Kotor Part Two

On the cliffs behind Kotor, 1350 stairs lead up to the Castle of San Giovanni, with large fortress walls stretching along the clifftops. I was advised to climb them as early as possible to avoid the tourists, so I was up at seven the next morning. It had rained in the night, giving the cobblestones and stairs a reflective shine. No one else was to be seen as I headed through old town to the base of the steps. The humidity was overpowering, and sweat was pouring off me by the time I reached a small church and stopped for some shots.

Some signs warned me of reptiles, but I only ever saw pidgeons. Finally, in the stifling heat, I reached the top. It gave an incredible view of Kotor and its bay. Black clouds broiled over the mountain tops nearby, and as thunder crashed around me from all directions, I felt very happy and alive to be there for an epic Skyrim-esque experience. It is really what I travel for, and no amount of photographs can convey such feelings.

On the way down, I spied a hole in the wall and clambered through it and down a rocky slope on the other side. Among some broken stone walls was a small picturesque chapel, surrounded by rocky mountain walls. Inside, it was barren and gloomy, with small shafts of light illuminating rectangles on the floor. It was one of those rare places that actually felt untouched and far from the tourist circuit, as well as being one of the most simple beautiful religious buildings I had seen.

Kotor Part One

The drive into Kotor was along a road beside the fiord waters, passing through small scenic towns at regular intervals. I spied two wee islands with only a few buildings on them in the middle of the waters which looked quite interesting, but alas the bus kept on going. Kotor itself is nestled in the corner of a mountain range at the edge of the water. Our hotel was in the middle of old town, a walled section of old stone buildings, narrow alleyways of cobblestones and modern shop fronts. Like other cities we had been to, it was still amusing to see women in high heels attempt to navigate such treacherous cobblestones, especially after a rainfall. While fun to explore, old town was overrun by tourists in the middle of the day. One night, we had an electrical storm which lasted for a good hour, and completely lit up our room. There was so much bright lightening that you could read a book to its light alone. I had good luck getting up early the next morning as the streets were deserted. Later, as people slowly ventured out, I discovered a young busker trio, playing violin, accordian and drums who did an amazing rendition of the Pirates of the Caribbean theme.

Later in the day, our local guide Slobodan took us out for a boat ride, right onto the islands I had spotted earlier. We had a great lunch of fresh proscuitto, cheese, fruit and cider bought from the local market while crossing the fiord. Due to being enclosed by land, the bay waters were very calm and it made for an incredibly relaxing way to see the area. When we got to the island, I skipped the museum in the middle, opting instead to take some photographs. The sky was stormy but without rain, and it made for some interesting moody lighting. On the way back, we stopped in the middle of the bay for a swim. When asked how warm the water was, Slobodan replied “25 or 27 degrees.” I thought he was joking, but when I dived in, the icy cold shock I was expecting was missing. It was incredibly warm, and as the depth was 40 meters, holding your breath and looking down was slightly terrifying, as while the water was ridiculously clear, looking down exposed a giant dark blue void.

Montenegro

To me, Montenegro will be a valley covered in trees with a turquoise river running through the bottom of it. We stayed at a collection of cabins halfway up the hill called Kamp Greene, and after the previous few bustling cities, was a great way to relax away from the crowds. Two small beagles ran amok in the camp, and shy kittens could be seen venturing through the grass from afar.

Not long after we arrived, a few of us decided to go on a rafting trip. After a half hour drive, we jumped in a 10 person raft and began our trip. It was mostly a leisurely cruise above crystal clear water with a slight green tinge. Leaving several rafts full of Russians in our wake, we went through some bumpy rapids and at one point did an accidental 360 degree turn. The trip took a good two and a half hours, and we enjoyed a quick swim in the river afterwards. On returning, we learnt the two dogs had gone for a long walk and had not come back. That night, we were served up a large platter of meat and vegetables. I joked with one of the girls that worked there that perhaps this was the fate of the two dogs. She looked up, twirled her hair and said that she really shouldn’t say. Later after dinner, the two of us sat on a swing overlooking the valley and spent the evening star gazing.

