Balkan Odyssey

*Map courtesy of Yale University Library Online

After three terrific weeks on the road, spanning much of the western Balkan Peninsula (and most of former Yugoslavia), I am once again back in Romania -- not necessarily rested, but reinvigorated for my second year of Peace Corps work. More than anything, the trip has underscored for me how far the Balkan countries have come since the revolutions and wars of the late 1980's and 1990's , both physically and psychologically. Though they were dodging snipers and mortar shells on their way to the store less than 15 years ago, Sarajevans are prospering and ready to move on. Though beautiful coastal jewels like Dubrovnik were heavily damaged during the war, Croatians have quickly rebuilt and are flush with the profits of international tourism. And then there is Slovenia, almost indistinguishable from its neighbors to the West and North (Italy and Austria) in its advanced level of development.

Each Balkan country is having to chart modernization on its own terms, and define its own priorities in this age of rapid growth. All have unique potentials and problems, and yes, the pace of development contrasts starkly between the various countries -- but this is a testament to independence: each nation is charged with making its own way, assisted by external aid but unfettered by external control. This is truly an exciting time to be living and working in the Balkans, and this trip has revealed to me many of the best-kept-secrets of Eastern Europe that are only now beginning to attract international tourists. Following are some quick notes about the various stopping-points on our trip (*be sure to checkout the photos as well, at the link to the right):

Belgrade, Serbia:
I've described Belgrade once before, back in early Spring, and so perhaps will let you look back on that posting for a fuller picture of the city (I didn't take many photos this time either). Suffice to say, however, that Belgrade is an even more beautiful and wonderful city in the height of Summer. It's strikingly tall, gorgeous Serbian residents stroll through the parks and along the Danube, sit at sidewalk cafes, and wile the night away at the floating bars that line the river's edge. Romania and Serbia share a border and, at least from my brief observations, a similar contrast in infrastructure and development between urban and rural areas. Like Timisoara here in Romania, Belgrade is a city working feverishly to pull itself out of its recent torpor -- and succeeding pretty handily on that count. I haven't traveled yet to Kosovo, the heavily-contested region in southern Serbia, and have received varying reports about the safety of doing so. But if there is unquestionably one place one must visit while in Serbia, it is this terrific city, which has managed to happily surprise everyone I know who has visited.

Novi Sad, Serbia:
I've been told that Novi Sad, in the north of the country, is Serbia's second largest city after Belgrade. It is, however, a much quieter, more relaxed urban center, without the bustle you'd expect from a major city. Sitting serenely between the mountains and the Sava River, Novi Sad seems content with keeping a low profile, and revealing its charms in an understated way.

This being said, Novi Sad recently hosted the EXIT Festival, one of Eastern Europe's largest "Lollapalooza"-type music festival, drawing performers and camping concert-goers from all over Europe. Some fellow volunteers attended, and said it was a lot of fun. Overall, Novi Sad would make a great day trip if you find yourself with time to kill in Belgrade, but I wouldn't call it a Serbian "must-see".

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina:
Looking back at photographs from the 1984 Winter Olympics, Sarajevo was truly one of the world's most stunning cities, surrounded by immaculate, fir-treed mountains on all sides. It is perhaps a testament not only to this latent beauty but to how far Sarajevo has come in recent years, that even after 4 years of constant siege during the 1991-95 war (with up to 300 shells and sniper bullets pummeling the city each day), Sarajevo is still stunning - even with its ubiquitous shrapnel pock-marks and the empty hulks of firebombed buildings. Since medieval Ottoman rule, the city has been a model of cultural diversity and harmony, with Orthodox Bosnian Serbs, Catholic Croats, Jews, and Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks) living tightly together. This did not change during with war, with all of the above groups contributing to the defense of the city against the besieging Bosnian Serb militias (there were Bosnian Serbs fighting on both sides). The new graveyards established to accommodate the casualties of that war attest to the diversity of those who were fighting together.

