On the Balkan road
I haven't written in English for a while, I assume it's easier for me to write in my native language while I travel. Regarding travels - last 17 days I've been traveling across the Balkans starting from Belgrade in Serbia. Main reason to back there was that I wanted to see my friends again. By the way it's pretty amusing story how I met Sandra and Ivan: last summer they simply gave me a ride in Montenegro and from then on we stay in e-mail touch. After Belgrade we (I'm traveling with my Czech friend) crushed to Kraljevo, hometown of my other friends. Another funny story how we got in touch: through CouchSurfing.org, Vojkan and Nikola (cousins) were my hosts in Belgrade, we spent really nice time together and that's how started our friendship.
Our next destination was Bosnia and Herzegovina, where I had planned to go last year however my travel time was a bit limited and I couldn't make it. Since we left Prague we have hitched all the way and on the way to Bosnia we got a lift from... Serbian mafia. Yuppie, couldn't better, huh? Honestly that was the most adrenalinest ride I've ever had! The driver broke probably all rules existing in Serbian traffic law, what's more after a wild ride on road with numerous hairpin bends (that was crucial reason why I became simply terrified at some point), he had taken out the gun, passed it to a guy sitting next to me and he hid it behind the belt with innocent smile. Additionally in turned out that my travel companion was sitting on a little plastic bag with cocaine and the driver was definitely high. That was the most exciting (and definitely the most unexpected) ride ever! I don't give a shit whether it was dangerous or not for us, but come on, if they stopped for us, us - tiny roaches, why the hell they would like to assault us or whatever? Just stay cool and think logically when such things happen.
Changing the subject, I was (and still am) quite impressed with war damages in Gorazde, Sarajevo and Mostar. Most of the buildings still have bullet marks, holes or they are plastered on the sides. Before I went to Bosnia I had heard how locals there are nice (and how coffee is delicious!) and what I have experienced is that its easy to interact with them, have a chat while you take photographs and also they are willing to give you a ride :)
Last spot in B&H we wanted to see was Medjugorje, world's famous town known due to claims of apparitions of the blessed virgin mary in 1981 (before this year it was just a little village, now it mainly consists of hotels, apartments and stalls with crucifixes, virgin mary statues etc.). All I can say is that is one enormous factory selling cult around presumed apparitions. You can get there such ridiculous souvenirs like rompers, cushions, huge (even 1,50 cm high!) virgin mary/jesus statues and more, more astonishing objects with image of Medjogorjes mary. Scale of this money-consuming phenomenon has surpassed me. After I visited few stalls I was more or less scarred. There were also plenty of christians dancing around and singing such lyrics "I wanna jump, jump, jump for jesus... I wanna swim, swim, swim for jesus...". One of craziest spots I have ever seen in my life.
After Bosnia we turned towards Croatia starting from Makarska which is crowded, tourist-focused town in the southern Croatia. Nothing ambitious to see or to do, just lying flat on the concrete or graveled beaches (forget about sandy beaches in Croatia or try to take a ferry to one of Croatian islands) and reading. From there we moved to Vodice, then Zadar and finally to Rijeka, so far my favorite Croatian town. We're staying with local punks in info shop in exact city center. The whole room is spacious, has kitchen, living room and little alternative library. I really fell in love with this place! Rijeka itself has quite interesting history (before WWII was partly Italian and Yugoslavian and river was the border between two countries. Also city name means "river")and a lot of beautiful architecture sites. The city resembles me somehow Belgrade with its gray building facades and chaotic urban development. Today I went to city museum where was exhibition presenting outputs of Rijekas photographers from 1950 to 1980. WOW, these photographs really touched me, I analyzed them detail after detail knowing that this is what I try to capture in my photos. Well, practice, practice and practice.
I'm gonna spend two more days in Croatia, hanging out in the city, taking photos, maybe going to pleasant vegetarian restaurant named 'Fork' and then I am hitching to Italy. Espresso and Il Padrino (though the Godfather was shot in Sicilia which I assume has nothing really common with the North).
