Mostar Waters

We've been in Mostar for almost 36 hours and it's been raining the whole time, including the 20 minute walk from the bus station to the Old Town. No worries. The more water the better to fill the Neretva River and its tributaries that flow through the town and under the famous Old Bridge (Stari Most).

For some of the bus ride from Trebinje to Mostar we were above the snow line. But no falling snow - just rain.


Our first order of business after finding a hotel was to find some bureks for lunch.


The view from our hotel room at dusk.


The Old Bridge from several angles. ;-)










Mostar continues to rebuild from the destruction of the Bosnian War and there are still ruins around town.




But there are many improvements in progress such as this pedestrian street on the edge of the Old Town.


Today we made a day trip (using city buses) to nearby Blagaj which has a Dervish Monastery next to a cave where the Buna River comes bursting out of the mountain. Very cool!


The river coming out of the cave...The sound is from the waterfall just to my left out of the shot.


Monastery ceiling.


Sun-Ling by the prayer room.


Video from Blagaj.


Video: Call to prayer from Mostar.

Trebinje, BiH

Our first stop in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) is Trebinje, one-hour by direct bus from Herceg Novi, Montenegro.  When I first picked Trebinje last fall, it wasn't even listed in our old Lonely Planet.  John was very skeptical -- do they have hotels?!  It turns out that later editions of LP do include Trebinje.  During our trip research at home, we watched Circles (2013), which happened to be based on a real event that took place in the square in Trebinje and it was the best movie we watched all last year; powerful though harrowing.

Border crossing was super easy.  We didn't have to get off the bus at all.  Passports were handed over and passed back in the bus.  Trebinje is set in a picturesque valley with a river going through the middle.  We arrived in a light rain in the square - it is exactly how I remembered from the movie.  Remembering what happened in the movie, I felt a little shiver (no spoilers here).   We ended up staying in a big corner room overlooking the square, the same one Monica Bellucci stayed in when she was in town....

Today Trebinje is a peaceful town.  If we had been here in warmer and sunnier weather, I probably would have said cheerful.  There is virtually no sign of destruction.  There is a fair amount of building going on; new houses, new apartments, new churches....  There is a concerted effort to develop tourism, a mere 32km (driving distance) from Dubrovnik.  Vineyards are pervasive.  We happened upon them twice in one day, walking.  Yet I find it hard to let go -- what were these people thinking during 1990's Bosnian War?!  The answer is always the same -- they were not thinking.  I wonder how the town's people really think and feel today....

Trebinje.


Relaxing in our hotel room just after arriving in Trebinje.


The Square from our window. Normally it's busy with a market on the far side and folks sitting in the sun drinking coffee

And a normal morning on the square.


The Old Town along the banks of the Trebisnjica River.


Five way gate/arch in the Old Town.


The asymmetrical Old Bridge is scenic to say the least.






New Orthodox Church.


Tufahija, a Bosnian dessert, is a poached apple stuffed with walnuts and topped with whipped cream. Plus a shot of loza (grape brandy) to wash it down.


We walked 4kms out of town to Tvrdos Monastery where the monks have started a winery.


Here's their church.




The New Town.


The Muslim section of the cemetery.