We began the tour in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia Herzegovina and a region that was heavily affected by the war in the 1990s that resulted from ethnic tensions between Serbians, Bosnians and Croats living together in Yugoslavia. It was unbelievable to see how much damage the war caused in Sarajevo. Almost every single building was damaged from bullet holes or shells, the economy and tourism suffered, and the diversity that the city had once seen amongst its inhabitants lessened. That being said, Sarajevo was one of the most interesting places I've ever seen in terms of religious diversity - it is probably second only to Jerusalem. In the Old Town of the city you can find a mosque, a christian Orthodox Church, a Catholic Church, and a synagogue. We visited the Catholic Church and the Mosque on our tour. Our guide was Muslim, and says that although she doesn't participate in the 5 daily prayers today, that she did during the war - she said that "during the war, everyone was praying." My mom and I gained an even deeper understanding of the take that the war had on individuals when we spoke with one of our waitresses, who said that the war broke out when she was just 19 - so excited to get out and experience the world for herself. Her mother was muslim and her father was orthodox, and the war pitted her family against one another. I couldn't imagine being in such a tense and unpredictable situation. Unfortunately, during my first full day in Sarajevo I came down with a strep infection that stayed with me for the duration of the trip.
We left Sarajevo on the 3rd day to journey to Dubrovnik, Croatia. My Mom had been there before with her Mediterranean cruise, but it was my first time to visit. On the way to Dubrovnik, however, we were able to stop in one last Bosnian town for lunch - Mostar. Mostar is an incredible town. It was the second most damaged city behind Sarajevo from the war of the 90s, but it is home to one of the most beautiful bridges in the world - the Old Bridge, which was originally built during the Ottoman Empire in a Turkish arch style. The view from the bridge was just gorgeous, but the stones that made up the bridge were so slippery that it was an adrenaline rush just to walk across it. I suppose the locals got over that adrenaline rush though, because there were many men who were seeking an even bigger rush by JUMPING off the bridge! They would walk the bridge in their speedos among all of the tourists gathering tips, and when they decided that they had earned enough, they jumped! It was amazing to see.
After Mostar we got caught up at the border - it took us almost 3 hours to get through, but once we made it to Dubrovnik all that tension went away as we were greeted with a wonderful buffet dinner and the most gorgeous sunset I have ever seen. And... the Australian Water Polo team was staying at my hotel. That was a gorgeous sight in itself. The spa at the hotel was wonderful as well - complimentary saunas with relaxation rooms, cold water, ice showers, and hot tea. It was exactly what I needed being so sick - it didn't heal me, but it made me feel better for the time being which was so needed. The next day we toured the Old Town, and had the chance to have lunch on one of the most beautiful terraces I have ever seen. I took about an hour to explore the Old Town by myself, and decided that it would be nice to bring my mom some ice cream when I left to meet back up with her. The stand that I bought the ice cream from was only a 2 minute walk from our meeting spot, but the weather was HOT, and by the time I reached my mom ice cream had melted EVERYWHERE. I had ice cream on my purse, on my dress, on my shoes and all over my hands. It was quite the comical moment. The good news - it tasted delicious.
After Dubrovnik we travelled to Split and Trogir, the two places I had visited two summers ago with my friends during my study abroad experience. I found my old hostel, and explored the city to see how it had changed. I must say, it is still magical. Trogir is still one of the most charming spots I have ever been to, and I can't wait to be able to stay in the town for a longer period.
Probably one of the most AMAZING parts of my trip was getting to travel to the Plitvice Lakes. They are a series of over 7 lakes connected to one another through waterfalls, and they are just gorgeous. My camera skills couldn't capture their beauty, but check them out anyways and schedule a trip to see them for yourself - it's the most amazing place in the world! The only thing that would make it better is the ability to swim in the lakes.
