By the time you will be reading this, I will already have left Prishtina. Sadly enough.
This doesn't mean that it will be the end of the news publishing on this blog. This evening I'm taking a day off in Belgrade, and on Sunday I will be back in Belgium. This day, or Monday, the rest of my reporting will follow. Plus analysis of my journey.
I wanted to thank you for reading. You were a great 'read-ience' :-)
Christophe
vrijdag 28 december 2007
donderdag 27 december 2007
December 26th, snow in Prishtina
I woke up yesterday in a city covered in snow. On December 26th, I had an interview with Mr. Krenar Gashi, Kosovo editor of the BIRN (Balkan Investigative Network). The rest of the day, I spent my time resting and talking.
The BIRN-office is located in the centre of town of Prishtina, in the student's mess of the university. The city was in some sort of chaos yesterday, due to snowfall. The traffic was just gliding trough the slippery roads.
When I discovered the office (it was hard to find), I found myself following different arrows, revealing a huge office place with a beautiful wooden floor. I introduced myself to a young woman who was working at one of them, and she told me that Krenar Gashi was going to be late because of the snow. I filled my time studying a huge, detailed geographic map of Kosovo (which I would have liked very much as a souvenir) and chatting to this nice dude who came in after 10 minutes and said he visits Belgium regularly when he heard of my country of origin (he actually even spoke some words of Dutch). Some time later, Krenar Gashi arrived, and we installed ourselves at his desk. Recording the interview wasn't a problem.
BIRN stands for investigative journalism, organising debate and editing independent, investigative reports.
"Yes, you have these huge lignite deposits in Kosovo, and that is a big opportunity for the economy. But most of the infrastructure was destroyed after the war and still suffers from that", said Gashi.
"Kosovo isn't now be able to deploy its energy infrastructure. We are depending on old electricity systems , but now with a doubled electricity consumption. Kosovo simply uses too much energy for its infrastructure. And you have these three categories of payers, A, B and C, who are provided with energy by the pace they pay. So if you are a C payer for instance, you can wait for electricity for hours after a power cut. But there simply isn't any structure in this."
(Gashi states himself as an 'A' payer. And yes, power cuts are part of daily life in Prishtina, I am talking from expercience).
If you can say one thing about Mr Gashi, it is that he clearly has a vision about the economic future of Kosovo. Not just basic, but well underlined and intellectually based.
My head was buzzing after the interview. Not in a difficult way, but just by the range of different definitions and views Mr gashi offered me. Clearly this was a very good interview. But maybe you already figured this out.
Amd there is muc more. But publishing this without analysing - I know feel that I can even more analyse what is written above - wouldn't seem a good idea.
The general analysis of all my interviews and stories will come within a few days anyway. I just need some time.
After noon, Prishtina was slowly adapting to the snowy reality. I had some other talk - that won't be published, it was just private - with Labinot Haxhiu, a guy that I met while drinking with the OSCE-guys two days before. We took our time, and sure, it was even knowledge - acquiring too.
I went to bed at 9.30PM. Early for me,but I felt that I had to. And even then I couldn't get asleep quickly. It is the rate, the rythm of Prishtina that is in my nerves. This is a young city, making noise and offering some of the best dynamism I ever felt. Maybe this is just the biggest opportunity for this country. Living Fast.
More info on BIRN: http://www.birn.eu.com
I would like to thank Mr Krenar Gashi for his contribution. And also for the nice welcome I receive at the BIRN office.
The BIRN-office is located in the centre of town of Prishtina, in the student's mess of the university. The city was in some sort of chaos yesterday, due to snowfall. The traffic was just gliding trough the slippery roads.
When I discovered the office (it was hard to find), I found myself following different arrows, revealing a huge office place with a beautiful wooden floor. I introduced myself to a young woman who was working at one of them, and she told me that Krenar Gashi was going to be late because of the snow. I filled my time studying a huge, detailed geographic map of Kosovo (which I would have liked very much as a souvenir) and chatting to this nice dude who came in after 10 minutes and said he visits Belgium regularly when he heard of my country of origin (he actually even spoke some words of Dutch). Some time later, Krenar Gashi arrived, and we installed ourselves at his desk. Recording the interview wasn't a problem.
BIRN stands for investigative journalism, organising debate and editing independent, investigative reports.
"Yes, you have these huge lignite deposits in Kosovo, and that is a big opportunity for the economy. But most of the infrastructure was destroyed after the war and still suffers from that", said Gashi.
"Kosovo isn't now be able to deploy its energy infrastructure. We are depending on old electricity systems , but now with a doubled electricity consumption. Kosovo simply uses too much energy for its infrastructure. And you have these three categories of payers, A, B and C, who are provided with energy by the pace they pay. So if you are a C payer for instance, you can wait for electricity for hours after a power cut. But there simply isn't any structure in this."
(Gashi states himself as an 'A' payer. And yes, power cuts are part of daily life in Prishtina, I am talking from expercience).
"If there would be more money invested in education, the young population would also be an opportunity. They just need to be properly educated. Young people are facing unemployment, and so they represent this general problem in this society."
"Schools are also just thinking in local terms, while education has to be more internationally, or at least, regionally orientated. When young people leave school here, they just doesn't seem to be ready for the business world. And we have this brain drain, the migration of well-educated youngsters, from the beginning of the nineties. Kosovans from the diaspora are simply more productive."
"I just wanted the Kosovan citizens to be more critical towards the local politics. Now you have the media fulfilling that role, but every election people tend to vote not critically enough for the politicians. The Kosovan political class has already proved its inadequacy for me. And only the international organisations are held responsible for the failures made."
"We need this final status, just to bring more responsibilities to the local level, just to create awareness and just to make enterprises and businessmen invest more. I mean, this country needs to be as liberal as possibile, socially owned enterprises just need to be privatized as soon as possible. In my eyes, you don't have any economy now." Krenar Gashi, BIRN Kosovo editor
If you can say one thing about Mr Gashi, it is that he clearly has a vision about the economic future of Kosovo. Not just basic, but well underlined and intellectually based.
"We don't have much transparency in what is going on now on the economic side. There is a lack of good legislation", he states, while the other BIRN contributors are working occupiedly further, sometimes clearly much more listening to our talk. "Kosovo has still to create a primal framework for earning taxes, because now there are many enterprises that don't do that properly. I mean, the government can just double its budget if the taxes are rightly earned."
"Independence is an evolution, a process, not a fact on its own. This country has many chances and can boast a halthy economy, but you have this big 'IF'. If There will be more invested, if the status will be determined - and that's the very beginning - and if the power system will be modernised and expanded. And yes, the Serbian minority shall have to participate in this economy, because in the future, they will realise that Serbia won't be coming back, even if they don't accept independence the coming 10 years. Kosovo is now just some good PR for Serbian politicians, a good marketing issue." Krenar Gashi, BIRN Kosovo editor
My head was buzzing after the interview. Not in a difficult way, but just by the range of different definitions and views Mr gashi offered me. Clearly this was a very good interview. But maybe you already figured this out.
Amd there is muc more. But publishing this without analysing - I know feel that I can even more analyse what is written above - wouldn't seem a good idea.
The general analysis of all my interviews and stories will come within a few days anyway. I just need some time.
After noon, Prishtina was slowly adapting to the snowy reality. I had some other talk - that won't be published, it was just private - with Labinot Haxhiu, a guy that I met while drinking with the OSCE-guys two days before. We took our time, and sure, it was even knowledge - acquiring too.
I went to bed at 9.30PM. Early for me,but I felt that I had to. And even then I couldn't get asleep quickly. It is the rate, the rythm of Prishtina that is in my nerves. This is a young city, making noise and offering some of the best dynamism I ever felt. Maybe this is just the biggest opportunity for this country. Living Fast.
More info on BIRN: http://www.birn.eu.com
I would like to thank Mr Krenar Gashi for his contribution. And also for the nice welcome I receive at the BIRN office.
dinsdag 25 december 2007
Rock Hard Cafe and other stories - December 25th
Morning.
-Waking up at 8 PM (actually 15 mins later because my sleeping bag was too comfortable)
-Trying to catch 'The Professor', the owner of the guesthouse I'm staying in, for an interview. I talked to him on the phone but he said that he didn't want to because he was not ready to be interviewed. All attempts to convert him failed. Fair enough.
-Leading a lost American (not the chopper guy) to the bus station (although I didn't know where this was). This guy was hitchhiking around the world, was travelling for a year and only ate vegan food (something that has to be really hard in this part of the world). Actually we got there on time, and I caught a bus to the southern Kosovan town of Prizren.
This is where it started.
While sitting on the bus I met the chopper guy, the UK Indian and the Estonian-Russian girl, who were also heading to Prizren. They went out the night before all together while I was working and now seemed like close friends. (And yes, I worked on Christmas eve)
They were also accompanied by this interesting Bosnian-Kosovan guy who is working for a financial enterprise that co-operates with the EU mission. He found it interesting what I was doing. He even said that he had written an essay about the economic future of Kosovo, that he was going to send me via e-mail. His name was Emrin Redzeporgic.
When arriving in Prizren, a young man, who was sitting 2 seats behind me, where I was from. When I replied 'Belgium', he started to speak French to me.
Gentian, 16 years old, used to live in Brussels for a few years. He even went to school there. He proposed to lead me around in Prizren, as he and his shy friend, who didn't speak English or French, had lots of time to kill.
"I just came back to Kosovo with my parents. We are going to live here."
When I asked him what he tought of the future of Kosovo, just being 16 years old, he didn't know actually. Instead, it was clear that this guy was much more in fear of a new war.
Because of his young age. And, there it is, because he had his uncle and father fighting for the UCK during the war. When I asked him if he had a weapon at home, he almost proudly replied that they had "A working AK-47, ready to use when necessary." And that most Kosovans were prepared to new fighting.
Now, I think it is because of his young age that this guy had these more radical ideas. He found himself also not be able to live with Serbs. I can't judge his feelings. Nor can I have a slight idea of what war really means or what this one says is true. He was the first Kosovan I metthat was this radical. But as you may not expect, we had nice talks. I taped him on the top of the old Kale fortress, overlooking the city, and with a beautiful view towards the Sar mountains, that are bordering Macedonia. (Prizren isn't that far from Tetovo, the city I visited some 4 months ago). Gentian and I had lunch in a nice Bureqtore, Burek filled wiht cheese (fillough pastry filled with cheese or meat) During lunch he proudly presented a film on his mobile phone showing a Serbian tank during the conflict in 1999 that was blown to pieces by UCK forces.
Now I'm going to shut up about Gentian. I give him the chance of being young, and not talking about him like he is some kind of guy ready to slaughter any Serb with his bare hands.
He was nice and showed me much in Prizren. The museum of the League of Prizren, an Albanian national league in 1903 that fought against the Ottomans. The house where the museum was in was beautiful.
So, back In Prishtina I had dinner. Phoned some people for interviews. Had a drink at Jon's where a Kosovan living in Switzerland joked "We Kosovans are the smartest people in the world, because we speak more different languages than you can imagine. Welcome in the United States of Albania!" Fatmir, the owner, agreed.
I was left with thoughts. It was a bright day, full of journalistic challenges, full of personal challenges. I was able to analyse all things I had heard the previous days. But you have to wait for that, because I've already written too much today ;-)
And 'Rock Hard Cafe'? That is the name a funny one invented for his cafe, along the road from Prishtina to Prizren.
Goodnight.
-Waking up at 8 PM (actually 15 mins later because my sleeping bag was too comfortable)
-Trying to catch 'The Professor', the owner of the guesthouse I'm staying in, for an interview. I talked to him on the phone but he said that he didn't want to because he was not ready to be interviewed. All attempts to convert him failed. Fair enough.
-Leading a lost American (not the chopper guy) to the bus station (although I didn't know where this was). This guy was hitchhiking around the world, was travelling for a year and only ate vegan food (something that has to be really hard in this part of the world). Actually we got there on time, and I caught a bus to the southern Kosovan town of Prizren.
This is where it started.
While sitting on the bus I met the chopper guy, the UK Indian and the Estonian-Russian girl, who were also heading to Prizren. They went out the night before all together while I was working and now seemed like close friends. (And yes, I worked on Christmas eve)
They were also accompanied by this interesting Bosnian-Kosovan guy who is working for a financial enterprise that co-operates with the EU mission. He found it interesting what I was doing. He even said that he had written an essay about the economic future of Kosovo, that he was going to send me via e-mail. His name was Emrin Redzeporgic.
"Kosovo has the most fertile land in the region, so I see that as the main opportunity for the future. But the country quickly needs investments, from abroad and from Kosovan enterprises. The Kosovan government can give small credits to the population, which they can use to invest. And of course we need a final status. BUT, I want Kosovo not to become independent without EU-supervision. The political world is also mainly dominated by older politicians, I think that Kosovo can change faster if the many young people here can participate more in the political world."Prizren
When arriving in Prizren, a young man, who was sitting 2 seats behind me, where I was from. When I replied 'Belgium', he started to speak French to me.
