Sarajevo & Mostar

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En. A trip to Bosnia.

A two-hour drive to Mostar, through mountainous landscapes, during which I experienced a remake of the film Duel. A truck, speeding at full throttle, brushes against my rear bumper while honking relentlessly. The sound is frightening, aggressive. I can’t shake him off. It goes on for a good twenty minutes, until a lifesaving intersection appears. My pulse is at 200. I never saw his face; he never saw mine.

I came back from this trip to Bosnia deeply shaken. I spent weeks immersed in history books, trying to understand what had happened. The siege of Sarajevo. The snipers. The human safari.

The most frightening part is that nothing has changed. Bosnia is a divided, fragmented country, constantly on edge. Here, violence is palpable. Visible. Present. Terrifying.

And yet, the country is sublime and fascinating.

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Fr. Voyage en Bosnie.

Un trajet de deux heures en voiture vers Mostar à travers des paysages de montagnes, durant lequel je vis un remake du film "Duel". Un poids lourd lancé en pleine vitesse carresse mon pare-chocs arrière en klaxonnnant. Le bruit est effrayant, agressif. Je n'arrive pas à le semer. Cela dure 20 bonnes minutes jusqu'à un croisement salvateur. Mon pouls est à 200. Je n'ai jamais vu son visage, il n'a pas vu le mien.

Je suis rentré de ce voyage en Bosnie bouleversé. Plongé durant des semaines dans les livres d'Histoire pour comprendre ce qui s'était passé. Le siége de Sarajevo. Les snipers. Le safari humain.

Le plus effrayant c'est que rien n'a changé. La Bosnie est un pays divisé, morcelé, à fleur de peau.

Ici la violence est palpable. Visible. Présente. Effrayante. Mais le pays est sublime et fascinant.

Person standing next to a Sarajevo sanalisation manhole cover on a concrete street.
Purple bubble graffiti tag with dark outline on weathered concrete wall with small holes.
Graffiti tags on bullet-scarred building corner with overgrown grass in urban setting.
Red liquid splattered on gray asphalt pavement, creating a dramatic abstract pattern near a tiled sidewalk.
Bullet-riddled building facade with graffiti-covered entrance and lush green plants in foreground.
Abandoned bobsled track with graffiti-covered concrete structures surrounded by tall trees in a forested area.
Stone markers engraved with letter N among wild grass and rocks outdoors.
Sarajevo street sign for Ulica Tekija with graffiti mural and heart on weathered concrete wall.
Two players shoot hoops on a vibrant, colorfully painted outdoor basketball court surrounded by lush green trees.
Couple dining at rustic wooden table surrounded by hanging garlic and vintage decor.
A weathered stone fragment engraved with the letters NN lies among wild green grass and rocks.
100 Bosnian Convertible Marka banknote featuring portrait of Nikola Šop on golden currency bill.