Being first and foremost adventurous types, we decided to make a weekend foray into the provinces. Since Georgia is such a small country, we didn't have to go far to get to a distinct region of eastern Georgia. This country is known for its wine (its number one export), and Kakheti is Georgia's wine-growing region. We decided to head for Kakheti's biggest town, Telavi, located maybe 100 kilometers northeast of Tbilisi.
Our trusty Lonely Planet guide gave us the lowdown on transportation. We took a taxi across town to the Isani metro station where the "shared-taxis" for Telavi congregate. Jen and I got mobbed immediately by desperate taxistas, hungry for our business. Our city cabdriver, a classy old gent, negotiated a deal for us and soon we were on our way to Telavi in a Mercedes taxi with two other passengers - a quiet college student who spoke some English and some guy in the front seat with a serious cigarette addiction (he smoked one every ten minutes for two hours straight).
Our driver drove like a bat out of hell (more on Georgian drivers in a future post). Believe me, its best not to pay attention to what the driver is doing. Luckily, the scenery got progressively nicer as we got further from Tbilisi. Eventually, the snow-capped Caucasus mountains came into view and soon we were pulling in to Telavi. Our driver took us straight to our hotel, the Rcheuli Marani, the best hotel (and restaurant, supposedly) in town. It was actually pretty nice, and our room was decent for $48 (breakfast for two included). We were about a ten minute walk from the center, so after we dumped our bags, we strolled into town.
On our way into town we saw our first Georgian Stalin monument (see photo). I guess Stalin is out of fashion in Tbilisi. Telavi seems like a pretty poor regional town. There isn't much in the way of new construction, and flashy "modern" stuff is simply not to be found. The center, as it were, is kind of run down except for a huge, completely incongruous fountain in the square in front of the castle. Oh yeah, they do have a really cool castle, right in the center of town, and the castle is kept in fine condition - very impressive. King Erekle II was born and died (in the same room) here in the 18th century. The castle (and Telavi for that matter) is on a hill overlooking a beautiful valley with the mighty Caucasus range beyond. The views from the castle were stunning.
Also impressive (to me anyways) was the market. Packed with traders and shoppers, the fruit and vegetables were some of the most beautiful I have seen anywhere. I found myself wishing I had a kitchen handy - the tomatoes, garlic, onions, mushrooms, greens and farm fresh cheeses looked mouthwatering. We wandered around for a while, then had a simple lunch of tomato, cucumber, bread, cheese, and mineral water.
After lunch, we decided to hop on a marshrutka (mini-bus) and travel 20 kilometers to Alaverdi, the regions most famous church complex. We met a young girl on the bus who spoke English. She informed us she was from Tusheti, the high, mountainous region directly to the north of Kakheti, and had been in Telavi visiting the dentist. We drove through a beautiful vineyard- strewn valley and suddenly, there was a huge edifice right on the side of the road: Alaverdi. There were several tour buses on the scene and large groups of Georgian tourists. We went inside the complex where Jen had to wrap a "skirt" around herself before we entered the church (she also had to wear her jacket on her head as a scarf). Alaverdi is a massive 11th century church, but very bare inside. There were lots of stern looking monks on the premises - one yelled at me to put away my camera while Jen snapped a few shots. The countryside and views around the church were incredibly beautiful - I don't think the photos do the place justice.
Anyway, we hopped the same marshrutka on its return journey to Telavi and were soon back in our hotel. We had decided to have a somewhat (for us) elaborate dinner to celebrate me finishing school this month. We had several Georgian specialties: eggplant w/ spicy walnut paste, mushrooms cooked w/greens, khinkali (meat dumplings), and roast pork w/ potatoes, in addition to delicious cheeses, bread, and some kind of homemade wine. It was quite good. After we retired for the evening, we were treated to a wild hours-long thunderstorm that had the rivers running high and the roads covered in mud and rocks the next morning when we returned to Tbilisi.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The Sheep From the Goats
Gudauri is Georgia’s preeminent skiing destination. It was also the site of the South Caucasus English Teacher’s Conference this past weekend where Jen was one of the main speakers/presenters. The conference was sponsored by the U.S. Embassy and organized by the regional English language officer (RELO), Thomas, who is stationed in our old stomping grounds, Kyiv, Ukraine. Thomas, along with our Ukrainian friend, Alyonna, came to Georgia for the conference.
