Sarajevo, a wonderful little city nestled in the Alps, was home of the 1984 Winter Olympics, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand (the spark that ignited World War I, and longest siege of a capital city (Bosnian War for Independence 1992-96) in modern warfare. After the recent hell this City has been through, it seems to have recovered nicely. Other than the numerous cemeteries and war monuments, there is little evidence that a war ever existed. The center of the City is alive and bustling, and buses drop off tourists by the hundreds. The City has a charm that I have rarely encountered before.
The one oddity that I have noticed during my stay here, is the height of the people. At 6'6" (1.98m), I am no shrinking violet, and its rare that I encounter people my height and even rarer that I encounter people taller. During just a one hour stroll around City Center, I ran into at least two dozen people people that were my height, and another dozen taller than I. What made things even odder, of the people my height, a good number of them were female. I must admit, for the first time in probably my life, I felt normal, well with regards to height anyway.
As I leave the City, I get pulled over by the Police. I made an illegal pass, and it appears that I have been caught. The police ask for my documents, read them through, and ask me to sit in the car next to them. They explain that I owe a $250 fine, payable immediately, in cash, to them. Now, one must remember that the average Bosnian salary is about $600/month, so it is immediately clear that corruption is afoot. I refuse, take my documents out of his hands, wish him a good day and walk away. Somewhat stunned, he gives me instructions in Bosnian. Not understanding, I inform him that we can go to the court house together, we can get a translator, and I will pay there, He looks even more stunned, he knows he has been caught, I walk away, and he scurries off. Corruption is alive and well in Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Stage Distance: 583 mi (939 km)
Total Distance Traveled: 20,559 mi (33,032 km)
Countries/Territories Visited: USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Transnistria, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
The one oddity that I have noticed during my stay here, is the height of the people. At 6'6" (1.98m), I am no shrinking violet, and its rare that I encounter people my height and even rarer that I encounter people taller. During just a one hour stroll around City Center, I ran into at least two dozen people people that were my height, and another dozen taller than I. What made things even odder, of the people my height, a good number of them were female. I must admit, for the first time in probably my life, I felt normal, well with regards to height anyway.
As I leave the City, I get pulled over by the Police. I made an illegal pass, and it appears that I have been caught. The police ask for my documents, read them through, and ask me to sit in the car next to them. They explain that I owe a $250 fine, payable immediately, in cash, to them. Now, one must remember that the average Bosnian salary is about $600/month, so it is immediately clear that corruption is afoot. I refuse, take my documents out of his hands, wish him a good day and walk away. Somewhat stunned, he gives me instructions in Bosnian. Not understanding, I inform him that we can go to the court house together, we can get a translator, and I will pay there, He looks even more stunned, he knows he has been caught, I walk away, and he scurries off. Corruption is alive and well in Bosnia & Herzegovina.
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| The 1984 Bobsled Run. Yes it looks abandoned, but apparently it is still in use during summer months by luges and cyclists. |
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Latin Bridge - Site of the Assignation of Archduke Franz Ferdinand |
Total Distance Traveled: 20,559 mi (33,032 km)
Countries/Territories Visited: USA, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Transnistria, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
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