It's humbling to walk down streets where, only 12 years ago, a trip to buy bread at the store might get you killed from sniper fire; or to stand in the surrounding hills and experience the same jaw-dropping vistas the Bosnian Serb army saw as they fired shells into the city below. It's also a testament, thankfully, to how quickly things can change. Rather than fearing for their lives, Sarajevans now concern themselves with catering to the ever-growing hordes of travelers. Sarajevo always seems to find itself at the crossroads of war (WW I, the Balkan War, etc.). I can only hope it's next chapter in history is a more peaceful one.

Dubrovnik, Croatia:
Jutting out on a spit of land into the impossibly blue, impossibly clear Adriatic Sea separating the Balkans from Italy, Dubrovnik could easily be mistaken (in all but price) for the Riviera -- like much of the Balkan Adriatic coast. And judging from its idyllic setting and strategic positioning, it's easy to see why Dubrovnik (Ragusa until WW I) was coveted by so many empires: Slavs, Venetians, Ottomans, Napoleon, and the Habsburgs. The walled old-town section is a striking Renaissance jewel: almost completely surrounded by water; defended on all sides by formidable battlements; constructed from head to toe (including streets) of the immaculate white travertine marble that is abundant throughout the region.

As you will see from the photos, the Croatian coast is an exceedingly dry landscape, comprised mainly of rock and low scrub brush (northern Mexico also comes to mind). The rocky shoreline is starkly beautiful, but won't be a welcome sight to anyone looking for sandy beaches (they've imported a few, here and there, for tourists). The thousands of islands that line the coast mean that one could spend weeks hopping from one to the next, via ferry, kayak, sailboat, etc. I got the sense that there would never be enough time to truly get to know the thousands of miles of serrated Croatian coastline. We did take a boat-trip one afternoon between a few of the smaller islands (many of which have one or more small villages of their own), and we spent one night on Korcula Island which, along with Hvar and Mljet, are perhaps the most visited islands in souther Croatia.

Plitvice National Park, central Croatia:
The elaborate series of natural terraces, pools, and waterfalls you see in Plitvice (which descend several hundred meters in elevation) are the product of the mineral travertine, which produces travertine marble as its sediments collect. Without getting too geeky-scientific here, travertine sediments in the park's flowing waters have built-up over millions of years, forming natural dams that, in turn, have created various levels of terraced pools. The high mineral content also lends the water an extraordinary clear, blue brilliance that easily comes through in the photos. Nothing here is fake!: all is exactly as it looks in real life. The uniqueness of this spectacular landscape has won for it protected status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Any trip to Croatia should include a stop in this magnificent park.

Rovinj, Croatia:
Sitting on the western coast of the Istrian Peninsula, near Croatia's northern border with Slovenia, Rovinj is only 100km or so from Italy and Venice - and with its brightly-colored, closely-packed buildings skirting the water's edge, you can feel that proximity. Like Dubrovnik, old Rovinj (Rovigno in Italian) is perched out on a spit of land surrounded by water, like Dubrovnik it was vied for by a succession of different empires, and like Dubrovnik the town is a living postcard image. Because most (non-Italian) tourists had traditionally headed further south to Croatia's Dalmation Coast to vacation, the Istrian Peninsula was known for being a somewhat quieter and more relaxed region than its Croatian neighbors. Due to more recent coverage in the NY Times and elsewhere however, this is quickly changing. While still not as bustling as Dubrovnik or Split, towns like Rovinj are getting noticed, and with good reason: they have all of the beauty of the Mediterranean further west, while being much cheaper...well, for anyone other than a Peace Corps Volunteer!