Mostar

Mostar is a small little city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, reached by taking a train past picturesque green valleys, following the Neretva River. The river runs right through Mostar, and underneath the Old Bridge, built by the Ottoman empire in the 16th century. Street markets surround the cobblestone walk up to either side of the bridge, and restaurants lead down to the turquoise rivers edge. All along the river are perfect photographic scenes, and no editing is necessary to get great green and blue colors. After wandering the markets, I snuck past the tollbooth person and climbed the Minaret to get an amazing 360 degree view of the city. The rest of the day was spent enjoying the views and watching locals leap from Old Bridge into the waters below. While there is not a whole lot to do in Mostar, this beautiful city is well worth a visit.

Sarejavo

The road into Sarejavo passed through many tunnels in the cliffside, overlooking a lush green valley punctuated with red clay roofs. Sarejavo is bordered by hills all around and, as we would learn, was once host to the Bosnian Serb army who besieged the city for three and a half years. By chance, the Sarejavo Film Festival was on while we were in town. This festival has a special meaning to the city as its existence was a large part of raising the spirits of the people during the siege, and film reels had to be smuggled into the city through the Sarejavo Tunnel of Life.

We visited the small remaining portion of the tunnel and saw examples of line mines and traps designed to prevent people from escaping the siege. The tunnel, originally some 800 meters long, was not tall enough to stand up in. People had to shoulder loads of water or supplies and walk bent over until they reached the other side. They then had to risk sniper and artillery fire to walk through the city and supply its citizens. The tunnel could also be flooded in chest deep water at times, and many head wounds were caused by low cross beams.

Our local guide Muhamed told us that he lived through the siege as a young boy. His mother worked as a nurse at the hospital, so his grandmother watched over him at home. Due to the frequent bombings, he was not allowed outside, and his education was done in basements by the light of burning shoelaces. One day, fed up with being kept indoors, he slipped some sleeping pills into his grandmothers drink. Once she fell asleep, he crept outside to play. Unfortunately, a shell landed nearby and shrapnel tore into his legs. When he was brought to the hospital, his mother saw him and fainted right away. He still carries large scars on his legs to this day.

For a city that was under siege 20 years ago, it has a remarkable sense of vitality and growth about it. Walking through the modern part of the city, you pass the Eternal Flame, a monument to victims of the Second World War. Not long afterwards, the tall buildings and flat polished streets sharply stop, and cobblestones mark the entry into the older marketplaces of the city. Church and mosque spires peek above single story buildings, and a dazzling array of merchandise lies down these streets, such as scarfs with splashes of vivid color and gleaming Bosnian coffee pots. Glamorously dressed people milled near the cinema and walked the streets, and a melting pot of cultures wandered the local markets. I met some Turkish girls who were more than happy to pose for a photo, but insisted that I let them take a “selfie” of us with their phones too. We saw the place where Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, sparking off the First World War. Off the main streets, packs of stray dogs roamed around at will. While friendly for the most part, I did see one large dog march aggressively at a tourist until they had to back away and try another route.

I tried some Bosnian coffee, alongside a custard square and a turkish delight. Bosnian coffee is where the ground coffee is boiled in a pot and left there, so careful pouring is required to not get a gritty coffee. For lunch I had a delicious Gholuash made with wine and mushrooms, and declared it the best meal in the Balkans so far. That night, after some beers out in the local pub, a group of us headed home. One of the bridges, Lord Somersby Bridge, had a large tent set up above it, so we investigated. Somersby, a large cider company whose product I had been enjoying since the start of the trip, was sponsoring a party to do with the film festival. People wandered the bridge dressed in glamorous 30s (I think) makeup and clothing. While it was a ticketed V.I.P. event, we somehow managed to bluff our way in and even got some free ciders out of it!

I really loved Sarejavo, as the vibrant spirit of the city which persevered despite the atrocities the city suffered was really evident in the buildings, people and stories.

Belgrade

In Belgrade, one of the first things we saw was a car parked across a pedestrian crossing, in front of an old run down communist building. Our guide informed us that this scene was the essence of Belgrade. As well as the communist buildings, there were some buildings with bomb damage, still in that state from the war. In the center of it all is a modern shopping strip, which offers some great people watching but seems somewhat out of place in comparison to the poorer areas around it.

The strip leads right up to Kalemegdan Park, high above where the brown river Sava meets the blue waters of the Danube. Dominating the park is Belgrade Fortress, which seems like a large medieval castle that wraps around the top of the hill. Yet recreational areas are now everywhere, from basketball and tennis courts backing onto the brick wall to ping pong tables nestled under drawbridges. A war museum lies in the middle, showing off old tanks and artillery weapons.

