Road trip, Balkan Style

One of the great perks about my job is that I am tasked with traveling to the neighboring 5 countries to learn as much as I can out their consumer markets and to coordinate with other international donor assisted agriculture and livestock efforts. So our Thanksgiving holiday had me toasting a shot of rakea with my American co-worker and feasting on an assortment of mixed meats and pickled vegetables in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Our adventure began the day before when he and I rented a Land Rover with international plates (easiest way to get through the 6 border checkpoints) to drive the 9 hours over a half dozen mountain ranges through 3 countries to arrive at one of my favorite cities in the Balkans. The drive was incredible. Normally at this time of year several of the mountain passes would have been snowed in (thus the SUV) but we had sunny skies and a fair wind at our back to speed us right along. Much of the drive was through the breathtakingly beautiful gorges where each turn would reveal another ice blue damned lake or stunning rock mountain face that typically locks in a 6 month winter.

Our first conference had us staying a the Holiday Hotel at the end of the runway where we spent 2 days with about 60 development and regional food processors and producers. My partner and I broke away several times to drive into the city and hit some of the local bars and restaurants and after the conference we actually opted for a boutique hotel in the old part of the city so we might just walk out to explore, shop and experience the entertainment that Kosovo lacks.

Not only did we have some proper meals but we saw the new James Bond and I reconnected with a friend I had met a year back and spent an entire night out with them hitting several clubs and dancing the night away Bosnia style. Since I had been in the city just a year ago not much had changed but it was still nice to be back. The weather was cold and rainy until last Saturday when the skies parted and allowed us a 60 degree day to drive down the center of Bosnia and spend the day near Mostar visiting several farms as well and the historic tourist part of the city.

Mostar was just incredible. One of the most heavily damaged cities during the war since neighbors fought neighbors. Even 11 years later many of the main buildings still lie in disrepair as they argue over ownership rights and try to raise enough money to complete the restoration.

Fortunately, UNESCO came in and helped to rebuild the Mostar bridge and label it a World Heritage site. Since is was off season we were not able to enjoy the performances of the professional dive association that jump the 80 foot distance to the clapping, cheering, and euros from the audience. None the less the local artists peddled their wares and we enjoyed a nice stroll through the historic cobble-stone streets.

After 4 days in Bosnia we drove a foggy 4 hours to a mountain resort town in Serbia to meet up with another conference of mostly Serbia agriculture assistance programs where we spent two days meeting and visiting local cooperatives to see how they are introducing new technologies and producing products to compete on the international markets. Since I arrived a day early to stay in the old communist renovated hotel, I was the only guest for the first night having to order heat specific to my room to stay warm in the cold mountain air. The ironic thing about this ski town is that there in no skiing. The mountain lifts were bombed during the war and haven't ever been rebuilt. But the elite locals still head here in droves from Belgrade to enjoy the fresh air, stroll the little resort village, ice skate, shop from the little kiosks and party like rock stars each night at the dozens of clubs and cafes where they can smoke themselves to death wearing the latest in European fashion.

After three more days of meetings and hotel accommodations, I was ready to return home to lovely Pristina. Since several more of my co-workers had driven up to meet me they carted me back the last 6 hours through a make-shift border crossing (Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as an independent state so it technically won't have a border with it except for the fact that all the KFOR UN troops are stationed there forcing a border with the Serbs). Welcome to the Balkans, baby!!!