Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
I publish an article on the former Yugoslavia, I receive an angry avalanche
of mail complaining that I'm “taking sides.” (Strangely, I typically hear this
complaint from each “side” in equal numbers...which suggests I'm actually
succeeding at being impartial.) I believe you could line up a panel of experts
from this region—historians from prestigious universities, respected jour-
nalists, beloved diplomats—and ask them for their take on a particular
issue or historical event...and each one would have a completely dif erent
interpretation, presented as fact. One person's war hero is another person's
war criminal. One person's freedom i ghter is another person's rapist. One
person's George Washington is another person's Adolf Hitler. It's aggravat-
ing, and yet so human. As an outside observer, the best I can do is to sort
through the opinions, force myself to see all sides of the story, collect a few
random observations to share as food for thought...and encourage readers
to learn from the region's tumult.
But there's no substitute for traveling here in person. Walking with the
victims of a war through the ruins of their cities gives you “war coverage” you'd
never get in front of a TV. Seeing how former enemies i nd ways to overcome
their animosity and heal; enjoying the new energy that teenagers—whose
parents did the i ghting—bring to the streets; and observing combatants
who followed no rules now raising children in the ruins resulting from their
mistakes...leaves a strong impression on any visitor.
Buf alo-Nickel Charm on a Road that Does Not Exist
Looking for a change of pace from Croatia's Dalmatian Coast, I drove from
Dubrovnik to the city of Mostar, in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Almost every-
one doing this trip takes the scenic coastal route. But I took the back road
instead: inland i rst, then looping north through the Serb part of Bosnia-
Herzegovina.
While Bosnia-Herzegovina is one country, the peace accords to end the
war here in 1995 gerrymandered it to grant a degree of autonomy to the area
where Orthodox Serbs predominate. h is Republika Srpska, or “Serbian
Republic”—while technically part of Bosnia-Herzegovina—rings the Mus-
lim- and Croat-dominated core of the country on three sides.
When asked for driving tips, Croatians—who, because of ongoing ten-
sions, avoid Republika Srpska—actually insisted that the road I hoped to
take didn't even exist. As I drove inland from Dubrovnik, directional signs
sent me to the tiny Croatian border town...but ignored the major Serb city of
