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.