July 9th
(Day 'unknown' of 116)
Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia & Hercegovina
We spent about 4 days in Sarajevo, probably my favorite city up to that point in the Western Balkans. A big city with a history that the population can't decide to live with it, move past it, or just forget it ever happened.
Obviously politically and world-news-events unaware during this conflict, I only had a vague recollection of what truly happened (other than Hillary Clinton definitely not getting sniped at coming off the plane). The Bosnians lived through it all and have the same city-battle wounds that the Mostar city did. The hostel that we stayed at was a house of a 21-year-old - which was mortar attacked or grenaded at least 7 times during the conflict.
Other than a long trip with Australian Luke and American Dave and Matt to a waterfall near the mountains that didn't exist, and a horse&carriage ride back from it that could not comfortably fit us all (physically and in being in public), the highlight was probably a tour by the hostel owner around the city and to the Olympic grounds of 1984.
No matter where you go in the city, people still talk and are very nostalgic about their city hosting the olympics. Numerous places still have the logo plastered around, souvenir shops sell olympic items. Australia Luke was looking for a shirt with the olympic mascot (Vuchko) on it. He said that name to the lady working there and she was very happy that we knew it-- it was just a funny experience. But still -- it seems the young people are happy to move past it all, the old people to remember how it was, and some of them still suffer because of it all.
When we went to Serbia, it was clear the official position was that 1. the siege of Sarajevo really never happened, and 2. the Serbian people suffered more than Muslims.
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