Sarajevo- beauty and conflict

One doesn't come close to major historic events all that often but today I found myself standing almost on the exact spot where Gavrilo Princip stood to make his mark on the world. 100 years and 2 months to the day ( June 28th 2014) earlier he raised a pistol and fired 2 shots that would bring the Western World to the brink of chaos.
 Following a failed bombing attempt earlier that morning Archduke Ferdinand and his Wife were shot as their motorcade travelled through Sarajevo. An event that triggered the start of World War I.
 This was just part of a walking tour of the town led by a young local girl who was too young to have seen the later conflict in the '90's but still had a good knowledge of the events. Two hours later enriched with a better knowledge, but not neccessarily a better understanding our group broke for lunch.
 On a side street in the old quarter I was introduced to a local traditional meal Cevapi- local skinless sausages ( lamb and veal or lamb and beef) inserted into a local pita bread with onions.

 Following the meal and a brief sista back at the hotel, our group set out again for a minivan tour of the project known as the Tunnel of Hope. This was hand dug by inhabitants of the city during the seige of Sarajevo, an event that lasted 1425 days during 1992-1995. built directly beneath the main runway of the town airport by local military and common folks, It served as a lifeline to the city for food and essentials from the adjacent 

          free areas of Bosnia. The tunnel  entrance was (is) located in the back yard of a house which bore the marks of bullet holes and mortar attacks. In the back yard a local guide explained his perspective on the seige. A local who witnessed the conflict as a child, he was wounded while playing soccer on a town street.

Approximately 11,000 people, many civilians were killed during the conflict, their bodies intered at several massive cemeteries clearly visible on the slopes leading down to the town from the upper hills.

 Following a walk through the accessible part of the tunnel we returned to the city via a circutious route which offered views of the town and a visit to the remains of the bobsled run from the 1984 Olympics- now much in ruin due to shelling in the conflict.                                                                                                                       

29 days and counting!!!

In just over a month I will embark on a journey that will probably prove to the world just how adventurous (crazy) I am.

By way of proof, see the attached e-mail I received from a hotel owner living near one of my planned travel routes.

I have recently consulted with friends who live on the upper Rio Coco along BOSAWAS as well as family who live in Waspam. They do not recommend travel to the upper Rio Coco by tourists (aka foreigners) at this time due to several factors: 1) Nicaragua and Honduras have been at odds recently, and, those tensions have not subsided, 2) Due to the high price for gold, there is a lot of artesenal mining taking place along the river with consequent assaults by heavily armed persons looking to take gold and cash from people who might be buyers, and, 4) The area has become a major drug trafficking route with many dangerous people who don´t want strangers poking around!

Needless to say, I have amended my travel plans just a teeny bit.

  Normally when I do travel, I tend to map out my planned route in great detail, checking and amending plans as the date gets closer and closer. This trip is strictly by the seat of my pants. I do know that my flight for Managua leaves Detroit on December 27^th, but after that……??

 I have a hotel booked in Granada for a month, but at $20 per night I won’t lose too much sleep if I end up somewhere else for a few days.

  A trip to the Corn Islands might be a possible option for 3 or 4 days, assuming the flights are not too expensive. Then again, there is the opportunity to see several of the sites that were missed on the last trip- Volcan Masaya at night, a canoe trip to Las Isletas, the small islands which dot the lake adjacent to Granada. [ Actually formed when Volcan Mombacho erupted several thousand years ago, dumping large hunks of lava and rock into the lake]

Another interesting option is the crater lake of Apoyo, near Masaya- A water filled crater formed during an ancient eruption which is now home to some unusual fish species. Luckily the place has not been discovered by many of the Gringo Gang which sticks to the "tried and true" tourist sites of the country. 

  One can still get a room for less than $50 a night with warm and cold running water. 

  I say that with tongue in cheek cause one of the biggest "whines" on tripadvisor.com is " No-one told me the hotel didn't have hot water." Sorry folks, this is Nicaragua- the onlly way you can get into hot water here is trying to pick up married women!!LOL. 

   Seriously, a hot shower in Nica is a pleasure that is often only offered at the more " upscale" hotels- i.e. those costing over $40 a night!

  At least you don't have to worry about your clothing shrinking in hot water. As for body parts! well lets not go there :~(

     Adios Amigos

  

 

The adventure begins soon

Edited November 27th
    The countdown begins for my next big trip- 50 days 30 days and counting.
The location, Central America. The place- Nicaragua. A sedentary 2 weeks in Granada to start things off, followed by a more strenuous tour of the southern parts of the country with maybe a quick trip- 10 days or so into Costa Rica.
I had originally planned a trip into the Bosawas Biosphere in the North East part of the country but was warned off on account of the extreme dangers that exist in the area- largely related to drug smuggling towards the USA
 As I look outside my window while editing this previous post, the reflections from a nearby streetlight show me that snow has turned my black car an eerie shade of white.
  It is clearly time to start making a few lists and checking them twice and believe me, it has nothing to do with Santa. The worst thing you can do at the end of a trip is unpack your bag realizing that you didn't use 30% of the "stuff" you dragged along.