night, ready to explore the next day.

The next morning started early with some light breakfast before heading to the free walking tour of Ljubljana which met at the Pink Church in the historic part of town. The group was so large we split into two groups, and ours was lucky enough to get the more eccentric of the tour guides. He was a blast, and we all enjoyed our tour of the city, including the many architectural works of Joze Plecnik, the most famous Slovenian architect. During the tour, I had the pleasure of meeting a fantastic Belgian gal named Margot, and after the tour we decided to get some lunch together. It was a beautiful early summer day in Ljubljana and we grabbed a sandwich from the local grocery and sat in the park eating sandwiches and fruit from the farmer's market in town. We continued to tour the city, including the hike up to the hilltop castle in Ljubljana for some excellent views of the city. And on our way down we discussed European politics and differing views on the intention and progress of a more unified European Union, and what it all means for the world. We continued our discussion over a beer and another crazy rain storm, and capped it off with some late afternoon Slovenian cake. Finally, as my hostel was full for the night, I decided it was a sign to move on and headed for the bus station to get a ticket to Sarajevo, Bosnia. My new friend and I parted ways, each wishing the other safe and enlightening travels, and I hopped the bus.

The overnight bus to Sarajevo started slow, but as we stopped for a midnight rest break I had the pleasure of meeting Matej, a worldly young Slovenian on his was to study in Bosnia. When we got off the bus, we decided to find accommodation together and found we had both been recommended the same hostel. So, we set out following the directions provided and, being five in the morning, were unsuccessful getting someone to answer the door. So, we wandered a bit before returning adamant that someone at this hostel should be up and at least let us in. As we found out, by following someone into the building, the reason no one answered is that the "hostel" is just an apartment with a few extra beds where the kitchen used to be, and the owner does not stay there. We finally got in and called the owner who met us at the room so we could get settled. After a brief nap and some post-overnight bus showering, we headed to one of Sarajevo's most infamous landmarks from the Balkan war: the tunnel leading from free Bosnia into Sarajevo via the airport. There we learned about the two year occupation of Sarajevo by Serbian forces and the devastation that Bosnia is still trying to recover from. Another fascinating and sad piece of human history. After returning to the city, Matej and I spent the rest of the day wandering Sarajevo enjoying the beauty of the small eastern European capital and visiting the grave of Bosnia's first post-war president, the sight of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand that launched the first World War, and stumbling upon a music video shoot for a Bosnian pop song in the hills outside Sarajevo. In the evening, we headed for a night club featuring live music and stayed to see a Serbian cover band play loud, fast-paced rock music to the entire crowd's delight. But, as we had plans the following morning, we decided to pack it in before the finale.

The next day we rose early to catch the only train to Mostar, where Matej and I would be parting as he was staying there to study. The long train ride provided beautiful views of the rolling hills of Bosnia and was a great start to the day. Once in Mostar, we sought accommodation for Matej's stay and after he settled in, we headed for some breakfast. Breakfast was cevapi, an incredible Balkan sandwich made with sausage wrapped in a pita style bread with fresh onions. After a filling breakfast, we headed down to the famous bridge to watch the specially trained locals solicit monetary incentives from the tourists to jump into the cold, swift, and shallow waters below. After a few teases, we saw them jump, straight off the bridge some forty feet into the waters below and land gracefully, before swimming quite hard to escape the current sure to pull them away downstream. Quite a spectacle. We spent the rest of the morning wandering the streets of the old town, navigating the narrow alleys between the historic stone buildings of this former strategic Roman town. For lunch, we grabbed some bites from the grocery store and headed back to Matej's place to change before deciding that a swim at the bridge would be mighty fine. Of course, no jumping for us, as it is illegal for tourists to jump from the bridge after a series of ill-fated attempts by questionably sober tourists in years past. Plus, it was highly intimidating. So we headed down the rocky path to the beach, stripped down to our skivvies and dove into the icy waters. One jump was plenty and we spent the rest of the afternoon lounging in the sun drying off while reading books, and generally enjoying the continuing spectacle of locals convincing tourists to make it financially worth their while to jump off the bridge. Finally, it was time to catch the only train back to Sarajevo, and we headed to the train station. Matej saw me off and I wound back through the lovely Bosnian scenery en route to the capital for one more day of exploring.

The last day in Sarajevo I spent relaxing, catching up on work back home and wandering the parts of town I had not yet seen. Little was notable, except the hot fresh borek I had in the morning, the walk through the back streets of Sarajevo and finally the kind couple whose restaurant I patronized for dinner, which was a lovely experience of hand gesturing and miming my order of cevapi. Overall, a fantastic stay in a fascinating and beautiful, if recently troubled country. Next stop: Serbia.