The embassy van picked us up on Friday morning for the 2 hour trip up the Georgian Military Highway to Gudauri. There were thirteen of us crammed into the van (everyone with suitcases, of course) for the journey to the 3-day conference. The scenery en route was beautiful, following the Aragvi Rriver into the Caucasus Mountains. Once in the mountains, the van had to stop several times for herds of sheep and goats (along with the occasional donkey or dog) meandering across the road. Finally, we arrived in Gudauri, set amongst the stunning peaks, still covered in deep snow. The hotel was pretty flash (in a reformed Soviet way) and we happily settled into our room, which had spectacular views from the balcony.
The conference was enjoyable, especially since I had no official duties (they had wanted me to present, but I had no time to prepare anything) besides attending presentations and eating at the buffet three times a day. Jen was a star, of course, giving the plenary on Saturday (“Breaking Bad Habits without Breaking Spirits”), followed by a well-received workshop on presentation skills. The attendees were teachers from Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, many of whom had never been out of their own countries, even though these three small nations are geographically intertwined. Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a brutal war in the 90s, and part of the goal of the conference was to get teachers from those countries to work together. I found most of the participants to be delightful.
There were also some Americans present, including several English Language Fellows (ELFs) from the region (Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, and Moldova were represented). Mary Martin, a nice woman from Iowa, is currently holding down Jen’s former Senior ELF position in Ukraine, so we exchanged a few tales with her. We went to a lot of presentations, met a lot of nice people, ate a lot of good food, slept well, and took some good photos. Sunday afternoon, it was back in the van for the trip back to Tbilisi. On the way we stopped at the ancient fortress/church at Ananuri, which was very, very impressive.
The embassy van picked us up on Friday morning for the 2 hour trip up the Georgian Military Highway to Gudauri. There were thirteen of us crammed into the van (everyone with suitcases, of course) for the journey to the 3-day conference. The scenery en route was beautiful, following the Aragvi Rriver into the Caucasus Mountains. Once in the mountains, the van had to stop several times for herds of sheep and goats (along with the occasional donkey or dog) meandering across the road. Finally, we arrived in Gudauri, set amongst the stunning peaks, still covered in deep snow. The hotel was pretty flash (in a reformed Soviet way) and we happily settled into our room, which had spectacular views from the balcony.
The conference was enjoyable, especially since I had no official duties (they had wanted me to present, but I had no time to prepare anything) besides attending presentations and eating at the buffet three times a day. Jen was a star, of course, giving the plenary on Saturday (“Breaking Bad Habits without Breaking Spirits”), followed by a well-received workshop on presentation skills. The attendees were teachers from Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, many of whom had never been out of their own countries, even though these three small nations are geographically intertwined. Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a brutal war in the 90s, and part of the goal of the conference was to get teachers from those countries to work together. I found most of the participants to be delightful.
There were also some Americans present, including several English Language Fellows (ELFs) from the region (Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, and Moldova were represented). Mary Martin, a nice woman from Iowa, is currently holding down Jen’s former Senior ELF position in Ukraine, so we exchanged a few tales with her. We went to a lot of presentations, met a lot of nice people, ate a lot of good food, slept well, and took some good photos. Sunday afternoon, it was back in the van for the trip back to Tbilisi. On the way we stopped at the ancient fortress/church at Ananuri, which was very, very impressive.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Tbilisi or Not Tbilsi
We arrived in Tbilisi, capital of the Republic of Georgia, best known for producing famed 20th century tyrant Joseph Stalin and last summer’s unlikely war, in which Russia, their former master, showed them who the region's real power is. The fallout from that conflict continues now with anti-government protestors, who accuse Bush/Cheney darling President Sakashvili of mismanagement and authoritarianism, setting up shop in the center of the city, camping out with no end in sight. We strolled through the protest area soon after our arrival and saw nothing but a few dozen senior citizens chewing on sunflower seeds. The rebels must have been at lunch.
We are ensconced in a Soviet-era apartment building in a “nice” neighborhood, Saburtalo. The fourth floor (no elevator) pad is spacious and fairly comfortable, although not renovated and far from fancy (the kitchen has induced me to swear off cooking for the duration of our stay). There is a nice grocery store directly across the street, however, and Jen’s work is a short 3 block walk away. We’ve sussed out a couple of good restaurants in the area, established our early morning walking paths, and hooked up internet in the apartment, so it’s all good.