I also visited the Nikola Tesla museum, managing to somehow bypass the paid entry door. It was quite small, and most of the interesting looking exhibit had large “do not touch” signs, but I could not complain about the price. By pure chance, the Belgrade beer festival was on while we were there, so me and three friends, Jackie, Denise and Katie, decided to go. It was only a half hour walk, but as we got 2 blocks away from our hotel, it started bucketing down. We took refuge beneath a shop’s awning, but that didn’t prevent cars from driving past and splashing us. After it died down, we crossed a long bridge and managed to huddle underneath as it started to pour again. Luckily, there was some kind of running competition, so we had music to listen to and got to watch soaked runners take shelter.

Finally the rain stopped and we made it to the festival. The festival was basically giant tents from specific beer brands, such as Jelen and Tuborg. We got in early enough to get a seat at a table, and drank several beers and ciders. After some good cheap food, we overhead some French people playing a loud drinking game and decided to join. Some rounds later, we were still confused by the rules, involving chanting in rhythm and passing your beer to the right or left, but they seemed to lose much more than us. Maybe this was the point. The rain refused to return, and we had a great surprise festival.

Beer festival aside, I’d say that Belgrade slightly disappointed me. I had heard so many good things about it, and yet the city seemed to be an awkward mix of the modern and the old, something which Budapest managed with style. We would see how the rest of the Balkans fared in the weeks to come!

Osijek

Osijek’s history, like many Balkan towns and cities, was visible by the presence of bullet holes in many of the walls. The effects of war, only 20 years ago, was as evident in the people as it was in the architecture. It was not uncommon to see men with scars or limps. We stayed in a lovely villa in the old town, run by our Croatian hosts Jasmina and Vladimir. Vladimir gave us a tour of the town, and showed us evidence of firefights and artillery shells.

For lunch, we had a delicious Croatian Goulash, and then wandered down to the town center. Osijek’s river runs alongside it, and has plaques indicating the historical importance of the river and bridges in the Ottoman empire time. On the far side of the river was a popular local swimming area where locals congregated, jokingly referred to as Copacabana beach. The next day I returned with a bike and enjoyed a swim in the slow river current. We also did a trip out to Karanac, an area with preserved houses from 100 years ago, including a cobbler’s workshop and a blacksmith’s forge. In the afternoon sun, we enjoyed a great rustic lunch of grilled fish and pork crackling with wine and cheese.

Budapest Part Two

After the previous long day on foot, I decided to hire a bicycle and head out to Heroes square. Covering a lot of ground in minutes, I vowed to do this at every city thereafter. The ride out was gorgeous, with cobblestone paths bordered by lush green grass. I got lucky at the square and had the place almost to myself. The square shows statues of great leaders in Hungarys past.

Just past the square was a castle hidden in the foliage. Naturally tourists lurked everywhere, so I jumped a fence and swung around behind it to get some shots of the walls covered in creeping vines. Further on was an amazing statue of a seated figure, reminiscent of a brooding sith lord perhaps. On the way back, I enjoyed a simple lunch of salami, pate and olives.

Next up was St Stephens Basilica. This building was often seen down the ends of many streets in Budapest, and its tall spires dominated the skyline. Climbing the 300 odd steps up a winding staircase to the top offered some amazing 360 degree views of the city, as well as some dusty shots inside with beautiful lighting that churches often offer.

There is plenty to do in Budapest, and much of it I did or could not photograph. On my second night, I joined a pub crawl, which took us to some really cool places in the old part of town. I discovered some delicious crisp sour apple cider, and met some pretty cool people, both travelers and locals. At one pub, me and a fellow kiwi Blake challenged some locals to a game of ping pong. We decided to put the price of a couple of beers on the line (amounting to maybe 2 NZ dollars) and, semi drunk by this stage, played our best. Of course, we lost, but put up a good fight and gave them a bit of worry. The rest of the pub crawl was great fun too, leading to one giant pub with multiple dance floors, from drum and bass to salsa.

One essential thing to do in Budapest is visit a Turkish bath house. I went to Kiraly Bath, the oldest thermal bath in Budapest. The waters are actually naturally warmed thermal spring baths, and the main octagonal pool is covered by a large dome with beams of light streaming in from holes. I ventured into a sauna room, but was overwhelmed by the heat, every breath I took got me a mouthful of hot water. Pathways between rooms involved sloshing through ankle deep water, and the entire thing left me super relaxed for the rest of the day.

