Bosnia & Herzegovina: Mostar - Too Beautiful To Be True

Mostar, August 2013

I didn't do any pre-trip research about Bosnia & Herzegovina. Usually before visiting a new place or country, I'd spend plenty time for browsing some information and pictures so I know exactly what to expect when I get there. But not this time. I knew completely nothing about this country. When people mention about Bosnia, what I imagined was a scene of war and ruins everywhere. And I told myself, "Let's just travel to this country with no expectation at all and maybe I'll discover something interesting there."

the ruins

remnants of war

I walked toward the Old City of Mostar and I passed by some ruins of war. My heart sank when I saw houses with destroyed roof and walls riddled with bullet holes. I just can't imagine the terror that must be faced by residents during the war from 1992 to 1995. I felt a sudden overwhelming feeling of sadness and I got dizzy, so I dragged myself to leave that area.

entering the old town

pretty souvenirs

As I was walking on the cobblestone street of the Old City my eyes widened in awe, admiring those beautiful stone buildings with the roof made of slate. It felt like strolling through the ancient past, discovering the dozens of handcraft and artisan shop that line along both sides.

Mostar is the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region where many cultures meet and create one of the richest cultural heritage of southern Europe. It's once hosted Roman explorers and Ottoman invaders thus the architecture and ambiance reminds me of Turkey. I walk up to the Old Bridge and was greeted by the fascinating scenery of  the greenish blue water of Neretva river. Seriously, I've never imagined I'd see such view in this region.

Neretva River in Mostar

Koski Mehmed Paša Mosque

interior of the mosque

Stari Most or Mostar Old Bridge

Stari Most or the Old Bridge in Mostar is listed on UNESCO World Heritage. It's a reconstruction of a 16th-century Ottoman bridge that crosses the river Neretva and connects two parts of the city. The Old Bridge stood for 427 years, until it was destroyed on 9 November 1993 during the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina. After the end of the war, plans were raised to reconstruct the bridge which started on 7 June 2001 and the reconstructed bridge was inaugurated on 23 July 2004.

When I was there I saw a lot of people clustered on the bridge. And to my surprise there were some local guy who were ready to jump and dive into the river. Tourists would pay around  €30 to €50 for one jumper to see the attraction. Mind you, the bridge is about 24m high! It's very risky and only the most skilled and best trained divers are allowed to jump.

wearing Batik in Mostar :D

traditional market

my fave corner of the cafe

heading to Sarajevo

This trip made me realize that sometimes it's good to travel without any expectations nor to be influenced by other people's opinion. You might judge the place even before you visit it. What seems to be a bad experience for one person is not necessarily will happen to us too . Because in travelling, no one gets the same experience as others. In Mostar, what I saw and learnt surprised me, in a good way. As I walk through the old city, I felt like a child who visit Disneyland for the first time and excited to discover the whole new things.
I love that simple feeling, I truly do :)

FREEBIES!!! (sorry, for those who resides in Indonesia only)

Mau dapetin oleh-oleh dari Balkan ? Ada beberapa items yang pengen aku bagiin buat kalian :)
* Coklat + kartu pos untuk 3 orang
* Keyrings + kartu pos untuk 6 orang
* T-shirt Montenegro + kartu pos untuk 2 orang
* Kartu pos untuk 5 orang

Caranya mudah banget:
1. Pastikan kamu sudah follow akun twitter @twitdebbzie dan 'like' FB page My Time Capsule
2. Tweet kalimat ini >>> Freebies berhadiah T-shirt, coklat, keyrings dan kartu pos dari Eropa. Ikutan yuk di www.debbzie.com. Cc: @twitdebbzie
3. Tulis alamat email dan akun twitter kamu di kolom komentar di bawah ini

Closing date: 30 September 2013. Ayooooo buruan ikut ! (closed)

Update!
Congratz untuk pemenang: 
Coklat + kartu pos  >>> @teretrio, @lohsharon dan @danucakery
Keyrings + kartu  pos >>> @depviih, @fikri_wicak, @halim_san, @chrysallys, @ayuskeptika,

@kamboen
T-Shirt + kartu pos >>>  @dian_apriyanti, @zaynalfahmi
Kartu pos >>> @ noerazhka, @sakura_rei, @shititsemily, @nintyaSR, @siOchoy

Tolong kirimkan nama dan alamat lengkap kalian ke email vdebbz@yahoo.com.
Terima kasih teman semua yang sudah meramaikan. Jangan lupa ikutan kuis freebies berikutnya ya. Cheers :)