Exploring Another World 2004 -(Chapter 2)

... as we explore a newly restored mosque after the damage of the war. Pocetlje is about 25 km south of Mostar. Dating back to the early 1500s - the village retains its old turkish charm. It is now an artist colony.
... or stumble into the traditional lifestyle of the hills people - an experience to treasure. The sac - is also a verb as in ' a way of cooking'. Many urbanites own a 'sac', but few can cook it on an open hearth such as this. Inside the 'sac' is a tasty spinach pie. Outside this cozy warm hut is a biting cool mountain air - that defies the bright sunny day.
...and this yummy warm lunch is very welcome after the first half of our hike.
In the month of poppies - June - Ian (London), Ermin (Mostar) and I travelled north to Sarajevo Spontaneity and a willingness to explore is second nature to Ermin and so we ended up in finding two restorans built into the landscape. This cavern forms part of the fish farm restoran in the following pictures. And SOooo inspired - Ian is conducting his perfect Symphony in E flat - OHM..... well one can imagine it....
Havent been able to find my way back since...
I wish you could have been here on this day in June when our team took an improvised exploration of nearby natural and man-made treasures. It was my first trip to Pocetlje. The fortress that once surrounded the turkish settlement is still explorable for those who dont mind heights and cramped, dark passages!
Domace wine - the best! opinion of some wine experts that the Herzegovinian grape vines were exported from this area to the Bordeaux area of France over a thousand years ago. This is the perfect end to an otherwise very perfect day.
Not Mr. Roger's neighbourhood... It is a human trait to try to imagine the unimaginable. The devastation in Mostar is extremely extensive and my camera cannot capture the visceral experience of walking through areas of total destruction. But it is a common enough scene - Mostar is gradually, refacing itself.
The once beautiful Naretva Hotel is now a bleak reminder of how things can go horribly wrong...
..a few days after the glamour of the Mostar bridge opening and the Prince of Wales visiting us, I was suddenly grounded - here near Pula - the stunning north coast of the Adriatic sea - for a music camp for special needs children.
Well then? What do you consider 'normal' ... ? you kinda had to be there... This is the isle of Brjuni -and we have special permission to be here to see The Marat de Sade - play of course. Aiden is a viola player in the orchestra.
The chldren are doing exercises led by the Kosovo team.
They are the reason for being here. That and some serious relaxation. Brian and Esther on the beach... talking.... talking.... talking......

Welcome to Another World - the best of 2004. (Chapter 1)

In the year of 2004 I had a remarkable opportunity to explore personal and professional challenges. At a time in my life when sanity may insist on pursuing traditional roles and comfortable experiences, I was launched into a new country, a new way to use my professional skills and a culture shock that didnt show itself until many months into this remarkable journey.

For me, pictures are a story in themselves - creating other possibilies in the viewers mind, or helping create a different perspective of events. These pictures remind me of the remarkable year of 2004, a year that is marked by a deep personal satisfaction for an optomistic soul like myself. So technically, they may or may not be the 'best' but the images touch me.



Many events and adventures were not captured by camera - but they live as vibrantly in my mind as though they had been...

Beautful landscapes exist within 20 K of Mostar. I joined a small hiking club when I first arrived.

This was the year that the stari most was reopened - and for many Mostarians it was met with mixed feelings...which a foreigner can only guess at.The most extreme experience was an unprepared trek up Velez with Jeremy. The mountain climates are very harsh with sudden changes at all times of the year.

Tarik, our guide insisted on this picture using Jeremy's towel like a flag. The lure of Velez My colleague Brian Harris took this picture on his goodbye trek before leaving Mostar. .

I never get tired of this image of the Prenj mountain range seen on the highway from Sarajevo to Mostar.

The year was marked by my meeting extraordinary people - not just famous people...

..but Mostarians who not only carry the drama and tragedy of war and the seductive magnetism of this amaziing place - but also bring gaiety, laughter and special spontaneous moments. How ironic it is to find honest humour in the middle of this environment - . I am very lucky to have met such people who find a ways to make life lighter. Vanessa and Lynne Redgrave and the Prince of Wales were probably the biggest VIP people I have actually ever met. But people are people. And friendship is the most valuable resource we have.

It was my first leap into a country where english is not spoken, and so also my need to pursue language lessons - which led to even more adventures... Adventures such as a magical hike into the ancient Bosnian kingdom last ruled by King Tvrtko in the 14th century,

... or river rafting with a great mix of people!

...or finding hidden caves while exploring abandoned water mills....

... or sharing the path with a friend in beautiful Rama.

or taking a daring dip in the crystal clear waters of Jezero Plavo

... retreating to the quietness of Slon

... or simply looking for frogs in Hutovo Blato park.

August 19th brought Jeremy to Mostar. And this was the beginning of the best trimester of the year. For two weeks we explored many areas around BiH. Both our cameras were destroyed in the storm on Velez, so there were no more pictures after his trip.

...To be continued...(Chapter 2)