Biking and Bumming Around Belgrade

After visiting almost all of the countries that once made up Yugoslavia, differences are so apparent that it's a wonder that they were ever a single, united nation at all. Serbia felt like the biggest outlier of the bunch, even using a different written language called Cyrillic.

Serbia has historically been known as a place that doesn't shy from conflict, and Belgrade's violent past is apparent in its architecture - buildings have been damaged throughout the years, in both World Wars, and as recently as 1999 by NATO bombings related to the Kosovo War.

We noticed that Serbians tend to be opinionated and proud people, who take special care in their physical appearance. It's the only place we've been to since leaving North America that has had a semblance of a weight-lifting culture, with a number of gyms, ads for fitness supplements, and an abundance of muscle-heads who look like they could be on Jersey Shore.

We got a good laugh when the cocky, routinely shirtless guy in our hostel motioned to AD's biceps and asked in broken English if Dave worked out (Why yes! Thanks for noticing!).

Our favorite moments in Belgrade:

- Taking a four hour guided bike tour - a great way to get the blood pumping while checking out different parts of the city, including the famous party barges on the Danube, the ugly, communist-era buildings in New Belgrade, and the happy beach goers on Ada island.

- Having a traditional meal and drinking Jelen beers in the quaint cobble stoned Skadarlija district. Our dining companion was an American currently teaching in Tanzania that we befriended. It was refreshing to talk to someone from home while learning more about life in Africa.

- Eating bureks, delicious, fattening, savory pastries purchased from one of the cheap walk-up bakeries scattered throughout the city.

- Molly accidentally being mistaken for a prostitute while sitting in the park across from the bus station. The language barrier and Molly's naivete created a rather comical situation that was awkwardly remedied when AD returned to the scene and wasn't open to bargaining. :)


Next stop: Vrsac, Serbia

Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina

The strong Turkish influence in Sarajevo reminded us a lot of Istanbul, though Sarajevo is tiny in comparison and seemed much more relaxed. Beer, for instance, was sometimes difficult to obtain in Istanbul, but was readily available in Sarajevo. Dress was also much more casual in the Bosnian city, with women baring shoulders and legs even in cafes immediately adjacent to mosques.

Relaxed attitudes towards alcohol and dress are symptoms of a larger culture of tolerance in a city that celebrates its diversity. Sarajevo is one of the only cities in Europe where synagogues, Christian churches, and mosques can be found on a single city block. The harmonious mix made for friendly, good vibes.

Our favorite Sarajevo memories:

- Discovering that there are no Google street maps for the country of Bosnia, and having to rely on an old fashioned paper map to navigate our way through Sarajevo. Other than Bosnia, there are very few places in the world that Google has not street mapped (North Korea, for instance), so this made us feel a bit like travel adventure cowboys.

- Sipping traditional Bosnian - AKA Turkish - coffee in Bascarsija, the beautiful old part of the city. Though served very ceremoniously in special antique-looking serving ware the coffee was as sludge-like and bad as we remembered it to be from Istanbul.

- Skipping the packaged tours and choosing instead to make our own way out to the suburban town of Ilidza, to visit the Sarajevo War Tunnel Museum. Our independent tour involved taking a rickety old tram and walking a few miles but we arrived eventually and got a taste of a bit more of the common man's version of the country along the way. The Tunnel Museum itself showcases part of the secret underground passageway used to move people and supplies between Sarajevo and "free Bosnia" during the four years that Serbian troops surrounded the city. It is a remarkable testiment to the ingenuity and strong will of the citizens of the sieged city.

- Visiting the Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which houses an exhibit on the siege of Sarajevo. Though the museum lacks the funding to properly pay staff or provide heating in the winter, it still manages to give a moving and emotional glimpse into life in wartime Sarajevo.

