Mostar

Today was quite a day. It started around 715 when I awoke to my alarm, hopped into my clothes, grabbed my stuff and went downstairs. I had arranged with the hotel that a taxi should come get me at 730 to bring me to the bus station by 745 for my 8am train. But I wasn't convinced the message got through. So as always I had a plan b.  If taxi doesn't arrive by 735, I have zero time to waste as the train station was a 25 minute walk. When I booked, or so I thought, the taxi it was so hot, but the morning was shaping up nicely. So when the taxi did not arrive, I booked it and made it with a few minutes to spare.

To go to Mostar, we had to leave Croatia, enter Bosnia, then go back to Croatia and finally back to Bosnia. Bosnia is not an EU member state so I now have many randomly new stamps!

Met an American on the bus who is actually staying at the same hotel as me. Was nice to talk to someone in person. The last place was a full apartment to myself so it was easy to keep to myself.

4 hours later, I stopped in mostar and took a risk, the girl I met chose to go right on to sarajevo without a stop in mostar, and I worried I had made a mistake. What if there were no more busses?  What if they were full?  What if?  What if?  But I was determined to see mostar and took the risk.

Mostar is marketed as a fairy book town that centers on a replica of an ottoman bridge, a gift from the turks (that was bombed past use in the 90s but rebuilt exactly as it was in 1500s) Obviously I took the bait. The city itself was average, but the "old town" which was a series of rock/cobblestone lanes that resembled a bazaar, with mostly shops and restaurants on either side of the bridge was pretty extraordinary.

The bridge is a little slippery when dry, so I was a bit nervous going up and down but the view was fantastic. Found a place to eat and in a very bohemian or Arabic(not really sure what to call) style restaurant that was arranged in wooden couches with pillows and mostly outdoors. Hookah was served. I made friends with two little Bosnian boys, naturally.  One of them spoke near perfect English(I find out later his dad is a waiter at the restaurant and an associate professor of English and literature) and his cousin did not know that much but tried hard to interact. The boy was so excited to have someone to converse with in English and we talked for quite a while. His dad finally shooed him away when I got my food. It was a Bosnian gyro kinda, with minced meat and this amazing bread. But then the heavens opened up and I wound up chilling there for nearly 2 hours reading.

I then braved the drizzle to cross back over the slightly treacherous when dry and now wet bridge to purchase a wood painting of the bridge. I feel so grown up!  I bought a souvenir for myself that wasn't  $5.

Got back on the bus and it took about 3 hours to get to sarajevo. I was sad not to be able to meet up with a few people I met at a tour a few days earlier but i messaged them too late.

The bus ride was beautiful, but it rained the whole way. It ran along a river that was almost perfectly blue, with houses and small towns dotted throughout. Gorgeous.

I arrived after dark and had the fun task of knowing the taxi cost $5 and having drivers tell me $15 and $10.  I was warned that the drivers here try to rip you off. One even said, "if it's so close, you can walk," as it's raining and dark.

I am now here and trying to figure out what to do for my one day in town with a likelihood of all day raining.