So…this is it! I have arrived back in Serbia and am here until late December. While here I will teach a graduate course in American Studies (on the Civil Rights Movement), will teach in the Women’s Studies Center and will continue my work with WiB. I will also work on the book.
Then, I go back to the US for Spring semester. Teach at my university there in NJ for the term. And plan to then return to Serbia for the 15th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre – so I hope to be here from mid-May through mid-July. Then I will feel like I have really completed what I started here.
After that – I will come back to USA, teach in NJ for another year and then take stock again. Will I stay at this job? Will I apply for another academic job in a place I’d rather live? Or will I try to get a job with the UN or some other international organization? It all remains to be seen!
But for the short-term – well, I finally went to the north of Serbia, in the province of Vojvodina to visit the family of my landlords in a small town called Crvenka (pop. 10,000). I had been invited since I first got here in January, but had been putting it off b/c I thought I had too much to do here in Belgrade. Well, the truth is that this trip was the best thing that has happened to me in a long time!
They are a perfectly wonderful family first of all! After the first day I felt completely at home! The husband and wife are in their late 40s and their son in a teenager – about to start university in fall. Mostly we hung out at their place, out on their porch, and all the day long friends would stop by for a coffee and a chat. It was so cozy and warm and wonderful! It was great to have healthy home cooked meals. It was great to hang out and debate politics and ideas. It was a great chance to practice my language as many of their friends do not speak English. And I felt so welcomed that when I left I actually felt sad and missed them!
Their home is modest, but full of warmth. In their backyard are tons of fruit trees so there is always fresh peaches, pears and plums on the table (and he uses the rest to make rakia – the local liquor). Then, as neighbors stop by, they all bring other things from their gardens! Wonderful!
When I first arrived I planned to stay only 3 days, but I ended up staying 5 days, partly b/c they were having a BBQ for me on day 4. It was so awesome! Such fresh meat and veggies and so many wonderful people.
The whole experience reminded me that I really love living in a place with community. I prefer smaller towns to big cities and I love being able to walk everywhere and to know so many people in your community.
They are coming here at the end of this week, and I am having them over to dinner for my b-day. I might then go back to Crvenka with them for a few days…we’ll see.
Then, next weekend, I am going to Istanbul! I have never been before. I am excited! Going with my old friend “A” and we are staying with another friend of hers from university. Woo-Hoo!
OK…that is all I can manage to write today. I have made many posts today…all in the interest of catching up and I can hardly think now. Hope to keep up blog better now that I am back again in Serbia.
Thanks for reading…
Xina
Monday, August 31, 2009
taking stock as my next birthday approaches...
So living a somewhat multi-national life has made me feel like I am in the show “Quantum Leap.” I jump from one existence to the next at a moment’s notice and feel disoriented and imbalanced for the first little bit! But all of this has given me some time to think about some things…
So I am turning 36 next week. YUCK! It is hard to even write it down! What does it mean? How do I measure up? What do I still want to do? Just generally taking stock.
I have realized that there are a lot of things about my life that I am very happy about. I have really great friends all over the world! I have a career that I love and that I am truly passionate about. I am an independent thinker who may be financially solvent for the first time ever! I have travelled to many places in the US and abroad. Basically, when I look back over my life I have to say that I have largely done what I have wanted when I have wanted.
Now this does not mean I have been able to do everything I want – often I have been faced with choices and taking one path means abandoning the other. But it does mean that largely I have made this life my own – sometimes inside and sometimes outside the boundaries of societal expectations. And while this has also meant that I have made many mistakes in my life, I think that I am not one of those “old soul” people who are inherently wise and make well-considered choices. I am impulsive and have often had to learn things the hard way! This also means I am tenacious, and rarely hear the word “NO” as a definitive roadblock. I embrace challenges and look for solutions. I speak my mind and am not afraid to argue a point. I stick up for people who may be “weak” when I see they are in unfair situations. I am generally adventurous and adaptable.
All things I am happy with.
Now…as I take stock of my 36 years, there are also things that I am not so happy with. I find it hard to say “no” to people, or to hurt people’s feelings so I often practice avoidance. I am easily influenced to indulge my proclivities (drinking, smoking, eating crap, skipping exercise). I am overly critical of myself and sometimes of others. I often think emotionally rather than rationally. I let other people’s opinions sway my decisions too much. I am not always as sensitive to others as I should be, and am a bit self-centered.
And as I look at my turning 36 I realize that there are some things I still want out of life and some things I want to work to change in the coming year…
1st – I think it would be great to be able to buy a house or a condo! (I think this will happen either in a year or so if I decide to stay at my current job or will happen whenever/wherever I take my next job)
2nd – I would really like to get a dog – and I think I want a foxy little Pomeranian! (will happen when I get a house)
3rd – I vow to get back in shape! This is not such a far fetched task. It was only 3 years ago that I was actually quite fit and healthy. So really I just need to get back in control of my exercise and eating habits. (already starting now! Began vegan detox diet and daily exercise. This is Phase 1. Really trying to stick with it. I hate feeling unhealthy and flabby! But they say “muscle never forgets” so I am hoping that some healthy eating and exercise now and then some concentrated gym time when I get back to USA should get me where I need to be by next summer!)
4th – I want to live somewhere that I really WANT to live! I have put this off over and over again. If I stay at my current job, I think I need to move to Phillie – I need human contact and community! Otherwise, if I seek a different job, I WILL live somewhere I really want to live – either somewhere warm, somewhere in Europe OR at least somewhere with a sense of community.
5th – When I get back to the US, I want to make all the numerous doctor appointments I have been putting off – allergist, dermatologist, and therapist! Especially therapist. I think a few months of therapy could be a good thing for any adult.
SO I guess this is all rambling, but I feel like if I write it down I am somewhat committed to it. Self improvement! Being a better ME.
Thanks for reading.
Until next time…
Xina
So I am turning 36 next week. YUCK! It is hard to even write it down! What does it mean? How do I measure up? What do I still want to do? Just generally taking stock.
I have realized that there are a lot of things about my life that I am very happy about. I have really great friends all over the world! I have a career that I love and that I am truly passionate about. I am an independent thinker who may be financially solvent for the first time ever! I have travelled to many places in the US and abroad. Basically, when I look back over my life I have to say that I have largely done what I have wanted when I have wanted.
Now this does not mean I have been able to do everything I want – often I have been faced with choices and taking one path means abandoning the other. But it does mean that largely I have made this life my own – sometimes inside and sometimes outside the boundaries of societal expectations. And while this has also meant that I have made many mistakes in my life, I think that I am not one of those “old soul” people who are inherently wise and make well-considered choices. I am impulsive and have often had to learn things the hard way! This also means I am tenacious, and rarely hear the word “NO” as a definitive roadblock. I embrace challenges and look for solutions. I speak my mind and am not afraid to argue a point. I stick up for people who may be “weak” when I see they are in unfair situations. I am generally adventurous and adaptable.
All things I am happy with.
Now…as I take stock of my 36 years, there are also things that I am not so happy with. I find it hard to say “no” to people, or to hurt people’s feelings so I often practice avoidance. I am easily influenced to indulge my proclivities (drinking, smoking, eating crap, skipping exercise). I am overly critical of myself and sometimes of others. I often think emotionally rather than rationally. I let other people’s opinions sway my decisions too much. I am not always as sensitive to others as I should be, and am a bit self-centered.
And as I look at my turning 36 I realize that there are some things I still want out of life and some things I want to work to change in the coming year…
1st – I think it would be great to be able to buy a house or a condo! (I think this will happen either in a year or so if I decide to stay at my current job or will happen whenever/wherever I take my next job)
2nd – I would really like to get a dog – and I think I want a foxy little Pomeranian! (will happen when I get a house)
3rd – I vow to get back in shape! This is not such a far fetched task. It was only 3 years ago that I was actually quite fit and healthy. So really I just need to get back in control of my exercise and eating habits. (already starting now! Began vegan detox diet and daily exercise. This is Phase 1. Really trying to stick with it. I hate feeling unhealthy and flabby! But they say “muscle never forgets” so I am hoping that some healthy eating and exercise now and then some concentrated gym time when I get back to USA should get me where I need to be by next summer!)
4th – I want to live somewhere that I really WANT to live! I have put this off over and over again. If I stay at my current job, I think I need to move to Phillie – I need human contact and community! Otherwise, if I seek a different job, I WILL live somewhere I really want to live – either somewhere warm, somewhere in Europe OR at least somewhere with a sense of community.
5th – When I get back to the US, I want to make all the numerous doctor appointments I have been putting off – allergist, dermatologist, and therapist! Especially therapist. I think a few months of therapy could be a good thing for any adult.
SO I guess this is all rambling, but I feel like if I write it down I am somewhat committed to it. Self improvement! Being a better ME.
Thanks for reading.
Until next time…
Xina
My summer holiday at the Jersey Shore...
After the trip to Eastern Serbia I had two days to pack and clean my house. I was scheduled to leave for a month holiday in the USA right away. The last 6 weeks here in Serbia had been an intense whirlwind, but I loved every minute of it and had gotten so involved in my work here that I almost didn’t want to go home! Still, the thought of being at the beach for a month did sound enticing!
