Mostar, 1

After two days of rain and high wind, we finally ventured into Mostar June 28th, parking at the insurance agency where Tarik's daughter works and taking a cab the rest of the way. As usual, our interest was pretty strictly the old town, and, in particular in renewing our acquaintance with Turkish culture. It's unlikely we'll ever be able to return there.

First stop was the rebuilt St. Francis cathedral

Still under construction; but its bell tower surely will be taller than any of the
minarets in town, which is what the Christians want...

Anti-evil eyes everywhere, like we are in a Turkish bazaar;
called a "nazar" they ward off bad luck

Large parts of Mostar have not been rebuilt and probably won't be for some
time

Typical local embroidery shoppe

More 1992-1994 was damage; almost always in evidence

The little bridge; when the Turks decided to build the bridge for which Mostar
is famous, in the 16th century, they first constructed this little bridge as a trial;
it survived the war but then was washed away in a flood; and rebuilt just as it
was

Limestone slab roofing

The (rebuilt) Mostar bridge; it took some years, getting stone from the same
quarry as the original, using 16th century techniques; but it's back, a symbol
of resurgence in Bosnia-Hertzegovina

Among my goals for Mostar was to have a cup of Bosnian coffee, which is
pretty much like Turkish coffee; the first cafe we went into, from which the
above shots were taken, only had European coffee (!); so, already buzzed up,
we moved on to the real thing

Cafe Alma; they only have 3 tables; but kaffe is what they do

Refreshing thought

My coffee, includes water and a Turkish delight

The instruction by the Dan Akroyd look-alike was
informative and free

While we were there, they were roasting beans in this propane-fueled roaster,
made in Izmir

Large misting fan; not needed this cool day

Street scene

Just before you get to the bridge is the office of the divers' club, a confraternity
of those who dive for money; big tradition; we've seen it done in Oporto too

Copper-beater; is he wearing a copper-beater shirt?

The bridge, with someone about to take the plunge (not to be continued since
I got distracted and missed the dive)

On Further To Mostar And Rain

June 26th we decamped in rain and then drove on in the first of what would be a three-day light rain. The fourth day the rain let up and permitted us to see Mostar (next post). Then we drove on to Sarajevo and several more days of rain. But there is always plenty of interest in this to us new and different land.

Passing by an old Muslim cemetery near Stolac

Fortifications above Stolac

Some miles down the road toward Mostar, and on both sides of the road, an
ancient necroplis

Byzantine, 13th-15th centuries, the guidebook said; the practice discontinued
after the population mostly converted to Islam in the 16th

So this, in case you're wondering, is what the signage looks like for a culturally
interesting necropolis; in BeH

We found our campground, along the river; nice folks, a woman and her son

Nice quiet place except for the church bells that range starting at 6AM; there
was a small mosque nearby but it was strangely silent (the one in Sarajevo
made up for that)

Between showers, I went for several walks...staying on the
sidewalks!

On To Bosnia-Herzegovina

After our memorable lunch we hit the road again, climbing out of the Ria of Kotor to the heights above, on through some of Montenegro's highlands, and then into Boznia-Herzegovina. We stopped at Trebinije, partly to adjust and partly to get steps and partly to get some some B-H marks; and then drove on to a campground near Strolac.

Good-bye, Perast

And Our Lady on the Rocks

And Ria of Kotor mussel farms

And Ria of Kotor

In the Montenegrin heights, a goat attack

Welcome to Bosnia-Herzegovina

More mountains ahead

In Trebinije; oh my, not the 1st Baptist Church...

Its wall

War memorial...so many wars in this land

City park

In the cathedral

Never miss a St. Mark

Another war memorial

At the "Heaven in Nature" auto camp near Stolac; the manager, Tarik, welcomed
us with coffee and a long conversation about the area and Bosnia-Hertzegovina;
a former taxi driver, with superb English; his brother served in the US Navy but
has now returned to B-H; Tarik further arranged parking for us in Mostar to see
the town; definitely not in Kansas, Todo, with this great hospitality

The beautiful clear river by the campground