I bought a bus ticket and barely made the bus (they gave me the wrong information at the hostel). The bus journey, about 3 hours long, went through a beautiful part of Bosnia and Herzegovina and I enjoyed every bit of it. When the bus arrived at the station in Mostar, there was a bunch of ladies who were offering accommodation. I looked at the one, whose name I later would discover, was Kiki and said: “And I suppose your house is to hell and gone up in the mountains?” (This was towards the end of my trip, I was grumpy, I wanted home-cooked food, and I was tired of schlepping my luggage up and down steps). One of the other ladies burst out laughing. As Kiki did not speak English (or very little, should I say), I asked her to translate and Kiki assured me her house was a 10-minute walk away and definitely not up in the mountains. We agreed on the price ($12/night) and I was going to stay for one night.

We arrived at her establishment and my room was pretty decent with its own bathroom and kitchenette. I paid her and she gave me directions to the “bridge.” Remember, I have never been to Mostar, I have not done any research, and I did not have the faintest idea what the “bridge” was. As she said, it was not far and on my way to the bridge, I passed several outdoor restaurants and stopped by one to get something to eat. Pleasant food, very inexpensive, had a good time and continued towards the bridge.

And then I saw it. My jaw dropped. I have never seen anything like it. Just stood there and took everything in. This magnificent piece of architecture that spans the Neretva river, a river with the same color water that I saw at Plitvice Lakes and as clear.

The Old Bridge, the Stari Most, was built in the 16^th century during the Ottoman era and connected two parts of the city. The bridge stood for 427 years until it was destroyed in 1993 during the “War.” Reconstruction started in 1997 and it took 7 years to complete before it was reopened in July 2004. The new bridge is an exact replica of the Old Bridge and the following year UNESCO added it to its World Heritage list, despite the newness (I learned all this the next day during a conversation that I sought out). The bridge footpath and the approaching roads are paved with cobblestones and stone steps enable pedestrians to ascent to the bridge from either side.

I crossed it. The other side was as wonderful as the first. Full of quaint little tourist shops, selling mementoes, as well as lots of restaurants and bars. I went into one bar where the owner daughter’s was fluent in English, spent some time there (went back that night to watch a soccer game, remember it was the World Cup), did a lot of talking. When I got home I told my land lady that I would like to stay an additional two days if it was OK with her and paid her $24 more. Ten yards away from Kiki’s place was a grocery store where I bought the necessities for a home-cooked breakfast the next day … was it good!

I started early the next day as all I was thinking about the previous day was the hearty breakfast – toast, fried eggs, bacon, coffee, cheese, tomatoes, coffee, it was wonderful – which I had to walk “off.” And I walked. And walked. And walked. Everywhere I found signs of the war.

It was then that I realized I wanted to talk to someone about the war. I went to the tourist office. Told the young lady that I was looking to talk to someone about the war and that I was prepared to pay. She said that would not be necessary and introduced me to the guy who was working next door.

I must have spent 2 – 3 hours talking to him and seeing that he did not want to take any payment, I bought two books from his store. When I came back I researched Mostar, I researched the war and all my research, together with the talk that I had with the young man, left me mad and disgusted and with one HUGE question: WHO started the crap between the Christians and Islam? A valid question in this day and age where narrow-minded right-wingers are soiling their panties about the building of a mosque in NYC near ground zero.

My visit to Mostar made me, once again, realize the futility of war and why I hate politicians who are trigger happy and war mongers … remember, not too long ago we had one of those clowns.

Mostar has about 170,000 inhabitants. Mostar has two universities. Mostar made such an impression on me that I am going back next year. Thus far, Mostar is the most beautiful place that I have been privileged to visit.

It was a Sunday when I arrived in Sarajevo and, once again, the Tourist Office at the station was closed (don’t the Bosnians realize that tourists arrive on Sunday too?) Nevertheless, a cab driver “hooked me up” with a hostel that was coming to get me (free of charge!) Cut a long story short, that did not happen (some bs about being held up by police cordons, and gawd knows what else), so I took a cab. OMG, what a rude little man, with the emphasis on little. When I asked him to stop at an ATM as I did not have any euros on me (currency in Serbia is dinars), he was having a hissy fit … however, he did stop at an ATM but I had to pay him more as it was “out of his way!” Absolute BS, nevertheless, not everyone in life is nice and hospitable.

