Saturday at Lake Bohinj

Lake Bohinj is a clear, blue, rocky lake in the Julian Alps. I think it would be fun to fish there. What? Yeah. The mountains rise right out of the water. I went to the lake with Monica from Portugal, who is by the way quite a character. We had a good time. We rented a canoe which was more like a two person kayak. We rowed across the lake and back. I was in the front and Monica kept accidentally dripping water on me and would sometimes whack me in the head with her paddle. Even so, we did get much better on the way back across the lake. Monica says we are now good enough to qualify for the Olympics. Team Portumerica? On the other side of the lake we swam to cool off. It worked. The water was frigid. As I was swimming, I noticed snow caps on the higher mountains. THAT is why it is so cold. Here are some pictures:

Sarajevo in Pictures

This is the Bosnian National Library which was burned by Serbian rebels in 1992. It is still in horrible condition, but maybe it will be renovated eventually. Here is a picture of the inside.

One of the many heaps of rugs for sale at the market.

The oldest part of the market at Baščaršija (the Turkishest quarter of Sarajevo). This market used to be used by silk traders passing through. Side note: I actually communicated the word Baščaršija to a taxi driver who then ripped me off, but then I ended up ripping him off by passing on a faulty bill someone had given me.

A typical shop in Baščaršija. The Turkish influence is very strong in Sarajevo. Ok, so I spent a lot of time shopping. Be ready: I bought some unusual gifts.

Just a shot of the street complete with scooter, mosque, and unsuspecting pedestrian.

Single serving friends I met on the tour offered by the gross hostel I stayed in. From left: Helen from Australia, Jesse from Montana, and Marin from Germany. We were watching the US vs. Italy soccer game.

A view of the hillside.

An aritsan at work. He's totally posing actually. He had just finished proudly showing me his picture in a book published by UNESCO World Heritage. I would be proud too.

Pigeon Square. I can't remember the Bosnian name.

Call me Jitters. This picture of a mosque at night had potential.

Again with the shaking or maybe its the lighting? This is the bridge where Austria-Hungarian Prince Franz Ferdinand and his wife were famously assassinated, triggering WWI.

There was some kind of honey festival and this guy was going from booth to booth on his scooter. And they say Americans are lazy.

A traditional Bosnian dish called Ćevapčići. Greasy, but delicious. For whatever reason, I have been drinking Cokes here. I don't drink them at home, except in calimochos. Maybe I feel the need to represent.

Cute house in the countryside. There were hundreds of stacks of hay like this one. Precious.

Trans-Europe Express

I made it to Sarajevo this evening. I was on the train for 13 hours! The bus ride back will only be 9.5 hrs, which I don't quite understand. It was miserable at times (some motion sickness, no a/c), but I have no regrets. It made me respect what Dad does even more, especially considering that I'm sure his seats are much less comfortable.

I wasn't expecting Bosnia to be just like Slovenia, but it is more different than I thought it would be. The countryside, for example, is nice at parts but is strewn with squalor more often than not. The Slovenian countryside looks like illustrations from a fairy tale. Bosnians are much less likely to speak English than Slovenes, which makes sense because Slovenia is a member of the EU. In Sarajevo, there is a mosque almost everywhere you look. And then there are the reminders of war: noticeable bomb damage and cemeteries full of graves from 1992-1995. These are the differences that stuck me immediately. I have only been here a few hours. I am fascinated by this part of the world's history. I didn't know much at all about it until the train ride afforded me to opportunity to read up. I bought Lonley Planet Western Balkans (specific!) and it has been most helpful. Anyway, I'm glad I have this blog, because I'm traveling alone this weekend and I need someone to share with. Thanks you guys!

Countries 19 & 20

Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina

Tomorrow I am taking the day off "work" to travel to Sarajevo for the weekend. The train from Ljubljana conveniently connects in Zagreb with about a 2 hr layover (not sure if it's called that with trains). This way I can see a bit of the Croatian capital without making another trip. (I hear Zagreb is worth visiting, but doesn't warrent a very long visit.) I'm not really sure what to expect from Sarajevo, but it is one of those places I've always wanted to go.

Scenes from The Slovenian Coast

I took these pictures this weekend in the towns of Piran and Izola. As you can probably see, the weather was perfect, and I had a wonderful time. The girls you don't recognize are Mariana, Brina, and Tatjana. The showed me around.

I had the great idea to wind down before bed on Saturday by watching some TV. The only English language movie on was Jaws. So, I watched about half an hour of it. Then in the morning, I went swimming there in the Adriatic. Paranoid from the movie, I got a little freaked out when I heard some unusual splashing. It was not a shark though, just a completely naked woman. I am soo not in Kansas anymore.