When in the US I live on an island near Atlantic City, so in the summer it is something of a genuine pleasure! I ride my bike around the island, jog on the beach and swim in the ocean. Now you may have heard a lot of things about the Jersey Shore, and some may be exaggerations, some may be truth. Not being from the region originally myself I feel like I get an outsiders view of things here!
So, I have no idea what the North Jersey Shore towns are like. Basically the island I live on is sort of like the first point on the South Jersey Shore. Each of the shore towns has its own personality. The place where I live is more like a nature beach and is family oriented. No boardwalk. Only a couple bars (though 2 of them are open 24 hrs!) Just a few restaurants. A golf course. A huge marshland that is a protected bird sanctuary. And while there are a lot of families and summer folks, during the year the island is mostly populated by fisherman, casino workers and families that have lived on the island for generations. In winter the place is a ghost town – which has its benefits and drawbacks!
Then you have Atlantic City, which is lots of fun when you have guests but is not really like a cultural center or anything. The beach there is kind of trashy. You see a lot of sad people – drug addicts, gambling addicts, and the like. But, all that said, AC is not as trashy as people think. The boardwalk is pretty cool. Rides, games, shops, bars, restaurants and “massage parlors.” You also have a beautiful elitist mega-mall, and really a lot of shows and attractions in general. Like I said – it is a great place when you have guests. Very entertaining! But not such a fun city on your own. It’s not as if they have a 1st Friday gallery hop or anything!
After AC you have Margate & Ventor. From what I can tell, these are the spots where very wealthy people live. Amazing houses. Clean beaches. Some good restaurants. But it also seems that Ventnor has a somewhat significant year-round population. Margate is famous for this huge plaster elephant that is like 100 years old or something called “Lucy the Elephant.”
Now after this I get a little confused about the order, and I may leave a few out here, but I think next you have Somer’s Point. I have not spent a lot of time here, but I get the impression that it is a place that is fun for people in their 30s and 40s – like Yuppies perhaps? I could be wrong.
Then Ocean City. This is the kid-oriented beach town. Huge boardwalk with put-put, games, junk food, rides, etc. This is a dry town and there are no bars. Instead, there is a lot of activities throughout the community planned for kids each day and it seems to be quite safe.
Then you have Avalon and Stone Harbor which seem to be for those people who are too old for the wild “spring break” kind of party, but still like to have fun – maybe late 20s and 30s maybe even into 40s.
Next is Wildwood. Now this place is the PARTY Spring Break style type of place. It caters to the barely legal. The boardwalk here, aside from games, rides and junkfood, seems to be a cruising place for picking up people of the opposite sex. From what I can tell, this place would have been awesome to be when I was between 18 – 25, but now I think it is kind of gross. It’s OK during the day, and in North Wildwood there are some good places to eat and drink.
Finally, there is the crowning jewel of the south Jersey Shore – Cape May! This is known for its beautiful old Victorian homes, its sophisticated beauty and its old money residents. It is also known to be a favorite spot of sophisticated gay couples and has further become THE place for straight couples from throughout the region to hold their weddings.
OK…so there is your shore orientation. From the perspective of an outsider.
Now, when I moved there it was to be close to my NJ job, and I am close. In the summer it is a great place to live, but in the winter there is, if you will pardon my language, exactly fuck-all to do there! BUT – since I pay rent for the place and had a month off of work here in Serbia, I was anxious to get some summer use out of the place.
So, what was my trip like?
Week 1 was spent largely at the beach. I had lent my car to PC, so I was biking and walking everywhere and was generally re-orienting myself. One really fun thing for this vacation was that PC had recently inherited a 1980s red convertible corvette – complete with HUGE orange and white flames all over the hood! This was a fun car to have at the shore. PC came down basically every time he had days off and we would pick a shore destination and drive. The car is fun. Little kids look and point and think it is “bad ass” while I am pretty sure that adults look at us in that car and think “What an asshole!” But whatever! I’ve always wanted a convertible and what better place to have one than at the beach for the summer!
Other than lots of fun days driving, eating and drinking with PC, I had several other visitors including my good friend “A.” We had a wonderful time! Riding bikes, walking on the beach, sitting in the sun on my back deck and playing games. It was a really special time in fact b/c “A” and I are celebrating our 10 yr. friendship anniversary! And while we regularly see each other while both in the country, it had been a while since we had some one-on-one time – so AWESOME!
My cousin “AB” also came for a visit. She had come last year as well and we had such a great time that we decided to try to make it an annual thing. She and I were best of friends when we were growing up, but since we are adults – she with a family and me with a travel intensive job – we do not get as much time together as we would like these days so it is super fun to hang out! We spent some time in AC, did some light gambling (in fact, she won like $300 on penny slots from a mere $10!). We went to see a rip-off of Cirque de Soleil (which was still pretty cool), and one afternoon we rented a boat with PC and went crabbing in the bay.
Now a boat on the bay and a day crabbing sounds awesome in theory, but in practice…well for me it was a somewhat difficult day. Oh, don’t get me wrong…I loved the boat and the crabbing. The problem was the greenhead flies! These huge nasty biting flies breed most aggressively in the salty marshland of my island. They feed on the blood of humans and warm blooded animals. Their bites are painful, like a cigarette burn, because they have a crude slicing implement similar to tiny scissors. I am allergic to their bites and one will swell to the size of a quarter, itch like mad, and last for 2 weeks. Well, for some reason, on that boat on that day, these stupid flies made a meal out of me! By the time we got home I had easily 40+ bites and was intensely uncomfortable for the next few days! YUCK!
But overall I had a really fantastic time with my cousin’s visit and I am excited for her visit next year! As I drove her to the airport on that last day, we stopped in Phillie for lunch as I had been craving tex-mex and guacamole for like 6 months! This was the perfect ending to a wonderful time together.
Also while home in NJ I went to visit my family in Cleveland for a long weekend. The time was action packed! We went to a comedy show, had a BBQ party, did some shopping and visiting and then it was pretty much time for me to go home. It was great to see everyone and we had a lot of fun. I do regret I could not spend more time there and especially that I was too busy with family to actually see any friends. Maybe over xmas!
After getting back from the CLE I went and spent 4 days in Phillie – hanging out with “A” and “Em” and helping “Em” move – again! This time a permanent move to North Carolina. Sad for me, but great for her!
The last few days of my visit I spent at the beach and with PC.
In all it just flew by! And now I am back in Belgrade and I am glad to be back. I am trying to make the most of it b/c I know it will be over before I know it!
Well anyhow…thanks for reading…
Until next time…
Xina
When in the US I live on an island near Atlantic City, so in the summer it is something of a genuine pleasure! I ride my bike around the island, jog on the beach and swim in the ocean. Now you may have heard a lot of things about the Jersey Shore, and some may be exaggerations, some may be truth. Not being from the region originally myself I feel like I get an outsiders view of things here!
So, I have no idea what the North Jersey Shore towns are like. Basically the island I live on is sort of like the first point on the South Jersey Shore. Each of the shore towns has its own personality. The place where I live is more like a nature beach and is family oriented. No boardwalk. Only a couple bars (though 2 of them are open 24 hrs!) Just a few restaurants. A golf course. A huge marshland that is a protected bird sanctuary. And while there are a lot of families and summer folks, during the year the island is mostly populated by fisherman, casino workers and families that have lived on the island for generations. In winter the place is a ghost town – which has its benefits and drawbacks!
Then you have Atlantic City, which is lots of fun when you have guests but is not really like a cultural center or anything. The beach there is kind of trashy. You see a lot of sad people – drug addicts, gambling addicts, and the like. But, all that said, AC is not as trashy as people think. The boardwalk is pretty cool. Rides, games, shops, bars, restaurants and “massage parlors.” You also have a beautiful elitist mega-mall, and really a lot of shows and attractions in general. Like I said – it is a great place when you have guests. Very entertaining! But not such a fun city on your own. It’s not as if they have a 1st Friday gallery hop or anything!
After AC you have Margate & Ventor. From what I can tell, these are the spots where very wealthy people live. Amazing houses. Clean beaches. Some good restaurants. But it also seems that Ventnor has a somewhat significant year-round population. Margate is famous for this huge plaster elephant that is like 100 years old or something called “Lucy the Elephant.”
Now after this I get a little confused about the order, and I may leave a few out here, but I think next you have Somer’s Point. I have not spent a lot of time here, but I get the impression that it is a place that is fun for people in their 30s and 40s – like Yuppies perhaps? I could be wrong.
Then Ocean City. This is the kid-oriented beach town. Huge boardwalk with put-put, games, junk food, rides, etc. This is a dry town and there are no bars. Instead, there is a lot of activities throughout the community planned for kids each day and it seems to be quite safe.
Then you have Avalon and Stone Harbor which seem to be for those people who are too old for the wild “spring break” kind of party, but still like to have fun – maybe late 20s and 30s maybe even into 40s.
Next is Wildwood. Now this place is the PARTY Spring Break style type of place. It caters to the barely legal. The boardwalk here, aside from games, rides and junkfood, seems to be a cruising place for picking up people of the opposite sex. From what I can tell, this place would have been awesome to be when I was between 18 – 25, but now I think it is kind of gross. It’s OK during the day, and in North Wildwood there are some good places to eat and drink.