Gentian, 16 years old, used to live in Brussels for a few years. He even went to school there. He proposed to lead me around in Prizren, as he and his shy friend, who didn't speak English or French, had lots of time to kill.
"I just came back to Kosovo with my parents. We are going to live here."
When I asked him what he tought of the future of Kosovo, just being 16 years old, he didn't know actually. Instead, it was clear that this guy was much more in fear of a new war.
Because of his young age. And, there it is, because he had his uncle and father fighting for the UCK during the war. When I asked him if he had a weapon at home, he almost proudly replied that they had "A working AK-47, ready to use when necessary." And that most Kosovans were prepared to new fighting.
Now, I think it is because of his young age that this guy had these more radical ideas. He found himself also not be able to live with Serbs. I can't judge his feelings. Nor can I have a slight idea of what war really means or what this one says is true. He was the first Kosovan I metthat was this radical. But as you may not expect, we had nice talks. I taped him on the top of the old Kale fortress, overlooking the city, and with a beautiful view towards the Sar mountains, that are bordering Macedonia. (Prizren isn't that far from Tetovo, the city I visited some 4 months ago). Gentian and I had lunch in a nice Bureqtore, Burek filled wiht cheese (fillough pastry filled with cheese or meat) During lunch he proudly presented a film on his mobile phone showing a Serbian tank during the conflict in 1999 that was blown to pieces by UCK forces.
Now I'm going to shut up about Gentian. I give him the chance of being young, and not talking about him like he is some kind of guy ready to slaughter any Serb with his bare hands.
He was nice and showed me much in Prizren. The museum of the League of Prizren, an Albanian national league in 1903 that fought against the Ottomans. The house where the museum was in was beautiful.
So, back In Prishtina I had dinner. Phoned some people for interviews. Had a drink at Jon's where a Kosovan living in Switzerland joked "We Kosovans are the smartest people in the world, because we speak more different languages than you can imagine. Welcome in the United States of Albania!" Fatmir, the owner, agreed.
I was left with thoughts. It was a bright day, full of journalistic challenges, full of personal challenges. I was able to analyse all things I had heard the previous days. But you have to wait for that, because I've already written too much today ;-)
And 'Rock Hard Cafe'? That is the name a funny one invented for his cafe, along the road from Prishtina to Prizren.
Goodnight.
Some reflections of Decmber 24th - all the stories
Going to Muhamet Hamiti
Mr Hamiti has his office in the Kosovan parliament, in downtown Prishtina. The building is heavily controlled by police forces. While entering, I had to legitimate and give my passport, in order to receive a small bdge mentioning 'visitor' on it. "Well", I said by myself, "I became a visitor, how fancy". And how official. My rucksack had to pass by a detector and I had to do that also (luckily nog the same). No bomb was found however, so after a pauze of 3 mins, I was led to the office of Mr Hamiti.
I entered. Mr Hamiti shook my hand. One of the first things I mentioned - it struck me directly - was a picture of Ibrahim Rugova hanging on the wall behind the man's desk. Also the direct, but gentle manner of introducing himself was remarkable. You don't do such things everyday as a student, talking to a senior political advisor of a president.
"Viability it is, not 'livability' as you quote", Hamiti said when he finished his work, leaving me for about 10 minutes, while I sat down in this luxuous seat. The correction the man made, made me think that my English could be better (or just my dictionary were I hooked the Dutch word for 'leefbaarheid' up. I thought that it was 'livability', and when he gave me a huge, Oxford-like dictionary (Hamiti is also a teacher in the English language), I gave up defending the word. But anyway, he knew what I was going to talk about.
Recording the interview wasn't a big problem. Mr Hamit himself answered in good, round quotes to my questions. The main issue we talked about was the economic future of Kosovo. According to him, as you may already have read, the future can look bright, if the country itself quickly gets independent. "Actually, Kosovo is already independent from 1999. The international organisations helped us a lot, but now we have to do it on our own, as receiving a final status is the only way of creating a strong, healthy economy."
After 30 minutes the interview ended. When I received my passport back at the reception, I felt a redemption from a certain stress. I did a good job, and, it has to be said, Mr Hamiti is a good chatter, who co-operated well.
'Jon's', Fatmir and Arbresha.
Before that, I met Arbresha and Fatmir at 'Jon's coffe bar' in the centre of Prishtina. Very kind people, with strong, good coffee and a strong opinion about the future of Kosovo. Fatmir :" It's hard to be here, I want to go abroad, but I can't get a visa of any European country, so I have to stay here and make my business." His sister-in-law, Arbresha, by his side behind the espresso machine, was more optimistic. "We can manage this, and soon it will be better." They have my support. 'Jon's' is now my preferred coffee-chat bar.
The OSCE-time.
I met Franklin De Vrieze, a Belgian OSCE-co-ordinator and my very much-liked local 'helper' (If you read this Franklin, thank you for your support!) at the OSCE-building in Prishtina a few hours after my interview. After the same check-up at the reception and the change of my passport into a nice little badge , we went to the rooftop cafe of the building. The view was fantastic. It is a former bank building, and seems to have a good infrastructure for the OSCE-contributors (It has a bar).
The chat was calm. About Kosovo, about what I did, about my perspectives and about...well, I was just happy that I could talk about my stories in my own language. After the chat we moved to a bar across the street, plenty of expats and other OSCE-guys. It was a nice start of the eve. Good for my growing local network. At least two of these guys are willing to talk to me about the future of Kosovo.
The kitchen-story.
In the evening, after some beers and jokes with the OSCE-guys, I entered the Kitchen at my guesthouse and met some people from all corners of the world. A couple from Singapore, A UK Indian, and an Estonian-Russian girl who was travelling with an American.
The American used to be a chopper pilot in the Marine corps in Iraq, the UK Indian was muslim. What deployed while they sat at the kitchen table was a discussion about the US army being in Iraq, and, well, you can just imagine. It was interesting to see both points of view being transmissed, and in the end they got along quite well. But it was striking how Ken, the chopper pilot, was trained to just answer critical questions about the rules of engagement, Fallujah and collateral damage. But he was a sympathetic guy and although I didn't endorse his opinions, I can understand why he replied in that way to such questions. "I don't care about collateral damage, it just happens", he said. Well, yes, it was impossible to confront him critically with this. But as a person, he was nice and well-mannered.
So, the only thing that you may want to know is my personal list of how you can risk your life in prishtina:
-Break your neck on the icy, slippy pavements
-Get overrun by a car (In the evening they are all sliding down the hilly roads instead of driving on it)
-Get a heart-attack because of the little children who are igniting all kinds of unsafe fireworks for Christmas, or make a sport out of trowing loudy bombs on the streets - sometimes just on the piece of pavement were you are heading to.
Nothing to worry about as you see. No wartime or ethnical things.
Et Voila. This was December 24th in brief.
Read on...
Mr Hamiti has his office in the Kosovan parliament, in downtown Prishtina. The building is heavily controlled by police forces. While entering, I had to legitimate and give my passport, in order to receive a small bdge mentioning 'visitor' on it. "Well", I said by myself, "I became a visitor, how fancy". And how official. My rucksack had to pass by a detector and I had to do that also (luckily nog the same). No bomb was found however, so after a pauze of 3 mins, I was led to the office of Mr Hamiti.
I entered. Mr Hamiti shook my hand. One of the first things I mentioned - it struck me directly - was a picture of Ibrahim Rugova hanging on the wall behind the man's desk. Also the direct, but gentle manner of introducing himself was remarkable. You don't do such things everyday as a student, talking to a senior political advisor of a president.
"Viability it is, not 'livability' as you quote", Hamiti said when he finished his work, leaving me for about 10 minutes, while I sat down in this luxuous seat. The correction the man made, made me think that my English could be better (or just my dictionary were I hooked the Dutch word for 'leefbaarheid' up. I thought that it was 'livability', and when he gave me a huge, Oxford-like dictionary (Hamiti is also a teacher in the English language), I gave up defending the word. But anyway, he knew what I was going to talk about.
Recording the interview wasn't a big problem. Mr Hamit himself answered in good, round quotes to my questions. The main issue we talked about was the economic future of Kosovo. According to him, as you may already have read, the future can look bright, if the country itself quickly gets independent. "Actually, Kosovo is already independent from 1999. The international organisations helped us a lot, but now we have to do it on our own, as receiving a final status is the only way of creating a strong, healthy economy."
"We have, despite of the good work of the international organisations, been in limbo for about 8 years, and this is deadly for our economy. Like that, we don't have any acces to the global economy, we have less perspectives for investments - both from foreign and Kosovan enterprises - and we can't participate in the financial, international market. Also the war and the socialist era destroyed most of the economic space. Serbia has used us for so many years." Muhamet Hamiti, senior political advisor to the Kosovo president, Fatmir Sejdiu.
"It will be a hard process, but we can make it anyway, within few - 4 or 5 - years. We can enter all international organisations and build our economy, depending on our main opportunities like agriculture, a very young population (60 pct of the Kosovan population is under the age of 30) and our mineral deposits. You also have the biggest concentration of lignite in this part of the world in Kosovo. So yes, Kosovo can have a very bright, independent future." Muhamet Hamiti, senior political advisor to the Kosovo president, Fatmir Sejdiu.
After 30 minutes the interview ended. When I received my passport back at the reception, I felt a redemption from a certain stress. I did a good job, and, it has to be said, Mr Hamiti is a good chatter, who co-operated well.
'Jon's', Fatmir and Arbresha.
Before that, I met Arbresha and Fatmir at 'Jon's coffe bar' in the centre of Prishtina. Very kind people, with strong, good coffee and a strong opinion about the future of Kosovo. Fatmir :" It's hard to be here, I want to go abroad, but I can't get a visa of any European country, so I have to stay here and make my business." His sister-in-law, Arbresha, by his side behind the espresso machine, was more optimistic. "We can manage this, and soon it will be better." They have my support. 'Jon's' is now my preferred coffee-chat bar.
The OSCE-time.
I met Franklin De Vrieze, a Belgian OSCE-co-ordinator and my very much-liked local 'helper' (If you read this Franklin, thank you for your support!) at the OSCE-building in Prishtina a few hours after my interview. After the same check-up at the reception and the change of my passport into a nice little badge , we went to the rooftop cafe of the building. The view was fantastic. It is a former bank building, and seems to have a good infrastructure for the OSCE-contributors (It has a bar).
The chat was calm. About Kosovo, about what I did, about my perspectives and about...well, I was just happy that I could talk about my stories in my own language. After the chat we moved to a bar across the street, plenty of expats and other OSCE-guys. It was a nice start of the eve. Good for my growing local network. At least two of these guys are willing to talk to me about the future of Kosovo.
The kitchen-story.
In the evening, after some beers and jokes with the OSCE-guys, I entered the Kitchen at my guesthouse and met some people from all corners of the world. A couple from Singapore, A UK Indian, and an Estonian-Russian girl who was travelling with an American.
The American used to be a chopper pilot in the Marine corps in Iraq, the UK Indian was muslim. What deployed while they sat at the kitchen table was a discussion about the US army being in Iraq, and, well, you can just imagine. It was interesting to see both points of view being transmissed, and in the end they got along quite well. But it was striking how Ken, the chopper pilot, was trained to just answer critical questions about the rules of engagement, Fallujah and collateral damage. But he was a sympathetic guy and although I didn't endorse his opinions, I can understand why he replied in that way to such questions. "I don't care about collateral damage, it just happens", he said. Well, yes, it was impossible to confront him critically with this. But as a person, he was nice and well-mannered.
So, the only thing that you may want to know is my personal list of how you can risk your life in prishtina:
-Break your neck on the icy, slippy pavements
-Get overrun by a car (In the evening they are all sliding down the hilly roads instead of driving on it)
-Get a heart-attack because of the little children who are igniting all kinds of unsafe fireworks for Christmas, or make a sport out of trowing loudy bombs on the streets - sometimes just on the piece of pavement were you are heading to.
Nothing to worry about as you see. No wartime or ethnical things.
Et Voila. This was December 24th in brief.
Read on...
On the programme today
I proudly announce the following:
You still have to read:
-The full(er) story of going to Muhamet Hamiti
-My first descend in the capital
-Three ways how to risk your life in Prishtina
-The coffee bar story
-The OSCE story
-The Kitchen story
Sadly, I will only write this down tonight, because I have to go now. Having first an interview with the hotel owner, than do some calling around (met some interesting people) and than try to catch a bus to Prizren, my first "trip" in Kosovo. Maybe, but I don't know yet, I can manage to go to Peja also, if I have time today.
You just have to wait and see. It is my promise that tonight, you will have lost of new story's to consume...
Oh, yes, before I forget: Merry Christmas everybody!
