Today, we are still in Bosnia Herzegovina... this time in the Herzegovina province. Mostar is like a smaller version of Sarajevo... beautiful old city... racked by war damage... crystal clear river racing through its centre... surrounded by dramatic mountains. The sad part about Mostar is that the war damage was done very near the end of the war. Mostar is small and it takes only a few bus loads of tourists to fill the streets to overflowing. We are hoping that after dinner... when all the buses have departed... we can get a strong sense of medieval ghosts creeping out from between the rocks... a bent over Turkish Iman with a long white beard touching the ground... a strutting Austrian twirling his waxed moustache ... Jewish girls selling pastries along the market streets. You don't believe in ghosts? You haven't been to the Balkans!
Mostar lies on an important trade route.. the Ottomans used the town as a regional administration centre... invested in infrastructure... even provided funds for the construction of orthodox churches and schools. When the Austrian-Hungarian's siezed control, they also used Mostar for its important geography. The three wars of the twentieth century are as messy and confusing for Mostar as anywhere in the Balkans.
Take a look at the bridge in the photos... some 24 metres above the river. For a charge of 30 Euros you will be allowed to stand on the side of the bridge and dive into the rapidly flowing river beneath. What happens to the 30 euro charge? That covers the cost of the 'frog-men' who will fish your body out if you happen to break your neck... drown from becoming concussed... or generally die from doing such a silly thing. For a lesser cost, you can throw money into the hats of the young men... when they have collected 30 Euros, they will wave to you to let you know its time to take a photo... then they will stand on the side of the bridge and dive down the 28 metres.
Tomorrow, we move onto Dubrovnik, Croatia... the last day of touring with the Tucan group (6 other people). We have enjoyed the luxury of a tour leader worrying about logistical issues. We have enjoyed the company of a terrific group of fellow travellers. In spite of these advantages, we are looking forward to setting our own pace... stopping for a photo whenever we please... travelling at our own pace... and making decisions without too many compromises.
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