Finally, there is the crowning jewel of the south Jersey Shore – Cape May! This is known for its beautiful old Victorian homes, its sophisticated beauty and its old money residents. It is also known to be a favorite spot of sophisticated gay couples and has further become THE place for straight couples from throughout the region to hold their weddings.
OK…so there is your shore orientation. From the perspective of an outsider.
Now, when I moved there it was to be close to my NJ job, and I am close. In the summer it is a great place to live, but in the winter there is, if you will pardon my language, exactly fuck-all to do there! BUT – since I pay rent for the place and had a month off of work here in Serbia, I was anxious to get some summer use out of the place.
So, what was my trip like?
Week 1 was spent largely at the beach. I had lent my car to PC, so I was biking and walking everywhere and was generally re-orienting myself. One really fun thing for this vacation was that PC had recently inherited a 1980s red convertible corvette – complete with HUGE orange and white flames all over the hood! This was a fun car to have at the shore. PC came down basically every time he had days off and we would pick a shore destination and drive. The car is fun. Little kids look and point and think it is “bad ass” while I am pretty sure that adults look at us in that car and think “What an asshole!” But whatever! I’ve always wanted a convertible and what better place to have one than at the beach for the summer!
Other than lots of fun days driving, eating and drinking with PC, I had several other visitors including my good friend “A.” We had a wonderful time! Riding bikes, walking on the beach, sitting in the sun on my back deck and playing games. It was a really special time in fact b/c “A” and I are celebrating our 10 yr. friendship anniversary! And while we regularly see each other while both in the country, it had been a while since we had some one-on-one time – so AWESOME!
My cousin “AB” also came for a visit. She had come last year as well and we had such a great time that we decided to try to make it an annual thing. She and I were best of friends when we were growing up, but since we are adults – she with a family and me with a travel intensive job – we do not get as much time together as we would like these days so it is super fun to hang out! We spent some time in AC, did some light gambling (in fact, she won like $300 on penny slots from a mere $10!). We went to see a rip-off of Cirque de Soleil (which was still pretty cool), and one afternoon we rented a boat with PC and went crabbing in the bay.
Now a boat on the bay and a day crabbing sounds awesome in theory, but in practice…well for me it was a somewhat difficult day. Oh, don’t get me wrong…I loved the boat and the crabbing. The problem was the greenhead flies! These huge nasty biting flies breed most aggressively in the salty marshland of my island. They feed on the blood of humans and warm blooded animals. Their bites are painful, like a cigarette burn, because they have a crude slicing implement similar to tiny scissors. I am allergic to their bites and one will swell to the size of a quarter, itch like mad, and last for 2 weeks. Well, for some reason, on that boat on that day, these stupid flies made a meal out of me! By the time we got home I had easily 40+ bites and was intensely uncomfortable for the next few days! YUCK!
But overall I had a really fantastic time with my cousin’s visit and I am excited for her visit next year! As I drove her to the airport on that last day, we stopped in Phillie for lunch as I had been craving tex-mex and guacamole for like 6 months! This was the perfect ending to a wonderful time together.
Also while home in NJ I went to visit my family in Cleveland for a long weekend. The time was action packed! We went to a comedy show, had a BBQ party, did some shopping and visiting and then it was pretty much time for me to go home. It was great to see everyone and we had a lot of fun. I do regret I could not spend more time there and especially that I was too busy with family to actually see any friends. Maybe over xmas!
After getting back from the CLE I went and spent 4 days in Phillie – hanging out with “A” and “Em” and helping “Em” move – again! This time a permanent move to North Carolina. Sad for me, but great for her!
The last few days of my visit I spent at the beach and with PC.
In all it just flew by! And now I am back in Belgrade and I am glad to be back. I am trying to make the most of it b/c I know it will be over before I know it!
Well anyhow…thanks for reading…
Until next time…
Xina
My wonderful trip to Eastern Serbia
OK, well, after the intense experience of the Srebrenica commemoration week the leader of WiB felt that we needed a little break and since there were still a handful of international visitors left in Belgrade she organized a trip to Eastern Serbia for us foreigners.
We had a small bus and somewhere around 18 passengers from Serbia, Croatia, USA, Italy, Spain, Israel, Iran (and maybe others). We headed out with a loosely planned 2 day itinerary. All-and-all the trip was awesome! The weather was great. It was a really fantastic group. I felt like, after the activities of the Srebrenica week and this trip my Serbian language had improved immensely. And we saw so much of the Serbian countryside and so many little towns. I really loved it.
Throughout the nearly 10 years I have been coming to this region I have seen much of Croatia, and Bosnia and have even travelled a bit in Macedonia. Yet in Serbia, other than the trip to Leskovac, I had not seen much. So this trip was something special for me…
DAY 1
Pozarevac – Our first stop was a museum in the town of Pozarevac, which is also incidentally the town where Slobodan Milosevic was born and is now buried. The museum we visited is essentially a quick orientation guide to all of the treasures from Roman times and before that have been unearthed in Serbia. To my surprise there is an amazing amount of Roman ruins in Serbia! I am not sure why they do not capitalize on it more, as I think it would attract many tourists. But for whatever reason, even many Serbian people I talk to do not realize the treasures that are here!
So, after the museum, in true Serbian style, we walked to a nearby café for strong Turkish coffees and a cigarette break. We were then off to our next destination, though we would return to Pozarevac for lunch as a local taverna had offered to make a traditional meal for us.
Viminacium – From Pozarevac we drove about 45 minutes to the site of an old Roman town known as Viminacium. Incidentally, this is also the spot where, just a few months ago, archaeologists excavated the largest and best preserved mastodon (or possibly mammoth, I don’t remember) known in the world (according to the JAT airlines in flight magazine). We had a super cheerful guide who took us to three different excavation sites, two of which were really impressive! In the first we could see many tombs that had been unearthed, several still with bones, as well as works of art and architecture.
I actually cannot remember the second site, but the third was really great. Here you had a bath house that had been excavated and was really well preserved. We spent a good 2 ½ hrs in total at Viminacium and I think we were the only tourists there during that time. Can you believe it? After being in Rome just a few months ago among throngs of people at every ancient site it was amazing to have this to ourselves!
After the bath house we prepared to get back in the bus, but not before I had some time for playing with the most beautiful St. Bernard dogs I have ever seen (one with blue eyes even) who belonged to the owners.
Preserveed skeleton found in tombs at Viminacium
Part of excavated ruins of Roman town at Viminacium
Bath house excavated at Viminacium
Lunch in Pozarevac – So we returned to Pozarevac for lunch and I was really happy that all of the foreign visitors got to have such a delicious and well prepared Serbian lunch. (You see, even though I am also a foreigner, because I live here I felt like the others were our guests and I really wanted to show them the best of Serbia.)
Now, I know I have mentioned this, but the staple of the Serbian diet is MEAT!! So the traditional lunch (usually around 2 or 3pm) is really more like dinner, and everything is served family style. They first bring some assorted appetizers – roasted peppers with garlic, assorted salads, white beans, sautéed mushrooms, other things I can’t recall, and always served with delicious, still hot home made bread!!
Then for the main course they bring out several huge platters overflowing with grilled meats of every imaginable variety! Roasted pork, lamb sausages, huge thick bacon, chicken, beef…I mean you name it. Some is even some kind of meat with some other meat in the middle wrapped in yet another kind of meat!
And with all of this meat it is most delicious to have a very cold domestic draft beer!
You finish it all off with a strong Turkish coffee and assorted sweets that resemble various Greek baklavas.
As you might imagine, after all of that one needs a nap! And that is just what I did. While the passing countryside was beautiful as we went on to our next stop, I leaned against the window and fell fast asleep for a good hour or more!
Petrovac Cemetery – Our next stop was a couple hours down the road. We stopped in a small town known as Petrovac, but we didn’t really stop in the town so much as in the town’s cemetery. You see, apparently this town has long been known for a rather interesting tradition. Now all over Serbia, and especially in Eastern Bosnia, at Serb-Orthodox graves there is a tradition of leaving the favorite things of the dead person at the gravesite. So like if the person liked Jack Daniels, you might leave a glass of Jack. If s/he liked twinkies, you would leave twinkies. Same with cigarettes, apples, etc. They also light these yellow waxy candles at the graves when they visit.
So, this much I knew was a sort of standard thing. But what makes this cemetery special is the enactment of their belief that the dead and the living actually live among one another. Because of this, at many of the grave sites there are tiny houses, or sheds, or porches built. The most opulent of these has curtains, a TV, a sofa, a dining room, etc. (Clearly the more wealthy one is the better their grave site house.) Loved ones visit the graves, have a meal, and often sleep there. In fact we were told that there is at least one person sleeping there every night!
We spent an hour or so hiking around the cemetery, which all and all was pretty cool. We then loaded back up for our sort of sunset destination – Zagubica.
Grave stone inside porch-like structure - Petrovac Cemetery
Peeking inside the chiffon curtains of one of the more opulent cemetery houses. You can see a set table and even a TV in this one.
Another one that is more like a porch - Petrovac Cemetary
This one was like a huge living room with a picture window. Behind the grave stones here there was a table and chairs as well.
