Balkans Experience - 3

9^th december

At 8 am after breakfast we leave under the rain, heading to Mostar and Blagaj. On the way we stop at Kravica waterfall. So picturesque. By noon we have lunch at Labirint restaurant by the river. Soon after that we reach Mostar. Just like Kotor, Mostar is another medieval town, famous for its bridge. 

I perform my prayer at one of the many rustic mosques there. The water is so cold that I tremble while having my ablution.

I buy a Bosnian lamp to hang it in front of our main door at home and a few t-shirts for the children. Since the drizzle comes and goes, we stop at a café for Bosnian coffee. The portion of the coffee is so little hahaa just a few gulps would finish the whole cup. The price? 1.60 euro!! Layan.. by three pm we head for Blagaj Hotel which is just a few kilometres away. Oh before I forget, there are many beggars around Mostar and one of them is Fatima, a cute little girl.

She follows me around and begs me for money until I give in to her and present her with a few Bosnian dollar. If only I could bring Fatima home with me. Knnn..

At Blagaj Hotel, since it is located beside a river, trout freshly caught is served for dinner. Everyone gets a whole fish each. Luckily the sambal kicap provided by zai comes to the rescue to make our dinner bearable. We eat a slice of red velvet cake as dessert there.  At 10pm, I doze off.

10^th december

After breakfast, we walk to the nearby dervish lodge by the Buna river. 

I wish I could stay here for a few days to perform the suluk and khalwat. How I wish. Perhaps next time, in my private visit. Really!! Hahaa this lodge is frequented by dervish from all over Bosnia and some even come from other countries. There are two maqams inside the lodge and I am told by the caretaker, Ramiza, they are the graves of the two sheikhs who came here a couple of hundred years ago to open this lodge.

Now it is time for Sarajevo! Somebody mentions that snow fell the previous day in Sarajevo. I really hope we can experience it too. But before that we stop for lunch at a restaurant serving grilled mutton.

The restaurant is so cool because it is situated beside a beautiful river that is hugged by two mountains. Then we continue to Sarajevo and all along the road and hills and homes and vehicles, snow covers everything!! So white, so soft, so much!! Just like in the movie Narnia! Miko the bus driver stops the vehicle to let us feel the snow firsthand. It is my first time hahaa and I can’t help feeling like a jakun : ) I sit in the snow, throw it to my better half, until my hands can’t stand it anymore. Later at the outskirt of Sarajevo we stop at Vrelo Bosne, a park, which at this time of year is covered with snow and only snow.

So unreal!! The snow is so thick but we drag ourselves through it all so as to absorb the sensation. The surrounding is so white that the pictures we take look bluish. Ya Allah, I am so grateful for giving this opportunity to me and my wife because I do not know whether I can experience this again in the future. Sarajevo is not expecting any snow in the few days to come so this moment will live forever in my mind.

At 5 pm, we check into Hollywood Hotel, a grand place. It’s a big hotel. 

And for dinner, we are spoilt for choices coz there are too many dishes served in a buffet style. After dinner, I just chilled in my room. And the game between Man U and Man City is shown live. And Man U lose at home 1-2, after playing like a bunch of sissy!! Actually I want to ramble more about this game but I am afraid that I may be harsh with my criticism. Maybe some other time. Maybe. After the game ends, I have a drink with my missus and then it’s time for bed.

11^th december

My fever is getting worse. I felt it coming in Blagaj. But life has to go on, kann. So at 9 after breakfast, under the drizzle, leave for the war tunnel @ war museum. We have a first-hand experience on the remainings of the Balkan war of 1992. Then we go to the old town of Sarajevo. We walk in the drizzle and it is so damn cold. For two hour swe are free to do as we please. My wife and I buy t-shirts for the children (again!) and mementos (as usual!). then we treat ourselves to Bosnian chevab @ kebab and coffee at a local café. For 11 kuna, we get tila doner and a cup of coffee each. The portion of the chevab is so huge, I tell you. Before going back to the hotel my wife buys herself a ring (140 kuna).

After lunch we go to the nearby shopping complex to buy chocolate for back home. Hope they will turn out to be tasty. We go to Waikiki and I can’t resist the temptation to buy two shirts (untuk ngajo, okey!!). back at the hotel, after bath and dinner, get into bed early with the hope that my fever will disappear come tomorrow morning.