After the terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad conference experience the day before, we headed from this room:
To this one.
Where we all recovered from our claustrophobia and cynicism with coffee and cake.
Before heading to lunch, where I saw the first “salad” I have seen here. I, of course, ordered a pizza and ate the whole thing.
Sometimes, I let the others take my camera and take pictures of Sarajevo through their eyes. Most of those below are theirs, though I can’t remember who took what so I can’t accurately assign credentials.
Interesting story about the McDonalds (Sorry, Arnela!). Like most other countries besides the USA and some Western European countries, McDonalds is a really nice place to go. This was the first McDonalds in the country, and on the day it opened, the line wrapped around the block. The menu isn’t significantly different (interesting point, because McDonalds is king of glocalizing their menus), but it’s entirely acceptable to take someone for a date here.
There was a very large book fair going on here, so we stopped by because, thank goodness, everyone in our group seems to be in love with books.
I bought three children’s books to try to learn the language better and faster, so here’s to hoping that’s successful.
A friendly reminder that Sarajevo hosted the ’84 Olympics (one day I’ll take pictures of the abandoned luge).
Also, I promise I’m sending you all postcards 🙂 I just have to write them. I hate sending the plastic manufactured ones, though, but it’s proven very difficult to find any others that are actually pretty.
One of my many faces.
Meanwhile, Lily and I are practicing our Hilary Clinton is Skeptical faces.
After this and then class, I headed to meet a friend from Canada. We met at my first WorldMUN in Vancouver, and when she posted a picture from Mostar on Facebook a few days ago, I messaged her and found out she’d be in Sarajevo for a day or two as she backpacks Eastern Europe.
I got gelato (typical- this is Don Vito, which from what I can tell is strawberry jam, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate drizzle).
Before I introduced her to real Turkish coffee.
Afterwards, we hiked to an old fort on the hills of Sarajevo with a fantastic view. We meant to see the sunset but it was kind of a cloudy day, though the hike was nice (albeit hilly), and it was good to get out of the main city center.
(That hill doesn’t look super steep from the picture, but it was a Super Steep Hill if I ever saw one).
We finally got there and had a beautiful view of the city:
Then we found out that we could go higher, so we did!
In fact, this is the place that families will hike to during Ramadan to have a picnic, watch the sunset, and break their fast.
To get out of this space, we traipsed through a graveyard.
Ginny found this tombstone, and pointed out that he had been born at the end of one war and died at the beginning of another.
Imagine the life he must have lived.
Tomorrow’s my first waterfall post, so stay tuned!
Traveler at the Edge 