You still have to read:
-The full(er) story of going to Muhamet Hamiti
-My first descend in the capital
-Three ways how to risk your life in Prishtina
-The coffee bar story
-The OSCE story
-The Kitchen story
Sadly, I will only write this down tonight, because I have to go now. Having first an interview with the hotel owner, than do some calling around (met some interesting people) and than try to catch a bus to Prizren, my first "trip" in Kosovo. Maybe, but I don't know yet, I can manage to go to Peja also, if I have time today.
You just have to wait and see. It is my promise that tonight, you will have lost of new story's to consume...
Oh, yes, before I forget: Merry Christmas everybody!
maandag 24 december 2007
How life was today
Again, it was a cold day in the Kosovan capital. Like yesterday, you had that chilly fog hanging over the city. It was also a test for my lungs, because not smoking seems not to be an option, the cigarette fog hanging around inside every cafe or restaurant. But the most important things that happened, the 'news of the day', must be that I had an interview with Muhamet Hamiti, senior political advisor to the Kosovan president, Fatmir Sejdiu.
"Minerals, a very young population and agriculture are the three main opporunities for an independent Kosovo", Hamiti says. "But you can only create a healthy economy if you are independent, so Kosovo needs its final status. That will be better for us." When I ask him when Kosovo will be independent, he replies: "Soon in 2008".
Soon in 2008. More specific - I have this from different sources, like OSCE contributors - in February. This is a general rumour that you hear most in Prishtina. The question is; isn't it a bit too soon?
The main threat for an independent Kosovo seems, politically, the reaction of Serbia, that hadn't expected the negociating process to fail. Directly linked to this is the fact that Kosovo also depends on electricity coming from Serbia. "And one of the big failures in creating a stable economy in Kosovo is the fact that the electricity system is too unreliable", according to Hamiti.
"Kosovo is difficult to have an enterprise. Sometimes I bring coffee to shop owners, and I run 200metres for about just 40 eurocent", says Fatmir, who is owning a coffee bar in the centre of Prishtina. But if you can say one thing about Kosovans, it is their sense of optimism. That things will be better within years.
To be continued...
"Minerals, a very young population and agriculture are the three main opporunities for an independent Kosovo", Hamiti says. "But you can only create a healthy economy if you are independent, so Kosovo needs its final status. That will be better for us." When I ask him when Kosovo will be independent, he replies: "Soon in 2008".
Soon in 2008. More specific - I have this from different sources, like OSCE contributors - in February. This is a general rumour that you hear most in Prishtina. The question is; isn't it a bit too soon?
The main threat for an independent Kosovo seems, politically, the reaction of Serbia, that hadn't expected the negociating process to fail. Directly linked to this is the fact that Kosovo also depends on electricity coming from Serbia. "And one of the big failures in creating a stable economy in Kosovo is the fact that the electricity system is too unreliable", according to Hamiti.
"Kosovo is difficult to have an enterprise. Sometimes I bring coffee to shop owners, and I run 200metres for about just 40 eurocent", says Fatmir, who is owning a coffee bar in the centre of Prishtina. But if you can say one thing about Kosovans, it is their sense of optimism. That things will be better within years.
To be continued...
In Prishtina
Finally, I am in Kosovo. During my bus trip from Brussels, with a stop-over in Belgrade, I thought that Kosovo was some fantasy country that didn't exist, only in some faraway dream. But it does, and the reality here seems to be...different than thought before.
It felt a bit strange to cross the notorious bridge in Mitrovica last night. It was dark, everything was moonlit and I seemed to be the only one who was crossing it. Must have been a strange sight to the UNMIK guards that are guarding the bridge. So, after I crossed it, I asked a gentle officer where the bus station on the Albanian side was. He didn't know, but luckily for me, his translator, smoking in a UN vehicle, helped me. "Oh, than you have to walk for about 20mins" With some help from my friend Nazif, who I phoned, he led his nephew (who was waiting for me with a taxi somewhere in Albanian Mitrovica) to me. The taxi was a (should it surprise?) Mercedes Benz (the fashion old one). During our 40 min drive to Prishtina, we had to stop because of a flat tyre. It has to be said, but in less than 10 mins the guy (and his friend who accompanied him) replaced the weel. It was freezing cold and I thought that if had to take care of the same job, my hands would have frozen off (on condition that I would find the wheel to replace).
So, Prishtina, you say. It's weird. It's everything but that that you had expected...and even worser. Nazif's nephew kicked me out in the Velania area, and said that I had to walk for just 5 mins. True, after a while I had found the Bujtine Velania guesthouse. Prishtina was all dark, and the sound of livable emergency electricity generators was everywhere. (My Welcome seemed to be accompanied by a power shut down. Everybody in this town is prepared however, I think that, next to a house, a generator is the second most wanted item in Kosovo.
After an hour there was electricity, so I could use internet. Fair enough, but there was no connection, so I remained quiet, cut off from the outer world. My Mobile phone wasn't also able to send messages or call, but the weird fact that I could receive calls and messages, made me less desperate than I thought I would become.
This is a big test, so. I have to be inventive to contact you, my dear readers. Probably it is easier to send hello to Mars than to Belgium. But we are working on it. I wouldn't become journalist if I would have a problem with this kind of, uhm, how shall I call it...adventure. To myself: Welcome to Prishtina!
It felt a bit strange to cross the notorious bridge in Mitrovica last night. It was dark, everything was moonlit and I seemed to be the only one who was crossing it. Must have been a strange sight to the UNMIK guards that are guarding the bridge. So, after I crossed it, I asked a gentle officer where the bus station on the Albanian side was. He didn't know, but luckily for me, his translator, smoking in a UN vehicle, helped me. "Oh, than you have to walk for about 20mins" With some help from my friend Nazif, who I phoned, he led his nephew (who was waiting for me with a taxi somewhere in Albanian Mitrovica) to me. The taxi was a (should it surprise?) Mercedes Benz (the fashion old one). During our 40 min drive to Prishtina, we had to stop because of a flat tyre. It has to be said, but in less than 10 mins the guy (and his friend who accompanied him) replaced the weel. It was freezing cold and I thought that if had to take care of the same job, my hands would have frozen off (on condition that I would find the wheel to replace).
So, Prishtina, you say. It's weird. It's everything but that that you had expected...and even worser. Nazif's nephew kicked me out in the Velania area, and said that I had to walk for just 5 mins. True, after a while I had found the Bujtine Velania guesthouse. Prishtina was all dark, and the sound of livable emergency electricity generators was everywhere. (My Welcome seemed to be accompanied by a power shut down. Everybody in this town is prepared however, I think that, next to a house, a generator is the second most wanted item in Kosovo.
After an hour there was electricity, so I could use internet. Fair enough, but there was no connection, so I remained quiet, cut off from the outer world. My Mobile phone wasn't also able to send messages or call, but the weird fact that I could receive calls and messages, made me less desperate than I thought I would become.
This is a big test, so. I have to be inventive to contact you, my dear readers. Probably it is easier to send hello to Mars than to Belgium. But we are working on it. I wouldn't become journalist if I would have a problem with this kind of, uhm, how shall I call it...adventure. To myself: Welcome to Prishtina!
zaterdag 8 december 2007
Economic future and stability in Kosovo
Kosovo has the opportunities to create a modern, good-working economy, but the lack of investments from foreign einterprises and the unability of the Kosovan government to support mayer investments, make it a succes-story that still has to be written.
The final status of the tiny future-country hasn't been officially decided yet, but likely it will be an independent country in 2008. Since the beginning of international support in 1999, and the settlement of an internationally guarded government, Kosovo has come from far. But there is no reason to be fully optimistic.
Lacking a well-maintained, modern energy policy, and running on broken electricity transport networks, the main obstacle to form a healthy economy, the country is at the mercy of time before the infrastructure is too messed up. Power cuts in the country remain normal, and even the capital Prishtina isn't saved from this.
"The UNMIK is responsible for the economic reconstruction, but the succes of that is mainly limited," says Franklin De Vrieze of the OSCE mission in Prishtina.
Mr. De Vrieze is responsible for the co-ordination and support of the Central Assembly of Kosovo. He watches the democratic institutions and the good governance in the country.
"The UNMIK (United Nations Mission in Kosovo) has to work in a very difficult context. The economic future of Kosovo depends on the future status. To be able to export products, a country needs an official status. And as long as this hasn't been decided, this remains difficult. The lack of a definitive status also means that foreign enterprises won't be attracted to invest in Kosovo's economy. There is no juridical framework for enterprises to work in, there are no guarantees from the government to support investments in Kosovo. Of course, the main investments in Kosovo come from money earned by Kosovan Albanians abroad. This also isn't good to form a healthy economy."
Kosovo has a very young population. The majority of it under the age of 25, gives the opportunity to boast a dynamic working population. But there is little room for jobs, as almost 50% of the working class is unemployed.
Also the unability to decide of the government seems to be a problem. Law- enforcing decisions remain difficult and have receive permission from the UNMIK, who is in fact co-governing the country. The execution of legislation seems to be a mayor obstacle.
"If Kosovo attracts foreigners to invest, these people have difficulties in knowing who is responsible for what," says Franklin De Vrieze.
The international community has a big responsibility concerning Kosovo. The country has been an experiment in international Balkan policy the last years, and has many attractions, but these can only be reached with intense support and aid. Kosovo seems to be democratic now to go its own way, having the possibility to remain stable and not to call on ghosts of the past, but by looking forward. It also has many opportunities for tourism, being a centre in the Balkan, and hosting many religious monuments, lush mountain landscapes and a rich history. It is now the responsibility of the Kosovars to make this reality and to prove themselves.
The final status of the tiny future-country hasn't been officially decided yet, but likely it will be an independent country in 2008. Since the beginning of international support in 1999, and the settlement of an internationally guarded government, Kosovo has come from far. But there is no reason to be fully optimistic.
Lacking a well-maintained, modern energy policy, and running on broken electricity transport networks, the main obstacle to form a healthy economy, the country is at the mercy of time before the infrastructure is too messed up. Power cuts in the country remain normal, and even the capital Prishtina isn't saved from this.
"The UNMIK is responsible for the economic reconstruction, but the succes of that is mainly limited," says Franklin De Vrieze of the OSCE mission in Prishtina.
Mr. De Vrieze is responsible for the co-ordination and support of the Central Assembly of Kosovo. He watches the democratic institutions and the good governance in the country.
"The UNMIK (United Nations Mission in Kosovo) has to work in a very difficult context. The economic future of Kosovo depends on the future status. To be able to export products, a country needs an official status. And as long as this hasn't been decided, this remains difficult. The lack of a definitive status also means that foreign enterprises won't be attracted to invest in Kosovo's economy. There is no juridical framework for enterprises to work in, there are no guarantees from the government to support investments in Kosovo. Of course, the main investments in Kosovo come from money earned by Kosovan Albanians abroad. This also isn't good to form a healthy economy."
Kosovo has a very young population. The majority of it under the age of 25, gives the opportunity to boast a dynamic working population. But there is little room for jobs, as almost 50% of the working class is unemployed.
Also the unability to decide of the government seems to be a problem. Law- enforcing decisions remain difficult and have receive permission from the UNMIK, who is in fact co-governing the country. The execution of legislation seems to be a mayor obstacle.
"If Kosovo attracts foreigners to invest, these people have difficulties in knowing who is responsible for what," says Franklin De Vrieze.
The international community has a big responsibility concerning Kosovo. The country has been an experiment in international Balkan policy the last years, and has many attractions, but these can only be reached with intense support and aid. Kosovo seems to be democratic now to go its own way, having the possibility to remain stable and not to call on ghosts of the past, but by looking forward. It also has many opportunities for tourism, being a centre in the Balkan, and hosting many religious monuments, lush mountain landscapes and a rich history. It is now the responsibility of the Kosovars to make this reality and to prove themselves.
A tricky proof
Yesterday, December 7th, the troika-contact group (US, EU and Russia), handed over the definitive report about Kosovo, to Ban-Ki Moon. On Monday, December 10th, the talks about the future status of Kosovo will officially end.
Kosovo is undergoing a tricky proof now. Knowing that the emotions are raising and the statements made my Serbian politicians, are of discouraging knowledge, as if Serbia expects that Kosovo will likely declare its independence, and is foreseeing future boycots and a revisal of its ties with countries who will support Kosovar independence. Again, the meaning of truth and justice is put upon the debate, making it more difficult than it truly is.
Serbia is a democratic country. By the time I am writing this, citizens of this country can freely choose their politicians, have a police force that is less corrupt than it used to be (although strong ties with the older attitude remain) and when hearing young, dynamic Serbians talking about the future, I hear hope, willingness to go further and the optimistic view that Serbia will one day be part of the EU.
But, as this weekend is raising the big questions about Kosovo, the outgoing chief prosecutor of the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Carla Del Ponte, urged Serbia to hand over former Bosnian-serb general Ratko Mladic to the tribunal at The Hague before...December 10th. You can say what you want about the policy at The Hague, you can praise the good work by Carla Del Ponte, but I think that double-shooting at Serbia on this date will freeze good contacts with Serbia in the future. Serbia has had its history during the 90ties and the 20th century, but I believe that you won't create a little goodwill with this country if you say something like this, knowing that it will be impossible to hand over Mladic before this date.
