Stay true to the dreams of thy youth

I made it to Sarajevo, Bosnia yesterday evening after a rather enjoyable eight-hour bus ride between Belgrade and the outskirts of Sarajevo. The terrain on this trip was absolutely beautiful - lush green mountains, winding rivers and innumerable hamlets dotting the hills and fields. The buses from Belgrade seem to reflect the political leanings of the country's inhabitants, with eight buses a day running to the Serb side of Sarajevo, south of the Miljacka River, and only one bus running daily to the Bosnian side, north of the river.

After a quick tram ride and a brief walk downtown I entered the Hostel City Centre, which I must say is quite possibly the best hostel I have ever seen in my travels. The layout is fantastic, with the common areas conducive to socializing around the couches and television, travel library or outdoor patio. Something about the vibe of the place is right on. Unfortunately, they were full, so I was transferred to a neighboring house attached to a different hostel, and then moved again to the hostel, which happened to be full. I slept on the living room couch at a discount rate, yet still slept like a baby.

Despite my best efforts, I am utterly incapable of not discussing politics with people when I meet them in the streets, hostel or cafes. This was the case in both Serbia and here, and it has been interesting to hear two vastly different sides of the same conflict. The one thing consistent throughout the discussions however, is the phrase, "Yes... but..." Each person, no matter if he is Serb or Bosnian, will usually start a statement with: "We just want peace, and we have no problem at all with the ______ people, religion does not matter. Yes... but the real problem is _______, they are ignorant and love war/ they just want to exploit us / they started the war and still do not want peace..." Certainly this style of discourse can be found throughout post-conflict regions of the world, but it is interesting to hear the different versions, specifically as the conflict between Bosnia and Serbia is still rather fresh, yet at the same time growing more distant each year.

I look forward to gaining some more insight into the different perspectives of the communities, and hope to not elicit angry reactions. Regardless of the geography however, I have found both the Bosnian and Serbian people to be extremely friendly, hospitable and receptive to Americans, something I expected with Bosnia, but not with Serbia due to the Clinton years.