When we arrived at my hostel I found the reception area was closed! No problem as there were literally hundreds of others in the vicinity (this was right in the middle of Old Town). What a shocker, the other places that I approached were charging outrageous amounts (like $30!). By this time I was not in a good mood and told these people: “Gaan kak in die hel!” (Go and dump in hell!) and decided that I needed a drink, so off to the square where I have noticed a bunch of restaurants and a lot of activity. On my way to the square, I noticed that the reception area of the original place was now open, went in there and reserved a room for $12, put my stuff down, had a quick shower and headed to the square (again) for food and a drink.

There were a lot of restaurants and I chose one with pleasant outdoor seating close to the main road. Waitress arrived and here English was as good as my Bosnian. I requested a menu and a beer … and it was then, that I thought I was going to be arrested for the way she carried on. The moment I said “beer” it was like I was cussing her out. She started rambling, at the top of her voice, in Bosnian while pointing to the minarets (that were all over the place and very visible). I have never been so embarrassed in my life and thought: OK, you are in the land of Islam, does that mean NOBODY drinks/is served a drink? I left.

About 50 yards further in the same square, I noticed a restaurant where people were drinking beer. You got it, I parked my butt there, ordered a beer and then asked the waiter what happened at the previous place. He pointed to a restaurant and asked: “Were you there?” Apparently the owner is a very strict Muslim and of course no alcohol is tolerated. He went on to explain to me that alcohol is freely available in Bosnia but not in establishments that are controlled/run by Muslims. Fair is fair, right? I was told by numerous people to try cevapi. I did and did not enjoy it as I found it to be too tangy; however, I am crazy about burek (most probably the closest one would come to the South African/British sausage roll) that is freely available throughout the former Yugoslavian countries.

I have always wanted to go to Sarajevo for a number of reasons: it is the place where the First World War was triggered and also the place where the 1984 Winter Olympics was held and athletes that attended were disgusted in the destruction of Sarajevo during the war (something which I experienced first hand when I went to Mostar).

Sarajevo was OK, however, it is not a place that I would revisit. It is tops, a 2-day city. I enjoyed what I saw, but I stayed too long. As is my custom, I talk and listen to the locals. Everyone that I talked to in Sarajevo suggested that I visit Mostar. Same thing happened in Montenegro, so I thought: what the heck, one night in Mostar will not kill me. Boy was I wrong. It was love at first sight and I stayed THREE nights … but, more on Mostar, the highlight of my trip, next time.

In Zadar it was Pasta (I forget his nick name). He graduated from law school and was working at the hostel! We need to be so grateful for this country of ours. He was one of the nicest people I have met. Also met his girlfriend who reminded me of Nancy Kerrigan.

On the train to the Passion Play in Oberammergau, it was Susan (England) and Pam (Australia) who met several years ago and have become traveling companions! In Oberammergau, I met Meagane, and her mom, Elizabeth, who at 81 said to me: “I figured I had to see the play this time around, as this is probably going to be my last shot!” (Passion Play is only staged every 10 years). At lunch it was John and his wife Jenny who live outside Munich … Jenny is originally from South Africa … and their friend Maria, who was from Greece, but lives in South Africa! I met Rachel, Tasmania in Pula. We had dinner that night and were talking about the ’strange” lady in our room. Well, in Trogir I met the two Kathleens … you guessed it, one of them was the “strange” one from Pula. She had eaten something in Pula that made her sick, hence the

“strange” behavior. I have never felt such an ass in my life, but she laughed it away!Scott and Nicola were from Canada and we met on the bus from Trogir to Split. They own a restaurant and stay in apartments on their vacation.

These are only some of the wonderful people I meet every time I travel I know I will never see them again, never hear from them, but who cares? We had great times … 1f only I can get into taking pics of these people!

So, what has this got to do with traveling to Europe? A lot. Once on the plane back, a young couple from Austria had their daughter baby with them and the child screamed and screamed. The mother, with the aid of the hostesses, did everything in their power to calm the kid down, but to no avail. Of course, they were sitting across from me (story of my life). I got up and said to the mother: “Give me the child.” Within a nano second she stopped crying and was cooing and gawd knows what other pleasant sounds she was making.

This past summer I had just finished my lunch in an outdoor restaurant in Rovinj, Croatia, when a couple walked in with their screaming little girl. Whatever they did, did not work. The mother could not eat her lunch. You guessed it, I got up and said: “Give me the kid.” In no time she was quiet. The father checked me out like I was going to kidnap his little girl. I removed her socks, and her sweater … for Pete’s sakes it was so damn hot out there. Unbeknownst to me, a gentleman that witnessed this spectacle took a lot of pics of the two of us. When I returned her to her parents, I said: “The two of you are walking around with shorts and sandals, yet your daughter is dressed for a blizzard!”