Our trip from Albuquerque to Tbilisi was uneventful. The embassy driver, Shota, picked us up at the airport and delivered us to our apartment, where Lali and her son, George, were waiting for us. Jen’s Russian came in handy right away as between us we know maybe 3 words of Georgian. Our first impressions of the locals were positive. People here are pretty friendly, but not effusive. Everyone tends to wear black and despite warm weather - I have yet to see a pair of shorts on man, woman, or child. Considering the political situation, we had some concern about speaking Russian to the locals. It turns out that just about everyone speaks Russian and doesn’t hesitate to do so. Jen’s Russian studies are paying off big time.
On our first full day in Tbilisi, we met the university rector, Mamuka, for a promised “walking tour”. Well, it turned out to be an extensive driving tour of some of Georgia’s most famous churches. Mamuka’s teenaged son, George, who looked vaguely Beatle-y, did the driving. We first drove to Jvari, high on a hill overlooking the confluence of the rivers Mtkvari and Aragvi. The 5th century church was beautiful. The medieval Georgian architecture is very distinctive. We then drove down the hill to Mtskheta, the spiritual center of Georgian culture, and visited the Svetitskhoveli cathedral complex there. Afterward, we visited the Samtavro Church, now the site of a nunnery. Now starving, Mamuka treated us to a big Georgian lunch featuring such staples as lobio (thick bean soup w/ aromatic greens), khachapuri (kind of a cheese pie), mtsvadi (shish kebab), cheese and bread. Delicious. Exhausted, we returned to Tbilisi and crashed out. After waking up hungry, we discovered our favorite neighborhood restaurant, Teremok, which has an outdoor terrace, allowing us to eat relatively smoke free. Teremok has since become our regular haunt for lunch and dinner.
We are ensconced in a Soviet-era apartment building in a “nice” neighborhood, Saburtalo. The fourth floor (no elevator) pad is spacious and fairly comfortable, although not renovated and far from fancy (the kitchen has induced me to swear off cooking for the duration of our stay). There is a nice grocery store directly across the street, however, and Jen’s work is a short 3 block walk away. We’ve sussed out a couple of good restaurants in the area, established our early morning walking paths, and hooked up internet in the apartment, so it’s all good.
Our trip from Albuquerque to Tbilisi was uneventful. The embassy driver, Shota, picked us up at the airport and delivered us to our apartment, where Lali and her son, George, were waiting for us. Jen’s Russian came in handy right away as between us we know maybe 3 words of Georgian. Our first impressions of the locals were positive. People here are pretty friendly, but not effusive. Everyone tends to wear black and despite warm weather - I have yet to see a pair of shorts on man, woman, or child. Considering the political situation, we had some concern about speaking Russian to the locals. It turns out that just about everyone speaks Russian and doesn’t hesitate to do so. Jen’s Russian studies are paying off big time.
On our first full day in Tbilisi, we met the university rector, Mamuka, for a promised “walking tour”. Well, it turned out to be an extensive driving tour of some of Georgia’s most famous churches. Mamuka’s teenaged son, George, who looked vaguely Beatle-y, did the driving. We first drove to Jvari, high on a hill overlooking the confluence of the rivers Mtkvari and Aragvi. The 5th century church was beautiful. The medieval Georgian architecture is very distinctive. We then drove down the hill to Mtskheta, the spiritual center of Georgian culture, and visited the Svetitskhoveli cathedral complex there. Afterward, we visited the Samtavro Church, now the site of a nunnery. Now starving, Mamuka treated us to a big Georgian lunch featuring such staples as lobio (thick bean soup w/ aromatic greens), khachapuri (kind of a cheese pie), mtsvadi (shish kebab), cheese and bread. Delicious. Exhausted, we returned to Tbilisi and crashed out. After waking up hungry, we discovered our favorite neighborhood restaurant, Teremok, which has an outdoor terrace, allowing us to eat relatively smoke free. Teremok has since become our regular haunt for lunch and dinner.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
P.S.
Please note: The following was written in 2008 after our tour of the Balkans
We are home now in the green-chile drenched bosom of New Mexico. Our trip back was, ahem, longish: Sofia- Munich- Charlotte- Phoenix- Albuquerque...25 hours worth of screaming toddlers and Hollywood rom-coms...yikes! Even the food was dreadfuller than usual. But enough of that...