In this one you can see a more wide angle of the cemetery - Petrovac
Zagubica – We wound our way through beautiful countryside, mountains and valleys for a couple hours or so finally stopping at an exceptionally charming, rustic little site. The first thing I noticed was that there was again a looming grave yard on a hill that again had something distinctive about it…most of the graves had very colorful images depicting the things that the person loved most in life, and/or what they did for a profession and sometimes even how they died. Again this was super-cool!
I hiked around this spot for a bit, taking some photos, when I suddenly realized that most of the group had departed, except my roommate “J.” So “J” and I made our way down the hill toward the road to find the path where everyone else went. As we got to the road I suddenly see a group of big brown cows walking in nearly single file down the road. When they saw us they sped up and I got a little nervous – like they were chasing me! I soon noticed the herder following behind them, laughing at my reaction!
As we started to catch up with the rest of the group we took pause. I started to take notice of the stunning natural beauty of the place we were. A river about 15 ft. wide ran lazily cascading down rocks and under 2 wooden bridges. A weeping willow that would rival any described in Mark Twain’s tales poured its generous branches toward the river. To the right, the sky had begun to turn pink and two goats meandered on the bank across. To the left three dogs stood at the very edge of the stream – intermittently playing and lapping the cool water. And then, smack in the middle, two of the stream of cows stood, letting the water reach nearly to their huge bellies as they drank. I was so tickled! It all seemed so perfect!
We caught our group as we walked along the path near the river. In no hurry. Really loving the sounds and smells. We all sat at a café near the water for another round of strong Turkish coffee and cigarettes. (seriously – I have no idea how anyone sleeps here! They must drink 10+ coffees a day! Even at 10pm! Little wonder I am a crazy insomniac here! Well, I am insomniac everywhere, I always have been, but here I have many nights of just 1 hour of sleep!)
We then made our way back to the bus at a leisurely pace, pausing to admire the changes in the sky. The setting sun continued to put on a dazzling show as we made our winding way through the mountains, up up up – 15,000 feet – then winding down down down and around the valley and back up again.
Gravesite in Zagubica - note the red sports car - both what he loved and how he died
Gravesite in Zagubica - Man on motorcycle - again what he loved and how he died.
Natural beauty of Zagubica - river with Weeping Willow
Cows bathing in river in Zagubica - perhaps tired from chasing me!
More natural beauty of Zagubica
Bor – We stopped at the edge of the town of Bor, and it was already dark. Apparently we had expected to get there earlier because when I asked “What is here in Bor?” I was told “Serbia’s most shameful ecological disaster.” But clearly it was too late to see it.
Now in the moments before we reached Bor I had made it known that I really really had to pee. I am not one of those “squirrel bladder” types who goes every 15 minutes, and can usually hold it patiently for hours, but after so much coffee, beer and water that day, I was desperate. When I could not take it anymore I told the driver and navigator that I really had to go. Only, I couldn’t think of the polite way to say it in Serbian so instead I announced something akin to
“Pardon me, I must take a piss. I must piss very much. I need to take a piss now.”
All Serbian speaker in the bus laughed, a lot, but no one seemed to take my request seriously and we drove on. A few minutes of wiggling later I pleaded with the driver,
“Please – I badly need to take a piss. I take a piss in the grass or flowers near road. I don’t care.”
Again – laughter, but no indication of slowing down. When we finally stopped on the outskirts of Bor I jumped out of the bus without even saying a word and ran for the lights of an open café about 400 meters away. I did not greet anyone inside, I did not ask anyone’s permission, I just made a bee-line for the bathroom and was so so happy!
When I returned to the bus our guide for Bor had arrived and we proceeded to the city center. As in most European countries, all towns and cities in Serbian have a sort of designated pedestrian zone. In the Balkans it seems that every night that weather permits people of all ages can be seen looking their loveliest and walking up and down these pedestrian streets, stopping for a chat now and then or an ice cream, or a coffee or a beer. It is lively and pleasurable and I wish we had more towns like this in the US.
Well, in this tradition, Bor did seem to have a pedestrian zone. Yet as we parked and walked toward this area it looked more like a scene from a zombie movie or Michael Jackson’s Thriller video than a lively town gathering place. Under the orange glow of streetlights a smattering of shabbily dressed people walked ever so slowly toward us. Intermingled with these zombie townsfolk a mass of decrepit stray dogs weaved in and out, their ribs protruding like a xylophone.
Not wanting to be rude, but certainly freaked out by the freak show I whispered to “J” and the other American girl “D” about the zombies and they admitted they were thinking the same thing. Giggling sporadically as we made our way through the zombies, our guide took us to several important historical sites there in Bor – important because the mine in Bor made the town very wealthy for something like 100 years – particularly during the Communist period and during the Milosevic years when Bor was the only town making money and all its profits fed the war effort. Now the mine barely works and Bor is desperately poor. Young people who can leave Bor do so, and those who stick around are often victims of drug addiction and poverty.
Obviously we could not see the mine that night, but we walked to its edge – followed by so many starving dogs – and while the town itself was one of the most depressing places I’ve seen in a long time, one thing that was particularly striking was the stars. Because of the lack of light pollution the night sky looked like someone had smeared glitter all over the sky.
We would return to Bor the next day for a look at the mine. Like the guide said, it truly was an ecological disaster. Across from where we viewed the mine was what appeared to be a factory. We were told that this factory had twice served as a concentration camp – once in WWII and again in the 1990s.
Bor mine with view of factory building twice used as concentration camp
Another view of the ecological disaster known as the Bor mine.
Our Spa Hotel – As we left Bor that first night, exhausted and a little sad, we proceeded about ½ hour to the place we were to spend the night. We had been told we were staying at a spa, which in the American mind conjures images of opulent luxury – massages, pedicures, facials, etc. Well, this is not quite what a spa means in this region of the world. Many of the mountain towns in Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia have hot springs and various mineral pools. Around these things have sprung hotels and resorts, but not in the American sense – more in a rustic, in-tune with nature sense.
So, while this “spa” was not exactly what my mind had conjured, it was still an amazing and impressive thing. Set in the woods with various cabins, places to walk, a stream, wild life, and a pretty decent breakfast – it is a place to relax and recharge for sure!
Upon arrival we went straight to sleep! But when I woke the next morning, I had my breakfast and then decided to take a walk around the grounds to see what I could see. The first thing I came upon was an adorable set of puppies. Being an idiot and an animal lover I immediately went over to pet and cuddle these playful balls of fur. MISTAKE! Just when I got close enough to touch a puppy an angry snarling mother came at me with teeth that looked as vicious as a shark and a growling bark that was not playing around! I may have let out a little scream, I can’t remember, time was suddenly in slow motion as I pictured being mauled by this dog and I quickly backed away avoiding eye contact. Thank god the dog retreated – LESSON LEARNED!
The rest of my walk was lovely though. The woods were so nice and there were various mineral springs at various points in the path. I felt amazing (once I settled down from the near death by dog experience) and really charged with the energy of the natural surroundings. I could’ve stayed for days…or at least a few hours more…but after about an hour’s walk I could see the others rounding up to get into the bus, so I went back. Saying goodbye to this beautiful place we were bound for day 2!
View of the breakfast area at our spa hotel
A nice wooded spot at our spa hotel
We had a small bus and somewhere around 18 passengers from Serbia, Croatia, USA, Italy, Spain, Israel, Iran (and maybe others). We headed out with a loosely planned 2 day itinerary. All-and-all the trip was awesome! The weather was great. It was a really fantastic group. I felt like, after the activities of the Srebrenica week and this trip my Serbian language had improved immensely. And we saw so much of the Serbian countryside and so many little towns. I really loved it.
Throughout the nearly 10 years I have been coming to this region I have seen much of Croatia, and Bosnia and have even travelled a bit in Macedonia. Yet in Serbia, other than the trip to Leskovac, I had not seen much. So this trip was something special for me…
DAY 1
Pozarevac – Our first stop was a museum in the town of Pozarevac, which is also incidentally the town where Slobodan Milosevic was born and is now buried. The museum we visited is essentially a quick orientation guide to all of the treasures from Roman times and before that have been unearthed in Serbia. To my surprise there is an amazing amount of Roman ruins in Serbia! I am not sure why they do not capitalize on it more, as I think it would attract many tourists. But for whatever reason, even many Serbian people I talk to do not realize the treasures that are here!
So, after the museum, in true Serbian style, we walked to a nearby café for strong Turkish coffees and a cigarette break. We were then off to our next destination, though we would return to Pozarevac for lunch as a local taverna had offered to make a traditional meal for us.
Viminacium – From Pozarevac we drove about 45 minutes to the site of an old Roman town known as Viminacium. Incidentally, this is also the spot where, just a few months ago, archaeologists excavated the largest and best preserved mastodon (or possibly mammoth, I don’t remember) known in the world (according to the JAT airlines in flight magazine). We had a super cheerful guide who took us to three different excavation sites, two of which were really impressive! In the first we could see many tombs that had been unearthed, several still with bones, as well as works of art and architecture.
I actually cannot remember the second site, but the third was really great. Here you had a bath house that had been excavated and was really well preserved. We spent a good 2 ½ hrs in total at Viminacium and I think we were the only tourists there during that time. Can you believe it? After being in Rome just a few months ago among throngs of people at every ancient site it was amazing to have this to ourselves!
