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Ive gone from ancient history to modern. Bosnia. The scars of the recent wars are still evident and it is a country still healing when it fought for its independence. Our first stop was Mostar which was completely shelled. There is a famous bridge which was destroyed and rebuilt with the same materials and using the same techniques.
Next up was Sarajevo. And the bridge where Franz Fernidad was assissinated. The spot where events launched the first and subsequently the second world wars. We spent the night there in a nice hotel. Unfortunately the stay was scarred by the harrassment a dfew of us had from other male guests in the hotel. There was a lot of leering. Kristen and I were telephoned during the night (after midnight) when the caller explained he wished to participate in sexual relations. It was all rather sinister. And not from the guys on the tour-it was too creepy and weird to be an actual crank call and was more along the lines of the creepy men who were loitering when we first arrived and saw which room Kristen and I went into. Long night that one. Apparantly the hotel are investigating. And my opinion of the guilty part is pretty low.
The next morning we visited Srebrenica. This wason the 3rd on the way to Serbia. It was declared a safe zone by the UN in about 1993. On 11 July 1995, it was captured by the Serbian army. From those who stayed behind, woman and children were separated from the men (many of whom were only boys). Thousands of men took to the hills.
The men who stayed behind were taken a short distance away often to schools and were shot. Men would watch from the buses as the other passengers were executed, or liquidated as described by the Serbian general. They were then buried in mass graves. In addition, thousands of men who attempted to escape through the mountains were killed. Over 8000 were counted as having been killed during this period. About 5000 of those killed have been found, normally in parts and scattered over numerous graves. This was because after they were originally buried, the Serbs then dug them back up, chopped the bodies into parts abd reburied the parts.
We visited the graveyard and memorial. They are still finding mass graves and identifying the remains. Every year more graves are added. The memorial is located in the battery warehouse where thousands of refugees were held and Dutch UN peacekeepers were located. It was a particuarly shocking and moving day. Actually, it was horrifying. Most, including myself, were reduced to tears. No one was talking. We were silent. Shell-shocked at the massacre that took place such a short time ago. Many of us recall hearing about parts of the war in the news. I recall studying part of it in social studies. To be there, see it, touch it and feel it makes it real. Its no longer an atrocity that happened thousands of miles away. The bloodsoaked ground bears the history and the scars. Bought on by the Serbs.
Next stop Serbia. Didnt particuarly want to go there at this time.
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