17 The Manly Bridge

Our second daytrip was to visit the famous historic city of Mostar, the unofficial capital of Hertzegovina just 60 miles inside the Bosna-i-Hertzegovina (BIH) border. Our day began as before, a lovely breakfast prepared by the girls, cowboy coffee by Loren, van-service by Michael our trusty local guide. During each trip, Michael gave us more information about the local happenings, the food, the recent changes, and the upcoming passage. We crossed the border just fine where Michael pointed out the confiscation dumpsters. Due to the cost differential, folks are prone to buying bulk items in BIH to sell in Croatia. If your load exceeds “personal use” the board guards confiscate it and divide the booty at the end of the shift.

During our journey to Mostar we crossed the BIH-Croatian border twice. As a part of the Dayton Peace Accord in 1995, the agreement allotted BIH port access. They were given a sliver of land that includes seven miles of not-so-prime coastline. Their sea access is actually 20 miles deep inside a Croatian peninsula, which means that for a BIH boat to received/deliver goods via the sea it has to travel 20 miles through Croatian waters before reaching the Adriatic. Baltic state politics are complex.

The two lane road into Mostar follows the Neretva River. At one point we climbed high above the river basin to reveal a huge fertile valley, the most fertile in the region. It was fed by a natural underground water system that was developed by the Romans. The sun drench soil is also great for grapes. We passed many fields striped with vineyards, an industry that has recently expanded through modern husbandry practices. As we approached the city we noticed several minaret-mosques but they were a bit overshadowed by the 100 foot illuminated cross on Hum Hill that overlooked the city … which brings us to a brief discourse on the religious divide in the area. Croatia and western BIH is heavy Croat Catholic … like 97%. The other side of Mostar and BIH is heavy Muslim. The hill on which the cross stands was origin of the city’s heavy destruction and a place of ethnic cleansing. The divide remains. Road signs along the western boarder are marred to discount the Cyrillic lettering. It was another piece of a complicated Baltic history. It confirms that in times of conflict, point of view is key … seek first to understand before being understood.

Speaking of conflict, the city has not healed its war wounds from the conflict 15 years ago. Michael dropped us off at St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church, a working Franciscan monastery. As we approached the tourist zone on foot, we passed bullet wounded building and bombed out buildings. A pack of beggars surrounded cars at a stop light and engaged us for coins. According to Michael, begging is illegal in Croatia.

The iconic Mostar Bridget is a classic single span stone-arch bridge built by the Ottoman’s in 1566. It was named after the “bridge keepers” of the day who collected their passage tax. In the old language, “most” = bridge and “stari” = old … hence Mostar. The original architect carried the threat of death if his design collapsed once the support scaffolding was removed. Legend says the architect began digging his own grave while the boards were being removed … it held, he lived. During WWII, it proved its strength as German tanks crossed it. In 1993 it was destroyed in the Homeland War then rebuild under UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization) watch with authentic means and measures in 2004. UNESCO is a special UN agency that serves to protect cultural heritages throughout the world. The bridge has traditionally been called the point where east (Muslim) meets west (Catholic), a symbolic bridge where diverse religions, diverse peoples once lived in harmony. Legend speaks of the bridge’s virility. To dive off into the Neretva River below is to become a man. I came prepared. I brought my bright yellow swimsuit and a towel. I stood at the apex and looked 75 feet down at the gentle flowing Nevetva River below. I thought about it. I chickened out … meh, maybe next time.

The area surrounding this tourist draw was rich with souvenir shops selling all manner of Persian clothing and Persian trinkets. I felt like Aladdin in the streets of Khwaish. We toured the Koski Mehmed-Pasha. Before entering we “bathed” at the nearby fountain to enter the holy place as “clean.” The mosque was small contained all the important elements: a niche oriented toward Mecca, a narrow stairway for the bearded imam who never stands on the top step, which is symbolically reserved for Muhammad, a special area for women worshippers, and a major prayer rug, this one donated by Prince Charles when he attended the bridge opening ceremony in 2004. It was my first mosque.

For lunch we ordered some unusual dishes. Donna got a delicious ćevapčići pita sandwich with fries. Ćevapčić is a Baltic dish of spicy grilled ground beef patties or small finger size sausages. Loren ordered the International plate filled with an assortment of meats and vegetables. He proclaimed it his best meal of the trip. Petey and I picked the fish plate for two. It was humongous. Three uniquely prepared cod (heads attached), salmon kabob, spinach, potatoes, and fruit. Petey shared our fish with a local cat. For dessert we enjoyed an apple crisp alamode and strong Turkish coffee