Sarajevo At Last

We were physically hammered when we pulled into the Sarajevo station. Eight hours on a "train from hell" will do that to a person. Eight hours in a boiling train car full of ciggie smoke, rationing water while dreaming of escape...I fully considered jumping off the train in Croatia and striking off in any direction, just to escape that infernal train. As it was, I stood up in the aisle the entire way, my face in front of the barely cracked window, trying to breathe as I poured sweat.
Luckily, Sarajevo turned out to be a balm for the weary traveller. Our guesthouse in the old town was perfectly situated and very comfortable, and the town itself was a wonderful place to spend a few days wandering. Sarajevo is located in a long valley with steep hills on either side, so there are lovely views from all angles. A mostly Muslim city, there are mosques everywhere, although they are surprisingly quiet (the call to prayer can be really loud). It is really different to see "white" Muslims, fair-haired and blue-eyed for the most part, especially the women, many of whom wear the head scarf and traditional garb. People in Sarajavo seem really composed, taking the tourists in stride, just going about their business. People are friendly and calm, making for a very relaxing vibe. The city's recent history seems that much more tragic in light of its current atmosphere.
There are traces of the war's effects - burned out buildings, bullet holes in walls, guys in wheelchairs with missing limbs- but overall, the destruction is not that obvious to the traveller. Bosnia is divided roughly 50-50 into Muslim/Croat regions and Serb regions. We travelled through both, and there is no physical division between them. When we departed Sarajevo, we had to take a city trolleybus to the station to catch our long-distance bus to Montenegro. At some point on our trip through the city, we passed into a Serb suburb where the station was located. I wouldn't have noticed except for the Orthodox church and the ATM which offered instructions in "English" or "Srpski".