Sarajevo has been settled from prehistoric times but became a major city during the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century. Many religous groups, Islam, Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Judaism lived together for hundreds of years and continue today. The various religous places of worship still stand next to each other in the old town.
I followed the war Bosnian War, with the EU, UN politics from the comfort of Melbourne and the TV, but the real impact of the war has only just hit me. The stories about how people lived in Sarajevo, sniper alley, no power or runnning water, only food aid and burying the dead in local football fields and parks for a period of 4 years is mind numbing. After almost 15 years the majority of the city looks as it was and people have rebuilt their lives (to a degree) but from talking to people there is discontent with politics in this young democracy.
I only touched the surface but it has left an impact on me.
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Hey Benny, how I only wish we were there with you. I have heard Sarajevo is pretty confronting. Keep the blogs coming - we love it! (that is when we get time to read them between dull patches of work!) Keep the hand signals going....we expect you to have a long beard, tattoos and forty piercings by the time you land in oz. Sando & Harvs xx
ReplyDeleteI remember when U2 visited Sarajevo and did a concert there. The story was that a fan managed to climb over a fence at one of their concerts (not in Sarajevo) and managed to confront them and say, 'Why don't you ever come to Sarajevo?'. It was that that prompted them to do the whole Sarajevo thing.
ReplyDeleteHey Benoire, finally got round to checking your blog - you dont waste any time mate. There seems to be a lot of fine wine going down too!
ReplyDeletewaiting to see some pics, ride well buddy