Of course Mladic needs to be handed over, he is a war criminal, responsible for one of the worst massacres in modern Europe after WWII, but you simply can't press this before December 10th. The faster Mladic will be found, the better it be. But December 10th as date is somewhat stupidly chosen, because this sounds somewhat too offending to Serbia. I Believe that it isn't the will of the majority of the population of Serbia that their country hides this war criminal. I think what people in Serbia want, is simply a stable and modern, fully democratic country, food and warmth...like almost everybody in this world.
I fully endorse the work of Carla Del Ponte, being someone who visited Bosnia&Herzegovina and Srebrenica. I truly believe that Mladic is a war criminal, but I expected a little more diplomacy from Del Ponte. Let Serbia firstly talk about what to do after December 10th
give them the chance to accept the independence of Kosovo, because that is unavoidable, and let them hand over Mladic as quick as possibile. But simply not before December 10th, because the stability of the Balkan will be under pressure this weekend, whatever happens.
Kosovo is undergoing a tricky proof now. Knowing that the emotions are raising and the statements made my Serbian politicians, are of discouraging knowledge, as if Serbia expects that Kosovo will likely declare its independence, and is foreseeing future boycots and a revisal of its ties with countries who will support Kosovar independence. Again, the meaning of truth and justice is put upon the debate, making it more difficult than it truly is.
Serbia is a democratic country. By the time I am writing this, citizens of this country can freely choose their politicians, have a police force that is less corrupt than it used to be (although strong ties with the older attitude remain) and when hearing young, dynamic Serbians talking about the future, I hear hope, willingness to go further and the optimistic view that Serbia will one day be part of the EU.
But, as this weekend is raising the big questions about Kosovo, the outgoing chief prosecutor of the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Carla Del Ponte, urged Serbia to hand over former Bosnian-serb general Ratko Mladic to the tribunal at The Hague before...December 10th. You can say what you want about the policy at The Hague, you can praise the good work by Carla Del Ponte, but I think that double-shooting at Serbia on this date will freeze good contacts with Serbia in the future. Serbia has had its history during the 90ties and the 20th century, but I believe that you won't create a little goodwill with this country if you say something like this, knowing that it will be impossible to hand over Mladic before this date.
Of course Mladic needs to be handed over, he is a war criminal, responsible for one of the worst massacres in modern Europe after WWII, but you simply can't press this before December 10th. The faster Mladic will be found, the better it be. But December 10th as date is somewhat stupidly chosen, because this sounds somewhat too offending to Serbia. I Believe that it isn't the will of the majority of the population of Serbia that their country hides this war criminal. I think what people in Serbia want, is simply a stable and modern, fully democratic country, food and warmth...like almost everybody in this world.
I fully endorse the work of Carla Del Ponte, being someone who visited Bosnia&Herzegovina and Srebrenica. I truly believe that Mladic is a war criminal, but I expected a little more diplomacy from Del Ponte. Let Serbia firstly talk about what to do after December 10th
give them the chance to accept the independence of Kosovo, because that is unavoidable, and let them hand over Mladic as quick as possibile. But simply not before December 10th, because the stability of the Balkan will be under pressure this weekend, whatever happens.
woensdag 5 december 2007
Inside the Balkan
Maybe you can only learn to appreciate the possibilities this region brings if you know its historyThis quote is from Mark Mazower, a British historian who wrote an excellent book about the Balkan and its history. It was one of the best documents I've ever read about the Balkan, because I've struggeled many times with a definition of the region. Now I surely know that you can't just define the Balkan, there is no defintion that fit. This region, where I accidentally became involved with, is a continent of its own. And saying this, I don't refer to a certain 'bloody' history that people keep in their mind when hearing about Balkan countries.
So, there can be said more, but I am just going to let you readers think about this.
zaterdag 1 december 2007
The big gap
Friday, November 30th, Residence Palace Press Center, Brussels
In front of me a well-known Kosovar lobbyist and diplomat, active in Brussels since the late seventies.
It was a good talk about Kosovo, the Balkans and (should it surprise?) history. If everything will still be running smoothly in the future, this man should bring me in contact with some Kosovar intellectuals while I am travelling in Kosovo at the end of this month. But we aren't there yet.
The Kosovar lobbyist (For personal reasons I am nog going to give his name, it's too early for that) wants my MiniDisc recorder to be put of. If I object and tell him that it would make my work easier (the interview is being taken in French, and although I have enough knowledge of this language to talk about different subjects, it is nog my native language) while writing the transcript. "Ok then, we'll start the interview and somewhere in the middle I will ask it again," I say by myself. My diplomat answers other questions that I had written down and given him in advance, but after a while I start to think that I am also hearing some important things. Mainly political and historical. Now, I know that on the Balkans, everyone has its own version of history, but I can't say that this man was telling nonsenses. After a while the interview becomes intense, and I am finding myself by the core of what I am doing other than writing an article about the economic livability of Kosovo: What is Kosovo really? A question that I had maybe forgotten while searching economic facts about the (future) country.
But, it should be said: I didn't like some aspects that were said. Saying that the uçk has never comitted war crimes is a bridge too far, just like saying that it was just a liberation organisation. Also the phrases that Serbia is just proceeding with the same policy as before 1999 is somewhat...unreal. Like the detention of Slobodan Milosevic was just a sacrifice for continuing the same Serbian policy. Kosovo has suffered long years, but I think that after 1999, Serb policy didn't affect the region of Kosovo that much...for it was ruled by different international organisations who could act stronger than Serbia. Serbia has liberalized, and although they have difficult arguments to maintain Kosovo as a Serbian province, the point of view of the Serbian government simply isn't the same as before 1999.
So, again I have learned some important things...this while the December 10th deadline is coming closer and a double-backed (by Albanians and Serbs) solution is becoming utopia. It will be or this, or that, but not both of them.
In front of me a well-known Kosovar lobbyist and diplomat, active in Brussels since the late seventies.
It was a good talk about Kosovo, the Balkans and (should it surprise?) history. If everything will still be running smoothly in the future, this man should bring me in contact with some Kosovar intellectuals while I am travelling in Kosovo at the end of this month. But we aren't there yet.
The Kosovar lobbyist (For personal reasons I am nog going to give his name, it's too early for that) wants my MiniDisc recorder to be put of. If I object and tell him that it would make my work easier (the interview is being taken in French, and although I have enough knowledge of this language to talk about different subjects, it is nog my native language) while writing the transcript. "Ok then, we'll start the interview and somewhere in the middle I will ask it again," I say by myself. My diplomat answers other questions that I had written down and given him in advance, but after a while I start to think that I am also hearing some important things. Mainly political and historical. Now, I know that on the Balkans, everyone has its own version of history, but I can't say that this man was telling nonsenses. After a while the interview becomes intense, and I am finding myself by the core of what I am doing other than writing an article about the economic livability of Kosovo: What is Kosovo really? A question that I had maybe forgotten while searching economic facts about the (future) country.
But, it should be said: I didn't like some aspects that were said. Saying that the uçk has never comitted war crimes is a bridge too far, just like saying that it was just a liberation organisation. Also the phrases that Serbia is just proceeding with the same policy as before 1999 is somewhat...unreal. Like the detention of Slobodan Milosevic was just a sacrifice for continuing the same Serbian policy. Kosovo has suffered long years, but I think that after 1999, Serb policy didn't affect the region of Kosovo that much...for it was ruled by different international organisations who could act stronger than Serbia. Serbia has liberalized, and although they have difficult arguments to maintain Kosovo as a Serbian province, the point of view of the Serbian government simply isn't the same as before 1999.
So, again I have learned some important things...this while the December 10th deadline is coming closer and a double-backed (by Albanians and Serbs) solution is becoming utopia. It will be or this, or that, but not both of them.
zaterdag 24 november 2007
Every village should have its independence
What could be the link between Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzgovina these days? Something different than war? The answer is independence.
If Kosovo is going to proclaim independence on December 10th, some regions in the north of the newly independent country with a Serb majority would also do this. And there is even more. Some fear that the Republika Srpska (RS) in Bosnia-Herzegovina could also do this. The RS is the northern part of Bosnia-Herzegovina, with a Serb majority. Officially autonomous, but backed by Serbia and more with a tendance to Serbia, this is considered somewhat as one of the poorest regions of the Balkans.
So, the move of independence of Kosovo would cause much more than expected. First of all, if the RS in Bosnia-Herzegovina would also declare independence, it would create a mayor problem for the poor state-structure of Bosnia-Herzegovina. What would the Bosniak-Croat federation in Bosnia do? I think that the ghost of the Dayton peace agreements is fleeing from this place. The independence of the RS would also mean that Bosniaks (muslims) wouldn't be able anymore to move to their places of origin in the RS. After the civil-war, Bosniaks fled from the Serb-occupied territories, or were simply killed. Dayton meant that there was a right to go back to their region. I don't think an independent RS would be keen on proceeding this law...
Normally, the US would back an independence of Kosovo. Not immediatly, but somewhere in January 2008. Some 20 of the 27 member states of the EU would also do this. Greece, Spain, Slovakia and some other countries are protesting against the future independence of Kosovo. And of course, Russia, that has more historical ties with Serbia, remains against independence. One thing is to take literally: the independence of Kosovo could mean new conflicts in the region. Although maybe not violent, Kosovo could cause a big shock in international diplomacy and in diplomatic relations, and not only between members of the EU or transatlantic countries...
There is much to do...there is less to remain...I hope that decisions of any kind will be taken with much respect and knowledge. There are made too many mistakes in the past in this region.
If Kosovo is going to proclaim independence on December 10th, some regions in the north of the newly independent country with a Serb majority would also do this. And there is even more. Some fear that the Republika Srpska (RS) in Bosnia-Herzegovina could also do this. The RS is the northern part of Bosnia-Herzegovina, with a Serb majority. Officially autonomous, but backed by Serbia and more with a tendance to Serbia, this is considered somewhat as one of the poorest regions of the Balkans.
So, the move of independence of Kosovo would cause much more than expected. First of all, if the RS in Bosnia-Herzegovina would also declare independence, it would create a mayor problem for the poor state-structure of Bosnia-Herzegovina. What would the Bosniak-Croat federation in Bosnia do? I think that the ghost of the Dayton peace agreements is fleeing from this place. The independence of the RS would also mean that Bosniaks (muslims) wouldn't be able anymore to move to their places of origin in the RS. After the civil-war, Bosniaks fled from the Serb-occupied territories, or were simply killed. Dayton meant that there was a right to go back to their region. I don't think an independent RS would be keen on proceeding this law...
Normally, the US would back an independence of Kosovo. Not immediatly, but somewhere in January 2008. Some 20 of the 27 member states of the EU would also do this. Greece, Spain, Slovakia and some other countries are protesting against the future independence of Kosovo. And of course, Russia, that has more historical ties with Serbia, remains against independence. One thing is to take literally: the independence of Kosovo could mean new conflicts in the region. Although maybe not violent, Kosovo could cause a big shock in international diplomacy and in diplomatic relations, and not only between members of the EU or transatlantic countries...
There is much to do...there is less to remain...I hope that decisions of any kind will be taken with much respect and knowledge. There are made too many mistakes in the past in this region.
dinsdag 20 november 2007
Image of a country that isn't yet officially a country...
Last Saturday, November 17th, elections were held in Kosovo. Although they passed very democratically, the big issues about Kosovo remain. Will they declare independence or will they not? Virtually all Kosovans are very much in favour of this independence, which they believe, is backed by the EU. But there is a snake in the hole: not all countries of the EU are in favour of quick independence. And of course, you have the Russian government, who will not allow a break-up of a region they consider as a historical part of Serbia. Maybe this is the mayor problem; stating that Kosovo is a legal part of Serbia, or that it is...how shall I state it...an independent country that isn't really independent. The issue remains difficult and unsolved. But for how long?
I will not choose a side before my article is written. I want to keep all options open and considerable for publication. My main business, when visiting Kosovo next month, will be the (economic) livability of this tiny region. But as you may expect, economy is very tightly linked to politics, society, journalism, ethnicity and much more issues. Kosovo is a densily connected network of different parameters. I will have lots of work to investigate and to take a closer look to this country...that isn't yet officially a country.
Christophe
I will not choose a side before my article is written. I want to keep all options open and considerable for publication. My main business, when visiting Kosovo next month, will be the (economic) livability of this tiny region. But as you may expect, economy is very tightly linked to politics, society, journalism, ethnicity and much more issues. Kosovo is a densily connected network of different parameters. I will have lots of work to investigate and to take a closer look to this country...that isn't yet officially a country.
Christophe
woensdag 14 november 2007
Kosova, II
Hi all,
Almost definitive: from the 22nd of December until the 29th I will be in Kosova. After some days of planning and looking after bus services and possible hotels, I think I've created a good travel plan.
