Road Trip Day 3: Sarajevo

Guess how our day started? With burek and yogurt for breakfast of course! This burek was so delicious, it was made with zucchini! This will be a type that I will make when I am back home. Then we set off to explore. We wandered down around the river (just to look at it) There were a lot of police out today and we were a little nervous until we realized that there was a marathon going on that day! Whew! We found an awesome bridge to walk over  and basically take pictures of the river. Jen and I had set out for a museum day, and we succeeded!

Our first stop of the day was the National Museum. We thought it would be cooler than it was, but not so much. There was 2 rooms full of old Roman ruins. There was a little book in a special locked room that we couldn’t figure out what it was because there was no signs. Turns out that it is Sarajevo Haggadah (a Jewish book of rites) It was made around 1314 in Spain. We then wandered around in the botanical garden, which would have made a beautiful wedding backdrop, by the way. We wandered into the Natural History Museum (which is part of the complex and covered by the same museum ticket). I really don’t like these places, but when they are included in other tickets, I look at them because randomly there are non creepy ones. Maybe it is the ethical person in me, but all the dead carcasses around a room in glass cases just staring at you with dead eyes. *shiver* This one was only slightly less than normal creepy. But they had a bunch of random crabs and things in there rather than your typical dead mammals (which they had as well). There was also the ethnographical museum, which had really cool wooden architecture! It was set up like an old Ottoman house, complete with models in clothing, in a really informative way!

Our next stop was right next door, the History Museum. No joke, that is its name. This one was really interesting (although frigid!). It had a bit of history from olden times to Yugoslavia, but its main focus was on the siege. Throughout the day, you can’t escape the knowledge that the siege took place. There are bullet holes and destroyed buildings everywhere. One thing I kept thinking about was “why? Why would they do it? How can you justify cutting off a city for four years? How can you justify bombing schools instead of military targets? What justification can you even use? What was the point?” The siege is the longest siege of a capita city in the history of modern warfare. The Serb forces surrounded the city from 5 April 1992 to Feb 1996. The casualties are totaled at 11,154 people. (They just had a memorial for them recently.) It just took your breath away. The utter senselessness of it. There was the main museum floor and a temporary photo exhibition of photos taken during the war. Heart wrenching. I think more than anything it was the knowledge that this took place while I was alive. That the atrocities were happening when I was blissfully unaware playing as a small child in Southern California. Had I been born there instead of in the US, I might not have been alive today.

After that, Jen and I decided to venture out to the Tunnel Museum. We weren’t 100% sure we were heading in the right direction, but the map provided free of charge to the tourist told us to hop on a tram, then a bus, so that is what we did. I proceeded to leave my umbrella on the tram, but luckily it didn’t rain the rest of the time we were there! Once we were on the bus, we realized we didn’t know what to do once we got off the bus or exactly what stop to get off on. Out came the Lonely Planet pdf guide on my Evo (thanks Mama!). IT told us to ride to the end of the bus line (that should be obvious right?) cross the bridge, turn left and walk 600 meters. Which we did, even though we weren’t really sure what 600 meters was. They should say to the last house on the right! But not to difficult to find. This house was so full of bullet holes I am surprised it was still standing. When we got there, the guy who answered the door spoke a little English, and I told him I didn’t speak Bosnian, but a little Macedonian. He ushered us into the movie viewing room, underground. We sat on ammunition boxes and watched a chilling 20 minute video (at least that is how long they say it is, it went by much faster). It was news reels and home video of the siege. I tried finding something online for you to watch, but could not. After the video, the guy told us to walk through the little bit of tunnel that is still open and then go into the museum. (the tunnel was filled in to support the heavier airport traffic as planes increased.) We did. I couldn’t stand up straight unless I was in between the tracks and not where the beams of support were. And apparently it often had water in it.

