The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round....Most of the Time

I've only been in Bosnia for a little over two months, but I have already had my fair share of bus adventures. These are my stories.

The second weekend we were here, Megan and I bravely got up early after a night of celebrating our friend Ina's birthday to take a day trip to Mostar. Everybody had told me how beautiful the city itself was, but I didn't realize how much I would enjoy the bus ride. I couldn't even attempt to sleep because the Balkans were so beautiful and I couldn't keep my eyes off of them. For our first bus experience in a country with a language we didn't understand at all, it was quite a success. We didn't have too many problems finding the bus station or buying tickets, and the bus was nicer than we were expecting. We were even able to find people who spoke English to help us along the way, though we were both a little worried that something was lost in translation and we would be stuck in Mostar for the night. It was also a little unnerving that every announcement was made in Bosnian, so we didn't really know what was happening most of the time. We decided to stay on the bus during the pausas. After all, it would be better if the bus didn't leave without us.

The bus line here is called CentroTrans or EuroLine, and they have coach buses complete with a tiny bathroom and curtains to block out unwanted sun. The tickets that you get here seem to be even sketchier than MegaBus reservations though. There, at least you know they have confirmation of your purchase. Here, all they have is a perforated sheet of paper that will easily fall apart if you fiddle with it too much.

If there's one thing I've learned in Bosnia, it is to be much more laid back with my travel plans. Matt and I wound up going to Munich for Oktoberfest on a day's notice. Unfortunately, our rehearsal schedule for October didn't come out before the 30^th, so we weren't allowed to officially book our tickets until then even though we were pretty sure we had a 10-day vacation. So we looked at the bus schedule online and then went to the bus station first thing the morning we wanted to leave. It worked out. I found an English-speaking ticket seller again and confused him by asking to schedule a return bus trip. Apparently, they don't do that here. We just had to trust that we would be able to get back to Bosnia on our given day of choice.

The trip to Munich was 16 hours there and 17 hours back. It was just like riding a Megabus except that for every time you would cross a state line in the US, you had to deal with border control. Our passports were checked twice per country line: once to leave the country we were in and once to enter the new country. In a car, it's relatively simple and quick, but since there are so many people on a bus, we had to go outside for every check and wait in the cold. We were awake at 11pm for the Bosnia-Croatia border and then again from 2-3am for the Croatia-Slovenia border. It was a little painful. Everyone on the bus was complaining particularly about entering Slovenia though. There was almost nobody there at 2am, yet we had to wait 45 minutes at each side of the border before we could get through. Slovenia is the most recent country to join the EU, so I guess they make it hard for certain people to get into the country. Matt and I didn't have any problems though. I feel like it was a bigger deal for us to get into Croatia than Slovenia, while it was the opposite way for everyone else on the bus with Bosnian passports. At least Slovenia was our last passport check, and we could sleep soundly during our crossings into Austria and Germany.

Unfortunately, Matt had bad luck with sitting behind people who invaded his bubble. On the way there, a rather large woman leaned her seat back as far as it would go and writhed around frequently to get comfortable. That meant that she was basically laying in Matt's lap the whole time, poor guy. After entering the Croatian border, the guy who was sitting next to her started talking to us. There was a little bit of a scene with our passports at one point because the border control officers tried to keep our white cards that prove we are legal residents in Bosnia, so he was curious about us. He offered to translate for us for the rest of the trip and tried to get the lady to put her seat up a bit. On the way back, Matt once again sat behind the seat that was reclined all the way. An older man was sitting in it, but he spent the bus ride sitting forward in his seat looking out the front windshield. Matt was pissed at the time, but now we realize that maybe it wasn't his fault. The seat could have been broken.

Matt and I definitely noticed a difference between the people traveling to Germany and the people going back to Sarajevo. On the way there, it seemed like most of the other passengers were Germans. They were well-behaved and quiet most of the time, and I was able to understand some things by asking them in German what was going on. The only things that disturbed me were the border stops and the Bosnian sitcom that was playing until midnight. However, on the return trip, we were riding with a rowdy bunch of Bosnians. We met this guy who apparently held the world record for catching the largest bass. He was quite outspoken and said some fairly offensive things about Germans. I think he was the ring leader of the party in the back of the bus. They picked up some alcohol in Slovenia and drank it the entire night while singing Bosnian folk songs at the top of their lungs. I was amazed at their ability to make noise for that long though. When they weren't singing, they were talking drunkenly to each other about something. How do you come up with that much to talk about? It was a 16-hour bus ride!

Thankfully, I have not been on a public bus since those trips, but we have traveled quite a bit with the Philharmonic. We played a couple of concerts in Zenica, which is about an hour and a half away from Sarajevo. The Orchestra hired buses from the same company I used for my previous trips. I guess there's not much to be said about these bus trips to Zenica except that I think they will be a monthly occurrence.

