It wasn't so long ago we listened as veteran news anchors tongue-tripped over "Herzegovina." It may also be the fist time I heard the term "ethnic cleansing." It was one of those wars in a place we knew nothing about, let alone the cause. Now we are here, have read the history of the conflicts and I still can't understand why. Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) of today is peaceful and vibrant, at least here in Sarajevo.
You can still see the scars of war, bullet riddled walls, bombed out buildings and the occasional "Sarajevo Rose," filled in shell craters filled with blood red acrylic. Psychological signs are less visible, mainly beggars who have lost limbs or worse, hope.
BiH may be at peace today, but it is still a country divided. It is made up of the Republic of Srbska and the Federation of BiH, of Serbs and Croats, of Orthodox Christians and Muslims. of Bosnians and Bosniaks. And it should come as no surprise that they can't agree on much; Julian tells us parliament hasn't been in session for a couple of years.
But Sarajevo is fun, especially the old city. It's a mixture of Austo-Hungarian and Ottoman architecture, punctuated by the exclamation points of countless mosques. The Latin Bridge is the actual point where the shot that killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand was fired from, resulting in the War to End All Wars. Stylish young women walk alongside of those in traditional Muslim garb. Designer shops sit alongside donner kebab stands, everything blanketed with a pall of smoke from the suburban wood fires.
We have met some interesting people in addition to Julian. Ed, from Melbourne, stopped in for coffee at "Macka's," the only place in town, he says, that brews a drinkable cup. And I agree! His work for the IMF has taken him to 93 countries. Young Mandy, from England, was guiding his little sister and his mum around the National Museum, explaining everything he learned from his school trip. They have lived in Sarajevo for a couple of years but will be returning soon to England.
Julian's friend, Andrew, joined us for dinner. He is a 26 year-old Brit, an archeologist by trade, now working on a stipend for the Bosnian civil service. He is also researching the origin and the recent disappearance of Sarajevo's "roses." Can you imagine being that young and pulling up stakes in Columbia or Wales to work in Sarajevo? Our journey is easy - theirs takes real guts!