The 22nd I will leave Brussels by bus with destination Belgrade, Serbia. Normally, I will reach Belgrade the next day close to noon.
A next step will mean; looking for a bus to Kosovska Mitrovica (for the specialists; the diveded city where one half of the river shore is Serbian and the other Albanian, the two linked by a guarded bridge...) and drive another 6 hours to reach it. Approximate hour of arrival in Mitrovica: 7PM.
Then it is just a one-hour drive to Prishtina. Hopefully I can do this by bus, otherwise I have to look after a taxi. Possibly I have to go from the Serbian part of town to the Albanian to catch another bus to Prishtina. But that are problems for later...
Hopefully I can stay in the Velania area in the capital Prishtina. It would be a good 'basecamp' to start some travels in the country.
Skopje
Maybe this will be too difficult, so I have to travel via Skopje. Maybe this would be easier, because I know that there are at least two trains a day to Prishtina from here and different buses. And I know Skopje a little (see 'September 2007'). BUT, travelling to Skopje by bus is more expensive, and it means that I have to change buses in Frankfurt. By expercience, I know that changing Eurolines-buses can be a rather tricky situation.
We'll see. I will get there, of that I'm sure.
The next problem will be language...I don't speak Albanian, only a few words, and I think that two or three sessions won't be enough to learn it. I hope the knowledge of English in Pristhina -at least in Prishtina- will be good enough. I've heard that this can't be a problem.
I will stay in contact, probably one of these plans can still change.
Christophe
The 22nd I will leave Brussels by bus with destination Belgrade, Serbia. Normally, I will reach Belgrade the next day close to noon.
A next step will mean; looking for a bus to Kosovska Mitrovica (for the specialists; the diveded city where one half of the river shore is Serbian and the other Albanian, the two linked by a guarded bridge...) and drive another 6 hours to reach it. Approximate hour of arrival in Mitrovica: 7PM.
Then it is just a one-hour drive to Prishtina. Hopefully I can do this by bus, otherwise I have to look after a taxi. Possibly I have to go from the Serbian part of town to the Albanian to catch another bus to Prishtina. But that are problems for later...
Hopefully I can stay in the Velania area in the capital Prishtina. It would be a good 'basecamp' to start some travels in the country.
Skopje
Maybe this will be too difficult, so I have to travel via Skopje. Maybe this would be easier, because I know that there are at least two trains a day to Prishtina from here and different buses. And I know Skopje a little (see 'September 2007'). BUT, travelling to Skopje by bus is more expensive, and it means that I have to change buses in Frankfurt. By expercience, I know that changing Eurolines-buses can be a rather tricky situation.
We'll see. I will get there, of that I'm sure.
The next problem will be language...I don't speak Albanian, only a few words, and I think that two or three sessions won't be enough to learn it. I hope the knowledge of English in Pristhina -at least in Prishtina- will be good enough. I've heard that this can't be a problem.
I will stay in contact, probably one of these plans can still change.
Christophe
dinsdag 6 november 2007
Belgian crisis
Hi all,
Although it wasn't the purpose when I started this blog, I now feel I have to write about the political crisis in my home country.
Within two hours, we will have 150 days of post-election governement talks. 150 Days trying to create a new governement in this country, that I have never seen this divided. Flemish, Walloon...
Belgium has always been a difficult country for governing, hosting two (three, but the voice of the German-speaking Belgians isn't heard these days) major language groups; Dutch and French. The last 30 years this country has been an experiment of two different ethnic language groops to form a common built federal state. Nowadays, it seems that this experiment is starting to fail.
I call myself a Dutch-speaking Belgian. Officially also Flemish, I have no problems with that name, but I have more problems with politicians from my language group who try to label me as more Flemish than Belgian, or who try to label me anyway. I feel Belgian because that's the way I've always felt it.
Both sides made huge mistakes during these governement-forming talks. You can't deny a certain way of old-fashioned arrogance coming from French-speaking politicians. It is a given fact that in this country, French speaking citizens are known for their relatively bad knowledge of Dutch, my language and the major language in Belgium. Not almost relatively bad knowledge, but also the lack of willingness to learn it. The last decade however, I have a feeling of things changing. Dutch is getting more popular in the southern part of this country (French-speaking Wallonia).
I have no affenity with hard-nosed Flemish politicians too. I have always learned of a Belgium of tolerance, and of Dutch-speakers who used to be ignored in our capital Brussels, trying to speak Dutch in a mainly French-speaking city. Like I 've said, this also is changing.
So this tolerance is inside me since I was young. I feel no use to be agressive against French-speaking citizens of this country, but more to stimulate them to learn Dutch. With hard words, you can' reach anything in Belgium.
I am not a politician, but a future journalist. I want to say that I'd like to have that job in a federal Belgium, with more power for the Flemish and Walloon regions if necessary, but still in a federal country. A country that can still exist as a beautiful experiment of living together.
Christophe
Although it wasn't the purpose when I started this blog, I now feel I have to write about the political crisis in my home country.
Within two hours, we will have 150 days of post-election governement talks. 150 Days trying to create a new governement in this country, that I have never seen this divided. Flemish, Walloon...
Belgium has always been a difficult country for governing, hosting two (three, but the voice of the German-speaking Belgians isn't heard these days) major language groups; Dutch and French. The last 30 years this country has been an experiment of two different ethnic language groops to form a common built federal state. Nowadays, it seems that this experiment is starting to fail.
I call myself a Dutch-speaking Belgian. Officially also Flemish, I have no problems with that name, but I have more problems with politicians from my language group who try to label me as more Flemish than Belgian, or who try to label me anyway. I feel Belgian because that's the way I've always felt it.
Both sides made huge mistakes during these governement-forming talks. You can't deny a certain way of old-fashioned arrogance coming from French-speaking politicians. It is a given fact that in this country, French speaking citizens are known for their relatively bad knowledge of Dutch, my language and the major language in Belgium. Not almost relatively bad knowledge, but also the lack of willingness to learn it. The last decade however, I have a feeling of things changing. Dutch is getting more popular in the southern part of this country (French-speaking Wallonia).
I have no affenity with hard-nosed Flemish politicians too. I have always learned of a Belgium of tolerance, and of Dutch-speakers who used to be ignored in our capital Brussels, trying to speak Dutch in a mainly French-speaking city. Like I 've said, this also is changing.
So this tolerance is inside me since I was young. I feel no use to be agressive against French-speaking citizens of this country, but more to stimulate them to learn Dutch. With hard words, you can' reach anything in Belgium.
I am not a politician, but a future journalist. I want to say that I'd like to have that job in a federal Belgium, with more power for the Flemish and Walloon regions if necessary, but still in a federal country. A country that can still exist as a beautiful experiment of living together.
Christophe
zaterdag 3 november 2007
Blogging around, November 3rd
Hi all,
Did some work for my Kosova project. Sending e-mails, writing a 'business plan', thinking and dreaming about that strange world I am going to work with. It's just the intention.
Luckily I have some good contacts and people behind me who support me and believe in what I am doing.
Working on Kosova is one of the biggest challenges I am facing now. Ever in my life. But hell yeah, let's do this! At least no one can say I haven't tried...
Christophe
donderdag 1 november 2007
Kosova
Hi,
I have great news! I am going to write an article (some sort of thesis for my Journalism study) about the independence of Kosova. This means that the posts on this blog are to be multiplied ;-)
No, serious now. I will probably go to Kosova at the end of december; and there is much work to do. As you may expect, doing something like this isn't an easy job for a student without newspaper-based funds or official press legitimation. This however, is not a big problem, for it seems more like an extra boost to me. (Ask me my opinion on this in december or January, this may change I think ;-) )
So, the world knows it now. If you people have interesting contacts that are more or less specialists in Kosova-related information, professional journalists, lay-outers, economists or whatever, let me know. I could use some help.
Thanks for your interest, regards
Christophe
I have great news! I am going to write an article (some sort of thesis for my Journalism study) about the independence of Kosova. This means that the posts on this blog are to be multiplied ;-)
No, serious now. I will probably go to Kosova at the end of december; and there is much work to do. As you may expect, doing something like this isn't an easy job for a student without newspaper-based funds or official press legitimation. This however, is not a big problem, for it seems more like an extra boost to me. (Ask me my opinion on this in december or January, this may change I think ;-) )
So, the world knows it now. If you people have interesting contacts that are more or less specialists in Kosova-related information, professional journalists, lay-outers, economists or whatever, let me know. I could use some help.
Thanks for your interest, regards
Christophe
zondag 14 oktober 2007
Discovering Albania
...And then we decided to go inside Albania. On foot, what else...?
It takes something of 3 kms to reach the border from Sveti Naum, at the south end of lake Ohrid. The Macedonian border is painless. The border guard just looks amazed when he sees two funny Belgians whit a big smile on their face, something like 'huh, we know that we are indeed the first to cross your border post ON FOOT.' He just stamps our passports, a funny Macedonian exit stamp whit a little car shown on it (when we entered the country via Gevgelia by train it was a funny little train that was shown on the stamps). It seems like they haven't stamps for people like us, on foot. So, we cross into no man's land.
After some 100m the relatively well-kept asphalt of FYROM ends and the road turns into...well, how shall I put it...something like 'This has always been a quickly asphalted road in the past, and we haven't any time to put a new layer on it.' Some 100m further we finally reach the Albanian border office. Hum...Office, it has more to do with a quickly thrown caravan and two prefab containers and of course, an Albanian flag. The border guard looks like we must be far beyond crazy to WALK inside his country. (To understate that he even put my entry stamp in my passport upside down). After a few minutes - the time we need to explain that we need a one-day visa - we fled inside Albania. Haven't we forgotten something? Yes, we need a taxi to take us to Pogradec, the biggest Albanian town on the shores of lake Ohrid...and we need it quick because it starts pooring!
The border guard transforms into a friendly fellow, and with a movie star move he takes his mobile phone and calls one of his...friends. Immediatly we see an old Mercedes Benz (only Mercedes Benz in Albania) showing up on the road. For a price that is not expensive but also not very cheap he offers us to take us to Pogradec. By know, it is raining heavier, and we decide to take the offer.
The Mercedes Benz is a funny experience. The temperature regulator seems to be broken, turning the vehicle into a mobile sauna. Soon the windows are getting foggy, and my girlfriend seems to care why I am turning that red. A hell of a ride inside Albania. Beside the road we see bunkers, newly constructed houses (probably built with mony earned inside the EU) and... bunkers, BUNKERS. A leftover from the communist Hoxha years. The man himself was kind of paranoid, the fear that foreign powers wanted to take Albania was too big and so he decided to cover the Albanian landscape with little, conical-shaped bunkers. (There is a story that Hoxha himself invited several bunker constructors so he could have a wide choice of various types. After he chose one, he forced the constructer of the winning type to lock himself up inside one while a tank was shooting at the construction. If the bunker was going to survive - and the poor constructor inside it too - , he would take that one and cover Albania with it. So happened.) (I don't know if this story is true, but it is indeed a funny story)
But shall we return to Pogradec? Yes, I know you people are waiting...
In Pogradec we had to negotiate to change some of our Macedonian denars into Albanian lek . Well, it wasn't really negotiating but more trying to explain that we had to change money. It took a while, but it worked. And we even managed to let the man return three hours later to take us back to the border.
So, now it was really raining and the streets of Pogradec - most of them not asphalted very well - were turning into giant floodzones. The muddy ones were transforming into wild mountain rivers. Funny. We were getting wet and the morale was dropping. Time for a hot drink!
We entered a café and were amazed by the many looks that we received. It was like the social talks of the (unically) male café-population dropped and th world became quiet, not knowing if they should laugh or just keep gazing at us. After 5 minutes however, we were accepted, and ordered some coffee to celebrate that we made it to Albania.
When we left it was still raining, and we spread our time between eating an energy-boosting pita (really a fat-making one), and hopping from shelter to shelter. We managed to buy an umbrella, so the rest of the day could be dryer. We also bought some saucages and bread for our dinner. And then, right, we fled into another café.
And there they were really friendly. They immediatly filled two bottles with boiling hot water from their espresse machine to warm up our hands. We drank something like three hot teas and thanked our hosts for their hospitality. It was a peaceful café, hosting a (almost unically) male population (again), but it seemed that the owner of the café was a woman. The Albanians a the table near us looked and laughed friendly at us. They were a drunk. You shouldn't underestimate the power of fresh rakija (something like slivovica) in the early afternoon...!
It was time to leave. We thanked our hosts, offered some extra money for the hot-water bottles (which they refilled three times or so to ensure the water was HOT enough), but they refused, and nothing on earth could change their minds. I began to believe that I had found the meaning of the word 'hospitality'. Something we don't know (anymore) in the west. While returning to our taximan, there was a funny Albanian (probably the local fool) who wanted to guess which country we came from. He decided that my girlfriend was from the UK and I was from Germany. And after that, he hugged my girlfriend...and gave a kiss on my cheek. I began to believe that balkan people really loved me...
