Week 36: Kujava, Montenegro (posted by Jane)

 We have spent the last week enjoying the spring weather, getting school work done, and exploring the Montenegrin countryside near Kujava. Before arriving at the farm house we stocked up on all the food we might need.

During our time by the Zeta River we went on lots of long walks! There were lots of charming old farmhouses and even a bronze age tomb from 4,000 years ago! Thankfully we found a basketball court by a one-room schoolhouse. So, Eliza spent many hours shooting hoops.

One highlight was our lunch by the Zeta River. The restaurant was just one older gentleman in a log shack with live trout in the river. He cleaned the fish in front of us while we sipped on Coca Colas. It made for a very yummy lunch.

Finally, we spent our evenings around the fire pit. Annie even grilled us cevapi, a Balkan meatball over the fire.

But most of all, we enjoyed the beautiful surroundings.

Week 35: Tuzla and Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina (posted by Megan)

Last Wednesday, we meandered our way through northwestern Serbia and crossed the Drina River into Bosnia & Herzegovina.  Our first stop was outside of Tuzla in the northeastern part of the country.  The views around the small hotel where we were staying immediately reminded us of the Blue Ridge Mountains - crisp air, beautiful views, and the first hints of spring wildflowers poking up.

Our first stop was also very close to the boundary between the two main regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, created after the country's war in the 1990s: the "Republika Srpska," primarily associated with the Serbian part of the population, and the "Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina", primarily associated with by the Bosniak part of the population.  As we were walking down the dirt roads through the mountains, we saw landmine warning signs in a few spots - a lingering reminder of the Bosnian War in the early 1990s, as Yugoslavia fell apart.

From the mountains, we headed through the stunning countryside roads - eventually going past snow-covered mountains and along incredibly blue glacial rivers - to end up in Mostar, our home for the past week.  We could really feel spring in the air - trees blooming, beautiful blue skies, and lots of time at cafes working on schoolwork.  

The town is working hard to be a testament to post-war recovery.  Many of the streets reminded us of our time in Beirut - a mix of beautifully restored buildings next to war-scarred ruins. As we walked down our street, we noticed that every grave in the cemetery was from 1992 - the start of the war. We had started our time in Mostar with a visit to the Museum of War and Genocide Victims, so the lingering reverberations of those years were on our mind throughout the week. 

Eliza found time to join a local basketball team for three practices, and spent a decent amount of the week trying to recover from shin splints with ice bags and frozen peas covering her legs on the sofa.

While Eliza iced her legs, Wade, Jane, and Annie managed to make it up to the top of Fortica Hill overlooking the city.

Another highlight was another cooking class for Annie, who is studying Balkan cuisine during our time in the region.  Rolling and flipping the dough for burek was a challenge!

We also enjoyed getting a tour of UWC Mostar, one of the sister schools of our school in Tanzania.

We've all agreed that it's easy to imagine spending more time in Mostar, but it's time to head south to Montenegro tomorrow.  Luckily for us, we'll be back in Bosnia & Herzegovina in a few weeks.