- Treating ourselves to a fantastic meal at the pescetarian-friendly downtown restaurant, Karuzo.  A culinary one-man show, Karuzo does not necessarily serve traditional Bosnian cuisine, but it does serve delicious gourmet faire; we ate mint soup, stuffed squid, smoked tofu with swiss chard, grilled peaches, and olive oil ice cream. Everything was refreshing, creative, well presented, and a fraction of the price it would have been in the US.


Next stop: Belgrade, Serbia

Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina

In Slovenia and Croatia, the effects of war were there, but reflected only in subtle ways. In Bosnia, however, the scars of war hit us directly in the face.

Out of all the countries that made up former Yugoslavia, Bosnia experienced the most violence while trying to gain independence. Directly bordering Serbia, it was first damaged by the Serbian-dominated Yugo army, and then experienced further turmoil in a bloody civil war between ethnic groups trying to lay claim to territory after the fall of the regime.

Mostar is a small city divided physically and psychologically by the Naretva River. The Bosniaks, liberal Muslims, live on one bank, while the Roman Catholic Croats live on the other. A beautiful 16th century bridge united the riverbanks, and when Mostar was part of Yugoslavia the two groups were tolerant of one another, living peacefully.

In 1993, however, violence erupted between the Croats and Bosniaks in Mostar. The beautiful stone bridge was torn down, buildings were bombed, and thousands were killed as neighbor turned against neighbor.

Though peace was established through the Dayton Treaty in 1995, damage is still evident everywhere in the city. Bosnia's national government is still very fractured; foreign investment is lacking, unemployment is at 40%, and many Mostar citizens were killed or left the area, leaving abandoned homes and businesses behind.

There is hope in the ruins, however. The spirit of the Bosnian's remains, and the people of Mostar seem ready to forgive, though not forget. A few years ago outside funding was even provided to rebuild the old bridge. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, generating tourism revenue and symbolizing a reunited Mostar, a place moving forward from a violent past.

Our favorite Mostar moments:

- The scenic bus ride from Split to Mostar. The majority of the route took us down the spectacular Croatian coast, where mountains met the sea. We were inexplicably forced to change buses three times - at ad hoc bus stops - but the comedy of the situation and the scenery well made up for it.

- Walking through one of the many cemeteries in Mostar and being overwhelmed by all the graves from 1993.

- Watching an emotional video in the Mostar museum of the Croat forces shelling the bridge until it collapsed.

- Eating amazing traditional faire at Sadrvan, a restaurant near the old bridge. Our meal: duvec (vegetarian stew), stuffed onion, stuffed pepper, grape leaves, and smothered mushrooms. The food was so good we came back the next day for more.

- Surveying the damage on the street that was known as the front line during the conflict to see the severely shot-up and bombed buildings, debris, and abandoned structures firsthand. Making the haunting climb to the top floor of the "sniper's nest," an eight-story former bank that had been used as a gun tower.


Next stop: Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Hangin' in Hvar

Earlier in our trip we met some backpackers from the University of Florida who encouraged us to add Hvar to our Croatia itinerary. Heeding their advice, we boarded a ferry from Split bound for the small island.

Once ashore we were reminded why so many Europeans vacation in Croatia: green mountains, warm sunshine, blue water, and cheap beer... a small slice of paradise!

Our favorite Hvar experiences:

- Riding on the jam-packed bus between the ferry dock and Hvar Town. There was standing room only but that didn't stop the driver from speeding down mountain roads, brazenly passing bicyclists and motorists as he used his cell phone.

- Walking through the harbor, people watching and gawking at the expensive yachts.

- Watching the beautiful sunset from the deck of the ferry.


Next stop: Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Sea and Sunshine in Split, Croatia

Split is Europe's waterfront playground - a city of orange roofed buildings standing in sharp contrast to the blue Adriatic Sea.

European tourists have long recognized Croatia's coast as a holiday destination so infrastructure is in place to keep things comfortable for vacationers.