Our bus ride to Italy was a bit more eventful. Again, we hired a bus from the CentroTrans company and made the 12-15 hour trek to Pordenone, Italy. I was a little wary of riding in a bus for that long only a week after getting back from Germany, but it wasn't bad. Yes, we had to get off the bus for most of the passport controls, but I wasn't dog tired during all of those stops. I particularly enjoyed seeing what the border crossings looked like during the day though. There were designated lanes for buses, trucks, cars, and even bicycles! Apparently, people who live near the border bike across it all of the time. I can see why; the bike lane was moving much faster than any other lane.

I also enjoyed looking out the window every once in a while to take in the scenery. The landscape from Sarajevo to the western border of Slovenia wasn't nearly as good as traveling south to Mostar, but when we were crossing into Italy, it took my breath away. Maybe there was a romantic version of Italy in my head, but we saw the sun setting behind this mountain that was right next to the road. I didn't even try to get a picture of it, but the image is forever burned into my mind. I was so enthralled with the scenery that I twisted in my seat to take in every possible second of it.

Since the bus was full of Bosnians, we made a lot of stops for smoking and coffee. They never really said how long the breaks would be though, so we just went with the flow. Luckily Adi, the second flute/piccolo player of the orchestra, was in charge of keeping us on task and made sure we didn't leave anybody behind. On the way back, we made fewer stops so we made pretty good time. I could tell the Bosnians were getting antsy though because as we pulled up to a cafe about 3 hours from Sarajevo, they all chanted “Čorba, Čorba, Čorba!” Apparently the soup was really good at this cafe. Matt ordered it, and it smelled delicious. I'll have to get it sometime while I'm here.

I already mentioned in a previous post about the fact that our bus caught on fire a couple of hours away from Sarajevo. That was fun. I can't say that this only happens in Bosnia though. I've definitely been stranded on the side of a highway waiting for hours for a replacement bus in the US several times. Yay, bus travel...

My Typical Slobodan Dan: Vrelo Bosna and Pizzaria Ildžis

It seems like we have a lot of time off these days. After a grueling rehearsal schedule in preparation for our all-Tchaikovsky program a week and a half ago, it was much needed. The weather has been nice and sunny though, so Megan and I have been trying to take advantage of that while we still can. There is a park in Ilidža that is quite famous and reminds me of everything I like about Evanston and Aspen combined. It is called Vrelo Bosne, which is the source of the Bosnian River. Admir and Arvida showed it to us the first week we were here.

There is a 2 mile path called Ilidža Alley that runs from Ilidža to this park and is lined with trees. Every time I'm there, I can't help but think of walking down Sheridan Road in Evanston. The path is paved, and every once in a while you have to step aside so a car can pass. You can also ride in a horse-drawn carriage if you're feeling lazy. I haven't done it yet though. Walking is a great workout, considering the fact that it take about 2.5 hours from my apartment.

The park itself consists grassy areas separated by forks in the river, which you can cross via wooden bridges. There is also a cafe where you can chill and order coffee and food. The source of the river is at the far end of the park. It's amazing that such a small trickle of water can produce such a large river. I have spent some time sitting on a bench and reading by this part of the park. Unfortunately, it has already started to get too cold for that, since a mountain blocks the sun by 2pm. The beauty of the mountain and fall foliage makes it completey worth it though.

The best part about the walk to the source is that I pass by my favorite restaurant on the way: Pizzaria Ildžis. Outside, you can enjoy the cool air on your face and watch the stray puppies play a couple of feet from you on the grass. Inside, you can enjoy all of the nick-nacks and warm up next to the fireplace. The first thing we noticed when we went there was that there is a no kissing sign right by the entrance. I guess that means the restaurant is quite the romantic place. They have really good food too. Their pizza is fresh, their pancakes (read, crepes) delicious and their beer plenty. It's a good place for tourists to go, since there is no need to worry about not being able to communicate. All of the waitors speak English, and there is a translated menu.

Today marks the first real day of rehearsal that I've had since the Tchaikovsky concert, so I guess it's back to the grindstone. We went to Zenica on Saturday to perform the Bosnian opera, Hasanaganica, but then we had a few more days off before rehearsing Giselle this morning. Hopefully, I'll still be able to enjoy the outdoors during the few remaining days off (Slobodan dan) we have this month.

Italia!