Our taximan was just on time. We drove back to the border. And finally...it stopped raining and there was even a tiny sun that was breaking through the clouds. We crossed borders again, received our stamps, and got back into Macedonia. That was quite a journey.
In the evining, at sunset, I looked at Pogradec and decided that Albania was a funny country, with friendly and honest people. That's not the image we have in Western Europa.
Albania is a weird country. But indeed, a country that needs further exploration...
It takes something of 3 kms to reach the border from Sveti Naum, at the south end of lake Ohrid. The Macedonian border is painless. The border guard just looks amazed when he sees two funny Belgians whit a big smile on their face, something like 'huh, we know that we are indeed the first to cross your border post ON FOOT.' He just stamps our passports, a funny Macedonian exit stamp whit a little car shown on it (when we entered the country via Gevgelia by train it was a funny little train that was shown on the stamps). It seems like they haven't stamps for people like us, on foot. So, we cross into no man's land.
After some 100m the relatively well-kept asphalt of FYROM ends and the road turns into...well, how shall I put it...something like 'This has always been a quickly asphalted road in the past, and we haven't any time to put a new layer on it.' Some 100m further we finally reach the Albanian border office. Hum...Office, it has more to do with a quickly thrown caravan and two prefab containers and of course, an Albanian flag. The border guard looks like we must be far beyond crazy to WALK inside his country. (To understate that he even put my entry stamp in my passport upside down). After a few minutes - the time we need to explain that we need a one-day visa - we fled inside Albania. Haven't we forgotten something? Yes, we need a taxi to take us to Pogradec, the biggest Albanian town on the shores of lake Ohrid...and we need it quick because it starts pooring!
The border guard transforms into a friendly fellow, and with a movie star move he takes his mobile phone and calls one of his...friends. Immediatly we see an old Mercedes Benz (only Mercedes Benz in Albania) showing up on the road. For a price that is not expensive but also not very cheap he offers us to take us to Pogradec. By know, it is raining heavier, and we decide to take the offer.
The Mercedes Benz is a funny experience. The temperature regulator seems to be broken, turning the vehicle into a mobile sauna. Soon the windows are getting foggy, and my girlfriend seems to care why I am turning that red. A hell of a ride inside Albania. Beside the road we see bunkers, newly constructed houses (probably built with mony earned inside the EU) and... bunkers, BUNKERS. A leftover from the communist Hoxha years. The man himself was kind of paranoid, the fear that foreign powers wanted to take Albania was too big and so he decided to cover the Albanian landscape with little, conical-shaped bunkers. (There is a story that Hoxha himself invited several bunker constructors so he could have a wide choice of various types. After he chose one, he forced the constructer of the winning type to lock himself up inside one while a tank was shooting at the construction. If the bunker was going to survive - and the poor constructor inside it too - , he would take that one and cover Albania with it. So happened.) (I don't know if this story is true, but it is indeed a funny story)
But shall we return to Pogradec? Yes, I know you people are waiting...
In Pogradec we had to negotiate to change some of our Macedonian denars into Albanian lek . Well, it wasn't really negotiating but more trying to explain that we had to change money. It took a while, but it worked. And we even managed to let the man return three hours later to take us back to the border.
So, now it was really raining and the streets of Pogradec - most of them not asphalted very well - were turning into giant floodzones. The muddy ones were transforming into wild mountain rivers. Funny. We were getting wet and the morale was dropping. Time for a hot drink!
We entered a café and were amazed by the many looks that we received. It was like the social talks of the (unically) male café-population dropped and th world became quiet, not knowing if they should laugh or just keep gazing at us. After 5 minutes however, we were accepted, and ordered some coffee to celebrate that we made it to Albania.
When we left it was still raining, and we spread our time between eating an energy-boosting pita (really a fat-making one), and hopping from shelter to shelter. We managed to buy an umbrella, so the rest of the day could be dryer. We also bought some saucages and bread for our dinner. And then, right, we fled into another café.
And there they were really friendly. They immediatly filled two bottles with boiling hot water from their espresse machine to warm up our hands. We drank something like three hot teas and thanked our hosts for their hospitality. It was a peaceful café, hosting a (almost unically) male population (again), but it seemed that the owner of the café was a woman. The Albanians a the table near us looked and laughed friendly at us. They were a drunk. You shouldn't underestimate the power of fresh rakija (something like slivovica) in the early afternoon...!
It was time to leave. We thanked our hosts, offered some extra money for the hot-water bottles (which they refilled three times or so to ensure the water was HOT enough), but they refused, and nothing on earth could change their minds. I began to believe that I had found the meaning of the word 'hospitality'. Something we don't know (anymore) in the west. While returning to our taximan, there was a funny Albanian (probably the local fool) who wanted to guess which country we came from. He decided that my girlfriend was from the UK and I was from Germany. And after that, he hugged my girlfriend...and gave a kiss on my cheek. I began to believe that balkan people really loved me...
Our taximan was just on time. We drove back to the border. And finally...it stopped raining and there was even a tiny sun that was breaking through the clouds. We crossed borders again, received our stamps, and got back into Macedonia. That was quite a journey.
In the evining, at sunset, I looked at Pogradec and decided that Albania was a funny country, with friendly and honest people. That's not the image we have in Western Europa.
Albania is a weird country. But indeed, a country that needs further exploration...
maandag 17 september 2007
Zdravko and Deita
Sunday at Sveti Naum Monastery, on the shore of lake Ohrid, close to the border with Albania. My grilfriend and I are looking at the little craft shops on the way from the parking to the monastery, passing a slow day after the mountain trail we did the day before.
We stop at a shop where I see a beautiful prayer chain, 17 golden-brown pearls chained together, with two silvers ones on every side and a big silver carve in a medal-like 20th pearl. I bought it because I fell in love with it...I just had to...
"Where are you from?"
I looked up. Was just studying the properties of my Orthodox-Christian prayer chain and didn't expect that the shop lady was going to talk to me after my purchase.
"Belgija -Belgium..."
And that was good enough. Driven by curiousness like "What on earth makes two Belgians come to Macedonia?", asks Deita, the shop lady, us to come in for a coffee. She and her husband Zdravko are selling all day long, and want to use this calm moment to have a chat with those two young Belgians...named "us"...
We talk about our lives. Compare it, measure it from the point where we are both living, and then come to the conclusion that these people have the same behaviour, although they live in a Balkan country. It's a question of "Do traditional Balkan people truely exist?" I should answer "yes" to that question, but I refuse. It is too early yet to conclude...
Zdravko asks where I've bought my Bradt Travel Guide on Macedonia. I answer him honestly that you can buy these things in specialised book shops, in Belgium and he answers "oh, really?", his eyes filled with little lights of joy, his mind thinking something like "Do they really have books about Macedonia in your country?". He looks closer to the cover and laughs when he sees the picture of a mosque, points at it with his finger to his wife and says something in Macedonian.
After that he asks if there are muslims in Belgium, and if yes, how much... I say yes, but haven't a clue how much (I said 'One million', but that can't be true, will check it on the web...). Zdravko immediatly asks me "And you never have problems with them?" I repeat "sometimes in the big cities" (trying to balance between political correctness and reality), and think by myself something like "not especially with muslims", but Zdravko is now thinking something like "See, that's a problem of everywhere". After that he says that many Macedonians, especially the younger ones, want to live in the European Union, but that Europe doesn't want them, but feels more for people from islamic countries to migrate to the EU. For Zdravko, only people from Algeria, Morocco or Turkey are easily travelling to and working inside the EU, and Macedonians, he says, are always sent back. "Europe wants muslims, not us..." , he quotes, that being one of the quotes of our journey in Macedonia...Islam seems to be a primal concern in this part of the world...
Yes, Balkan people do exist, I conclude. But I'm not quite sure about that...It's always this thin balance between religions. After one hour and a half chatting with Zdravko and Deita, accompanied by the strong 'Macedonian' (Turkish) coffee, we leave. It was a nice chat, a chat I would consider typically Balkan, facing the problems of former communistic, centrally governed countries that transformed into liberal society experiments, boasting (too) many different opinions and cultures, (too) many problems and a poor economy. But Zdravko and Deita smile, and keep on selling their crafts, earning money that they can use for their children's studies in the future...and for a better life in the future, in a modern Macedonia...
We stop at a shop where I see a beautiful prayer chain, 17 golden-brown pearls chained together, with two silvers ones on every side and a big silver carve in a medal-like 20th pearl. I bought it because I fell in love with it...I just had to...
"Where are you from?"
I looked up. Was just studying the properties of my Orthodox-Christian prayer chain and didn't expect that the shop lady was going to talk to me after my purchase.
"Belgija -Belgium..."
And that was good enough. Driven by curiousness like "What on earth makes two Belgians come to Macedonia?", asks Deita, the shop lady, us to come in for a coffee. She and her husband Zdravko are selling all day long, and want to use this calm moment to have a chat with those two young Belgians...named "us"...
We talk about our lives. Compare it, measure it from the point where we are both living, and then come to the conclusion that these people have the same behaviour, although they live in a Balkan country. It's a question of "Do traditional Balkan people truely exist?" I should answer "yes" to that question, but I refuse. It is too early yet to conclude...
Zdravko asks where I've bought my Bradt Travel Guide on Macedonia. I answer him honestly that you can buy these things in specialised book shops, in Belgium and he answers "oh, really?", his eyes filled with little lights of joy, his mind thinking something like "Do they really have books about Macedonia in your country?". He looks closer to the cover and laughs when he sees the picture of a mosque, points at it with his finger to his wife and says something in Macedonian.
"Europe wants muslims, not us"
After that he asks if there are muslims in Belgium, and if yes, how much... I say yes, but haven't a clue how much (I said 'One million', but that can't be true, will check it on the web...). Zdravko immediatly asks me "And you never have problems with them?" I repeat "sometimes in the big cities" (trying to balance between political correctness and reality), and think by myself something like "not especially with muslims", but Zdravko is now thinking something like "See, that's a problem of everywhere". After that he says that many Macedonians, especially the younger ones, want to live in the European Union, but that Europe doesn't want them, but feels more for people from islamic countries to migrate to the EU. For Zdravko, only people from Algeria, Morocco or Turkey are easily travelling to and working inside the EU, and Macedonians, he says, are always sent back. "Europe wants muslims, not us..." , he quotes, that being one of the quotes of our journey in Macedonia...Islam seems to be a primal concern in this part of the world...
Yes, Balkan people do exist, I conclude. But I'm not quite sure about that...It's always this thin balance between religions. After one hour and a half chatting with Zdravko and Deita, accompanied by the strong 'Macedonian' (Turkish) coffee, we leave. It was a nice chat, a chat I would consider typically Balkan, facing the problems of former communistic, centrally governed countries that transformed into liberal society experiments, boasting (too) many different opinions and cultures, (too) many problems and a poor economy. But Zdravko and Deita smile, and keep on selling their crafts, earning money that they can use for their children's studies in the future...and for a better life in the future, in a modern Macedonia...
zondag 16 september 2007
Beautiful Macedonia
It has been a long time since I've posted something new. Travelling took too much time and I was wondering that I could better write everything on my blog at home, at my own computer and directly accompanied by pictures.
Macedonia is a beautiful little country. Forgotten, ignored, unknown... These words are some examples of how many people would present their knowledge about this former southernmost Yugoslavic Republic. I would advise to explore Macedonia, because this country has everything packed in one little nation...And it deserves better.
Imagine a cultural mix of Macedonians, Albanians, Bulgarians, Turks and Roma in one area. The city of Skopje with its left shore of the River Vardar being like little Istanbul, and its right shore a living centre of art, old Yugoslav skyscrapers built after the earthquake of 1963, crazy traffic and the smell of gasoline, fresh mountain air, grilled meat and cigarette smoke pumping its way to your lungs...
Imagine markets all day long, offering a wide range from plastic Chinese toys to dried herbs, peppers, giant onions, even more varieties of giant fruits and vegetables than you can ever imagine, mountain honey by the litre and small vendors with nuts, Turkish delight, tea glasses,...name it!
Imagine stunning mountain views, unexplored and almost never visited mountain trails, forests, two big mountain lakes with the sight of the Inland sea in Jules Vernes' Journey to the centre of the earth. Yes, I am mentioning the lakes of Ohrid - Unesco world heritage - and Prespa.
Imagine hospitable Macedonians or Albanians inviting you to a Mosque or their house for lunch with the family, with the bottle of Rakija (Strong slivovica made from grapes) in front of you and the level of the liquid in it fastly moving towards the bottom, freshly baked fish, olives and bunches of grapes. Imagine an imam tapping on your shoulder because you look interested in his world, Islam but espacially in his mosque...
Even more than you can Imagine... Read on the coming days... I am going to do my utter best to offer you nice stories and pictures.
Regards,
Christophe
Macedonia is a beautiful little country. Forgotten, ignored, unknown... These words are some examples of how many people would present their knowledge about this former southernmost Yugoslavic Republic. I would advise to explore Macedonia, because this country has everything packed in one little nation...And it deserves better.
