.jpg)
Getting into Bosnia proved more difficult than expected… We were turned away from one border because we did not have the correct papers, and got briefly stranded in no-mans-land (between Croatia and Bosnia) whilst our papers were sorted on the second crossing attempt. Entry successful and my first impression was that Bosnia and Herzegovina is very mountainous, and as a result very pretty. However signs of the recent conflict are apparent, with bullet and shell marked buildings on the road to, and within, Sarajevo. A large new grave site was also visible on the road.
Known as where the east meets the west, Sarajevo itself is the most remarkable city that we have visited. After declaring their independence from Yugoslavia, the city was held under siege by the Yugoslav Peoples Army (the Bosnian Serbs) from 1992 to 1995. The reasons for the siege are complex, but basically boil down to: Serbia’s wish to dominate the region, Croatia’s desire for more land, and a general persecution of the Muslim people (whom made up the majority of the cities population).
Totally surrounded from the hills and besieged from within; the locals built a tunnel under the UN held airport in order to obtain munitions, oil and food from their supporters in the free land to the west. Against all odds Sarajevo never surrendered, making this the longest city siege in known history. As a testament to those that fought, a healthy mix of Churches, Mosques and Synagogues still occupy the small streets of the old town today. Sarajevo is possibly the most cultural and religiously diverse city you could ever visit.
During our stay, we were taken on a tour of the (formally mentioned) war tunnel and the surrounded hills by a soldier who had helped to defend the city. One of the remarkable stories that he told was how they used to swap cigarettes for alcohol with the enemy across the front. At times the battle front’s were less than 15 meters apart, and one soldier from each site would make the exchange in no-mans-land. This story more than any other, brought home to me the stark human realities of war. Real people lived and fought for their lives and homes, in a ‘civilised’ Europe, only a decade ago.
Upon leaving Sarajevo we drove to the Serbian border intending to visit Belgrade. We actually entered Serbia; however the same could not be said for our car - Unfortunately it would have cost us too much to obtain the documents necessary to drive through the country… we turned round and decided to head north to our next stop – Lithuania.