After the bath house we prepared to get back in the bus, but not before I had some time for playing with the most beautiful St. Bernard dogs I have ever seen (one with blue eyes even) who belonged to the owners.
Preserveed skeleton found in tombs at Viminacium
Part of excavated ruins of Roman town at Viminacium
Bath house excavated at ViminaciumLunch in Pozarevac – So we returned to Pozarevac for lunch and I was really happy that all of the foreign visitors got to have such a delicious and well prepared Serbian lunch. (You see, even though I am also a foreigner, because I live here I felt like the others were our guests and I really wanted to show them the best of Serbia.)
Now, I know I have mentioned this, but the staple of the Serbian diet is MEAT!! So the traditional lunch (usually around 2 or 3pm) is really more like dinner, and everything is served family style. They first bring some assorted appetizers – roasted peppers with garlic, assorted salads, white beans, sautéed mushrooms, other things I can’t recall, and always served with delicious, still hot home made bread!!
Then for the main course they bring out several huge platters overflowing with grilled meats of every imaginable variety! Roasted pork, lamb sausages, huge thick bacon, chicken, beef…I mean you name it. Some is even some kind of meat with some other meat in the middle wrapped in yet another kind of meat!
And with all of this meat it is most delicious to have a very cold domestic draft beer!
You finish it all off with a strong Turkish coffee and assorted sweets that resemble various Greek baklavas.
As you might imagine, after all of that one needs a nap! And that is just what I did. While the passing countryside was beautiful as we went on to our next stop, I leaned against the window and fell fast asleep for a good hour or more!
Petrovac Cemetery – Our next stop was a couple hours down the road. We stopped in a small town known as Petrovac, but we didn’t really stop in the town so much as in the town’s cemetery. You see, apparently this town has long been known for a rather interesting tradition. Now all over Serbia, and especially in Eastern Bosnia, at Serb-Orthodox graves there is a tradition of leaving the favorite things of the dead person at the gravesite. So like if the person liked Jack Daniels, you might leave a glass of Jack. If s/he liked twinkies, you would leave twinkies. Same with cigarettes, apples, etc. They also light these yellow waxy candles at the graves when they visit.
So, this much I knew was a sort of standard thing. But what makes this cemetery special is the enactment of their belief that the dead and the living actually live among one another. Because of this, at many of the grave sites there are tiny houses, or sheds, or porches built. The most opulent of these has curtains, a TV, a sofa, a dining room, etc. (Clearly the more wealthy one is the better their grave site house.) Loved ones visit the graves, have a meal, and often sleep there. In fact we were told that there is at least one person sleeping there every night!
We spent an hour or so hiking around the cemetery, which all and all was pretty cool. We then loaded back up for our sort of sunset destination – Zagubica.
Grave stone inside porch-like structure - Petrovac Cemetery
Peeking inside the chiffon curtains of one of the more opulent cemetery houses. You can see a set table and even a TV in this one.
Another one that is more like a porch - Petrovac Cemetary
This one was like a huge living room with a picture window. Behind the grave stones here there was a table and chairs as well.
In this one you can see a more wide angle of the cemetery - PetrovacZagubica – We wound our way through beautiful countryside, mountains and valleys for a couple hours or so finally stopping at an exceptionally charming, rustic little site. The first thing I noticed was that there was again a looming grave yard on a hill that again had something distinctive about it…most of the graves had very colorful images depicting the things that the person loved most in life, and/or what they did for a profession and sometimes even how they died. Again this was super-cool!
I hiked around this spot for a bit, taking some photos, when I suddenly realized that most of the group had departed, except my roommate “J.” So “J” and I made our way down the hill toward the road to find the path where everyone else went. As we got to the road I suddenly see a group of big brown cows walking in nearly single file down the road. When they saw us they sped up and I got a little nervous – like they were chasing me! I soon noticed the herder following behind them, laughing at my reaction!
As we started to catch up with the rest of the group we took pause. I started to take notice of the stunning natural beauty of the place we were. A river about 15 ft. wide ran lazily cascading down rocks and under 2 wooden bridges. A weeping willow that would rival any described in Mark Twain’s tales poured its generous branches toward the river. To the right, the sky had begun to turn pink and two goats meandered on the bank across. To the left three dogs stood at the very edge of the stream – intermittently playing and lapping the cool water. And then, smack in the middle, two of the stream of cows stood, letting the water reach nearly to their huge bellies as they drank. I was so tickled! It all seemed so perfect!
We caught our group as we walked along the path near the river. In no hurry. Really loving the sounds and smells. We all sat at a café near the water for another round of strong Turkish coffee and cigarettes. (seriously – I have no idea how anyone sleeps here! They must drink 10+ coffees a day! Even at 10pm! Little wonder I am a crazy insomniac here! Well, I am insomniac everywhere, I always have been, but here I have many nights of just 1 hour of sleep!)
We then made our way back to the bus at a leisurely pace, pausing to admire the changes in the sky. The setting sun continued to put on a dazzling show as we made our winding way through the mountains, up up up – 15,000 feet – then winding down down down and around the valley and back up again.
Gravesite in Zagubica - note the red sports car - both what he loved and how he died
Gravesite in Zagubica - Man on motorcycle - again what he loved and how he died.
Natural beauty of Zagubica - river with Weeping Willow
Cows bathing in river in Zagubica - perhaps tired from chasing me!
More natural beauty of ZagubicaBor – We stopped at the edge of the town of Bor, and it was already dark. Apparently we had expected to get there earlier because when I asked “What is here in Bor?” I was told “Serbia’s most shameful ecological disaster.” But clearly it was too late to see it.
Now in the moments before we reached Bor I had made it known that I really really had to pee. I am not one of those “squirrel bladder” types who goes every 15 minutes, and can usually hold it patiently for hours, but after so much coffee, beer and water that day, I was desperate. When I could not take it anymore I told the driver and navigator that I really had to go. Only, I couldn’t think of the polite way to say it in Serbian so instead I announced something akin to
“Pardon me, I must take a piss. I must piss very much. I need to take a piss now.”
All Serbian speaker in the bus laughed, a lot, but no one seemed to take my request seriously and we drove on. A few minutes of wiggling later I pleaded with the driver,
“Please – I badly need to take a piss. I take a piss in the grass or flowers near road. I don’t care.”
Again – laughter, but no indication of slowing down. When we finally stopped on the outskirts of Bor I jumped out of the bus without even saying a word and ran for the lights of an open café about 400 meters away. I did not greet anyone inside, I did not ask anyone’s permission, I just made a bee-line for the bathroom and was so so happy!
When I returned to the bus our guide for Bor had arrived and we proceeded to the city center. As in most European countries, all towns and cities in Serbian have a sort of designated pedestrian zone. In the Balkans it seems that every night that weather permits people of all ages can be seen looking their loveliest and walking up and down these pedestrian streets, stopping for a chat now and then or an ice cream, or a coffee or a beer. It is lively and pleasurable and I wish we had more towns like this in the US.
Well, in this tradition, Bor did seem to have a pedestrian zone. Yet as we parked and walked toward this area it looked more like a scene from a zombie movie or Michael Jackson’s Thriller video than a lively town gathering place. Under the orange glow of streetlights a smattering of shabbily dressed people walked ever so slowly toward us. Intermingled with these zombie townsfolk a mass of decrepit stray dogs weaved in and out, their ribs protruding like a xylophone.
Not wanting to be rude, but certainly freaked out by the freak show I whispered to “J” and the other American girl “D” about the zombies and they admitted they were thinking the same thing. Giggling sporadically as we made our way through the zombies, our guide took us to several important historical sites there in Bor – important because the mine in Bor made the town very wealthy for something like 100 years – particularly during the Communist period and during the Milosevic years when Bor was the only town making money and all its profits fed the war effort. Now the mine barely works and Bor is desperately poor. Young people who can leave Bor do so, and those who stick around are often victims of drug addiction and poverty.
Obviously we could not see the mine that night, but we walked to its edge – followed by so many starving dogs – and while the town itself was one of the most depressing places I’ve seen in a long time, one thing that was particularly striking was the stars. Because of the lack of light pollution the night sky looked like someone had smeared glitter all over the sky.
We would return to Bor the next day for a look at the mine. Like the guide said, it truly was an ecological disaster. Across from where we viewed the mine was what appeared to be a factory. We were told that this factory had twice served as a concentration camp – once in WWII and again in the 1990s.
Bor mine with view of factory building twice used as concentration camp
Another view of the ecological disaster known as the Bor mine.Our Spa Hotel – As we left Bor that first night, exhausted and a little sad, we proceeded about ½ hour to the place we were to spend the night. We had been told we were staying at a spa, which in the American mind conjures images of opulent luxury – massages, pedicures, facials, etc. Well, this is not quite what a spa means in this region of the world. Many of the mountain towns in Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia have hot springs and various mineral pools. Around these things have sprung hotels and resorts, but not in the American sense – more in a rustic, in-tune with nature sense.
So, while this “spa” was not exactly what my mind had conjured, it was still an amazing and impressive thing. Set in the woods with various cabins, places to walk, a stream, wild life, and a pretty decent breakfast – it is a place to relax and recharge for sure!