Pula, Croatia:
Our terrific week-long amble through Croatia ended in this pretty, medium-size town on the southern tip of the Istrian Peninsula, before crossing the border into Slovenia. Pula's establishment as a Roman settlement is still evidenced by a variety of Roman ruins scattered around town: a coliseum (pictured to right), a triumphal arch, an open-air amphitheatre, a temple, and a variety of odds and ends (there's literally a heap of Roman stone artifacts next to the amphitheatre). Due to the major shipyard in town, and to the fact that the guidebook wasn't overly enthralled with the place, we weren't expecting much out of our visit to Pula -- and were pleasantly surprised: Nice pedestrian streets, cafes, restaurants, and then of course that incredible blue sea nearby. The reality is that, when you visit Croatia, you are immediately confronted with a dilemma as to which if the countless beautiful coastal towns and cities to visit (in and out of the guidebooks). Sometimes it's nice to get off the beaten path a little bit, to towns like Pula that, although not necessarily raved about in the travel books, offer quite a lot.

Note: My Romanian friends reading this will have already noticed that Pula shares its name with the Romanian term for, uhh, a crucial part of the male anatomy.

Ljubljana, Slovenia:
Slovenia is a country that, to my mind, demonstrates the absolute diversity of countries categorized as "Balkan". Although they (marginally) share the South Slavic language group, and although they were once both part of Yugoslavia, Slovenia and Serbia (for example) look and feel like completely different cultures. While Serbia has the unquestionable feel of a Slavic country and peoples, Slovenia could just as easily be Austria or northern Italy. The point has been made that, among Yugoslavian countries, Slovenia maintained the closest connection to Western European ideals and culture, throughout Communism. And today it's clear that, whatever advantages it may have had over it's Balkan neighbors, it has capitalized on them. Much the same as with Croatia, foreign money and involvement have put Slovenian infrastructure on the fast-track to "first world" standards.

As for Ljubljana itself (it's close enough to say "Loob-yanna"), the Slovenian capitol is a calm but urbane center of culture, only 2-3 hours from Vienna. It is bordered on the north by the dramatic Julian Alps, a region of intense fighting during the Second World War. You could probably spend all day (and all night) hopping between the cafes bordering the winding Ljubljanica River on both banks. And since we weren't particularly in a museum state-of-mind, this is more or less what we did! Although we were constantly awed by the jutting Julian Alps looming in the distance, we didn't have the chance to take a trip into the mountains this time. It's amazing how quickly 3 weeks can go.

Budapest, Hungary:
Budapest is another city I've covered in past postings, and since I was only really able to stop over for the night here (I had a wedding to get back for), my latest experiences wouldn't add much to what I've said about it. It should go without saying that Budapest is a terrific place whose level of development and infrastructure, like Ljubljana's, rivals any in Western Europe. As with just about any other city in Europe, I would recommend visiting in Spring or Fall, when the weather is cool and pleasant, the prices are cheaper, and crowds of tourists aren't trampling you on their way to the next tour stop. Frankly, I haven't visited many places that wouldn't be even nicer in September than in July.

Just as a conclusion to what I've said here (and in the past), I can't emphasize enough how strongly I recommend Eastern Europe as a travel destination...whether you see it while I'm here or not! And sooner rather than later. The Balkans, like so many other developing parts of the world, is changing at almost unfathomable pace -- and at this moment you have the opportunity to see the colliding of the "old" order with the new, and the positive and negative ramifications of this process. Eastern Europe is, in the minds of many Westerners, essentially a dirty word, saddled with various stigmas about Communism, corruption, and crime. And while elements of this darker side certainly persist, there is much about the Balkans that is as unknown to the outside world as it is wonderful. For every example like Croatia, there are myriad other "hidden jewels" in this region that await exposure. Yes, one must be willing to be an adventurous, flexible, and patient traveler in the Balkans: transportation, toilet facilities, and pricing charts always keep you on your toes, without a doubt. But once you have surmounted these issues, the world they open you up to is one worth the effort.

And don't believe all the rumors. After a year, I have yet to run into a black market gunrunner (though we're pretty sure they were smuggling tablecloths on the train to Serbia).

Enjoy the rest of the Summer, wherever it takes you...