A week ago, the orchestra went to Italy to perform the MESS twice, and it was a blast. After being in Bosnia for a month and a half, we were quite excited to enjoy the comforts of Western Europe. There was fast and free wi-fi, the streets were clean, and the air was fresh. The only problem was that since we were staying in such a small town, all of the restaurants were closed by the time we got out of rehearsal. Our first full day there, we had rehearsal from 12 to 1:30. Siesta starts at 2 though. Luckily, Matt, Tim, Ivana, and I found a restaurant that would at least serve us sandwiches and wine for lunch when we wandered in around 2:15. The restaurant specialized in meat and wine. When you walked in, all you could see was legs of pigs hanging from the ceiling. They had excellent porchietta though. We also had the house red wine, which was my second favorite wine of the trip.

The city of Pordenone was homey and cute. It had a couple of “squares” that were intersections for at least 5 streets. There was an amazing chocolate store on the main shopping drag, and we passed quite a few clothing stores with fine, Italian fashion. In the older part of the city, we saw buildings that were built as early as 1347. Even though I have seen my fair share of Europe, I am always still fascinated by the fact that there are buildings that old. We don't have that in the US.

Since the city is so small, it didn't take us too long to find the theatre that we performed in. It looked like it seated about 600 people, and it was much roomier than the National Theatre in Sarajevo. We performed the Sconcerto both nights, and I have to admit that I think it went better the second night. It takes a lot of concentration to play that piece. First of all, you have to make sure to filter out the movements of the actor and only concentrate on Maestro Lena's movements. Secondly, the piece was set up like Corigliano's pieces with numbered cues for different events in the place of the traditional bars of music. And finally, there are a lot of notes on the page. We had played through it twice in the same day before the first concert, so between that and being way too excited about being in Italy, my mind was spent.

Luckily though, we didn't have a rehearsal or a sound check the second day. Therefore, Megan, Matt, Ivana, and I went to Venice with the maestro, the translator, and a few other people from the orchestra. I thought more people would want to go, but they all stayed in Pordenone because they thought it was going to rain. Their loss. It didn't rain until we were eating lunch and about to walk back to the train station.

I really enjoyed my time in Venice, as little as it was. We spent a few hours wandering through the labrynth of alleys that make up the city. I'm not really sure what the plan was originally supposed to be. Alma, the translator, and Marco, the conductor were kind of leading the group since they've both been to Venice before. There were a few things lost in translation though, so I didn't realize until halfway through the day that they were frustrated with us stopping to take too many pictures and enjoying the views of unimportant streets. The city was everything I thought it was from movies and tv shows. I also think that the weather gave it a special mysterious character with the overcast clouds.

We didn't get to ride in a gondola, but that's okay. I did have the best coffee I've had since I started drinking coffee in Bosnia, and I got to have my Italian pasta (I had pizza the first night, so all was good). I got canelloni with ricotta and spinach. Delicious! We only stayed in Venice for about 5 or 6 hours, but it was a lot of fun. I feel like we bonded with some colleagues in the orchestra that we haven't interacted with a whole lot, and we had some interesting conversations with Alma and the conductor. He apparently, had conducted at Oberlin before, so he and Matt bonded over that. Music definitely is a small world.

My favorite part of the trip to Venice besides looking out into the water was St. Mark's Basilica. First of all, the square was flooded, so we waded through water at first to get a good look at it. It was pretty cool. There are actually planks that they laid out to let you get from the street to the middle of the square without getting your shoes and socks wet though. But the Cathedral is so intricately constructed. Megan and I shared our fascination with the fact that anybody at any time in history could build such a gorgeous building. Even with the technology we have today, I think it would still be quite a feat.

We left Venice at about 3pm so that we would get back in time for our last performance of the MESS. It went pretty well. After that, Megan, Tim, Flobens, and I went out for some wine and food, and we happened to pick the same place where Maestro Lena, Alma, and a couple of other orchestra members were sitting. It was a good night. We split a bottle of local white wine and had a chicken and cheese pastry thing while Megan had some cheese with bread. On the way back to the hotel, we saw Matt and Ivana sitting at the wine bar we were at the previous night. I tell you, it was quite a small town.

Our trip was amazing, and I wish we could have stayed for a few more days. I hadn't been to Italy before, and I had many other things I wanted to do and foods I wanted to try. Oh well. Maybe I'll get to go as a tourist one day rather than an international performer. Ha, I can't believe I can say that I've played with a professional orchestra in Italy.

On the bus ride home, the magic of Italy wore off completely about 2 hours from Sarajevo. I had just gotten out my computer to watch a new episode of Dr. Who when I started hearing people freak out. Bosnians are the most laid back people I've ever met, so I knew something was up. Eventually, I heard Ivana say, “The bus is burning,” in the calmest voice ever. When I looked back, I saw smoke. We stopped right across the street from a cafe, so we just took our instruments off the bus and got some coffee while we waited for a replacement bus. Way to welcome us back, Bosnia.