Upon arrival we went straight to sleep! But when I woke the next morning, I had my breakfast and then decided to take a walk around the grounds to see what I could see. The first thing I came upon was an adorable set of puppies. Being an idiot and an animal lover I immediately went over to pet and cuddle these playful balls of fur. MISTAKE! Just when I got close enough to touch a puppy an angry snarling mother came at me with teeth that looked as vicious as a shark and a growling bark that was not playing around! I may have let out a little scream, I can’t remember, time was suddenly in slow motion as I pictured being mauled by this dog and I quickly backed away avoiding eye contact. Thank god the dog retreated – LESSON LEARNED!
The rest of my walk was lovely though. The woods were so nice and there were various mineral springs at various points in the path. I felt amazing (once I settled down from the near death by dog experience) and really charged with the energy of the natural surroundings. I could’ve stayed for days…or at least a few hours more…but after about an hour’s walk I could see the others rounding up to get into the bus, so I went back. Saying goodbye to this beautiful place we were bound for day 2!
View of the breakfast area at our spa hotel 
A nice wooded spot at our spa hotelDay 2
Romuliana – Now, as I mentioned earlier, day 2 began with a trip to the Bor mine. After that we were off to the 2nd of our amazing Roman ruins sites – an old Roman army encampment called Romuliana.
This place was again super cool! I mean it was such a huge site with so many excavated areas, and again hardly any people! There were a few others besides our group, but still not more than 10 others! And you were free to wander all around the site at will! Seeing columns and perfectly preserved mosaic and marble walk ways! This place was truly a wonder!
At the beginning of the tour we saw a diorama of what they presume the town looked like in Roman times, but after that part of the tour I sort of tuned out b/c he was speaking Serbian and Spanish, then the Spanish people were translating into Italian and French and I couldn’t concentrate on all of that Babylonian mish-mash. Besides, I had to pee again and since I did not want to get into the same situation as the day before, I decided to seek out the toilet immediately.
It was difficult to find. “To the left and then straight” people kept saying. But even when I went as far as the back building, which seemed ½ kilometer from the ticket office where I had asked to begin with, still I could not find it. Again someone at the back building said “To the left and straight.” I kept going, around the back building, searching for a door.
I asked one last time, and somehow this time I understood a bit better. I needed to go down one more path. I assumed I couldn’t see the building with the bathrooms because of the trees that were blocking it. So imagine my shock and horror when I saw a tiny outhouse hidden in the trees – looking like it was ready to fall at any moment.
I held my breath and went in, only to be further horrified…this was not just an outhouse (which I can handle – due to many an outhouse situation in my youth - but hate as I have always imagined something coming up from the hole to bite me) but was instead an amalgamation of my two most hated toilet scenarios! Not only an outhouse, but what we call a “Turkish toilet” to boot!
If you don’t know what this is, a Turkish toilet is a small hole in the floor, usually surrounded by some kind of porcelain, and if you are lucky, a handrail of some sort to balance yourself. If you are a man, this type of toilet should pose no problem. If you are a female in a skirt, you can make it work for yourself. But I have to say that when I have encountered these while wearing pants I have peed on myself more than once, so that now I just take off my pants to avoid this situation all together.
Peeing into this tiny hole without getting wet is a challenge in and of itself. I have no doubt that people who use these regularly are totally accustomed to them, and they claim “it is the more natural way” and “it is better for you.” But if I can be totally candid here… I once stayed in a town in rural Bosnia that had only Turkish toilets and I did not defecate for a week! Mostly b/c I could not figure out how! And you can imagine that with 10+ coffees a day this was no easy feat!
Anyhow, finding the combo outhouse/Turkish toilet was a little overwhelming, but I managed. When I returned to the group and we were wandering and exploring the ruins on our own, several other women asked me where was the toilet. I explained it to them, and warned them about what they might expect. Not another woman used this toilet while we were there. They all said they could wait for our next stop. And I got a bit of teasing for using this toilet, but the joke was on them in the end because our next stop did not come for at least 3hrs!
Restored gates of ancient Roman site - Romuliana
Part of ruins at Romuliana
A restoration using excavated materials and ancient city plans
More Roman ruins at Romuliana
Partially restored section using excavated materials and ancient plans
Restored city gates leaving ancient city of Romuliana
Romuliana – Now, as I mentioned earlier, day 2 began with a trip to the Bor mine. After that we were off to the 2nd of our amazing Roman ruins sites – an old Roman army encampment called Romuliana.
This place was again super cool! I mean it was such a huge site with so many excavated areas, and again hardly any people! There were a few others besides our group, but still not more than 10 others! And you were free to wander all around the site at will! Seeing columns and perfectly preserved mosaic and marble walk ways! This place was truly a wonder!
At the beginning of the tour we saw a diorama of what they presume the town looked like in Roman times, but after that part of the tour I sort of tuned out b/c he was speaking Serbian and Spanish, then the Spanish people were translating into Italian and French and I couldn’t concentrate on all of that Babylonian mish-mash. Besides, I had to pee again and since I did not want to get into the same situation as the day before, I decided to seek out the toilet immediately.
It was difficult to find. “To the left and then straight” people kept saying. But even when I went as far as the back building, which seemed ½ kilometer from the ticket office where I had asked to begin with, still I could not find it. Again someone at the back building said “To the left and straight.” I kept going, around the back building, searching for a door.
I asked one last time, and somehow this time I understood a bit better. I needed to go down one more path. I assumed I couldn’t see the building with the bathrooms because of the trees that were blocking it. So imagine my shock and horror when I saw a tiny outhouse hidden in the trees – looking like it was ready to fall at any moment.
I held my breath and went in, only to be further horrified…this was not just an outhouse (which I can handle – due to many an outhouse situation in my youth - but hate as I have always imagined something coming up from the hole to bite me) but was instead an amalgamation of my two most hated toilet scenarios! Not only an outhouse, but what we call a “Turkish toilet” to boot!
If you don’t know what this is, a Turkish toilet is a small hole in the floor, usually surrounded by some kind of porcelain, and if you are lucky, a handrail of some sort to balance yourself. If you are a man, this type of toilet should pose no problem. If you are a female in a skirt, you can make it work for yourself. But I have to say that when I have encountered these while wearing pants I have peed on myself more than once, so that now I just take off my pants to avoid this situation all together.
Peeing into this tiny hole without getting wet is a challenge in and of itself. I have no doubt that people who use these regularly are totally accustomed to them, and they claim “it is the more natural way” and “it is better for you.” But if I can be totally candid here… I once stayed in a town in rural Bosnia that had only Turkish toilets and I did not defecate for a week! Mostly b/c I could not figure out how! And you can imagine that with 10+ coffees a day this was no easy feat!
Anyhow, finding the combo outhouse/Turkish toilet was a little overwhelming, but I managed. When I returned to the group and we were wandering and exploring the ruins on our own, several other women asked me where was the toilet. I explained it to them, and warned them about what they might expect. Not another woman used this toilet while we were there. They all said they could wait for our next stop. And I got a bit of teasing for using this toilet, but the joke was on them in the end because our next stop did not come for at least 3hrs!
Restored gates of ancient Roman site - Romuliana
Part of ruins at Romuliana
A restoration using excavated materials and ancient city plans
More Roman ruins at Romuliana 
Partially restored section using excavated materials and ancient plans
Restored city gates leaving ancient city of RomulianaCuprija – Our next major stop was in the town of Cuprija where there is an amazingly old monastery (really more like a convent b/c nuns live there, not priests). The fortress surrounding the church is as old as 12th century and the church itself, though largely restored, must not be any older than 16th century (judging by the damage to the internal frescoes that could still be seen in spots still being restored. It is typical in Christian areas that were dominated by Ottoman Turks to find religious icons with their eyes or sometimes entire faces gouged out. I was told that this has to do with the Muslim belief that God should never be depicted.)
Now, I have seen my share of Catholic churches all over Europe, and a few mosques in Bosnia. I have even been in plenty of Orthodox churches in Greece, Macedonia and Serbia. But this place was particularly special. While I was not allowed to take picture inside, the ornate designs all the way up to the details in the ceiling rivaled many of the best I’d seen. Most amazing, on the fortress outside at one point you could still see the original frescoes that had not been restored yet!
But these are not the only things that make this monastery special…oh no! If you think back to the story of the 1389 battle of Kosovo – a foundational myth for Serbian identity throughout history and again in the present moment – that I detailed in a previous post on the brief history of the region, you will remember that one of the stories two heroes was a Serbian prince (or Knez) named Knez Lazar. Well, in this monastery lies the desiccated remains of Knez Lazar – like so many Catholic church relics in Italy. But this one is particularly special…
Every Sunday the church opens the casket to believers who need some kind of miracle. They pray and touch the hands of Knez Lazar and God answers their prayers. Or…to put it more cynically, they ask the magical rotting corpse of Knez Lazar to grant them a wish – kind of like a genie. (And you can buy postcards depicting his rotten hands in the lobby as a souvenir. God I wish I’d bought some!) Now I am not trying to denigrate the religious beliefs of others, but it does seem a little crazy from the outside, you have to admit.
Anyhow – all and all this was an awesome place to visit. Really lovely.