Our European trip was great. Four weeks for Joe and seven weeks for Jen. I ate like a pig (pizza, ice cream, sausage, bread, dumplings) and lost a pound! My kind of weight loss program! It feels good to be back eating crispy green salads and pulling crispy clothes out of the dryer. New Mexico looks lovely and we will be starting back on our "normal" lives as soon as next Monday when the semester begins at UNM.
We visited ten countries on this trip, most for the first time. We walked a lot of cobblestoned miles, took a lot of digital photos, ate a lot of tomatoes and cucumbers, spoke a crazy mixture of Russian, Bulgarian & German along w/ our excellent English, and met a lot of great people along the way. I don't know about Jen, but I'll probably be ready to go again real soon...
We are home now in the green-chile drenched bosom of New Mexico. Our trip back was, ahem, longish: Sofia- Munich- Charlotte- Phoenix- Albuquerque...25 hours worth of screaming toddlers and Hollywood rom-coms...yikes! Even the food was dreadfuller than usual. But enough of that...
Our European trip was great. Four weeks for Joe and seven weeks for Jen. I ate like a pig (pizza, ice cream, sausage, bread, dumplings) and lost a pound! My kind of weight loss program! It feels good to be back eating crispy green salads and pulling crispy clothes out of the dryer. New Mexico looks lovely and we will be starting back on our "normal" lives as soon as next Monday when the semester begins at UNM.
We visited ten countries on this trip, most for the first time. We walked a lot of cobblestoned miles, took a lot of digital photos, ate a lot of tomatoes and cucumbers, spoke a crazy mixture of Russian, Bulgarian & German along w/ our excellent English, and met a lot of great people along the way. I don't know about Jen, but I'll probably be ready to go again real soon...
Multi-faceted Macedonia
Having lived in Slovenia, it is very hard to believe that both Slovenia and Macedonia used to be part of a common country, Yugoslavia. It is true that both have rolling hills and beautiful green forests, but the Albanian-influenced Macedonia, couldn't be more different from the Austrian-inspired Slovenia.
My impressions of Macedonia are based on our 2-day stay in Skopje, the birthplace of Mother Teresa. There is a statue and a monument to her and a cross high on a hill representing the Christian faith. Mother Teresa being its claim to fame, Skopje is a very funky city - I loved it! It is a place of discovery . . . there seemed to be no one in town - maybe all at the seaside for summer vacation. And although, at first glance, the city seems crumbly and indelibly marked with a strong "socialist realism" architecture, a.k.a. Soviet-style blocks and weirdly shaped experiments, it is charming in many ways.
We ambled through the medina-like ancient walled town around mosques and stalls with locals selling their wares. I had seen what looked like an ancient fortress on the hill, not mentioned in our guide book, and not on any of the postcards I had spied at the market. We decided to head up the steep incline to find a lovely archway which led to some ruins of a fortress and a beautiful view of the city. Seeing the smorgasbord of Ancient, Soviet, and more traditional European buildings from a distance kind of made the city look even more unusual. It dawned on me that most of the postcards had views taken from this fortress, not of this fortress, which I found to be one of the highlights of the area.
Now for the food report - fan-freakin'-tastic! (Can I say that?): Fresh veggies, delicious cheese and bacon stuffed chicken, sausages, potatoes, cucumbers, and tomatoes. The prices in Skopje where probably the cheapest of our whole trip which makes the food taste even better. And the people . . . surprisingly polite, classy, friendly, and they spoke quite a lot of English! They seemed rather unfazed by tourists (as there weren't any there!), but were very respectful. Shopkeepers as well as kids took the chance to practice the phrases they knew - "Here you go - here is your change." Wow! I was reminded by a Bulgarian, that even under Soviet times, the Yugoslavians were not directly connected with Russia. Therefore, their society was much more open and more people were able to learn English.
The one thing that was really expensive was the hotel. I mean, not really, but compared to other cities it was more. For instance, we were used to paying around 50 USD, and our hotel in Skopje was 70 USD. And, mind you, it was very simple- clean private hotel - but no frills. The reason being that there is no tourism there and the only visitors are international business people who don't bat an eyelash at those kinds of prices. We did have cable though and Joe's son's band came on MTV while we were there. It was an older video - but a goodie - I had never seen it. Check out Girls Not Grey: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8d5WlUR1T3k
OK, so I have a softspot for Skopje - it's my kinda town - cheap prices, friendly people, no crowds, and plenty to discover. I say, "Let me find the beauty! It's fun!"
