Prishtina, Kosovo

Prishtina's main boulevard. Everybody has a satellite on their balcony

The unforgetable trip to Prishtina, Kosovo

I went to Kosovo yesterday and the trip was something to remember. I missed the only bus in the morning and got persuaded by a taxi driver (who proposed a marriage to me, would you believe it? and wanted me to send him an invitation letter so he can visit me in Slovakia) to take a taxi to the boarder and catch the bus there. We were speeding on the road and finally caught the taxi at the boarder. There were 2 buses - 1 to Prizren and another to Prishtina, Kosovar capital. I took the one to Prizren only to find out on the way there that there were no buses back that day and I had to wait until the 5am bus the next day. As it happens the manager of the bus company agreed to transfer me on the bus to Pristina for my phone number and agreeing to meet him for a drink in Bratislava.

I got to Pristina after about 4 hours and had a look around. It was a bit difficult to get around as 1)for obvious reasons Kosovar Albanians refuse to speak Serbian and 2)hardly anybody speaks English. I managed to get around somehow. It was baking hot, the streets were packed with people (not even one tourist though) and the main Boulevard (Boulevard Bill Clinton) was buzzing with life. I thoroughly enjoyed the weather, had a snack and a beer in a little restaurant around the corner from the main square and got stared at a little bit - they are not used to foreigners.

Kosovo remains an UN protectorate and when you pass the boarder (if they let you in, my passport was taken away and thoroughly checked and 2 british people were turned back at the Macedonian/Kosovo boarder) you get a stamp UNMIK (United Nations Mission in Kosovo). Anyway, i am glad they let me in, managed to get a few invitations to visit Kosovo again and get a personal guide.

So beautiful!!!SLife is tough for Jana

I spent the day on the beach today. It was quiet, the beach was almost empty and Ienjoyed spending some time with Osar Wilde and his portrait of Dorian Gray until i was joined by 2 love birds who for some strange reason had to sit next to me. I decided to leave.
I met Mira - a lady that sells fruit and vegetables just down the road from where i am staying. She tells me how she lost her job, having been to 2 universities she had never imagined that she would sell vegetables on the streets. Everybody in Ohrid seems to have lost their jobs after the privatization took place and they were no longer needed. The unemployment is high and people try to earn money however they can. So i buy grapes, plums,melons and peaches from her every day!

Jana In Macedonia

I am now in Macedonia, Ohrid Lakes - it took me only 20 hours to get here from Zagreb after an experience of illegal ticket sale on the bus and flat tyre. The story is as follows: we were supposed to depart at 6pm yesterday but due to the overbooked bus and bus drivers accepting money from those who did not book tickets in advance, we had to wait for 45 mins for the bus from Ljubliana to take us to Macedonia. We got a flat tyre on the way, somewhere in Serbia pass Belgrade and because the bus driver had neither a spare tyre nor a pump we were stuck on the motorway for about 4 hours. We were supposed to arrive to Ohrid at 9am and we got here at 3pm. You have got to love EAstern European public transport, it certainly gives you an experience of a life time, it's unpredictable, and you never know if the bus/train will be able to make it.

Dubrovnik

This was taken from a cafe called "The cafe with the best view" and as you can see the view is lovely. Adriatic sea is actually blue compared to the black sea that is more less grey.

Dubrovnik, a view from my room where I stayed. The house had a lovely terrace overlooking the harbour and self-catering facilities that included a cork screw and a bottle opener!

Dubrovnik Old town

Photos as promised

Me and Betty

Zach and I on the train from Mostar to Sarajevo

Me in the Partisan Cementary - the red top, how appropriate?

Sarajevo roses - filled with red paint (now it's more greyish pink), left from the war where a bomb exploded and the death toll was high. There is quite a few of them in Sarajevo

Old Bridge from a restaurant where we went to have some lunch,the river is actually that colour, it's absolutely stunning. The divers jump from the top after they've collected money

Mostar Old town. I felt very desorianted when I arrived - on one side of the town you have mosques and on the other churches. It's really amazing