View of Cuprija monastary housing the bones of Knez Lazar - the stone part is the more ancient fortress
A better view of the monastary and fortress walls from head-on
Lunch Day 2 – So Day 2 we had lunch at a roadside Taverna. It was good. Pretty similar in variety to what we had the day before but not quite as high in quality. The price was right though! I think for 20 people to eat themselves stuffed and each have 2 beers we still got out for less than $80 US.
Vodapada – At this point we were actually supposed to go to see one more monastery and hike some caves, but we had actually run out of time and would run out of daylight before we got there so we instead decided to find this cool little spot with waterfalls that the Serbs on the bus had remembered.
After some amount of driving around in confusion, we finally reached the spot. Again – fantastic! Cute café where we sat for coffee and cigarettes, a lovely river running by, etc.
When some people had finished their coffee they decided to make the hike to the waterfall. I had intended to join them, but was engaged in a conversation, so I said I’d catch-up.
Well, I didn’t quite catch up to them, and I did fear several times that I was lost and was going to have to live there forever, but I did have quite an adventure finding it. On the way I saw so many sheep, goats, the hugest pig ever, horses, wonderfully quaint houses and lovely nature. When I finally found the waterfall and the group, they were already done enjoying the nature and were headed back down, but I wanted to explore some more, and I’m glad I did. I found the most adorable restaurant tucked back into the woods, only accessible if you knew what path to take. I wished we had not eaten and had held out for this place!
So, while there was still a third part of the larger group who had not come to the waterfall yet, I hiked around a bit and jumped in with them to go back down the mountain when that third group was ready.
Cafe on bridge where we had coffee before finding the waterfall
Definately the biggest, pinkest pig I've ever seen - on way to waterfall
Finally! The waterfall - It's no Niagra Falls, but it sure was pretty!
Charming restaurant I found in the woods near the waterfall.
Now, I have seen my share of Catholic churches all over Europe, and a few mosques in Bosnia. I have even been in plenty of Orthodox churches in Greece, Macedonia and Serbia. But this place was particularly special. While I was not allowed to take picture inside, the ornate designs all the way up to the details in the ceiling rivaled many of the best I’d seen. Most amazing, on the fortress outside at one point you could still see the original frescoes that had not been restored yet!
But these are not the only things that make this monastery special…oh no! If you think back to the story of the 1389 battle of Kosovo – a foundational myth for Serbian identity throughout history and again in the present moment – that I detailed in a previous post on the brief history of the region, you will remember that one of the stories two heroes was a Serbian prince (or Knez) named Knez Lazar. Well, in this monastery lies the desiccated remains of Knez Lazar – like so many Catholic church relics in Italy. But this one is particularly special…
Every Sunday the church opens the casket to believers who need some kind of miracle. They pray and touch the hands of Knez Lazar and God answers their prayers. Or…to put it more cynically, they ask the magical rotting corpse of Knez Lazar to grant them a wish – kind of like a genie. (And you can buy postcards depicting his rotten hands in the lobby as a souvenir. God I wish I’d bought some!) Now I am not trying to denigrate the religious beliefs of others, but it does seem a little crazy from the outside, you have to admit.
Anyhow – all and all this was an awesome place to visit. Really lovely.
View of Cuprija monastary housing the bones of Knez Lazar - the stone part is the more ancient fortress 
A better view of the monastary and fortress walls from head-onLunch Day 2 – So Day 2 we had lunch at a roadside Taverna. It was good. Pretty similar in variety to what we had the day before but not quite as high in quality. The price was right though! I think for 20 people to eat themselves stuffed and each have 2 beers we still got out for less than $80 US.
Vodapada – At this point we were actually supposed to go to see one more monastery and hike some caves, but we had actually run out of time and would run out of daylight before we got there so we instead decided to find this cool little spot with waterfalls that the Serbs on the bus had remembered.
After some amount of driving around in confusion, we finally reached the spot. Again – fantastic! Cute café where we sat for coffee and cigarettes, a lovely river running by, etc.
When some people had finished their coffee they decided to make the hike to the waterfall. I had intended to join them, but was engaged in a conversation, so I said I’d catch-up.
Well, I didn’t quite catch up to them, and I did fear several times that I was lost and was going to have to live there forever, but I did have quite an adventure finding it. On the way I saw so many sheep, goats, the hugest pig ever, horses, wonderfully quaint houses and lovely nature. When I finally found the waterfall and the group, they were already done enjoying the nature and were headed back down, but I wanted to explore some more, and I’m glad I did. I found the most adorable restaurant tucked back into the woods, only accessible if you knew what path to take. I wished we had not eaten and had held out for this place!
So, while there was still a third part of the larger group who had not come to the waterfall yet, I hiked around a bit and jumped in with them to go back down the mountain when that third group was ready.
Cafe on bridge where we had coffee before finding the waterfall
Definately the biggest, pinkest pig I've ever seen - on way to waterfall
Finally! The waterfall - It's no Niagra Falls, but it sure was pretty!
Charming restaurant I found in the woods near the waterfall.The end
In all – a truly fantastic trip! We got home near midnight and were all exhausted, but we had seen so many things and really had a great time. I could not have asked for a better experience.
Thanks for reading…
Until next time…
Xina
In all – a truly fantastic trip! We got home near midnight and were all exhausted, but we had seen so many things and really had a great time. I could not have asked for a better experience.
Thanks for reading…
Until next time…
Xina
Srebrenica Memorial week...
WOW! It has been a very long time since I have updated the blog. I’m gonna go ahead and make several posts today to catch-up on all of my adventures since the end of June…which was the last time I wrote it appears.
Part of the reason that it has taken me so long to write again is b/c the events of the first weeks of July were so intense that I did not know how to even begin talking about them. But now I think I have enough distance to be able to give the abbreviated version and hopefully do it some justice…
So…In a previous post I think I may have talked a little about the history and controversy surrounding the 1995 massacre in Srebrenica. In a nutshell, a series of agreements between the UN and the Serbian forces during the Bosnian war had led to a series of “safe areas” for Bosniaks that would be protected from Serb aggressions by UN forces.
Now, prior to 1995 a series of ethnic-cleansing atrocities had been committed by both Serb and Bosniak forces in the region surrounding Srebrenica, and there were both Serbian and Bosniak civilian casualties resulting. But, by 1995, Srebrenica had been declared a “safe area” for Bosniaks and Dutch UN soldiers had been charged to protect it. The town’s population swelled to 10 times its pre-war population. In July 1995 the “safe area” Srebrenica was seized by Bosnian-Serb forces. The Dutch UN forces helped maintain calm among the Bosniaks, helped separate the Bosniak men from the women and children and then provided gasoline to transport the women to Bosniak territory. Meanwhile, 8,000 – 10,000 Bosniak men and boys were executed. Those who tried to escape through the woods were hunted for several weeks.
Obviously the story has a lot more detail and nuance to it, but in a nutshell, the events in Srebrenica in 1995 has been classified as Genocide by the United Nations and the role of the Dutch forces has also been heavily critiqued.
OK…so why am I telling you this?
Well, a main focal point of residual war controversy in Serbia revolves around denial of Serbia’s role in these events. Meanwhile, every July 11th at the Potocari Memorial Cemetery – in Eastern Bosnia, right outside Srebrenica – there is a ceremony held in which the dead are commemorated and the remains of those who have been found and identified in the past year are buried.
Now, in my work with WiB we hold a commemorative demonstration in memory of Srebrenica’s victims on the 11th of every month. From noon – 1pm on the 11th of each month the WiB stand in silence, wearing black and holding signs the beg attention to Srebrenica’s victims. While there was certainly a time when these demonstrations were controversial and even dangerous (featuring Serbian nationalist thugs in opposition to WiB) at this point there is a police presence each month which protects WiB and while there is the occasional insult hurled at the demonstrators, the events are largely quite safe.
Well, as July 11th is the official anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, the date garners much international attention. From the beginning of the week international visitors from Italy, Spain, Israel, India, USA, Iran, U.K., and many other places had come to Belgrade to stand in solidarity with WiB for this commemoration. We were also joined by several survivors – women who had lost their sons, brothers, fathers, husbands. Women who before the war were simple village women, home makers, sometimes even illiterate, who were now staunch activists with more strength that I could even imagine!
Throughout the week we hosted discussion groups, films, and even a conference on women and peace, and day-by-day our numbers grew. Finally, on July 10th we held the year’s most important WiB demonstration. The afternoon demonstration was pretty much a lot like other months, but with more police presence. But it was the afternoon demonstration that was really something different!
Before the demonstration was due to begin at 7pm, the square was already filled with young angry representatives of some of Serbia’s most vicious, violent nationalist organizations. As the time to begin approached and WiB numbers swelled along with counter-demonstrating nationalists a brigade of riot police soon showed-up to stand between the two groups. The WiB stood in silence, each holding a white rose. The nationalists held signs with the face of Ratko Mladic (the Serbian commander who led the siege of Srebrenica), shouting threats of abuse, rape and murder at the WiB as well as chanting such things as “witches, bitches, whores, liars” and “wait till we get you when the police are not around” and other such things.
As I stood there my knees were shaking. There was so much hate in their faces and they stared right into our eyes. I wanted to shout back, but meeting their threats with dignified silence and solidarity was actually a much stronger message. I was afraid, terrified at first. But the thought that these women, the WiB, had been standing up for the victims for over 15 years, even when there was no police to protect them, even when they were beaten by nationalist thugs, made me proud of them and gave me strength.
