Day 13

Mosque
Minaret Climb
Turkish House
Terrace Drinks
Swimming
Lunch
Bosnian Coffee
Wandering
Dinner

     Today was our last full day in Mostar before we start the two day journey home. We had a little bit of a low start with breakfast in our hotel which was quite good. Bosnian hospitality is really something. We didn't have anything planned that we had to do so we pulled out the guidebook and looked for a few things to do. For our first stop we decided to visit a mosque. There are mosques and minarets everywhere you look in Bosnia and we had never been inside one so we decided to go. There is mosque in Mostar that allows visitors. You don't have to take your shoes off and you can take pictures. They also let you climb the minaret which has great views of the whole town. I was wearing shorts so I had to put a scarf on like a skirt, it was no big deal. They had a big basket of them at the entrance.The inside was very nice, it had some intricate designs and glass. The best part was the views from the top of the minaret. We had to take a very narrow, winding spiral staircase to get to the top but it was so worth it. The views were amazing. It wasn't very busy because it was still fairly early so we pretty much had it to ourselves. We got some good pictures then headed down.

     Our next stop was an old Turkish house from the 1600s. It has been in the same family for generations and part of it is now a historical hotel. They let you come in and see the front courtyard and you can go in the house to see a few of the main rooms. They had nice rugs and lounging couches. They also had intricate carved ceilings. It was a quick visit but pretty interesting.

     One of the things we wanted to do in Mostar was sit in a terrace restaurant that looks out over the river and bridge and have a drink. We found one we liked and Mark had a beer while Joe and I had iced coffees. It was nice to sit in the shade and watch people pour over the bridge. Of course, sitting by the river made Mark and Joe wast to swim so we headed back to the hotel to grab swimsuits. Our hotel was in such a great location, we were never more than 10 minutes from it so it was easy to pop in if we needed something. While we were at the river we finally saw one of the bridge divers jump off the bridge into the river. They do a lot of preening and collecting of cash but this was the first guy we had seen jump.

     We headed to our hotel for lunch which was really good. They have misters and fans so it is really cool and refreshing to sit there. Although, you do have to contend with the cigarette smoke. Bosnians are big time smokers. I have reached the end of my tolerance. I can't wait to get home so I can eat a meal or go outside without the wafts of smoke in my face. We decided to have one more Bosnian coffee. We read about a place that are very focused on coffee and it was really good. One of the staff sat with us and explained every step of making and drinking the coffee. There is a specific way to do it so you don't end up with a mouthful of grounds or the thick sludge at the bottom of the pot.

     We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the town and doing a little final shopping for souvenirs then headed back for some naps and reading. We had our last dinner at a restaurant terrace then went for a really long walk into some of the surrounding areas. We found some interesting ruins from the war and stumbled upon some squares filled with locals enjoying a warm Friday night. Then it was back to the hotel to pack to get read for the 2 day journey home. Day 1 includes a taxi ride to the bus station, a bus ride through 3 border crossings to get from Mostar to Dubrovnik, another bus ride from the bus station in Dubrovnik to the Dubrovnik airport where we will catch a flight to Paris. We are staying overnight at a hotel right at Charles de Gaulle Airport for our flight home Sunday morning.