(Mostar, Bosnia & Herzergovina)

After some gritty images in my last two posts, I’m looking at a more tranquil side of Herzegovinian life today.

I began by visiting the nearby village of Blagaj.  To be honest, I had never heard of it before coming here.  However, I wanted to explore outside of Mostar and Blagaj was the only vaguely touristy place that I could reach by public transportation.  I had hoped to go on a group excursion to see an assortment of local attractions but there were no spaces available.

Of course, the journey is often just as important as the destination.  I had to take a local bus to get to Blagaj.  When it’s not your country and not your language, something as simple as taking the local bus becomes a real adventure.  Finding and figuring out the bilingual (Croatian/Bosnian) city bus schedule, for a Sunday, proved to be a worthy challenge.

Alas, the bus was late and a local gentleman began asking me questions about Blagaj in Bosnian (or was it Croatian?).  I was glad to be mistaken for a local, but could only mutter “Engleski?” in response.  He shrugged and walked away.  Hoping that nothing was wrong with the bus, I boarded it apprehensively a few minutes later when it finally pulled up to the bus stop.  The bus driver sure seemed determined to make up for lost time, so I held on tight and hoped that the bus had functioning brakes.  I hopped off the bus at what seemed to be a more-or-less central location in Blagaj and began to explore.

As it turns out, Blagaj really has only one major attraction:  the Tekija, a “monastery” for Turkish dervishes.  I had to remove my shoes and leave them outside, as per the custom for Muslim buildings (I have to do the same thing in my hotel).  TheTekija was peaceful and well-suited for quiet contemplation.  It also has a spectacular setting:  immediately below a cliff face, out of which roars a turbulent river.  So turbulent, in fact, that a number of the nearby restaurants had their patio seating (unintentionally) under water.  I took a few pictures and, after a cursory look around downtown Blagaj, managed to find my way back to Mostar.

After buying and writing some postcards, I decided to do something that I have never done before:  visit a mosque and climb to the top of its minaret.  The Koski Mehmed-Pasha Mosque in Mostar is a national monument, so non-Muslims are allowed to go inside, to climb the minaret, and even to take pictures (something I confirmed with the attendant, as this is usually not the case).  They even allow you to keep your shoes on, as a special covering is on the floor where tourists walk.  The mosque was relatively austere inside; like almost all religious buildings in Mostar, it had to be rebuilt after the war.

The climb to the top of minaret was quite a challenge.  Very narrow, very steep, very circular, and even very wet as you neared the top.  Reverting to a legal frame of mind, I briefly considered the liability issues.  When I finally emerged from the stairs, there was a frighteningly narrow viewing platform that was drowning in at least one inch of water.  I’m so glad that I bought waterproof hiking shoes for this trip!  Holding on tightly to the railing and taking very small and splooshy steps, I then enjoyed the most fantastic 360′ view of Mostar (the photo at the top of today’s blog post is from here).  Of course, my sensations may have been “heightened” by the challenging conditions I endured to get to and move around the top of the minaret.

All in all, it was a mostly peaceful day.  However, I readily admit that it might not have been so peaceful for somebody with a fear of heights, water, watery heights, enclosed spaces and/or excess speed.  There is always another side of the story, even when visiting tranquil sites!