Thoughts on Bosnia

With such a great list of cities to visit I didn't think it would be this way. However, I was very taken with Sarajevo. We spent most of our time was in the city that sits in a valley. That which gave the city gorgeous views also made it an easy city to siege. The aggressors put their artillery and snipers in the surrounding hills, an easy vantage point from which to lay waste. What a terrible site it must have been for the citizens to regard such an amazing landscape with terror.
While no major aspect of the city's destruction was left out in the open, there were plenty of examples - more subtle than one would expect - of the destruction wrought. Pock-marked buildings, some with holes from mortar rounds, still lived in or part of a fully-functioning restaurant were the norm. Next to this buildings were other vacant buildings. However no one dare enter them for the owner's, in defiance against their aggressors have, booby-trapped the houses. When I asked why the government doesn't defuse and tear them done I was told there is no money in the government. In fact, there is little money anywhere. Getting a job is very difficult, getting a job that pays, even more so. Daily, we saw police officers stopping civilians in cars along the roadside. We were told that the police won't let you leave until you give them some money. It's not because of greed or their corruption - it's because they don't get paid by their government; they too have families to feed. It's tragic because Bosnia could be a wonderful tourist location. However, its own stalled economy forces those in a position of authority to shake down drivers - especially westerners - for money. Not the best condition for a relaxing time abroad.