Mystical, Magical Mostar Bosnia!!

As I'm sitting on our terrace looking out on an Islamic minaret, a Catholic steeple and a bombed-out building next door, the history of this beautiful place is sobering and almost overwhelming. We are now in Mostar, Bosnia, and I have been excited to visit this place from the moment I saw the pictures; but I have fallen in love with the kind, gentle people who have suffered greatly and have chosen kindness and forgiveness instead of anger and more war. We saw a interesting sign in the shadow of the famous Stari Most bridge that encompasses the energy I feel here. It said "Don't Forget But DO Forgive FOREVER!!"

Even after all the generations of being conquered (by the Ottomans) and bombed (by the Serbians during the Balkan war), each person seems to have the same sentiment....they just want to be left alone in peace! Prior to the Balkan War, Mostar was pretty evenly divided between Bosnians, Croats, and Serbs (combined with "other ethnic groups") - living in peace. Now, however, there are about 50% Bosnians, 45% Croats, and only 5% Serbs and other groups combined. They are rebuilding their country after unimaginable trauma, but the ESSENCE of who they are really shines through in each interaction!! 

The most prominent and well-known thing to see is the Stari Most bridge which was built in 1566 and stood there proudly for 427 years, until it was destroyed in 1993 during the Bosnian War. Thanks to post-war restoration efforts, a new bridge was built in 2004 using many of the original stones. It's a pretty incredible site!! Tourists from all over flock to the bridge to watch brave yet talented local men dive off the bridge (collecting money from the tourists prior to their jump), plunging over 65 feet into the emerald-colored waters of the Neretva River that runs through the middle of town. The practice of diving off the bridge started back in 1664 and became a tradition for the young men of Mostar. In 1968 the city held a formal diving competition, which still continues today.

The Stari Most bridge is a symbol of coming together. On one side is a Catholic Church, on the other side is an Orthodox Christian Church with Islamic minarets filling the space in-between. Last night as we wandered the streets of the Old Town, I met the most wonderful shopkeeper whose family has hand-made copper engravings for three generations and sold their art from the same spot for at least 60 years! He spoke of the symbolism of his pictures - the Stari Most being the bridge between Islam and Christianity. He pointed out that peace (symbolized by the dove and olive branch) was the only way to prosperity (symbolized by the pomegranate) and said his family is an example of how peace can prevail. 

He is a Bosniak Muslim, his wife is a Croat Catholic, and his mother is an Orthodox Christian Serb. To them, the connection between friends and family is much more important than HOW they worship or how they describe God!! Something about his gentleness and the symbolism of his engravings touched me to the depths of my soul - reminding me that there are SO MANY people in the world who choose love, forgiveness and connection over hate, war, greed and revenge. This area is definitely full of rich history and so many personal stories, and I'm really looking forward to exploring more, meeting more local people and hearing more about their lives!! 

Pam and I both felt so comfortable here in Mostar (and a bit worn out from the bus ride) that we decided to add an extra night to just wander through the streets and see some of the beautiful sites nearby. Wandering around town today definitely was a bit overwhelming with all the tourist crowds and small alleys through Old Town (which looks like an Arabic Souk mixed with Medieval architecture), but there's something kind of mystical about this beautiful city in the "bowl" of the mountains. 

We booked a tour for tomorrow that will take us to some incredible sites just outside the city.....Kravice Waterfalls, Blagag Tekke (built as a Dervish Monastery to host gatherings of the Sufi Brotherhood), and Pocitelj - a fortified medieval town nearby that was heavily damaged during the Bosnian War but has been placed under permanent protection of the Bosnian government. The protection is ongoing and focuses on the restoration of the town, continued preservation, and encouragement for the former population who fled the city during the war to return. We thought about going to Sarajevo, but met some travelers from Turkey last night at dinner who said they had just come from there and it was MUCH colder there - they even had snow a couple days ago!! So we might just see what we can find by heading south - Pam wants to dip her toe into as many of the countries as possible, so we'll see where the wind blows us! 

And speaking of dinner, I just have to say that if the theme for Italy is pasta and pizza, and the theme for Croatia was fresh seafood, the theme for Bosnia is definitely grilled meats!! Last night, Pam and I shared a HUGE plate of the most AMAZING meat - sausages, chicken, pork chops, etc.....and ended up bringing home half of it for dinner tonight! They also have this wonderful bread - kind of like grilled pita bread but even better!! They serve the meat with a fresh red pepper paste called Ajvar that is quite yummy (made with red peppers, garlic, eggplant and other secret ingredients)!! 

And of course coffee - their Bosnian coffee is just like Turkish coffee - thick and dark, served with two sugar cubes - one in the cup and one on the side. I was practically GIDDY with delight at dinner last night!! Then again who wouldn't be happy with incredible food, good wine, beautiful scenery and fun travelers to chat with - and, of course, meaningful conversations!! I'll try to backtrack on our journey prior to Bosnia, but I wanted to get this posted before the special energy of this beautiful city escaped me!! Sending my love to all of you!!