At 8pm each woman one-by-one moved forward and placed her rose in a circle to create a beautiful visual display. When we were finished the police surrounded the counter-protestors and led the WiB back to our headquarters. We left in small groups after several hours and the police continued to sit outside the offices.
Police keep the line between nationalist counter-protestors and WiB activists
Here you can see the memorial stone near the enterance of Potocari Memorial Cemetery with several wreaths from different groups that had been placed there - the WiB wreath is the one most prominent in this photo.
A rose placed at one of the graves of a victim buried in a previous year.
Here you can see the line of caskets in the background as well as some tombstones. The piles of dirt are places where a casket will be buried that day.
Men carrying the casket of a victim - likely their relative.
Another image of the caskets being carried.
In this image you can see the crowd. The circle of women in gold dresses sang during the ceremony.
Here you see several women walking among the open graves where bodies will be buried that day.
Here you can see a small part of one of the WiB banners reading "we will not forget" in the background and the memorial stone reading "Srebrenica July 1995" in the foreground.
Another image of the stone.
Part of the reason that it has taken me so long to write again is b/c the events of the first weeks of July were so intense that I did not know how to even begin talking about them. But now I think I have enough distance to be able to give the abbreviated version and hopefully do it some justice…
So…In a previous post I think I may have talked a little about the history and controversy surrounding the 1995 massacre in Srebrenica. In a nutshell, a series of agreements between the UN and the Serbian forces during the Bosnian war had led to a series of “safe areas” for Bosniaks that would be protected from Serb aggressions by UN forces.
Now, prior to 1995 a series of ethnic-cleansing atrocities had been committed by both Serb and Bosniak forces in the region surrounding Srebrenica, and there were both Serbian and Bosniak civilian casualties resulting. But, by 1995, Srebrenica had been declared a “safe area” for Bosniaks and Dutch UN soldiers had been charged to protect it. The town’s population swelled to 10 times its pre-war population. In July 1995 the “safe area” Srebrenica was seized by Bosnian-Serb forces. The Dutch UN forces helped maintain calm among the Bosniaks, helped separate the Bosniak men from the women and children and then provided gasoline to transport the women to Bosniak territory. Meanwhile, 8,000 – 10,000 Bosniak men and boys were executed. Those who tried to escape through the woods were hunted for several weeks.
Obviously the story has a lot more detail and nuance to it, but in a nutshell, the events in Srebrenica in 1995 has been classified as Genocide by the United Nations and the role of the Dutch forces has also been heavily critiqued.
OK…so why am I telling you this?
Well, a main focal point of residual war controversy in Serbia revolves around denial of Serbia’s role in these events. Meanwhile, every July 11th at the Potocari Memorial Cemetery – in Eastern Bosnia, right outside Srebrenica – there is a ceremony held in which the dead are commemorated and the remains of those who have been found and identified in the past year are buried.
Now, in my work with WiB we hold a commemorative demonstration in memory of Srebrenica’s victims on the 11th of every month. From noon – 1pm on the 11th of each month the WiB stand in silence, wearing black and holding signs the beg attention to Srebrenica’s victims. While there was certainly a time when these demonstrations were controversial and even dangerous (featuring Serbian nationalist thugs in opposition to WiB) at this point there is a police presence each month which protects WiB and while there is the occasional insult hurled at the demonstrators, the events are largely quite safe.
Well, as July 11th is the official anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, the date garners much international attention. From the beginning of the week international visitors from Italy, Spain, Israel, India, USA, Iran, U.K., and many other places had come to Belgrade to stand in solidarity with WiB for this commemoration. We were also joined by several survivors – women who had lost their sons, brothers, fathers, husbands. Women who before the war were simple village women, home makers, sometimes even illiterate, who were now staunch activists with more strength that I could even imagine!
Throughout the week we hosted discussion groups, films, and even a conference on women and peace, and day-by-day our numbers grew. Finally, on July 10th we held the year’s most important WiB demonstration. The afternoon demonstration was pretty much a lot like other months, but with more police presence. But it was the afternoon demonstration that was really something different!
Before the demonstration was due to begin at 7pm, the square was already filled with young angry representatives of some of Serbia’s most vicious, violent nationalist organizations. As the time to begin approached and WiB numbers swelled along with counter-demonstrating nationalists a brigade of riot police soon showed-up to stand between the two groups. The WiB stood in silence, each holding a white rose. The nationalists held signs with the face of Ratko Mladic (the Serbian commander who led the siege of Srebrenica), shouting threats of abuse, rape and murder at the WiB as well as chanting such things as “witches, bitches, whores, liars” and “wait till we get you when the police are not around” and other such things.
As I stood there my knees were shaking. There was so much hate in their faces and they stared right into our eyes. I wanted to shout back, but meeting their threats with dignified silence and solidarity was actually a much stronger message. I was afraid, terrified at first. But the thought that these women, the WiB, had been standing up for the victims for over 15 years, even when there was no police to protect them, even when they were beaten by nationalist thugs, made me proud of them and gave me strength.
At 8pm each woman one-by-one moved forward and placed her rose in a circle to create a beautiful visual display. When we were finished the police surrounded the counter-protestors and led the WiB back to our headquarters. We left in small groups after several hours and the police continued to sit outside the offices.
Police keep the line between nationalist counter-protestors and WiB activists
Here you can see some of the counter-protestors - one wearing the flag with the symbol of the famed Serbian nationalist group "Obraz" and others holding posters with images of Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic
Here you can see the WiB line during the demonstration with the sign reading "Do not forget Srebrenica." There were hundreds of us in a semi-circle.
Here you can see the circle of roses that were placed at the end of the ceremony.
The next morning, at 6am, we were to gather at a designated spot to meet the chartered bus that was to take us to Bosnia to attend the official Srebrenica commemoration at the Potocari Memorial Cemetery. Although the trip is about 4 hours and the ceremony was not due to start until noon, we were detained at the border and harassed somewhat by Serbian officials. When we finally neared Potocari traffic was backed-up for miles and it was 11:45am. We began to panic, thinking that we would not make it in time. And this is where the story begins to turn…
With only 5 minutes until the ceremony and no movement in traffic a police escort approaches our bus. They cleared on-coming traffic, and led our bus strait to the cemetery. As we rushed off the bus the ceremony was already underway. The Bosnian police parted the crowd, over 50,000 people in attendance, and ushered us in to the center of the memorial space. As we unfurled the banners we had brought expressing solidarity with the victims’ families, mothers of the victims pushed through the crowds to join us. Some were crying and thanking us and saying things like “we were so worried you wouldn’t come this year.”
That was the moment I realize how much the work of WiB means to the victims’ families. All the hate and anger that was projected toward us the previous day in Belgrade, all the fear I felt standing there in front of the nationalist thugs, all the times in the past months I had wondered whether WiB was still a relevant organization – all of that was pushed aside when I saw that what we did mattered to the people who were most affected by the events.
Driving this point home, after about an hour I heard someone calling my name and people began to pull me through the crowd. At first I thought that one of our international visitors needed translation or help. Getting through the crowd was like squeezing through a wall of people. When I got to the other side I was greeted by the American ambassador to Bosnia and a delegation from the US congress. I was so nervous! They wanted to meet me and told me how proud they were that an American was working with WiB and that the work of WiB means so much to the Bosnian people.
To describe the ceremony itself – it begins with a very sad song about a mother looking for her children. Then there is a series of speeches from world leaders. Then there is the Muslim call to prayer and the men go to the front. There is a series of prayers, and then the names of those who will be buried that year are announced. This year over 500 victims’ bodies had been identified for burial. The caskets – thin because they are only bones now and green as it is the symbolic color of Islam – are then carried by the surviving men of the victims’ families to their burial sites where the women wait. The families then bury their dead by hand.
Here you can see the memorial stone near the enterance of Potocari Memorial Cemetery with several wreaths from different groups that had been placed there - the WiB wreath is the one most prominent in this photo.
A rose placed at one of the graves of a victim buried in a previous year. 
Here you can see the line of caskets in the background as well as some tombstones. The piles of dirt are places where a casket will be buried that day.
Men carrying the casket of a victim - likely their relative.
Another image of the caskets being carried.
In this image you can see the crowd. The circle of women in gold dresses sang during the ceremony.
Here you see several women walking among the open graves where bodies will be buried that day.
Here you can see a small part of one of the WiB banners reading "we will not forget" in the background and the memorial stone reading "Srebrenica July 1995" in the foreground.
Another image of the stone.In all, it was an amazing day. A day that was humbling and sad and beautiful all at once. A day that made me realize truly why I am here, and made me charged to stay work hard to bring justice to these people.
In closing, I am sure that the things I have said here do not even begin to explain what I saw…what I felt…what the events were like. This is why I have not written in so long. I have not known how to talk about these events, but did not feel I could talk about anything else until I did. Again I am sure I have not done them justice, but I had to start somewhere.
As always…thanks for reading…
In closing, I am sure that the things I have said here do not even begin to explain what I saw…what I felt…what the events were like. This is why I have not written in so long. I have not known how to talk about these events, but did not feel I could talk about anything else until I did. Again I am sure I have not done them justice, but I had to start somewhere.
As always…thanks for reading…
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