Mostar

Day One: Oct 24, 2023

Our journey to Mostar from Dubrovnik took about four hours by bus (if you haven't read about that yet you can read about that trip here), but it wasn’t without its challenges. Upon reaching the border, Bobby was singled out for questioning. He was taken into a room, searched, and asked a series of questions. We couldn’t figure out if it was because he had been filming parts of the journey for our vlog or due to post-Brexit complications as non-EU citizens. Regardless, it made an already tense crossing even more awkward.

By the time we arrived at the Mostar bus station, it was around 9:00pm, and the city was pitch black. Navigating a new country and city in the dark, with all our belongings on our backs and a 40-minute walk ahead, was a daunting task. So, we decided to stop off at a restaurant along the way. However, none of the restaurants accepted card payments, and we had to find an ATM to withdraw some Bosnian marks. On the plus side, we quickly found that Bosnia offered excellent value for money.

For our first taste of Bosnian Cevapcici, we were blown away by how good it was. Locals in Croatia had kept telling us how much better Bosnian Cevapcici was, and they weren’t wrong! Served with Ajvar and Kaymack, our meal with drinks came to a mere 13 Bosnian Marks (or BAM which is approximately £6/€7/$7.50). It was a delicious and incredibly affordable introduction to Bosnian cuisine.

After dinner, we began the 25-minute walk to our apartment, located in a rather sketchy area that we later found out was territory of the local football team’s gang! Despite this, we didn’t encounter any issues, although we had to conquer a massive hill to get to our place. Once there, we wondered if the tap water in Bosnia was safe to drink, but after trying it, we were amazed by how fresh and clean it tasted—no surprise given the region's mountainous location.

Our apartment cost just 42 BAM per night (roughly £19/€22/$23) and was a spacious place with stunning mountain views! By 11:30pm, we were exhausted from the stressful bus ride and the long trek to our accommodation, so we called it a night. Despite the challenges, we were excited to be in a new country and looked forward to the adventures the next day would bring!

Day Two: Oct 25, 2023

The next morning, we set off for Mostar's old town. It was our first time seeing Bosnia in the daylight, and we were blown away by the breathtaking mountains that surrounded the city. However, we were quickly reminded of its dark past, with visible bullet holes, bombed-out buildings, and signs of urban decay scattered throughout. It was hard to believe that such a beautiful place had witnessed such tragedy.

As we made our way to the old town, the cobbled streets proved challenging for Bob, who was now nursing some pretty nasty blisters from all the walking we had been doing. Despite the beggars and throngs of tourists, we didn’t let that deter us from enjoying the city. We stumbled upon a local eatery and indulged in a literal platter of food for only 33 BAM (around £15, €17, or $18). It was a feast, full of amazing flavours, and even the stray cats around us added to the atmosphere. As much as we wanted to take the cats home, we realised they probably wouldn’t enjoy the coach ride back to Split in Croatia the next morning!

After the meal, we grabbed some delicious Baklava before continuing our exploration. We were surprised to see that beer was sold here, so we tried a local brew called Mostarsko Pivo (“Pivo” means beer in Bosnian). It was odd drinking a beer so close to a mosque, and while we were comfortable respecting local customs, it felt strange given the cultural significance.

Later in the day, we visited the Franciscan Church and Monastery of St. Peter and St. Paul, which was absolutely beautiful. After a long day of exploring, we headed back to our apartment to let Bob's feet recover and picked up a few things from a local store.

That evening, with Bob’s feet feeling a bit better, we returned to the same restaurant we visited on our first night. And yes, we ordered the same meal again—it was just too tasty and cheap to pass up. Tammy opted for a burger this time, and even with drinks, it still came to around 15 BAM (£7,€8, or $9). Incredible value for such quality food!

We spent the evening soaking in the vibrant nightlife of Mostar before calling it a night. With our bags packed and ready for the journey back, we couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious about the return border crossing. But overall, we were glad to have experienced the rich culture and stunning beauty of Mostar, a city that offers so much despite its turbulent history.

Day Three: Oct 26, 2023

On our last day in Mostar, we made the most of our time before catching the bus back to Croatia. We started the day with a stop at a cosy café, enjoying some delicious Burek and local tea. While relaxing there, Bob took advantage of the electricity and WiFi to get some editing done for our vlog. It was a perfect spot to work and reflect on the amazing experiences we had in Bosnia.

As our bus departure time neared, we left the café, feeling it would be rude to overstay. We found another café nearby and indulged in some Bosnian cakes and more tea, while Bob did a bit more editing. Cafés had become our go-to spots in Mostar, and we weren't complaining!

Before heading to the bus station, we decided to try one last local meal at a traditional Bosnian restaurant. The menu was all in Bosnian, but fortunately, Bobby had picked up enough of the language to get by. We randomly picked meals, and Bobby ended up with a hearty stew served with local bread and potatoes. Tammy had a carbonara with a unique Bosnian twist, which she loved. It was a great final meal before our journey.

At the bus station, we found yet another café to relax in while we waited. Bob struck up a conversation with a local who wanted to practise his English, while Bob was eager to practise his Bosnian. It was a fun, memorable interaction. The man, originally from Croatia, had moved to Bosnia at a young age, and we found it interesting that we were heading to Croatia ourselves—Split, to be precise—later that day.

Finally, the bus arrived, and we made our way back to Croatia. The border check on the Croatian side was much smoother than the one coming into Bosnia, where Bob had been singled out for questioning. It was strange how unfriendly the Bosnian border experience was, considering how kind and welcoming the rest of the people we met had been.

Looking back, we realised that our footage from Mostar wasn’t as polished as we would have liked. It was only our third country (after Poland and Croatia) vlogging, and the second (after Croatia) using a new camera that we were still figuring out. Despite that, we truly loved Bosnia, and we’re already planning to return someday—though we might skip the bus next time! 😄

You can read about our final day in Split here.