To the right you will see Luisja (sans socks), and her dad (mom’s in the background),  from Hungary on vacation with her folks. I bumped into them again later that afternoon. We exchanged pleasantries; I looked down at Luisja’s feet and low and behold: she had those damn socks on again! Parents simply never learn, do they?

I went to the bus station in Gruz and bought a ticket to Budva, Montenegro. Thank goodness I checked the date as the airhead who sold me the ticket sold me one for a week later. She was more interested in her cell phone conversation than helping customers (would appear that it is not only in America where young people are attached, literally, to their cell phones!).

I can’t remember how long the bus ride lasted, but I do remember TWO things, one that really upset me. When we got to the Croatian/Montenegro border our passports were collected by the assistant bus driver. Now, I have told anyone who wanted to listen, NEVER to separate one’s passport from one’s person. And here I did just that. I started to talk to the couple behind me and they shared my concern. Well, the next thing, the bus moved on, and I did not have my passport!! The couple and I looked at each other, rolled our eyes and had a WTF expression. I was really worried. A few miles later we stopped again and our passports were returned. How the hell they got from point A to point B, I do not know. I was the only person on the bus with an American passport.

There were two ditzes on the bus. I was so glad that they were not from America as they were really dumb and acted accordingly. At one place, they jumped off the bus (of course to go and pee!) and if it weren’t that the bus driver was so considerate, they would have missed the bus (one was not supposed to get off). Buses stop at various stations during a journey to PICK UP passengers, it takes a matter of minutes and passengers are supposed to remain seated. Nevertheless, I just ignored them and hoped that they marry well!

Montenegro, like all other former Yugoslavian countries that I have visited, did not disappoint. I could not believe the sheer beauty as we drove towards Budva, my first stop. When we got to Budva, the tourist office was very helpful and found me accommodation for $12/night. The place was great, but it was a bit far from the center of town. It was during this time that it REALLY started to get hot and I spent a lot of time in my room with the AC on max. The owner came up to my lodging one night and brought some home made schnapps along! Budva is an old city and I enjoyed it. It is cheap and I believe that anyone who wants to invest in property abroad should be looking at Montenegro. We have definitely lost out on Dubrovnik where property now goes for $4,000/sq meter!

Next stop was Bar. A lot of people told me not to go as it was too commercial, but I went and it was OK. I stayed at a house where I met the previous ambassador to Afghanistan. What a guy. His English was darn good and I had some wonderful conversations with Momcilo Draskovic (I have no idea how to pronounce it! I simply called him Ambassador). I had a great time with the owner’s son, Zuk. He told me how to save money, where to go. Bar is not pretty and yes, it is industrial. It is also very dirty because of people throwing their trash everywhere. I was waiting for a hamburger at a fast food stand when a snot nose in front of me got his pizza slice (which the people in Europe add ketchup to!) He obviously did not care for mushrooms, removed them and threw then on the street! A lady, not his mom, took him to task and in no time I joined in. I spoke to Zuk about it and he admitted that they have a major problem.

From Bar I took a 12-hour train ride to Beograd (Belgrade) capital of Serbia. The ticket cost me all of $18! The train did not have AC and it was hot! The countryside of Serbia is pretty, but Belgrade is not. Belgrade is very cheap though. I stayed at a hotel overlooking the station. Great place, with AC, for only $12/night! It got really hot and one day I simply stayed in my room with the AC going at full blast. I had a great meal, and time, at a restaurant around the corner from the hotel. The meal, including drinks cost 1,000 dinar ($10) and when I gave my waitress a 100-dinar tip ($1), I thought she was going to cry.

I wandered around and could not understand that the people did not direct me to the various attractions … I had to find it by myself and I did, it just took so much longer.

AMSTERDAM
Bostel Amsterdamse Bos is a campsite outside of Amsterdam with gorgeous chalets, excellent bathrooms. A bus takes one to the metro and in no time one is in Amsterdam. A really inexpensive way to experience an otherwise expensive city. Of course, they have tents available too, at an even cheaper rate. THIS is the way to go to see Amsterdam. The surrounding “villages” have excellent restaurants and bars. It was in one of these that I drank PINK beer for the first time in my life. YUK!

BARCELONA
Central Garden Hostel One had just opened its doors when I stayed there (Summer 2010). There is no doubt in my mind that it will join Hobo Bear and Mosquito as one of the top 10 hostels in Europe … SOON! Incredible staff. Husband/wife owners.

