Traveling between the 2 capital cities is a bit of an issue because of the Balkan war in the 1990s and the problems thereafter. As a result, Bosnia and Herzegovina is divided into three parts: Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (that’s where most of Sarajevo is located), Serbian Republic (not to be confused with Serbia - Eastern suburbs of Sarajevo are located here) and District Brcko (a neutral part). Both Federation and Republic aren’t on amicable terms and as Serbia is the ally of the Serbian Republic, we have 4 daily connections from Belgrade to East Sarajevo. But there is only 1 bus per day to the central station in Sarajevo - last one at 4pm, which reaches Sarajevo at 11pm, making it hard for passengers to pick this one. Also, there are no train connections between the two cities. I took the first bus out of the city (8am) & my experience along this scenic route was pretty good and very comfortable. The bus station in Belgrade is located next to the former central train station, just a short walk down from the center. The bus ticket comes with a token to enter the platforms - make sure you don't lose the token or else you need to buy another one (€1.50).
Storage of backpacks in the bus cost 60 Serbian dinars (€0.50). During my multinational trip, I was spending (or converting) the entire local currency I had with me before leaving the country as they would be of no use in other countries. At the time of leaving Serbia, I only had 40 dinars and was lucky that the conductor accepted the same without any complaint.
As I left Belgrade, scenery along the Sava river was nice but once out of city limits, there are massive fields and a few industrial areas. One such area was called Nedeljokovic - it resembled a name combining Nadal and Djokovic😀. Too bad, the sign passed before I was able to take a photo. The river Danube also accompanied me for some portion of the route.
The train track but no trains -
After a while, we reached the border and its location is really cool. The Drina river acts as the natural border between Serbia and Bosnia. What a place to have the immigration office - even if you are detained by the officers, at least you will have a killer view to look at ! The passport control at the border takes place in the bus. The border officers come to the bus, check and collect the passport and take them to their office to give stamps. Afterward, either the border officer or the driver gives back the passports.
It was love at first sight with Bosnia and it just keeps getting better as you make inroads into the country. There are many small tunnels on this route.
The mountains, the greenery, the river and the cloudy weather made it a journey worth remembering. There was no way I will have a shut eye now, as there is so much to admire outside the window. The villages look like they have no contact with the outside world and I can imagine myself spending a few days in such places enjoying the natural surroundings.
We passed a small town shielded by the mountains, which were totally covered with clouds. The setting was so awesome that I wished my bus broke down and I was stranded here for some time. No such luck, but we stopped soon in the middle of nowhere - the only building was this beautiful restaurant.
After the pit stop for lunch, we made our way through green fields which had the cows and sheep having a time of their lives. I got visions of Switzerland looking at the beautiful scenery. The journey could have gone on for a few more hours (takes 8 hours) and I wouldn't have complained one bit.
As you enter the suburbs of Sarajevo, the first view I got of the place simply blew my mind. I bolted out of my seat towards the other side of the bus to get a better look. Not even in my wildest dreams did I expect Sarajevo to be so big and beautiful. I was overjoyed that this would be my home for the next few days !
From the bus station in Lukavica (part of East Sarajevo), one needs to walk around 500 meters and cross the invisible border between Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Serbian Republic. At Dobrinja, the trolleybus no. 103 runs frequently to the Latin Bridge in the old town of Sarajevo, passing near the downtown on the way. The ticket costs 1.60 Bosnian Mark (€ 0.80) if bought from the kiosk or 1.80 Mark from the driver. Euro is not acceptable and you need to get some marks at the currency exchange at the bus station for the initial expenses (rates are higher here, as compared to currency exchanges in the city). Sarajevo was the venue for Winter Olympics in 1984.
My hostel was a steep uphill climb from the city centre, not made easy with my heavy backpack. It was a very nice place run efficiently by knowledgeable people who made it a pleasure to stay here.
As soon as I saw this sign, I remembered the Indian tradition which shares something in common with Bosnia, of all the places.
Zdravo (Hello) Bosnia - the adventure is about to begin !
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