We lucked out with our accomodations, ending up in a private three room cottage in a pedestrian cul de sac near the old part of the city. The place had powerful AC and an equipped kitchenette and was less than $50 USD a night. The communal feel of our street, where people opened their doors and drug dining tables to the sidewalk, was enjoyable.

An elderly non-english speaking neighbor motioned that we were welcome to use his clothesline to dry our laundry and we were moved to later find the clean clothes had been left neatly folded on our doorstep.

Our favorite Split memories:

- Walking through Diocletian's Palace - Roman ruins that Split city center has been incorporated into. Instead of being untouched and preserved the site is used as it was designed - it's lived in, worked in, and enjoyed, with shops, lodging and restaurants built into the crumbling ancient architecture.

- Enjoying the cool evening air while taking in the nightlife on Riva Harbor, where thousands of gather to walk, drink, and listen to live music.

- Waiting in line for a table at Fife, a very popular family-style restaurant at the far end of the harbor. When finally seated we feasted on black cuttlefish risotto, swiss chard, gnocchi, and fresh whole fish while chatting up our Irish tablemates. Croatian cuisine has Italian and Greek influences, and relies heavily on seafood, which was perfect for pescatarian Molly.

- Bravely jumping off the high rocky ledges at Bacvice Beach into the warm saltwater below. AD demonstrated the most courage, easily conquering the highest perch. Molly took some cajoling but eventually lept as well, albeit from a lower point.


Next stop: Hvar, Croatia

Lost in Plitvice

We discovered early into our trip that if we preloaded a google map of an area the GPS on our tablet would function even without an active internet connection. This find has been a godsend, helping us navigate everywhere from hidden Venice back alleys to remote Iceland roads.

In Plitvice, however, our beloved GPS failed us.

When our bus dropped us off in the Croatian countryside, we headed off on foot, towards the lodging marker we had pre-plotted on our tablet. Immediately things didn't seem right; nothing was pedestrian friendly, and roads seemed to be missing and mislabeled.

With no buildings in sight we began walking along the winding shoulderless highway. Realizing we weren't a safe distance from the cars speeding past, we moved to a small wooded path shadowing the road. As the path faded, however, we feared getting even more off track and Molly, remembering the Plitvice landmine warnings she had read on the State Department's website, became alarmist over the unlikely possibility of hidden explosives. The pavement felt like a better bet so we decided to take our chances back on the road. We were grateful when a man pulled over and gave us a lift to our guesthouse - which ended up being nowhere near google map's stated location.

Our favorite Plitvice memories:

- Hiking Plitvice National Park, with its gorgeous waterfalls and turquoise colored lakes. The park was like no other habitat we've ever encountered, almost like a swamp of fast flowing fresh mountain water.

- Resting our tired feet while eating apricots and pistachios on the porch of our cute and clean guesthouse after a long day at the park.


Next stop: Split, Croatia

Zagreb, Croatia

The EU had been skimping us on passport stamps so it was nice to venture to Croatia, where customs gave our passports a workout and we got to exchange our money for a new currency, the kuna.

Zagreb is Croatia's capital and biggest city, a bustling departure from tranquil Ljubljana and a nice change of scenery. The weather was sticky and hot, so we were thankful our Old Town hostel had AC. The hostel also had a friendly house dog, an adorable black lab mix named Nika, who liked to hide under our bed.

We found the coffee to be a bit more expensive than our last few stops, but the beer was cheaper so we called it a toss up.

Our favorite Zagreb moments:

- Visiting the Museum of Broken Relationships, a quirky, sometimes-funny, sometimes-sad, thought provoking collection of momentos and stories from failed couples. It was a good reminder to keep cherishing one another.

- Sipping espressos on popular Tkalciceva Street while taking in the city's fantastic cafe culture.

- Splurging on a fancy meal at Trilogija, an intimate restaurant in Upper Town where the menu changes daily based on fresh market offerings. Our meal: lemon trout, truffle risotto, and Croatian wines.


Next stop: Plitvice Lakes, Croatia