BRUSSELS
2go4 (yes that is how it is spelled!) is another one of those top places. However, been told that lately it is difficult to get a reservation as word got out about this gem. A booking well in advance will prove to be worth it.

CESKY KRUMLOV
Pension Merlin OR Hostel Merlin … although I stayed in the pension, the hostel is just as fine. This is truly TOP value. The garden at the Pension is a wonderful place where one can sip a glass of wine, enjoy dinner that was prepared in a well-equipped kitchen. All amenities nearby. the hostel on the other hand, is located on the Vlatva river and located in downtown. Either place, you will not regret it!

DUBROVNIK
Villa Micika in Lapad is one of my favorite places. Away from the hustle and bustle, on the promenade which is filled with restaurants and bars. Not only is it on a bus route that can get one to Pile in 15 minutes, but it is a stone throw away from a super market and other amenities. Tony is an incredible host and I always stay there.

HVAR CITY ON THE ISLAND OF HVAR
Luka’s Lodge in Hvar city, on the island of Hvar offers an incredible view and outdoor cooking area. Luka is a top notch host and he also has a cottage in Losna.

KORCULA
Marija does not have a web page, but she can be contacted at 385 (0) 98 90 64 794 or marija.sansovic@post.t-com.hr. Very affordable pension with an incredible view of the quaint town on the Adriatic. Should you be staying at Luka’s in Hvar, he will gladly make arrangements for you to stay with Marija, as they “network.”

KRAKOW
AAE Mosquito (below right) was voted one of the top 10 hostels in Europe. Breakfast included. Staff top notch. We left at the crack of dawn; breakfast was made especially for us!

LEVANTO
Mariella in Levanto, at the end of Cinque Terre where the Italian Riviera starts, is a B&B and a tad more expensive than a hostel, but worth every penny of it. The hospitality of Enzo (owner), wife, Mariella, son Luca, grandmother, Mama, and wiener dog, Blacky is priceless!

SALZBURG
Institut St Sebastian (below right) in Salzburg is one of my favorite places to stay. Waking up in the morning to hear voices from all over the world being trained. Great roof terrace for relaxing and sipping wine while overlooking this incredible city.

TROGIR
Hostel Trogir. I suggested to Marin to get a decent page, but he said: “Naah.” Great place in an excellent location. So look past the bad layout, typos, etc. this is a great deal with excellent service.

ZAGREB
Hobo Bear was also voted one of the top 10 hostels in Europe and DESERVES it. Centrally located, very helpful staff in Marco (part owner) and Therese.

Hostelling International is an incredible group of which existence I was not aware. When I got to Rijeka, a cab driver offered to take me to a “cheap” hostel. that is how I was introduced to this group. Incredible place. I also stayed in their hostels in Zadar and Pula. I don’t know where they get the money from (I mean you should see the places) but these hostels are great. The only negative I could find is that these hostels are located away from the “zentrum” (town center). But, if one looks at the private beach of the hostel in Pula, that is a small price to pay.

St Christopher’s is another group with hostels all over the world. Sometimes they tend to be on the pricey side, but definitely worth it. The one in Bruges (Belgium) was top notch! Keep an eye on the web page … they have specials all the time.

STRASBOURG
Do not be misled by all the brouhaha surrounding this hostel. It is truly a remarkable hostel and is centrally located. Even boasts its own restaurant. The only negative I could find about this was the kids, however, it did not take long for me to go down to reception, complain and the kids were put in their place (where they belong). It does not matter where one goes, today’s kids are unruly and not disciplined or mannered at all … have their parents not heard about Trojans?

A few years ago I was sitting in my hostel in Budapest, when Dominic walked in. He was from Zagreb and “escaped” because of girlfriend problems. We hit it off, spend the evening together, having a few beers, eating pizza and walked back to our hostel later that night. We talked about a lot of things, including his girlfriend problems, but the one thing that stood out in my mind, was his love for his country, which he described as “the most beautiful country in the world.” Now, I did not pay a lot of attention to his comment about Croatia being so gorgeous as most people feel that way about their countries. Before we went to bed, his cell rang. Yeah, you guessed it. It was the girlfriend. They sorted out their problems and the next morning he went back to Zagreb. I went on to Bratislava. Sitting in my apartment on the Danube one night, I was watching CNN and saw a commercial. About a country. It was jaw dropping beautiful. It was a commercial for Croatia. I got off my butt and went to an internet cafe where I googled Croatia and realized that Dominic was telling the truth. As I was coming to the end of my trip, I decided to go the following year.

