Lies and Propaganda

Getting Down with my Bad Self

Thursday, July 14, 2005

So far away

Well, we are back. And for all you folks keeping track at home, that is 2 more countries I can scratch off my list. (technically it was three countries, but because I had been to Italy before, I can't count that in my totals. Just wanted you to know that I was being honest.)

The trip was amazing. I always find I have trouble getting back into normal life after a big trip like this...because the day to day seems so mundane in comparison. No excitement. No energy....things seem much less colorful. If only because you've seen such bright colors on your travels.

For example...Three days ago we were wandering the cobblestone streets of Rome...no where to be...we ate when we were hungry--or just tired of walking. We explored new smells, new tastes, new culture. The charm of the city was practically another person on the trip with us. Who knew what would be around the next corner? A masterpiece? A ruin that was essentially older than time? It could be anything, and in Rome, it often was. I know it won't seem like much to the people who live in Rome, but to us it was magical and inspiring.

And today I have to get my car inspected. I think I make my point.

We went to the following places...in Bosnia--we went to Jaharina, Sarajevo, Buna, and Mostar. In Croatia we went to Dubrovnik. In Italy--(I bet you can guess this one) we went to Rome.

Bosnia is an unbelievably gorgeous country. Mountains, valleys, rivers, and lakes...breathtaking views. The city of Sarajevo is like a beatifully talented ballet dancer with a huge cement slab tethered to her. She can move with it, but is sure does hinder those leaps. The first thing we noticed is that most all of the houses in town were still completely shelled...evidence of mortar attacks looked as fresh as I could imagine. The buildings had such bad acne they were worse than me as a teen. But people were living in them. Laundry was strung up to dry, there were plants on balconies, tv anntenas, etc. One building would be full of inhabitants, and the next one two feet away was just a hulking shell, missing both it's roof and left wall. We learned that people don't go back into some of these bombed out places because they have been booby trapped by their old inhabitants when they were forced to leave the city during the siege. So some buildings stand partially wrecked and completely deserted, even if the neighbors are so close they could spit on the place.

But in spite of this, the place is beautiful. Maybe even because of this...it's beautiful, and hauntingly sad. But there are people everywhere, doing everyday things. There are also many people just hanging out, because there is very bad unemployment. So people go to cafes, and sit all day with one cup of coffee because they have no where else to go.

And the history.
We stood in the spot where Franz Ferdinand was killed with his wife Sophia--the event which triggered WWI. We went to a mosque that was built in the 14th century. We also went to a synagogue turned museum that was about 400 years old. And a church that was 500 years old (which both Jason and Bonnie tried to wreck, but that is another story all together!)

You could feel the strength and character of the place, it pulled from all around you. Really a dramatic place to visit.

And Dubrovnik was unbelievable...an ancient walled city essentially left unchanged for hundreds and hundreds of years. It had a feeling all it's own, like you were set apart from the rest of the world there. We took a tour on the top of the wall, and the views were spectacular.

We will post a link to some pictures later (we took a gazillion. Really--we filled up TWO memory cards!), and probably from J's blog, because well, he's got the smarts on how to do that...

Yes we are back, and I feel so far away. I guess I will have to wait for my heart to catch up.