Vegan MUST EAT in Croatia: Chocolates produced by Zagreb chocolate factory Kras: Fontana chocolates with so called icy filling and Griotte with cherry inside. Yummi.... (I don't wanna advert this company, but here are photos of mentioned deliciousnesses).
Our next destination was Bosnia and Herzegovina, where I had planned to go last year however my travel time was a bit limited and I couldn't make it. Since we left Prague we have hitched all the way and on the way to Bosnia we got a lift from... Serbian mafia. Yuppie, couldn't better, huh? Honestly that was the most adrenalinest ride I've ever had! The driver broke probably all rules existing in Serbian traffic law, what's more after a wild ride on road with numerous hairpin bends (that was crucial reason why I became simply terrified at some point), he had taken out the gun, passed it to a guy sitting next to me and he hid it behind the belt with innocent smile. Additionally in turned out that my travel companion was sitting on a little plastic bag with cocaine and the driver was definitely high. That was the most exciting (and definitely the most unexpected) ride ever! I don't give a shit whether it was dangerous or not for us, but come on, if they stopped for us, us - tiny roaches, why the hell they would like to assault us or whatever? Just stay cool and think logically when such things happen.
Changing the subject, I was (and still am) quite impressed with war damages in Gorazde, Sarajevo and Mostar. Most of the buildings still have bullet marks, holes or they are plastered on the sides. Before I went to Bosnia I had heard how locals there are nice (and how coffee is delicious!) and what I have experienced is that its easy to interact with them, have a chat while you take photographs and also they are willing to give you a ride :)
Last spot in B&H we wanted to see was Medjugorje, world's famous town known due to claims of apparitions of the blessed virgin mary in 1981 (before this year it was just a little village, now it mainly consists of hotels, apartments and stalls with crucifixes, virgin mary statues etc.). All I can say is that is one enormous factory selling cult around presumed apparitions. You can get there such ridiculous souvenirs like rompers, cushions, huge (even 1,50 cm high!) virgin mary/jesus statues and more, more astonishing objects with image of Medjogorjes mary. Scale of this money-consuming phenomenon has surpassed me. After I visited few stalls I was more or less scarred. There were also plenty of christians dancing around and singing such lyrics "I wanna jump, jump, jump for jesus... I wanna swim, swim, swim for jesus...". One of craziest spots I have ever seen in my life.
After Bosnia we turned towards Croatia starting from Makarska which is crowded, tourist-focused town in the southern Croatia. Nothing ambitious to see or to do, just lying flat on the concrete or graveled beaches (forget about sandy beaches in Croatia or try to take a ferry to one of Croatian islands) and reading. From there we moved to Vodice, then Zadar and finally to Rijeka, so far my favorite Croatian town. We're staying with local punks in info shop in exact city center. The whole room is spacious, has kitchen, living room and little alternative library. I really fell in love with this place! Rijeka itself has quite interesting history (before WWII was partly Italian and Yugoslavian and river was the border between two countries. Also city name means "river")and a lot of beautiful architecture sites. The city resembles me somehow Belgrade with its gray building facades and chaotic urban development. Today I went to city museum where was exhibition presenting outputs of Rijekas photographers from 1950 to 1980. WOW, these photographs really touched me, I analyzed them detail after detail knowing that this is what I try to capture in my photos. Well, practice, practice and practice.
I'm gonna spend two more days in Croatia, hanging out in the city, taking photos, maybe going to pleasant vegetarian restaurant named 'Fork' and then I am hitching to Italy. Espresso and Il Padrino (though the Godfather was shot in Sicilia which I assume has nothing really common with the North).
Vegan MUST EAT in Croatia: Chocolates produced by Zagreb chocolate factory Kras: Fontana chocolates with so called icy filling and Griotte with cherry inside. Yummi.... (I don't wanna advert this company, but here are photos of mentioned deliciousnesses).
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