Imagine a cultural mix of Macedonians, Albanians, Bulgarians, Turks and Roma in one area. The city of Skopje with its left shore of the River Vardar being like little Istanbul, and its right shore a living centre of art, old Yugoslav skyscrapers built after the earthquake of 1963, crazy traffic and the smell of gasoline, fresh mountain air, grilled meat and cigarette smoke pumping its way to your lungs...
Imagine markets all day long, offering a wide range from plastic Chinese toys to dried herbs, peppers, giant onions, even more varieties of giant fruits and vegetables than you can ever imagine, mountain honey by the litre and small vendors with nuts, Turkish delight, tea glasses,...name it!
Imagine stunning mountain views, unexplored and almost never visited mountain trails, forests, two big mountain lakes with the sight of the Inland sea in Jules Vernes' Journey to the centre of the earth. Yes, I am mentioning the lakes of Ohrid - Unesco world heritage - and Prespa.
Imagine hospitable Macedonians or Albanians inviting you to a Mosque or their house for lunch with the family, with the bottle of Rakija (Strong slivovica made from grapes) in front of you and the level of the liquid in it fastly moving towards the bottom, freshly baked fish, olives and bunches of grapes. Imagine an imam tapping on your shoulder because you look interested in his world, Islam but espacially in his mosque...
Even more than you can Imagine... Read on the coming days... I am going to do my utter best to offer you nice stories and pictures.
Regards,
Christophe
donderdag 30 augustus 2007
FYRO Macedonia
Hello all,
Next Monday I am travelling to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia with my girlfriend.
Stories, photographs and many many more will be regularly published during and after our journey.
We will be back on the 14th September.
Always rely on my travel blog ;-)
Regards
Christophe
Next Monday I am travelling to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia with my girlfriend.
Stories, photographs and many many more will be regularly published during and after our journey.
We will be back on the 14th September.
Always rely on my travel blog ;-)
Regards
Christophe
woensdag 22 augustus 2007
Some corrections
I want to thank Tom Tordoir for helping me with the spelling mistakes I've made in my blog . Most of them being just mistakes made while I had little time to manage my blog, I've corrected it all.
Thanks Tom!
Christophe
Thanks Tom!
Christophe
dinsdag 21 augustus 2007
One week after returing
Dear all,
It has been one week since I was racing trough Europe, coming back from Sarajevo. The trip back was a little hallucinating due to a light fever and the wrong food, but I made it in a relatively good condition ;-)
Life hasn't changed. Yet. I never had the guts to say that this travel was going to change something, but maybe now I have...It is just the fact that I'm becoming older, and within a few days, I will reach a new frontier: the age of 20.
I have done a lot before this age. Travelling, doing journalism, living, making friends,...It is just that travelling is one of the things in my life that brings on the deepest feelings, the most beautiful moments. This blog is a new start, the transcript of one journey, but it will become a major hub for more. Mostly travels, but who knows, what else...?
I am glad I received this great feedback on my trip. I hope you people keep on doing this. I also hope that you people keep on doing the things that you like and at which you're good at. Because this is what's life's all about. Doing the things you can, without looking back, and, without sorrow.
Greetings, all the best,
Christophe
It has been one week since I was racing trough Europe, coming back from Sarajevo. The trip back was a little hallucinating due to a light fever and the wrong food, but I made it in a relatively good condition ;-)
Life hasn't changed. Yet. I never had the guts to say that this travel was going to change something, but maybe now I have...It is just the fact that I'm becoming older, and within a few days, I will reach a new frontier: the age of 20.
I have done a lot before this age. Travelling, doing journalism, living, making friends,...It is just that travelling is one of the things in my life that brings on the deepest feelings, the most beautiful moments. This blog is a new start, the transcript of one journey, but it will become a major hub for more. Mostly travels, but who knows, what else...?
I am glad I received this great feedback on my trip. I hope you people keep on doing this. I also hope that you people keep on doing the things that you like and at which you're good at. Because this is what's life's all about. Doing the things you can, without looking back, and, without sorrow.
Greetings, all the best,
Christophe
vrijdag 17 augustus 2007
Sarajevo 2007: the journey in 10 pictures
Fresh water coming out a Habsburg fountain at Vrelo Bosna, Ilidza;
Typical Bosnian carpet at the Bascarsija
Sarajevo 2007: the journey in 10 pictures
Colourful life in Ilidza;graveyard in the outskirts of the city;
Sibilj fountain on a friday morning
Sarajevo 2007: the journey in 10 pictures
Signs of islam on the balkan: the beautiful Gazi Husrevbey mosque during last prayer
donderdag 16 augustus 2007
Back home; with a lot of stories to be told
Hello,
I am back at home, sitting in my room with the normal sight out of the window behind me, and my own laptop before me, which will allow me to manage foto's and other stuff on my blog. You ain't seen nothing yet...
The bus drive back home was a true nightmare. Suffering from a stomach disease, caused by a piece of pie I bought back there in Sarajevo, and which probably laid too long in the heath. For those who want to go to Sarajevo; NEVER buy your bread at "Pekara Edin", it is real sick-making food and the service is honestly unfriendly...
The last day in Bosnia & Herzegovina was calm. Just walking and looking what piece of traditional work I could take back home, tasting different sweets at a Slasticarna (sweet shop), and enjoying the moments on their own ... Feeling the breeze that travelling brings, hearing the sounds of an own atmosphere and living on the waves of the local energy.
I had a drink with Munira, the girl I met before while travelling to Sarajevo, and talked about life and the society in Bosnia & Herzegovina. She was a little angered when I said that most people in Sarajevo weren't friendly at all. But she could understand. She wasn't born in Sarajevo, but in Visegrad, a town close to the Serbian frontier. She wanted to return, but that was a difficult task due to the fact that Visegrad became an almost homogenic Bosnian-Serbian town after the war. Nowadays, she is living in France.
"War broke out fast here in B&H. Even faster than you can imagine, and in a way that we couldn't expect. Even our neighbours, who used to be friendly before, could be seen as new enemies. And the most saddest thing is that nobody of us wanted it, but that it just happened and you had to choose quickly, even too quickly what you were going to do", she said. So either you stay, and become a refugee in your own country, hunted because you have this wrong ethnicity, or flee, and become a refugee in another country, and begin another life.
On sunday I went to Mount Igman and Bjelasnica, and the surrounding villages. On my way I saw a lot of destroyed infrastructure from the 1984 Winter Olympics, be it hotels and skilifts, and several Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) graveyards. Igman was Bosniak territory, together with the Bjelasnica range during '92-'95, bordered by the Treskavica range, which was the frontline with the Bosnian Serbs, and changed hands several times. I was struck by the beauty and the pure nature. To go out and walking in this last named range without a guide would be an equivalent to suicide, because of the many minefields the mountain hosts.
There, before Treskavica, and just after Bjelasnica-Igman, you have Sinanovici, a small village, just a few houses and two streets, where you can still meet traditional highland people. I was observed while walking down the village, but it wasn't difficult to melt the ice, I just said hello and the serious faces turned into laughter...
The meadows just outside Sinanovici where good for a short walk. I sat for five minutes, enjoyed the silence and thought how fantastic it would be to explore these mountains. In front of me was one of the least explored ranges in Europe in modern times. Before the Bosnian war, Slovenia was linked to Macedonia with the traditional and well-maintained transversala , a network of walkways that led trough the whole of Yugoslavia. After the war, most of the trails disappeared due to a lack of maintenance or devastation.
When I returned to Sarajevo, Elmrid, the bus driver, dropped me off just before the Holiday Inn, after having raced the whole traject and driven some 100km/h on the former sniper alley, the now called Zmaj od Bosna, the central highway in Sarajevo. The red light of the sunset was beautiful, and captured the day and the past moments in an air of peace. This was the best photograph ever taken of my life. And it wasn't me who did it, but just nature. It will stay in my mind forever.
To be continued...pictures of my trip will soon light these pages up!
Christophe
I am back at home, sitting in my room with the normal sight out of the window behind me, and my own laptop before me, which will allow me to manage foto's and other stuff on my blog. You ain't seen nothing yet...
The bus drive back home was a true nightmare. Suffering from a stomach disease, caused by a piece of pie I bought back there in Sarajevo, and which probably laid too long in the heath. For those who want to go to Sarajevo; NEVER buy your bread at "Pekara Edin", it is real sick-making food and the service is honestly unfriendly...
The last day in Bosnia & Herzegovina was calm. Just walking and looking what piece of traditional work I could take back home, tasting different sweets at a Slasticarna (sweet shop), and enjoying the moments on their own ... Feeling the breeze that travelling brings, hearing the sounds of an own atmosphere and living on the waves of the local energy.
I had a drink with Munira, the girl I met before while travelling to Sarajevo, and talked about life and the society in Bosnia & Herzegovina. She was a little angered when I said that most people in Sarajevo weren't friendly at all. But she could understand. She wasn't born in Sarajevo, but in Visegrad, a town close to the Serbian frontier. She wanted to return, but that was a difficult task due to the fact that Visegrad became an almost homogenic Bosnian-Serbian town after the war. Nowadays, she is living in France.
"War broke out fast here in B&H. Even faster than you can imagine, and in a way that we couldn't expect. Even our neighbours, who used to be friendly before, could be seen as new enemies. And the most saddest thing is that nobody of us wanted it, but that it just happened and you had to choose quickly, even too quickly what you were going to do", she said. So either you stay, and become a refugee in your own country, hunted because you have this wrong ethnicity, or flee, and become a refugee in another country, and begin another life.
On sunday I went to Mount Igman and Bjelasnica, and the surrounding villages. On my way I saw a lot of destroyed infrastructure from the 1984 Winter Olympics, be it hotels and skilifts, and several Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) graveyards. Igman was Bosniak territory, together with the Bjelasnica range during '92-'95, bordered by the Treskavica range, which was the frontline with the Bosnian Serbs, and changed hands several times. I was struck by the beauty and the pure nature. To go out and walking in this last named range without a guide would be an equivalent to suicide, because of the many minefields the mountain hosts.
There, before Treskavica, and just after Bjelasnica-Igman, you have Sinanovici, a small village, just a few houses and two streets, where you can still meet traditional highland people. I was observed while walking down the village, but it wasn't difficult to melt the ice, I just said hello and the serious faces turned into laughter...
The meadows just outside Sinanovici where good for a short walk. I sat for five minutes, enjoyed the silence and thought how fantastic it would be to explore these mountains. In front of me was one of the least explored ranges in Europe in modern times. Before the Bosnian war, Slovenia was linked to Macedonia with the traditional and well-maintained transversala , a network of walkways that led trough the whole of Yugoslavia. After the war, most of the trails disappeared due to a lack of maintenance or devastation.
When I returned to Sarajevo, Elmrid, the bus driver, dropped me off just before the Holiday Inn, after having raced the whole traject and driven some 100km/h on the former sniper alley, the now called Zmaj od Bosna, the central highway in Sarajevo. The red light of the sunset was beautiful, and captured the day and the past moments in an air of peace. This was the best photograph ever taken of my life. And it wasn't me who did it, but just nature. It will stay in my mind forever.
To be continued...pictures of my trip will soon light these pages up!
Christophe
zaterdag 11 augustus 2007
It takes Ilidža to tango
Hi all,
It was less hot today, so the walking was a little more supportable than yesterday. I saw a lot today.
I woke up in a relatively bad temper. You just have these unfriendly people here downtown that screw some moments of your day by being lazy and sighing when you ask something, or even laugh at you in a weird way if you just try to speak a little Bosnian and do your utter best to be not that typical tourist.
But, as I said, Ilidža changed a lot. It is this nice suburb of Sarajevo, just before the Igman-Bjelašnica mountain range with that great athmosphere, noisy markets, old Ižetbegović-like people and coffee drinking Bosnians. A place where people help you and even offer you a cigarette because they are happy that they can help you and practice their English. Like Amrid, a Bosnian fellow that helped me while I was looking at the bus schedule as if it was the Rosetta stone. He even tapped me on my shoulder when I offered him a Bosnian coffee, and simply said that he was going back home to work, followed by a honest "nema na čemu" (Welcome)
You also had this guy, Islam was his name, who couldn' t stop saying that he was circumcised, pointing between his legs, and that he was proud of his name. Just to enforce his statement, he even showed it while I was sitting with my foot in hot sulphuric water. I ran away, maybe his name wasn' t Islam and maybe he was just the local fool of Ilidža, but sure this is a hell of a story.
This is the time to say goodbye for today. It was very busy and night has fallen over Sarajevo, with the Gazi Husrev Bey lighting up in all his glory, with that awkward little Turkish flag in Green and white on its top. Maybe the ghost of the Ottomans is coming back to Bosnia and Herzegovina, waken up by other ghosts in the form of bullets and bombs...