The tunnel was built to supply the city with food and supplies. It was their only lifeline to the outside world. They had pipes going through of diesel, gas, electricity, and TV cables. When we went through the museum, the guy who had been showing us around, kept pointing things out. Then he said, “That helmet there was mine.” Not only does he help run this museum, but he worked in the tunnel. And made it. Every day he drove a truck from the tunnel, up into the mountains on curvy roads with no headlights to supply people up there. Every day. He pointed out the truck to us. We asked if we could take our picture with him and the truck and he was more than happy to do so. He then offered to take us back down into the city because he had to go where we were going. Of course we said yes! He pointed out various buildings and said what had happened to them during the war. It turns out he has a daughter who was 11 during the war. His family all made it through.

After he dropped us off, we went to get lunch! Jen had a kebab and I had, wait for it…burek! (By this point I was done with burek, like isn’t there anything else vegetarian in the world? Really?!!) Then we wandered around old town taking pictures and buying souvenirs.  We found some of the best souvenirs of all time here- basically just hand made personalized things rather than mass produced in China things. (I wish Skopje would do more of this, I would seriously spend more money in Skopje then!) As in we bought so much that I had to go to the ATM 3 times that day! (given I wasn’t pulling out much at a time, but still it became a bit of a joke…)

Catholic Church

Orthodox Cathedral



the eternal flame  for WW2 victims. Yes he is lighting a cigarette on it.

Then we headed back to the hostel to write our postcards and relax a bit before dinner. We all went out for dinner but couldn’t decide on a place. We wandered for about 30 minutes before going back to the place right next to the place Aryn, Justin and I ate at on Friday. So delicious! Lentil soup, fried dough, shopska salad and house wine of course! It was nice to sit and chat with everyone and see how their days had gone differently.  After a relaxing paced dinner, we went back and went to sleep!

Venice- Day 4 (without Mama)!

We woke up bright and early to take Mama to the bus stop to go to the airport. She had to catch a 6:30ish bus. We got there in plenty of time, I then proceeded to go back and sleep for a few more hours! I then proceeded to finish packing and then headed out.

I wanted to try to find this guy’s house that was included on our museum pass (eh, why not?). It wasn’t worth the trouble to find it. I started off by walking towards it, seemed easy enough. But this is Venice mind you. About 45 minutes later, and asking about 3 different people where it was, I found it. And it was totally not worth it to pay to see it unless you have that snazzy museum pass. It was about three rooms about this guy’s life. Apparently his father built him a theater inside the house and then he became a famous playwright.

Afterwards, I took a boat to the center and bought some pretty art. Then wandering towards another museum that looked promising.  But it was closed.

Then I began the long process of finding a post office or even a drop box for the post cards I had. And when I mean long, I mean bout 45 minutes long. FINALLY I found a drop box, dropped the letters off and walked back to the hostel. I grabbed my stuff and headed to the boat stop. When I got there, I was able to hop on the first boat that went to the bus station.

Then I waited. And waited. It was about a 45 minute wait once I was there, but I thought it was going to be shorter. There were a few other people waiting for the same bus. It took about 45 minutes to get from the bus station to the airport.

Wizz Air has a strict one bag, 10 kilograms limit. I knew with my snazzy three new dresses from H&M. So I had my wallet, the travel book, and a few other things in my jacket (they don’t weigh you) and my camera around my neck. My bag was 9.3 kg. OH YEA!!!! But I had apparently forgotten about that little 3 oz rule (which is 100 ml in case you needed to know) and put some balsamic cream in my carry on. Now MK doesn’t really care about these rules, but the EU does. So she took my yummy cream. I had to buy it for 8 euros in the gift shop/duty free.

Then I was there about 4 to 5 hours because the plane was delayed. There was a big storm in Sofia, and the plane couldn’t take off. They didn’t even know when it would take off. But since we were in the EU, we got free food and drink. I met some awesome PCVs there and some MK’s who were also returning to Skopje. We had some good conversation. Then there was the added benefit to have a cheaper taxi ride into the city with their taxi driver. :)

Then sleep. Lots of sleep.

See you around the globe!

Zagreb to Skopje!

