Bosnia & Herzegovina
I'm still grappling with my experience in Bosnia, it's not an easy place to describe to someone who hasn't been there. Our travels only lead us to the southern Herzegovina section of the country into the infamous city of Mostar and then South East using a converted railway now bike trail.
It's been over 20 since a civil war ravaged the former Yougslovia, the wounds left behind are still yet to heal. The pride and strength that held the people of Mostar together is still apparent today in their boldly resilient spirit. In a city still surrounded by rubble, the people covered bullet holes with street art, put life back on the streets with authentic artisan shops and restaurants, and restored the Stari Most bridge; the symbolic heart of the city. It was truly humbling to be welcomed by people my age that spent their childhood in this once warzone. Even after everything that happened and the state the city is in, they still proudly call Mostar their home.
We left this beautiful city on the Ciro Trail, a railway converted to a scenic bike trail. The intention of the Ciro is to take you through the historic railway, but in doing so it also shows Bosnia's more modern history. A landscape that is somehow both eerie and bewitching, like something out of Kormac Macarthy's "The Road." There were long stretches with little to no contact with other people, only evidence of a modern civilization now overgrown after the end of the war. Land mines were an unseen relic that littered the countryside with warning signs and yellow tape. It was strange to think of the bend in morality that lead anyone to bury an object who's purpose was to remain hidden until it could kill indiscriminately. It is estimated that of the nearly 80,000 are still scattered across the country today.
Bridge at Mostar
