Yesterday we got to to see one of the forestry projects my Mom is working on in person. It's been great on this trip to be able to see not just the tourist stuff but also some of the development and progress throughout the country as it recovers from the war.
My Dad and I started today by climbing up the narrow streets above our pension to the side of ancient fort that had protected the city. We had some outstanding views of the entire city below us. Later on we took the tram to the other side of town and walked a ways to the Tunnel Museum.
The 800 meter tunnel under the airport was the only connection Sarajevo's citizens had to the outside world from 1992-1995 when the city was surrounded and under siege by Serbian troops. The Serbian soldiers subjugated the citizens of Sarajevo to daily shelling and sniper fire. 12,000 people were killed and 50,000 were injured during the siege- almost all civilians. The Tunnel Museum, operated by the father and son whose home served as one of the tunnel's entrances, was a grim reminder of the recent horror experienced by the people of Bosnia. Definitely the best place I've been so far in the country. If any of you are interested in learning more about the conflict in Bosnia or general Bosnian history, check out these wikipedia articles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Sarajevo and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosnian_War http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Bosnia_and_Herzegovina
I wish I had time to talk more about the country's history but it's really been fascinating learning about it here in person. There's a saying that Bosnia has more history than any other country and I believe it!
In the afternoon my sister arrived to join us for the second half of our trip. My Dad and I, seasoned tourists familiar with the entire city-- showed her around the old city. We got to see an awesome chess game with giant pieces.
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