I woke up pretty relaxed with no alarm and just started watching TV until Jen woke up (she stayed up late watching football). We then went to the store to buy breakfast but ended up shopping for stuff we couldn’t get in Skopje (I only got Mexican/Chili beans to mix in my chili I will attempt to make in Skopje and Tabasco for Lizzie). Then we just wandered and saw:

Sadly the botanical garden was closed for the winter, but it was still beautiful from the outside. Then we headed to lunch at Ivica and Marica (Hansel & Gretal) restaurant. It was so good! I Had pumpkin soup, spinach and cheese ravioli, and gingerbread cake. It was a really fancy place. Jen had Slovenian steak and salad and baklava. Then we wandered back through the city to the hostel where we relaxed until we went to the airport.

We left the hostel, caught a tram to the bus station, bus to the airport, bus to the plane, plane to Skopje, taxi to the apartment. Funny story about the airport. We checked in and were able to sit together, then we tried to go through security. But security was closed. As in the guards were sitting behind the closed ropes watching TV. And they stayed closed until about 40 minutes before the flight left. And the Duty Free Shops behind security were closed until about 20 minutes before the flight was supposed to take off. We did get the most expensive hot chocolate and bottle of water ever. Before we went back into security, we met and talked to this nice Croatian guy who lives just outside of Zagreb. He was offering his seat to Jen while we waited. We discussed visiting Zagreb and Zadar and how life in Macedonia was. He was going to a conference in Zadar about science things.- we split when Jen and I had to go through passport control.

Sofia Day 6

On my 6^th day in Sofia I decided to check out a few of the museums I had tried before but they were closed because the front desk guy said “But it is September now.” *shrugs shoulders*

HUH? Just because it is one day later I should try it?

Well, the Ethnographic museum was open. It was cool. There was an art exhibit from the local Clothing design school:

As well as traditional clothing:

And an exhibit on the new organization that links the old and young people who want to learn the old art of bobbin sewing or tatting. I don’t quite get it, but there is a pattern and you use bobbins to sew the thread. But it was so beautiful:

Then I went to the post office to get a box to send some stuff home to the US  souvenir style stuff from Munich and Sofia. I couldn’t remember the word for box. So I ask the information desk. “Where can I buy…” And I try to make hand motions for a box. The lady looks at me, so I repeat what I’m doing and I say “I don’t know how to say this in Bulgarian” She goes, oh! And give me a number of a window inside.

There are boxes on the wall behind the window. So I tell the lady I want to buy the 90 box. (it cost 0.90 BGN) and she looks at me like I am crazy! Then I point to the wall and say I want to buy…and she hands me a calculator. Lol. So I type in 90 and she gets the box. J

Then I go back to the hostel and get the souvenir stuff, pack it up and crate a customs form in Bulgarian and English for inside the ox (and a short cut for me to write on the outside of the box). And go back to the post office. I go up to one window and ask where to go. The lady  rattles off a huge slew of Bulgarian in very aggravated tones. So I say “I’m sorry, I only know a little Bulgarian.” She rolls her eyes and walks me back to the window where I bought the box.

 The lady opens the box and goes through it. Then she stamps the box and closes it with  plastic ties. And hands me a customs form. I fill it out in Bulgarian because there was a translated list next to the how to fill this out paper. Then I go back to the box widow and she says “33.”

 Assuming this means that I need to go to window 33, I head over there and hand the box to the lady. She looks at it and starts laughing. In English she says- no this form is supposed to be in English! I laugh and she hands me a different form.

After filling it out, she takes the package and looks at it. She’s all “Oh! You are an American! Well you can only send this via stamps.” (In my head: how else would I send it…) Out loud: “That is ok!” Well it cost 16 BGN to mail it non-express to the US.

Then it was off to a late lunch/early dinner at this vegetarian restaurant that I had found a brochure at the hostel for. Cabra. They had a menu in English and I had zucchini parmesan. It was seriously a whole zucchini! And fresh squeezed lemonaid.

It was also located in the Embassy area. That was kind of cool.

As I was walking back I passed the Museum of Modern Art and the National Gallery of Foreign Art. I decided that I would go there tomorrow, since I would regret it if I didn’t go!

Relaxing and packing back at the hostel. (oh and I did laundry)

 See you around the globe!

And the required Self portrait of the day: