Day 10: Mostar

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Getting out of Sarajevo the following morning was difficult due to road works, and we lost a good chunk of the morning due to this. Today was our final day, and we needed to drive from Sarajevo back to Dubrovnik for a flight late in the afternoon. On the way back, I planned to stop off at a couple of places, including Mostar. (Due to the time it took to leave Sarajevo, Mostar was the final place that we could visit. The other places to visit will have to wait for a future time at some point in my life.)

Although the snow was mainly gone from Sarajevo when we left, the weather was still cold and cloudy. The weather got sunnier and warmer through each range of mountains we crossed as we headed south toward Dubrovnik. It was as though we were crossing multiple seasons in each range of mountains.

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One of the mountain ranges we drove through on the way to Mostar from Sarajevo. The road and mountain ranges reminded me of driving through Colorado from Denver to Breckenridge.

From Sarajevo, we headed southwest toward Konjic before heading south toward Mostar. We passed more of the watermills that were seen on the great Bosnian Road Trip the day before. The Konjic area was quite pretty with a large lake and nice views. This lake was very still and clear, and there were beautiful reflections of the bridges and mountains. Unfortunately, there wasn't anywhere to pull over to get any photographs.

Within a short amount of time, we came to Mostar. Although already a beautiful village, the village of Mostar gathered more publicity after its UNESCO bridge was destroyed in the 1990s. The bridge was rebuilt exactly like the original after the conflict, and it has regained its status as a world heritage site once again. The bridge itself is shaped like a rainbow and very steep with stone steps leading to the top. Divers will jump from the top of the bridge into the water below if they are paid to do so, but I did not see any make the jump during my time here.

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An approach onto the famous Mostar bridge with souvenir sellers.

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A view of Mostar bridge.

Mostar is a popular tourist destination. It is easily accessible from Dubrovnik, and many tour companies plan day trips there. After stepping into the centre, its popularity with tourists was quickly seen. Many tour groups were being led around, and many souvenir shops and restaurants are set up on both sides of the famous bridge. 

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Souvenir shops are popular in Mostar.

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These old town shops now sell souvenirs.

There are still traces of the conflict immediately seen in Mostar. Apparently, the different groups of people that live on either side of the bridge also do not talk anymore. I guess that it is difficult to forget problems in a town such as Mostar. In addition to shelled buildings, the souvenir shops sell many items associated with the conflict: army helmets, knives, guns, bullets and souvenirs made from weaponry.

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Shelled buildings are a common sight in Mostar.

However, Mostar does boast beautiful architecture and views. There are beautiful mosques and the Old Turkish House, which was built along the river. 

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Beautiful view from the bridge over the river at Mostar mosque.

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Beautiful buildings in Mostar.

We did not have long at Mostar before we had to rush off. However, we managed to grab an early lunch at a restaurant that had great views over the bridge, and we admired the bridge on our way back to the car. This brought our trip to an end, and we were soon off to the airport to catch a flight back to England.

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Grilled herby chicken, salad and flat bread are common in Bosnia. I took a liking to their flat bread.

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A view of the bridge in Mostar.

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