On a More Serious Note...

I have to admit that I began this trip with an almost complete ignorance of Balkan history. I vaguely remember the breakup of Yugoslavia and I knew that "bad things" had happened in Sarajevo & Kosovo...but that, embarrassingly, was the extent of my knowledge of this region. While I still have a LOT to learn, we have been slowly piecing some of the recent history together...and it is heartbreaking. Today we visited an especially poignant museum with a permanent exhibit on Sarajevo under siege--a siege which lasted 3.5 years. The exhibit was primarily comprised of photographs and personal effects, but also included examples of the many makeshift weapons and basic survival tools created by the common people while the country basically had no functional infrastructure and virtually no contact with the world outside of the city limits. I was incredibly moved by the strength and fortitude of the people of Sarajevo during this time (with the understanding, of course, that there are two sides to every story). My whining about the lack of air conditioning in the museum on this 95 degree day was quickly silenced as I humbly viewed the documentation of their struggle.

There were a few things that I found particularly moving...a child's pencil pouch and a teacher's grade book that were covered in blood after an attack on an elementary school; sickening photographs from a produce market where a massacre occurred, killing nearly 70 people (the same vibrant market where I purchased fresh fruit yesterday, ignorant of its history); photos of people running across streets to avoid sniper fire (as well as those not fortunate enough to make it across); and descriptions of how the medical community coped during this period (e.g. performing surgery by candle light). After all of this, the thing that brought me to tears was a simple photo of a wounded two-year old, smiling and extending a wilting flower to the photographer.

As I said, I certainly don't know all of the details about that period of history, but it is so hard for me to fathom that this was all real, and that it happened such a short time ago. Although the scars of the war are still very apparent throughout Sarajevo and the rest of the country, I am amazed at how far the country has come in its recovery efforts--both physically and emotionally. Tonight I stood in the old Turkish quarter of the city, marveling at the beauty and vibrancy around me...five brilliantly lit mosques; cobblestone streets and Spanish-tiled roofs; rolling green hills in every direction; seemingly endless outdoor cafes and gelato vendors; and a sea of people enjoying life to the fullest on this warm summer evening...and amazed at the stark contrast of this scene to the Sarajevo of 1992.

Quite an amazing place...