Day 26: Beginning of Bosnia: the Bridge on the Drina and Višegrad

6/1/22

We got up bright and early, said goodbye to the kitty at the lodge, and hit the road for Bosnia. Another day, another 7 hour bus ride! 😂

However, we broke up the trip with stops in between.

When we crossed into Bosnia, right next to each other - one behind the other, were signs for the country and for the republic of Serbs. If you would like some background, after the horrific war in the 1990's, the Dayton Peace Agreements split Bosnia into two federal entities, the Bosnian Federation and Republika Srpska. These divides are roughly half the country each, and generally along ethnic lines.

There was a very sweet cow just chilling on the side of the road. :)

We stopped at a gas station, and I tried these delicious puffs. They are sweet and savory, like a peanut flavor!! Needless to say I really liked them.

Our first stop was in Višegrad.

In our Balkan preparatory course, we read Ivo Andrić's "Bridge on the Drina," which centers around this very bridge, so I was very excited to see it with my own eyes.

This novel chronicles the Ottoman rule when this bridge was constructed up until WWI.

Mehmed Paša Sokolović built this bridge as monumental gift to his home town, Višegrad. The Ottomans practiced a blood tax- every six or seven years, they forcibly recruited/took young boys from controlled villages, brand them to Istanbul, converted them to Islam and gave them a good education. Mothers would even maim their sons to prevent them from being taken. Paša was one of these, and he was special- he rose all the way to the second highest position in the Ottoman Empire, Grand Vizier. This He never forgot where he came from, and returned to build this bridge.

The book follows the occupations of the region, with a particular emphasis on the lives, destinies and relations of the local inhabitants, especially Serbs and Bosnian Muslims. It's a good read to learn about the roots of this region.

The Drina is a beautiful green-blue. The bridge is still standing strong and beautiful 500 years later.

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Next stop was Andrićgrad. This is a "fake" old town where they demonstrate architectural styles of different eras in one place!

This statue is of Mehmed Pašha and his brother, who was an Orthodox priest.

Byzantine Quarter Another pretty section (I forget what!)

I also got to take a picture with Ivo Andrić's likeness himself. He's quite the celebrity here, he won a Nobel Peace Prize for the Bridge on the Drina.

Finally, after three more hours of driving, we made it to our stop for the night back in Serbia, just over the Bosnian border since we are going back tomorrow. Our room had a porch and a view of the Drina, which was so lovely and enjoyable for the evening.

Here's another little map. Lots of driving!

Ćao for now!