BOSNIA AND HERZGOVINA sarajevo
the first thing you notice when you leave the train station is the bright yellow building not too far in the distance. this is the holiday inn, but it is important because it housed journalists during their coverage of the war. . .and was also the place where the hostel was gonna pick me up. my driver was the hostel owner, who cheerfully greeted me and seemed extremely interested in me since i was apparently one of the first japanese people he had spoken with. he and the hostel would be among a bunch of memorable experiences in sarajevo!
one of the first things he shared with me about his japanese knowledge was, ”i know japan! tokyo, hiroshima, and nagasaki!” i was like, ” really? well good job man. . .” i knew he did not mean anything. and when i met some people at reception and he overheard me telling them i was from seattle, he glares at me like i was lying. so ofcourse as he checks me in he reminds me that i am from japan. i was like, “oh yea…”
i had booked a dorm bed over the internet, but he informs me the site is wrong and that i had actually booked a tent. for THREE EUROS a night the tent was just fine. “do you have a sleeping bag?” he asks. i lie and say yes since sheets were an extra two euro. if i had only realized how cold the nights get, i would have paid for a dorm bed (which was only a few euros more). i woke up in the morning with my bag open and half my clothes on top of me, and then realized i was missing my favorite bracelet from my first day in la paz. i do not know how i lost it sleeping in a tent, but i did.
walking around sarajevo was sad at times because some remnants of the war are still evident. for example, it was not uncommon to see apartment buildings with huge bullet holes on the side. but the town and people are all extremely friendly and interested in other’s cultures, so i met some cool people while walking around the market. it was realy awesome to see that the locals are positive and looking forward to good times!
Leave a Reply