The next morning I was up and out of the hostel early to catch the bus on to Belgrade, Serbia and a new adventure. The 6:00 am departure was rough, but necessary and as the bus wound through the hills of Bosnia and into the flatlands of Serbia, made even more splendid by the breaking morning sun. As I arrived, and was hassled yet again by cab drivers, I politely declined their solicitations and made my way on foot to the hostel I had found online. When I got there, I was lucky enough to find they had a room at a very reasonable price. Not only that, but the two owners Ivan and Dragan were incredibly kind and we spent the afternoon on the hostel's deck chatting about all things Serbia and Belgrade, along with a chatty Australian who owned another hostel in Belgrade. In the evening, I went for a wander around the city center, including a stop at a recommended Serbian restaurant for some spicy pljeskavica, a traditional Serbian meat dish. I spent the evening wandering the streets, stopping into a Jazz club for some live music and then back through the tourist streets to my hostel.

The next day in Belgrade was rainy. So, I did what any self respecting Seattleite would do and put on a not waterproof fleece and wandered the streets until I found a good cafe to work on my computer from. After wasting away the morning over a couple of cappuccinos, I wandered the streets more until I stumbled upon the Nikola Tesla Museum. What a find! After a brief self-guided tour, I was lucky enough to have the main tour guide start the English tour early, and thus tagged along for some product demonstrations and a short film about the inventor's life. And what a fascinating life! Tesla memorized hundred-page books while in grade school and could, and frequently would recite them perfectly back to teachers and family. Throughout his life, he invented some of the most influential technologies--including the radio--yet still, unfortunately, died nearly penniless. The highlight of the museum was testing some of his inventions, including using wireless energy to light fluorescent lights we were holding from a few feet away. Such a fun time! The evening was spent walking through Belgrade and across the river to the barges to a floating club where I watched an unfortunately short rock set by a band playing some really good tunes. I headed back and, instead of searching for another bar for another few beers, decided to check out for the night.

My last day in Belgrade started with purchasing a overnight train ticket to Budapest, before joining a walking tour of Belgrade, where I was lucky enough to have a fantastic tour guide! A young, enthusiastic and hip guy, Janko was extremely knowledgable and even wooed us with food and drink. And that included the local homemade distilled rakia (he was working for tips after all) as well as a homemade pepper spread that his mother made. Both were fantastic and we finished the tour quite satisfied. After the tour, a few of the guests went to the Serbian Central Bank museum and had our face printed on fake Serbian bills. Now fully entertained, I joined two Quebecoise sisters, Laurent and Rachele, for lunch at a local Serbian restaurant. The fare proved underwhelming; quite the opposite of the company. The two sisters were fantastic to chat to and we had a great time at lunch discussing Canadian politics and travel. But, after a short wander through the streets, I was off to my train, and them to another museum, so we parted ways and wished each other well, hopeful to meet again in the future. I spent a little time at the hostel collecting my things and packing up before heading for the station and awaiting the evening departure.

The train ride was uneventful and landed me in Budapest on a bright, sunny morning. I wandered the streets, stopping at a cafe for some early morning coffee and hostel research before heading out to find accommodation. I spent the rest of the day roaming the streets of Pest, heading down to the overflowing Danube and past the many beautiful buildings and churches of the city. In the evening, I met up with my friend Peter who I met traveling in China and we shared a few beers while hopping between parks and the river, chatting about the Hungarian politics and future travel plans. What a fun night.

The next day I was up early to rent a bike and ride around Budapest. The first stop was Buda, where I rode up to the hilltop castle for beautiful views of the city. While dodging crowds on my bike, I headed down through Buda and across the river and back to Pest where I headed for the large park in the north east part of the city for some relaxation and book reading. I spent the early afternoon lounging there and checking out the park's flea market just as it was closing. There were many good antiques, and it was one of the times I regretted traveling so light. After stopping for a doner kebab lunch, I headed up for the best views of the city from the Citadella. There the sun beat down beautifully as I admired the views of a sprawling old city, and I was not the only one. Plenty of tour groups and travelers were mingling and enjoying their jumping photos in front of the statues. I headed back down the hill in an exhilarating rush of speed and back along the waterfront where I moseyed for a bit before crossing back to Pest to return the bicycle. Back at the hostel, I showered and took a quick nap before seeking out a bar playing the opening games of the Confederation's Cup. And, to my delight, I found a nice quiet bar with cheap beer and a projector playing the Brazil vs. Japan first round game on the wall. I enjoyed the game and marveled in yet another experience sharing a common hobby with people I never would have encountered but not for this trip.

My last day in Budapest was spent back at the park lounging in sun and reading before heading for an evening train to Vienna. Thus ended my second stint in the Balkans, plus Hungary, and next I was off to the Germanic parts and back into Western Europe.