In 2009 I started off in Zagreb. Loved the place. Not a lot of sights, but the hustling and bustling reminded me of my beloved Johannesburg in the 70s. While in Zagreb (stayed in an incredible place, Hobo Bear) I met a young girl from Norway who urged me to go to this “park.” Of course I did not (more on this “park” later) and when I eventually did, I kept on thinking back about this conversation. From Zagreb I flew to Dubrovnik. OMG, it was love at first sight. Dubrovnik is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited.

I took the bus from Dubrovnik to Split and that was the first time that I encountered the Croatian coastline and the Croatian riviera. It is breathtaking. It was the first time that I came under the spell of the Croatian coastline. I did not care for Split and upto this day, I do not like the town. I took the bus back to Zagreb and knew I had to be back for more. There was just too much that I wanted to see.

The summer of 2010 I went back, I started off in Rijeka. Then Rovinj (OMG!). Pula (home of the Roman amphitheater). Zadar (from where I visited the Plitvice Lakes national park … yes, the “park” that the Norwegian girl urged me to see a year earlier while I was in Zagreb! Plitivice is on of the top three sites of all times). Trogir (day trip to Primosten and Kastella). Hvar (going back next year as I have discovered once I was back that there are several towns/cities/villages on this island). Korcula (OK, but not as great as Hvar). Dubrovnik (visited the island of Lokrum … and once again was under the spell of this city).

And then I moved on to other previous Yugoslavian countries: Montenegro. Serbia. Bosnia & Hercegovina. Then I started wondering: is it possible that the previous Yugoslavia is the most beautiful country in the world and that Croatia is just part of it? I will be back in Croatia next year. As well as in Mostar. And would like to include Slovenia.

To the right, on the front page, is a 16-minute video on Croatia. Watch it and you will understand …

My trip to study abroad began just over 3 months ago in Boston. It was a huge culture shock, as being on the island for over three months was a major change in my lifestyle. I felt as if I was living in a storybook the whole time: flagstones in narrow streets, white buildings with bright colored doors, all the buildings opening onto the street, flowers covering everything. It was so different from what I am used to at home. But, it becomes YOUR home. You get used to it, and although it might be the complete opposite of your normal everyday life at home, you adapt. You realize that there are so many things back home that you take for granted.

Being stuck in Athens for three days with my cousin was an experience (remember the volcano?) We went out to dinner a few times at dusk to avoid being stuck in the dark as neither of us felt very comfortable with the men who are SO much bolder than what we are accustomed to.

One of the high points of the trip was getting around and traveling with my cousin. We were presented with MANY challenges. Money exchange problems, flight cancellations, volcanoes, strikes, directional problems, but somehow we made it to where we had to be and we saw everything we planned to see. After the second day of our trip to Rome I was able to get around without a map. I feel so much more comfortable about traveling now.

I learned so much at the Aegean Center – I can honestly say that I learned more in the three months at the center than I did during 5 semesters at college. This is because of the program being so small, one receives as much personal one-on-one time as one asks for. You are able to get into the nitty gritty of your art and learn as much as possible. During our final gallery opening it was such a good feeling to see all of the students’ work. It really was presented on a professional level, and the level of work shown was incredible.

A piece of advice for traveling abroad…. have a backup plan as far as your money is concerned, always have some extra stashed away somewhere, one never knows when it will be needed or come in handy. We did end up spending a chunk more than we expected. It’s not a great feeling when you aren’t sure if you have enough money to get you out of a hole or not, so be prepared just in case!

Will I recommend studying abroad to my fellow students? Just look at the pics that I have submitted over the past three months and YOU tell me. Happy studying abroad!

There was a young couple from Canada (Adam and his girlfriend whose name escapes me) and I invited them to join me, to which she responded: “Yes please, beer butt chicken is what my Dad does all the time.” I served a potato and onion dish with it and we had a feast.

When one stays in hostels or in homes, it is possible to do this. One simply reaches a stage after some travel that one wants home cooking soooooo badly. The plan is to rent Luka’s cottage next year where I will have a kitchen at my disposal. I cannot wait … add to that the friends from South Africa … what more can one ask for? Afrikaans, South African food, private beach … OMG LIFE IS GOOD!

Pic to the left:

Far left, the former ambassador to Afghanistan. Center, Zuk son of the owner (his dad to the right) of the house in Barr where I stayed. Zuk’s Dad could not speak English, but we had a blast. We talked forever about solving the world’s problems!