Me and some new friends also visited the House of Terror, a memorial to victims of fascism and communism. The building itself was once the home to members of both regimes, and the basements are still kept in the same state as when they were used for prisoner cells and torture chambers. The lighting and music provide a sense of unease the entire time, and while it is hard to say it is an enjoyable visit, it is an important one to understand part of Hungarys history.

The rest of my time was spent relaxing in cafes and wandering the streets taking photos of people and places. To cap it off, Budapest gave me a fantastic sunset on my last night there.

Budapest Part One

As I flew into Budapest, two things were immediately different from Greece. A recent week long storm had flooded the fields, with water spilling over roads. Also, in contrast to the barren brown Greek landscape, lush greenery stretched as far as the eye could see. Luckily, the storm clearer up the day after I arrived, leaving the city hot and muggy. On my first day, I crossed the Danube to the Buda part of the city. A leisurely walk along the river gave a good view of the Parliament buildings. The first tourist stop was Fishermans Bastion, and while I enjoyed a well deserved iced coffee there, the views were ruined by the hundreds of tourists. On the way up, I met a man with 2 small dogs and an over protective mother dog. As the mother barked in warning, the man laughed and told me she had a “big mouth, but is friendly”.

Crossing back over the river, I entered a large food market at Central Market Hall. The amount of pastries, meat, fruit and vegetables was staggering, although there seemed to be a lot of repetition across stalls. As is often the case while travelling, I longingly looked at the pastries but vowed to not make break my gluten free ways. I managed to get some salami and a custard square thing for a light lunch, before continuing my on foot journey.

Budapest is a gorgeous mix of architectures, from Art Nouveau to remnants of the Turkish empire. Yet with clean streets and stalls beneath, the city feels modern too. I never got tired of wandering the streets and snapping shots, as there was guaranteed to be a beautiful old building somewhere in shot. As you walk the streets, often yellow trams zoom by, the footpath below you rumbling slightly. I would hitch a ride on them at times for a few blocks, not really bothering to try and understand the ticketing system. Budapest felt both large and intimately welcoming, which I find rare in a city, and made me love it.

Santorini

The ferry from Mykonos dumped us unceremoniously in a small port, where rocky cliffs stretched high and wide to either side of us. Our hotel van drove up a winding road to high above sea level, then across the island. We descended 100 or so steps in the unforgiving Greek sun to get to our hotel, but the first look at the view before us made it all worthwhile. The sparkling Mediterranean sea dominated our vision, broken up with the odd island or yacht going by. The cliffs arced around to either side of us, white buildings clinging to their edges, and the view was simply breathtaking. A lot of time was spent reading in the scorching sun and swimming in our pool.

Just up the hill from our hotel, a cobblestone path wrapped around the clifftops towards Fira, the island’s main town. Shops’ colourful wares were arranged on the walltops, backdropped by the blue sea. The streets were similar to Mykonos, except much less windy and haphazard. Every now and then, a procession of donkeys would trundle past, shouldering aside any tourists caught unawares.

Towards the evening, the sun shone golden rays across the water, illuminating any boats caught in its path. Before dipping below the horizon, it would turn a brilliant blood red. Then we would always walk into town and sit at a seaside restaurant (albeit high above the water). Much enjoyment was had there with the Ardati family and friends, from ordering every appetiser on the menu, to listeing to non-sensical Lebanese “jokes”.

For one sunset, we traveled out to Oia. Fighting past a horde of tourists looking for the best spot, I ended up beside an older Italian couple. While we shared no common language, we communicated by showing photos to each other and exclaiming over the best ones. The Oia sunset did not disappoint, and when it dropped out of sight, the crowd of hundreds broke out into applause.

After a great day of snorkelling, I sadly had to say goodbye to Rasha, Nadine, Luba, Tony, “Mummy”and “Aunty”, as I was off to Budapest the next day. After a final dinner, we wandered the streets after midnight, browsing shops which never seemed to close. At one souvenir shop, I met a beautiful Greek girl with a wide smile, who laughed easily and often. We flirted back and forth for a bit, and I told her I was leaving later that morning. As I turned to go, she said that she wished I could stay in Santorini a few more days. I told her I felt the same way.