Everyone tells me that while I am in Dubrovnik I must visit Mostar
and Montenegro. We did not have school because of Croatian Independence
Day (we were going to stay in Croatia to experience Independence Day,
but we found out it is more of a sad holiday and is not celebrated) so
we decided to take a day trip to Mostar. I thought Mostar was in Bosnia
until a classmate explained to me that Mostar is municipality in Bosnia
and Herzegovina. We mostly decided to visit Mostar because we were told
there is cheap shopping compared to Dubrovnik and we wanted to see the
pretty bridges everyone talks about.
8 A.M. we board the bus to Mostar expecting to arrive back in Dubrovnik later that day....
Once
we arrived in Mostar 4.5 hours later we went to the bus information to
find out what time the bus home was at. We assumed there were buses back
to Dubrovnik all day. We were wrong. The woman at the information booth
told us that the only bus back to Dubrovnik today was leaving in 5
minutes. We knew going back wasn't an option, so we walked away to
analyze the situation.
Luckily a friend of mine suggested a hostel
to stay at in case we were staying the night and the hostel ended up
being only a 5 minute walk from the bus station. We turned down a street
and found a small sign with the hostel's name on it, Majdas Hostel. We
opened the door to find an empty lot. Picture 4 delirious girls walking
in what looked like an abandoned house. When we turned the corner we
found a colorful garden with a bunch of people sitting at the table. We
were so nervous that we were laughing uncontrollably. I saw a woman that
looked like the owner and I asked her if she had 4 beds for one night
to accommodate the "4 lost girls". Without hesitation she said yes and
brought us her mothers homemade iced tea. Hands down one of the best
cups of iced tea I've ever had. She brought us out 4 slips of paper and
told us to make name tags and then she asked us where our bags were. We
had to explain to her that we were not planning on staying the night so
we had no clothes or tooth brushes or anything really. She laughed and
assured us that it happened for a reason and that we were lucky to stay
the night in Mostar. Of course she was right. Her mother was speaking in
Croatian and the owner translated to us that her mother was giving us
one of the nicest compliments by telling us that we were all such pretty
girls and that she could not tell who was prettier. Normally I do not
like compliments, but this little old lady was so cute and so nice and
her iced tea was just so wonderful. She came over to all of us and gave
us kisses and pinched our cheeks. We knew everything was going to be
okay.
There
were 2 other travelers hanging out when we arrived so the 5 of us went
and got some lunch then explored the city. We went to a local restaurant
and tried their signature Ćevapi which was delicious. I have yet to eat
a bad meal in Europe and hopefully it stays that way. After lunch we
were walking to see the Old Bridge that was built by the Ottomans in the
16th century. On our way to the bridge we passed through the old city
and had to remind ourselves that we would do our shopping after we saw
the bridge so we continued walking. We heard that people jump of the Old
Bridge but we didn't believe it...until we saw a man standing on the
top and then we saw him jump and eventually heard him smack the water.
The water in Mostar is much different than Dubrovnik. It is a much
deeper turquoise, still beautiful, just very different. Walking through
the city you can see all the bullet holes in the buildings from the war,
but it is still very beautiful. We walked down to a garden below the
bridge and while we were standing there in the serene environment we
were able to hear the Islamic call to prayer. It was a feeling of peace
that you can't really describe.
After
about an hour of taking pictures of the bridge from different angles it
was time to go shopping! In Mostar they use a different currency called
a convertible mark which made me really excited to add to my currency
collection. We walked up and down the streets of the old town for hours
and explored each little shop. It was the first time during my 3 weeks
in Europe I actually went shopping, which is very impressive. After
hours of shopping we went back to the hostel to relax. We then gathered a
group of travelers and went to dinner at Hindin Han. I'm not exactly
sure what I ate, but the plate was clear by the end. While we were
sitting and chatting a girl came up and asked if she could sit with us
because she was by herself. I've learned how amazing interactions with
strangers can be. Traveling truly opens your eyes to the world and made
me realize that most people are alike. We are just looking for an
experience and we are looking to meet inspiring people.
Before
we left to make our 10 A.M. bus back home to Dubrovnik (wearing our
same clothes as the day before) the owner of the hostel called our names
and had breakfast and hot tea waiting for us. It was a perfect end to
our adventure.
Everything truly happens for a reason. It was a
blessing in disguise that we were stuck in Mostar for the night. We
learned that if you keep a positive attitude the journey, no matter what
it may be, will be worth it. Mostar is a city of beauty and disaster.
It has a rich history, with an unfortunate present, and a hopeful
future.
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