My impressions of Macedonia are based on our 2-day stay in Skopje, the birthplace of Mother Teresa. There is a statue and a monument to her and a cross high on a hill representing the Christian faith. Mother Teresa being its claim to fame, Skopje is a very funky city - I loved it! It is a place of discovery . . . there seemed to be no one in town - maybe all at the seaside for summer vacation. And although, at first glance, the city seems crumbly and indelibly marked with a strong "socialist realism" architecture, a.k.a. Soviet-style blocks and weirdly shaped experiments, it is charming in many ways.
We ambled through the medina-like ancient walled town around mosques and stalls with locals selling their wares. I had seen what looked like an ancient fortress on the hill, not mentioned in our guide book, and not on any of the postcards I had spied at the market. We decided to head up the steep incline to find a lovely archway which led to some ruins of a fortress and a beautiful view of the city. Seeing the smorgasbord of Ancient, Soviet, and more traditional European buildings from a distance kind of made the city look even more unusual. It dawned on me that most of the postcards had views taken from this fortress, not of this fortress, which I found to be one of the highlights of the area.
Now for the food report - fan-freakin'-tastic! (Can I say that?): Fresh veggies, delicious cheese and bacon stuffed chicken, sausages, potatoes, cucumbers, and tomatoes. The prices in Skopje where probably the cheapest of our whole trip which makes the food taste even better. And the people . . . surprisingly polite, classy, friendly, and they spoke quite a lot of English! They seemed rather unfazed by tourists (as there weren't any there!), but were very respectful. Shopkeepers as well as kids took the chance to practice the phrases they knew - "Here you go - here is your change." Wow! I was reminded by a Bulgarian, that even under Soviet times, the Yugoslavians were not directly connected with Russia. Therefore, their society was much more open and more people were able to learn English.
The one thing that was really expensive was the hotel. I mean, not really, but compared to other cities it was more. For instance, we were used to paying around 50 USD, and our hotel in Skopje was 70 USD. And, mind you, it was very simple- clean private hotel - but no frills. The reason being that there is no tourism there and the only visitors are international business people who don't bat an eyelash at those kinds of prices. We did have cable though and Joe's son's band came on MTV while we were there. It was an older video - but a goodie - I had never seen it. Check out Girls Not Grey: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8d5WlUR1T3k
OK, so I have a softspot for Skopje - it's my kinda town - cheap prices, friendly people, no crowds, and plenty to discover. I say, "Let me find the beauty! It's fun!"
Monday, August 18, 2008
Question: Where do all the Serbs go for summer Vacation?
Answer: Montenegro
Another Question: Why does a former Yugoslavian territory have an Italian name?
Another Answer: It means "black mountain" and comes from the age when Venetians ruled the area in the Middle Ages.
So, using this information as a backdrop, let me explain our trip to Montenegro . . . . First of all, Montenegro is the world's newest country having separated from Serbia in June 2006 - Historically, Serbs go there on vacation as it is very beautiful and they used to be part of the same country: Serbia-Montenegro, and before that Yugoslavia. Little did we know that in August, every single Serbian man, woman, and child is there to enjoy some seaside action.
To get there, we took a bus from Sarajevo through the most incredibly windy road that snaked through sheer cliffs and a rainstorm. We came upon a dam - reminiscent to me of Lake Powell - not that it looked like the Southwestern US at all, but amazing natural beauty abounded. Green trees in forests on high mountains. We were headed for a beach town called Herzig Novi - a lesser known beach town not as frequented by tourists (or so we thought). After passing through the "see and be seen" beach town called Budva - we ended up in a terrible traffic jam. After 20 minutes we realized that the way to Herzig Novi involved a 20 minute ferry that the bus was waiting to board. I, not being a good bus or boat traveler at all (severe motion sickness can occur, and has in the past), I had drugged myself up on some amazing tablets my friend gets from England, called Kwells. Therefore, sitting on a bus, that was on a ferry, that was on the sea proved not quite comfortable but bearable. We got out of the bus and caught some fresh air before our boat landed. Some lovely views from that ferry!
