DEFCON 2

The Balkans was one of the highlights of the trip. For starters, it was going to be the first place where we'll get our passport stamped. And apart from that, there was Sarajevo. And certainly, until that (Sarajevo) it lived to the expectations.

The journey from Budapest to Zagreb was straightforward and easy. It was the first long duration train (8 hours) of many to come on our schedule. Arriving into Zagreb, finding the hotel was relatively easy and a bit surprising –it was a hostel for Japanese people, run by Japanese people and with Japanese hosts; somewhat like the little Tokyo of the Balkans. It was at least, picturesque.

But the city itself didn't have that much. None of the beaches from Dubrovnik, none of the war tourism spots of the Krajina; not even any historic landmark –and the few interesting buildings were covered on scaffoldings. But plenty of beautiful women and cafes –plus watching Italy losing against NZ for a short time- helped. And we spotted a great place –Alcatraz café bar- where spend our last kunas; only if we had found it before…

But the big fish had been from the beginning Sarajevo. The day after we boarded a night train to a city that kept a few good memories from my past. It was, after Palestine, my first destination for work, back in 2006. But then I was travelling with a tight budget and now I had a few more bucks to spend in the city. So, accomplishing one of my lifetime dreams, I stayed in the Holiday Inn. And treated myself with pleasure.

Not only I was changed. Many things are different from my last visit in the city too. For instance, the old Government building, in ruins when I visit it back in 2006, had been restored and looked now impolitely clean and new from my room of the Holiday Inn. The Bascaricja, the old town, has recovered much of the life that never lost completely and was a vivid mosaic of people even in a weekday.

But too many more remained still in great need to improve. Transport was unreliable, many quarters of the city remained in a semi-abandoned state of ruin and main spots with a high potential for tourism continued to be poorly developed and not enough promoted, like the tunnel under the airport.

Sarajevo itself, however, left on me a good taste like the first time I was there. The feeling of the atmosphere is incredible and the lack of tourists is at the same time a pain in the arse –not enough services for tourism, even in a hotel like the Holiday Inn- and a bless –no one around ruining the pictures or the atmosphere. And you cannot beat the cevapcici of the Bascaricja.

Belgrade and Sofia… That's another story.