Friday, March 4th. Drove out to the Tunnel Museum. The Tunnel was built in 1993, under the airport, which was controlled by the UN. About 2,600 feet long, 3 feet wide and 5 feet tall. Had rails, ventilation, and lights from a waterwheel-powered generator. Used extensively to resupply the city’s defenses.

A veteran recounted a few of his experiences. The worst part of the siege was the existence of snipers who targetted anyone who moved. Doctors and nurses were the first priority, but they weren’t picky. After nearly 30 years, he still had trouble talking about it.

Afterwards I walked up to the “Yellow Fort” (I don’t know why it got that name), then the large mansion I photographed yesterday. Though not visible from a distance, it’s surprisingly ruined! A true fixer-upper.

In the late afternoon we had a speaker talk about his thoughts on “Yugoslavia”. He wants the nations to reunify, and has created some altered history to fit his reasoning. Nice guy, but he’s a journalist with fantastical thoughts. It was an interesting alternative to what we’ve heard before.

Dinner was fun. My fellow tourists are opening up. I took photos of the waitresses and cook and printed them out. They were so happy, I received a complimentary small bottle of Rakija liqueur.

Tomorrow we spend the night in a small vilage, so wifi is doubtful.

Thursday, March 3rd. Walking Tour of the city. Visited the street corner where Princip killed the Archduke and wife. Was a cafe, now it’s a museum. Lunch was nibble food of pastries containing cheese, meat, or potato. I walked to the Sarajevo Brewery and tasted two beers. Beautiful space. Their museum was closed. (Sarajevo has a lot of museums.) Extensive tram system, too many cars. Many times I had to walk on the street because the sidewalks were used as parking spots.

Lots and lots of souviner shops, much less intensive salemenship than other cities, though as soon as looked at something for the customary three seconds, the proprietor would get a shopping bag ready to drop it in. Too much smoking. Over 100 mosques. Famously has a catholic church, orthodox church, mosque, and synagogue all within 200 yards of one another. The tourist area is very clean.

The evening was a home-hosted dinner. Extremely knowledgable host with a very cute 4 year-old daughter and 16 year-old daughter who spoke better English than I with no trace of an accent. As usual, I had real misgivings entering a house with zero knowledge of the host. I consider it rude not to learn something in advance. But it’s OAT’s way.

At least four in our group of 13 got food poisoning, probably during breakfast. Two skipped their home dinner, two got the symptoms during dinner. It happens. The hotel seems extremely understaffed and undertrained.

Wednesday, March 2nd. Today I ate an oyster. A first. But I’d slathered so much lemon juice on it, then swallowed it so rapidly, I have no idea how it tasted. But I didn’t enjoy the experience.

Left Dubrovnik for Sarajevo. The bus ride was long, but much more interesting than a plane flight. Visited a Salt factory and old territory that build a long wall to protect themselves from invaders.

Due to some ancient agreement, Bosnia & Herzegovina has a 15 mile extension that reaches the Adriatic. So one must go through B&H (and it’s Customs) to get from the southern part of Croatia to the main part. There’s a Croatian peninsula which juts north of the B&H section, so Croatia has had built (by China) a bridge from the mainland north of B&H out to the peninsula. It’s completed, but not the roadway. Due to open next year. It’s beautiful. What will happen financially to the resort town in B&H when the bypass opens is a mystery.

Had the oyster experience. The cost was $1 per oyster. Surprisingly, their oysters have a 50% or less survival rate.

Arrived in Mostar for lunch. Mostar has one of the more famous ancient bridges in the world. Destroyed during their 1990’s war, then rebuilt with donations from many countries, mostly Italy. Pretty. Lunch was okay. Souvenir shops were plentiful, but not oppresive.

As we approached Sarajevo snow appeared in the hills, but there was none on the road. A relief, because the roads did not look safe.

Had dinner in Sarajevo. Delicious local cevapi, sausages nestled in a half-loaf of flatbread. Very satisfying.

Though it was a long day on a bus, we took frequent interesting stops. During the ride, our Leader tried to explain the 1990s wars. Many people slept instead.

Tuesday, March 1^st. A well-paced day. At the top of the hill overlooking Dubrovnik is an old fort that was converted into a museum documenting the Serbian (Yugoslavian) Army’s siege of the city in 1991-4. Marvelous view of the surroundings. We attended a lecture by a survivor who was 20 during when the siege began. Very illuminating. Though the citizens are forgiving, the museum makes it clear that they aren’t forgetting. Harsh words are used throughout the display.

In the afternoon we walked the city walls. Many, many step steps leading up, then down. The perimeter follows the contour of the ground beneath and is not flat by any means. The views into the city are impressive, comparing old roofs and the new roofs that reflect repairs from battle damage. Today was beautiful weather, making great photography easy. Fantastic blues.

In the late afternoon we visited a restaurant that doubles as a family-run business making olive oil, orange candies, figs, brandy, liqueur, and wine. The owner gleefully described the process for each product. Following that we had a large dinner with music, ending with a short group dance (hint: everyone had tasted the liqueur, brandy, and wine).

An aside: Dubrovnik has a massive car problem, so there are many Smart Cars. The two main roads above the old city are both one way, a curious but necessary feature. The point is that there is no short way to get around.

Monday, February 28th. Bus ride included passing through immigration, which was thorough. The drive entailed a long and fast trip on a nearly sea level road along a long and winding bay off the Adriatic. Rising seas will have an impact. Got off for boat ride to Kotor, which allows for a better perspective of the rising mountains all around. Towns are long and narrow. Though many of the towns appear new, Kotor itself was clearly old.

Kotor has a long history, which seems to also be a largely quiet one. Montenegro has the distinction of never becoming part of the Ottoman Empire, either through wise diplomacy or the possibility that it had nothing the Ottomans wanted. Fortifications very high on the mountains were built over a span of centuries. A climb to the top involves 1,300 steps. (There’s an annual race, up and down.) The section of town that we toured was 100% tourism. Too many souvenir shops. It had the feel of Disneyland, with Anaheim a short distance away that goes unvisited. I think I’d have preferred trying to climb the 1,300 steps. Many, many Orthodox churchs. Citizens seem unusually tall. Had delicious lamb soup and bread. Had my first taste of Rakija, a traditional brandy in the region. Not bad.

The return through immigration included an entertaining look at what they do to visiters who come from Albania, home of smugglers. The car was essentially strip searched.

Walked into the Old Town for dinner on my own. Again, delicious.