Goodnight,
Christophe
It was less hot today, so the walking was a little more supportable than yesterday. I saw a lot today.
I woke up in a relatively bad temper. You just have these unfriendly people here downtown that screw some moments of your day by being lazy and sighing when you ask something, or even laugh at you in a weird way if you just try to speak a little Bosnian and do your utter best to be not that typical tourist.
But, as I said, Ilidža changed a lot. It is this nice suburb of Sarajevo, just before the Igman-Bjelašnica mountain range with that great athmosphere, noisy markets, old Ižetbegović-like people and coffee drinking Bosnians. A place where people help you and even offer you a cigarette because they are happy that they can help you and practice their English. Like Amrid, a Bosnian fellow that helped me while I was looking at the bus schedule as if it was the Rosetta stone. He even tapped me on my shoulder when I offered him a Bosnian coffee, and simply said that he was going back home to work, followed by a honest "nema na čemu" (Welcome)
You also had this guy, Islam was his name, who couldn' t stop saying that he was circumcised, pointing between his legs, and that he was proud of his name. Just to enforce his statement, he even showed it while I was sitting with my foot in hot sulphuric water. I ran away, maybe his name wasn' t Islam and maybe he was just the local fool of Ilidža, but sure this is a hell of a story.
This is the time to say goodbye for today. It was very busy and night has fallen over Sarajevo, with the Gazi Husrev Bey lighting up in all his glory, with that awkward little Turkish flag in Green and white on its top. Maybe the ghost of the Ottomans is coming back to Bosnia and Herzegovina, waken up by other ghosts in the form of bullets and bombs...
Goodnight,
Christophe
vrijdag 10 augustus 2007
Up the hill in Sarajevo
Hi all,
My first full day in Sarajevo is almost over. Within one hour I will finish this day with a good waterpipe near the Gazi Husrev Begova, the oldest mosque in Sarajevo. A great experience, some moments that you ask yourself why everything is just feelings so...travel.
I did a lot today. Woke up early, took a quick breakfast and waited for the tram just outside my dormitory (for people who want to know, I am staying at the Ljubičiča hostel, situated on the Mula Mustafa Bašeskije road in the old town of Sarajevo) and went all the way to Ilidža, a suburb of Sarajevo.
Ilidža is oriental. The ambience on the market was one of different fruits, herbs, copper and meat for sale. While I was watching the locals buying, I drank a turkish coffee and just enjoyed the fact of being there, and feeling something you only have in these specific situations.
I wandered to Butmir, some 3 kms of Ilidža. All the way, and It was blistering hot. Looking for the tunnel museum, I just saw the airport on my left side, and nothing more but typical Bosnian houses.
The butmir tunnel was the only way in and out Sarajevo for its inhabitants during the war (1992-1995). It is something of 1,60m high and 1 m wide. Can you just imagine that this was the only entrance for food, water and medicines for a city of 400,000inhabitants under siege? It was hard to understand, but nevertheless true. During three years this tunnel under the airport runway was pure hope. hope, so that you just had not the feeling that the world forgot you.
After 30min: I hadn´t found the tunnel yet. Luckyili for me, a car with french people stopped and asked me where the tunnel museum was. I answered in French and they seemed happy to have the possibility to say i all in their native language. I could drive with them , they said, and after just a few minutes we found the museum. It was not a big deal, but it had a certain impact.
The museum is located in a heavily bombed house. Somewhere in the floor you could see an unexploded bomb sitting in the wall. Maxbe it was placed by the owner for some deadly humorous reason or maybe it was real. I don´t know.
We saw a film of the Sarajevo siege and after that we had a walk in the garden, that was bordered by the airport area. This side of Sarajevo was heavily damaged, due to two front lines just beside the airport runway that were occupied by the Bosnian serb army: it formed a small corridor, and you almost hadn´t a chance to pass these lines without being shot or wounded. The airport itself was UNO area, but wasn´t an option either.
We drove back to Ilidža where I jumped out. I tried to find the bus schedule to Bjelašniča, a mountain range outside Sarajevo. I would like to walk there tomorrow or something, but it is just too far and there are only two bus services a day.
After my lunch - tasty Krompiruša, burek filled with potatoes, I took a walk in the steep suburbs of Sarejevo near the Trebevic mountain range.
I bought a map of Sarajevo and vicinity, but it was worthless. The suburbs of this city is just one giant labyrinth. It took a while until I finally reached the place where the vegetation started and the city ended.
I spoke to some local Bosnians. They asked - of course - where I came from, and I offered them a smoke. One funny guy laughed when I let him see my pack of Bosnian Drina cigarettes and said that he would only like to smoke some Belgian stuff. Pleased by this short conversation - he also sai that I had to stick to the asphalted streets because of Mine dangers on Trebević - I continued. I was sweating like a horse. It was something around 35 degrees C. But I had some fun.
The people I met were first looking If a could have been some alien from Mars, but after a friendly ´dobar dan´ (hello), most of them answered. back with their dobar dan.
I had magnificent views on the city, but again fell a certain shiver, because the place where I was walking could have been a Serbian sniper post during the war. I looked at the city, and saw the capital lying int he valley, thinking that it couldn´t have been difficult to shoot people one by one from this spot. It was frightening.
Back in the centre I took a long shower, after that had some talks with two Belgian girls who were making a trip from Croatia to Japan. It is always while travelling that you hear the weirdest, but yet philosophical stories. If it weren´t for the world and the delights of travelling, my heart would break...
Christophe
My first full day in Sarajevo is almost over. Within one hour I will finish this day with a good waterpipe near the Gazi Husrev Begova, the oldest mosque in Sarajevo. A great experience, some moments that you ask yourself why everything is just feelings so...travel.
I did a lot today. Woke up early, took a quick breakfast and waited for the tram just outside my dormitory (for people who want to know, I am staying at the Ljubičiča hostel, situated on the Mula Mustafa Bašeskije road in the old town of Sarajevo) and went all the way to Ilidža, a suburb of Sarajevo.
Ilidža is oriental. The ambience on the market was one of different fruits, herbs, copper and meat for sale. While I was watching the locals buying, I drank a turkish coffee and just enjoyed the fact of being there, and feeling something you only have in these specific situations.
I wandered to Butmir, some 3 kms of Ilidža. All the way, and It was blistering hot. Looking for the tunnel museum, I just saw the airport on my left side, and nothing more but typical Bosnian houses.
The butmir tunnel was the only way in and out Sarajevo for its inhabitants during the war (1992-1995). It is something of 1,60m high and 1 m wide. Can you just imagine that this was the only entrance for food, water and medicines for a city of 400,000inhabitants under siege? It was hard to understand, but nevertheless true. During three years this tunnel under the airport runway was pure hope. hope, so that you just had not the feeling that the world forgot you.
After 30min: I hadn´t found the tunnel yet. Luckyili for me, a car with french people stopped and asked me where the tunnel museum was. I answered in French and they seemed happy to have the possibility to say i all in their native language. I could drive with them , they said, and after just a few minutes we found the museum. It was not a big deal, but it had a certain impact.
The museum is located in a heavily bombed house. Somewhere in the floor you could see an unexploded bomb sitting in the wall. Maxbe it was placed by the owner for some deadly humorous reason or maybe it was real. I don´t know.
We saw a film of the Sarajevo siege and after that we had a walk in the garden, that was bordered by the airport area. This side of Sarajevo was heavily damaged, due to two front lines just beside the airport runway that were occupied by the Bosnian serb army: it formed a small corridor, and you almost hadn´t a chance to pass these lines without being shot or wounded. The airport itself was UNO area, but wasn´t an option either.
We drove back to Ilidža where I jumped out. I tried to find the bus schedule to Bjelašniča, a mountain range outside Sarajevo. I would like to walk there tomorrow or something, but it is just too far and there are only two bus services a day.
After my lunch - tasty Krompiruša, burek filled with potatoes, I took a walk in the steep suburbs of Sarejevo near the Trebevic mountain range.
I bought a map of Sarajevo and vicinity, but it was worthless. The suburbs of this city is just one giant labyrinth. It took a while until I finally reached the place where the vegetation started and the city ended.
I spoke to some local Bosnians. They asked - of course - where I came from, and I offered them a smoke. One funny guy laughed when I let him see my pack of Bosnian Drina cigarettes and said that he would only like to smoke some Belgian stuff. Pleased by this short conversation - he also sai that I had to stick to the asphalted streets because of Mine dangers on Trebević - I continued. I was sweating like a horse. It was something around 35 degrees C. But I had some fun.
The people I met were first looking If a could have been some alien from Mars, but after a friendly ´dobar dan´ (hello), most of them answered. back with their dobar dan.
I had magnificent views on the city, but again fell a certain shiver, because the place where I was walking could have been a Serbian sniper post during the war. I looked at the city, and saw the capital lying int he valley, thinking that it couldn´t have been difficult to shoot people one by one from this spot. It was frightening.
Back in the centre I took a long shower, after that had some talks with two Belgian girls who were making a trip from Croatia to Japan. It is always while travelling that you hear the weirdest, but yet philosophical stories. If it weren´t for the world and the delights of travelling, my heart would break...
Christophe
donderdag 9 augustus 2007
Alive and kicking
Hi all,
Sarajevo has changed since I´ve last visited it. The former parliament building, destroyed in 1992 by Bosnian-Serb fire, has been completely restored. Everywhere in the city, you can see fresh new projects erecting from the ground. It seems that Sarajevo is completing a brand new skyline.
One of the first things I did when I arrived was drinking a hot turkish coffee, and it felt like I was somehow at home, a very comforting feeling. After the coffee time I managed a walk to the Jajce castle, high up on a hill above the city, and had some magnificent views. Tomorrow I will discover and explore more of this splendid city, but all I want now right at this moment is a hot meal, becaue I´m starving.
During my long bus trip (app. 26 hours), I met a woman, Mounira, who lives now in France but was going to Bosnia to visit her family. She told me about her country, about how war can destroy so many things. Maybe she can manage her brother to take me up on a drive to Igman one of the following days, but thats not certain at all.
While exploring the city, I was wondering how much I would have risked my life if I would have wandered on the spots I visited today, some 12 years ago. I almost reached the former front lines where Serbian snipers took so many life. It was an experience that gave me a shiver. A big contrast with the vast view I had, up on that hill, above a city that is trying so hard to be...a capital city of a European country...
More news will follow soon, maybe with pictures.
Regards
Christophe
Sarajevo has changed since I´ve last visited it. The former parliament building, destroyed in 1992 by Bosnian-Serb fire, has been completely restored. Everywhere in the city, you can see fresh new projects erecting from the ground. It seems that Sarajevo is completing a brand new skyline.
One of the first things I did when I arrived was drinking a hot turkish coffee, and it felt like I was somehow at home, a very comforting feeling. After the coffee time I managed a walk to the Jajce castle, high up on a hill above the city, and had some magnificent views. Tomorrow I will discover and explore more of this splendid city, but all I want now right at this moment is a hot meal, becaue I´m starving.
During my long bus trip (app. 26 hours), I met a woman, Mounira, who lives now in France but was going to Bosnia to visit her family. She told me about her country, about how war can destroy so many things. Maybe she can manage her brother to take me up on a drive to Igman one of the following days, but thats not certain at all.
While exploring the city, I was wondering how much I would have risked my life if I would have wandered on the spots I visited today, some 12 years ago. I almost reached the former front lines where Serbian snipers took so many life. It was an experience that gave me a shiver. A big contrast with the vast view I had, up on that hill, above a city that is trying so hard to be...a capital city of a European country...
More news will follow soon, maybe with pictures.
Regards
Christophe
dinsdag 7 augustus 2007
Off to Sarajevo!
Dear all,
Tomorrow I am leaving for Sarajevo, the magnificent capital of the stunning country Bosnia&Herzegovina.
It has been almost one year since I 've last visited this city. It struck me. Its beauty, its tolerance after a more than 3 year during siege, that took many lives, both physically and mentally. The cultural diversity, with mosques, churches and synagogues mixed in one area. And of course the hot and waking-up turkish coffees in the morning.
I will report my thoughts, wishes, stories and adventures regularly. This blog has been created for this travel, but will be used for future trips and future analyses of things related to my study.
So, watch this blog closely, and you will find all (mmm, not everything ;-) ) listed on this page.
Velika Hvala to all of you
Christophe
Tomorrow I am leaving for Sarajevo, the magnificent capital of the stunning country Bosnia&Herzegovina.
It has been almost one year since I 've last visited this city. It struck me. Its beauty, its tolerance after a more than 3 year during siege, that took many lives, both physically and mentally. The cultural diversity, with mosques, churches and synagogues mixed in one area. And of course the hot and waking-up turkish coffees in the morning.
I will report my thoughts, wishes, stories and adventures regularly. This blog has been created for this travel, but will be used for future trips and future analyses of things related to my study.
So, watch this blog closely, and you will find all (mmm, not everything ;-) ) listed on this page.
Velika Hvala to all of you
Christophe
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