On Sunday, I took the train from Istanbul to the Turkish capital, to Ankara. Not a dream destination for tourists, the city is a good stop to cut bus and train journeys short to experience Turkish city life. Besides, I had other reasons to visit the second largest city in Turkey.
Monthly Archives: October 2011
Istanbul: Extremes
One big step for Oli, no step at all for mankind: for the first time in my life, I see and step on Asian soil. At least according to geography. Between seeing and touching, a couple of days passed, during which I had time to discover the European side of Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul.
Thessaloniki: A Layered City
After my interesting experiences in Albania, I let two relaxed days in Thessaloniki, Greece follow. The city hides a few secrets, which had to be discovered. The city had a moving past, since its important location made it the target of many peoples for invasions. Many remainders from the past are still there, but many things have forever disappeared.
Traveling the Albanian Way
The fourth weekend since I left Stuttgart was dominated by getting forward. The goal was to reach Thessalonik in Nothern Greece from Shkoder in Nothern Albania within 36 hours. The roadmap indicates a distance of roughly 550 kilometers, according to my information to be done by two bus connections.
Albania: Shkoder, the End and Beyond
The trip from Budva to Shkoder, my base for the three days to come, was the first to make bus connections. Once in Albanie, I realized that many things are different here from anywhere else. The country gives an ideal opportunity to test ones own limits for traveling.
The World Turned Upside Down
In Mostar I had received a hint that I should visit the city of Budva in Montenegro. The city is easily reachable from Dubrovnik, since it lays on the major bus route into Montenegro. The information about buses into Montenegro, as found on the Internet, indicated, that the bus may not drive all the way to Budva since the driver might not feel like it…
Ragusa: Hmm Delicious!
My last destination in Croatia was Dubrovnik. The harbor town has a long tradition and today is one of the prime destinations on the Adriatic coast. This is one of the reasons, why there are so many tourist visiting the city. Centuries ago, the city had a different name though.
Urban Exploration
The war is still present everywhere in Bosnia. Almost in every city and in every village one can see bulllet holes in some building walls. In almost as many places, one can see abandoned buildings, ideal for Urban Exploration. In Mostar this is legally possible in the so-called sniper building.
Under Siege
After my long bus ride from Bihac to Sarajevo, I finally got to visit the city of Sarajevo last night and today. On a tour with my host for the two nights, who survived the Bosnian war in Sarajevo, I visited the tunnel museum and learned a lot about the circumstances in the city then and now.
The D-Mark is Back!
After a very deep sleep in a private home near the Plitvice lakes, I made use of my host’s taxi services to get Bihac in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the most central point in Bihac, in front of the Hotel Park, I was dropped off.My first steps on Bosnian soil followed.