Hotel Saraj Sarajevo

... It’s a sombre reminder of what these people went through, and I couldn’t help but feel guilty of being an Australian citizen, we’re so removed from this sort of thing, tucked away in our little corner of the world. Makes me wonder why we have an army at all? Then I remembered it’s so our ex leader could follow the USA’s ex leader into a war that we had no business being in. Why can’t we be like Switzerland, neutral and good with ...

... of travelling again but it was so awesome.
Today i visited some of the war museums and did some more strolling. I had the best kebab ive ever had for $1.80 and did some people watching with a Finnish fella I met at lunch whilst drinking some tinnies in the main square. Unfortunately, the people at my hostel seem a little lame but the Fin is up for some more pivo tonight so next blog I will give you a rundown of the Sarajevan nightlife.

... and armed with a (now recognised as not up to the job) tourist map, set out on foot for the remaining 2km. This is when it began REALLY raining. Several wrong turns later and we were standing bedraggled outside a Mini-mart in the middle of nowhere.    The Bosnian shopkeeper's directions were unintelligible, but the entrepreneurial spirit of the guy buying fags was there for all to see. Five minutes and ten Bosnian Marks later we were there. 

... crowds. I get paranoid that people can smell me, and I assume backpacker grim isnt the nicest smell. The city of Sarajevo is very steeped in the history of tradgedy. Not 3 blocks away from our hostel was the bridge, called the Latin Bridge, that Franz Ferdinand was assasinated on, starting the spiralling events of World War I. It is creepy to be around and look at even in the day light. You can read the exact spot that he was shot at, if your so ...

... go on Haris's tour! Yea! So glad because he helped us understand from a local's perspective what it was like to live in Sarajevo during the war. First of all, you have to know that Haris is only 20. He started the hostel when he was about 15, and it was the 3rd Hostel in all of Bosnia. They say the war ended childhoods early, and Haris is a perfect example of that. He is friendly but also means all business too. We would say he has done a great job of making a name for himself ...

... which was a one room museum focusing on the assassination of the Franz Ferdinand and his wife. It was in my opinion the perfect museum --- cheap (75c), concise, and to the point. The next day I headed over to the Holiday Inn, which was built for the Winter Olympics in 1984, but is now a symbol of the city because it was the wartime home of international journalists as well as being on the street known as 'Sniper ...

... the old town, very cool cobbled streets. Then climbed back down the hill and walked across the bridge from the movie Gloomy Sunday, dont worry we didnt think about jumping.. I visited the terror museum on communism while Julia rested, and it was well worth it. It was quite new and had amazing displays which were visually very effective. They had a beautiful momorial in the basement to the victims with candles and dark blakc crosses. I learnt a lot. That evening we went to ...

... We agreed to take a look, and sure enough, Lena met us at the bus station, took us to her house, and set us up with a sweet room for 10 euros apiece. In Sarajevo, however, the place turned out to be a total dump. I have a feeling Mitch will write about this, so I won't elaborate.... Just believe me when I tell you you wouldn't want to stay the night there, much less two. Of course, we were too nice to say no because the woman walked us from the train station, bought us ...

... explore the Turkish Quarter. The Turkish Quarter was complete with winding streets, endless donar vendors and bearded men selling everything from copper coffee pots to shoelaces while women in colourful burquas and headscarves walked by. Literally dozens of mosques dot the streets in Sarajevo, and the call to prayer five times a day made it feel just like being back in the Middle East. The streets had a distinctly European feel, though, with one city ...

... location where Gavrilo Princip fired that fateful shot at Franz Ferdinand - is the Buybook bookstore, a haven for progressive literature and great books on Bosnia & Hercegovinian history. Highly recommended. We met a half-mad young lady there who reaffirmed the conviction that Sarajevo is a great place to be. After getting us tipsy on homemade Bosnian honey liqueur and giving us the low down on the Sarajevan cultural scene, she sent us on our merry way.