We finally got to Herzig Novi . . . . we trudged with backpacks in tow through the picturesque little town (there are some ups and downs among the streets there!), only to hear travel agency after travel agency say, "There are no rooms anywhere tonight . . . not one. . . . everything is booked!" Well, having seen some little old ladies and men at the bus station trying to scoop up backpackers . . . we headed back there. The little old people seemed to have gone back home to bed, as we couldn't see anyone trying to "sell" a room in their house.
Finally, I got up the courage to speak in my limited Russian to a woman who was sitting beside us on a bench. "I'm looking for a room", I think I said. She whistled across the bus lot, "Oy, Zhilka!" Another lady, with a bit of alcohol on her breath came and arranged for us to stay across the street in her own flat. We agreed on 30 euros for the night (she could have really asked for the moon and we'd have paid it!). So, we slept in a Soviet-style flat with a great view, if you could see past the laundry, of the Adriatic Sea.
After rising, we decided to head out of crowded beach land - not before snapping some photos, of course. We spent the day in a fabulous ancient Venetian old town of sorts in the town of Kotor. There is no beach there, but the old buildings and ruins are a true treat for any photographer. The heat was a bit overbearing and many people found relief in an old but functioning fountain soaking their faces and splashing their whole bodies with ice cold well water.
Overall, Montenegro is a unique place to say you've been to . . . but don't go in August - too crowded, too hot, and too much traffic!
Another Question: Why does a former Yugoslavian territory have an Italian name?
Another Answer: It means "black mountain" and comes from the age when Venetians ruled the area in the Middle Ages.
So, using this information as a backdrop, let me explain our trip to Montenegro . . . . First of all, Montenegro is the world's newest country having separated from Serbia in June 2006 - Historically, Serbs go there on vacation as it is very beautiful and they used to be part of the same country: Serbia-Montenegro, and before that Yugoslavia. Little did we know that in August, every single Serbian man, woman, and child is there to enjoy some seaside action.
To get there, we took a bus from Sarajevo through the most incredibly windy road that snaked through sheer cliffs and a rainstorm. We came upon a dam - reminiscent to me of Lake Powell - not that it looked like the Southwestern US at all, but amazing natural beauty abounded. Green trees in forests on high mountains. We were headed for a beach town called Herzig Novi - a lesser known beach town not as frequented by tourists (or so we thought). After passing through the "see and be seen" beach town called Budva - we ended up in a terrible traffic jam. After 20 minutes we realized that the way to Herzig Novi involved a 20 minute ferry that the bus was waiting to board. I, not being a good bus or boat traveler at all (severe motion sickness can occur, and has in the past), I had drugged myself up on some amazing tablets my friend gets from England, called Kwells. Therefore, sitting on a bus, that was on a ferry, that was on the sea proved not quite comfortable but bearable. We got out of the bus and caught some fresh air before our boat landed. Some lovely views from that ferry!
We finally got to Herzig Novi . . . . we trudged with backpacks in tow through the picturesque little town (there are some ups and downs among the streets there!), only to hear travel agency after travel agency say, "There are no rooms anywhere tonight . . . not one. . . . everything is booked!" Well, having seen some little old ladies and men at the bus station trying to scoop up backpackers . . . we headed back there. The little old people seemed to have gone back home to bed, as we couldn't see anyone trying to "sell" a room in their house.
Finally, I got up the courage to speak in my limited Russian to a woman who was sitting beside us on a bench. "I'm looking for a room", I think I said. She whistled across the bus lot, "Oy, Zhilka!" Another lady, with a bit of alcohol on her breath came and arranged for us to stay across the street in her own flat. We agreed on 30 euros for the night (she could have really asked for the moon and we'd have paid it!). So, we slept in a Soviet-style flat with a great view, if you could see past the laundry, of the Adriatic Sea.
After rising, we decided to head out of crowded beach land - not before snapping some photos, of course. We spent the day in a fabulous ancient Venetian old town of sorts in the town of Kotor. There is no beach there, but the old buildings and ruins are a true treat for any photographer. The heat was a bit overbearing and many people found relief in an old but functioning fountain soaking their faces and splashing their whole bodies with ice cold well water.
Overall, Montenegro is a unique place to say you've been to . . . but don't go in August - too crowded, too hot, and too much traffic!
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".
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".
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