After a liver-crushing, skin-bronzing respite on the glorious Dalmatian coast of Croatia, we felt bad about not having used any of our brain cells for anything other than choosing which type of fermented fruit or vegetable to destroy them with. To remedy this imbalance of power, we went up the Neretva river (an unremarkable ride that was entirely undeserving of gigabytes worth of footage) to visit the most remarkable city of Mostar. I should say, that the Neretva valley is an incredibly important piece of Croatian and Bosnian agro-economic sustenance, as well as the site of one of the most badass movies ever made about WWII.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Neretva_(film).
As you will see in the video, the focal point of the city is the Old Bridge, a UNESCO Heritage site. I remember visiting as a young seven-year-old know-it-all, thinking that the men diving from the bridge were completely off their nut. Some twenty-odd years later, I am convinced of two things: 1) Children are dumb. 2) It makes perfect sense to hurl oneself from a 90 foot bridge in nothing but a speedo and a fresh haircut, into a frigid river current of questionable depth, when there are (potentially) girls looking.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stari_Most
As the unofficial capital of the “Herzegovina” part of Bosnia-Herzegovina (the south), Mostar is as symbolic, magical, and unique as any of Bosnia’s great multi-ethnic hubs and it bristles with tales, characters, soul and unfortunate sorrow. Despite, or perhaps in spite of it, the spirit of these communities continues to endure. Much like the whole of Bosnia-Herzegovina, irrespective of the turmoil and tragedy that befalls it far too often, this meeting point of East and West, for centuries juggled between great imperial powers, has a nuance and complexity that has too many shades to be painted by a single, broad brush. Visit for a while, and you will feel it for yourself.
http://zijadburgic.com/2011/10/21/bosnia-struggle-is-your-destiny/
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