ideas for cheap stuff

Well, I finally got around to another holiday this year, of course it was all in the name of a wedding, but what a wedding! Left on Saturday 21st June, with a high alcohol content in my blood due to the previous night’s shenanigans in Dublin city centre with various people, which was sparked off by seeing the comedian David O’Doherty (very good) for free, and a subsequent inability ask Tongie could I go back early to her place and sleep on her couch. Luckily, I met a friend Kelly on the bus to the airport for company, then met another friend inside the terminal, course I near missed my plane when I found that gate A71 was actually a 10 minute run, and not just down the stairs, from the cafe I was sitting at. That’s the second time this year I’ve had my name called and had to run for the gate. I don’t intend to make a habit of it.
Anyway, I digress. I got to Pula, spent the day walking around the Roman ruins, and Austro-Hungarian history steeped town before meeting Bole, a friend through Couch Surfing, for a few beers before boarding the over-night bus. The bus journey was pretty unspectacular, except that I fell asleep, woke up clearing sleep from my eyes around 01:00 wondering why the Croatian beside me was in fits laughter, and finally realising that, due to the gassy Eastern European beer I’d forgotten about, I’d woken myself up by releasing gas! Not pretty, but this is an honest account, and anyone visiting Eastern Europe should be made aware of this. 11 hours later, I arrived in Omis, which is about 40 minutes south of Split on the coast. This is where my brother Joseph and his wife have an apartment, which I will certainly utilise again. Its a gorgeously furnished one-bed (fully furnished at a cost of €1500, with all the stuff being bought, delivered and installed from Bosnia, sickeningly cheap by Irish standards) at the top of 72 steps, that my Pops counted religiously for the first 3 days I was there. It was just himself, my brother Derek and I till Boris came and we got to Bosnia on Tuesday night. I have to say it was a brilliant few relaxing days with them, though it was enough boys time by far. Was very sorry to be lying down-wind of Pops on the beach one day in particular. Omis is touristy enough spot, but it can’t be over-developed due to the rock mountains surrounding the area. It used to be a pirate haven, due to ships from the area being small enough to dart out to rob larger cargo ships, and navigate up the river, where larger ships couldn’t follow, lest they get stuck. There’s a small fortress, over-looking the town, that you can visit, and lots of activities. Derek and I went rafting on the Monday morning. We were up and atom for 08:00, and it was a great but tiring experience. There were rapids, caves, refreshing dip under a waterfall, and cliff jumps into the icy water along the way, and lots of rowing. I got a bit peeved with some lazy assed people in my group, particularly this Italian guy that hardly rowed, and tended to shield himself from branches their side tended to hit, due to lack of paddling, with his girlfriend. I would’ve smacked him to the wall. So we really just vegged out on the beach, swam in the sea, ate gorgeous fish, shells and meat, and…well really that was all we wanted! Pops was great in the water, spending near 2 hours every day in it. His knee was so much better after those few days in the water, and of course the 72 steps, though he needed sleep after them each day!
When we got to Diana (my sister-in-law) and Boris (now Nicky’s husband) home town of Novi Travnik we were met at the local hotel by some of the Selak clan, including their parent Jelicia and Franjo, whom I hadn’t seen since Zoe’s christening in 2005. They were both amazed how well I looked, and Jelicia kept saying my name as “half-Theresa”. The hotel was specifically opened for us Irish, as its not open full-time since before the war broke out. Franjo used to be the manager of Hotel Novi Travnik, so for this special occasion we were well looked after. It was weird being the only 3 guests in the hotel though. I was exploring alone later and was expecting to see the kid on the trike and 2 little girls from The Shining in the hallway! That’s the only thing that was weird. We were so well looked after. We had a drink when we first got there and then went back to the Selak apartment where we were fed within an inch of our lives, and drink was thrust in our hands. Jelicia came back several times asking why we weren’t eating! Man, it was tough going, but we persevered. Franjo’s sister from Serbia told me that I had to stay and marry a Croat, as they’d given 2 to Ireland, and that I’d need to phone a friend to join me. I got this a lot over the full stay. Funny. Jelicia told me some funny stories about her youth in the town, and then about the war. She was only 500 metres down the road hiding in another house while the family apartment was burnt out. I can’t imagine that. The only thing she took from the house when they had to flee it, were her photo albums. It was lovely to see what their lives were like before the war, though Boris was only 12 when it broke out, and had to run for water under the cover of darkness every night. I can’t begin to fathom the terror.
Novi Travnik was ravaged first by the Croat & Muslim/Serbian fights that broke out, and then the Croat/Muslim ones. The town is now separated between the Croat and Muslim sides more so, as there are fewer Serbians. On the Croat side there are more businesses. Things have started to change in the last two years though, businesses have re-opened on the Muslim side of town too, and women have stopped wearing Burkas, which were never a part of their apparel before the war, but were during and after it. There used to be no difference, everyone was inter-mixed, but the war changed all that overnight. You can see evidence that the town used to be different, but every building now has bullet holes, home-made bomb holes, etc., as people don’t have the funds to do up their homes. The town made a lot of money from the “tractor” factory, where 10,000 people were employed, from the Communist era. Of course, it never produced one tractor, everyone knew it produced armaments, but that was the mask. The weapons were sold to all sides, so the town had a lot of money going through it. Its architecture is communist down to the ground. Only now, there’s a huge new Catholic church in place, and a Mosque being built. Franjo put in an objection when, after the war, money was given to the Croat side town, and this was used for this massive new church, instead of renovating the old church and spending the rest on the community. Now the Muslim community are doing the exact same thing. Lessons out the window I guess. As I said things are getting better, but, for example, when a large building was put up by a wealthy Muslim beside Franjo and Jelicia’s home without planning permission, and they put in an objection, their lives were threatened. Luckily the threats were overheard, and the man had to make a formal apology in the newspaper, but the tension still exists. More apparent with some than others.
We Irish were, however, the talk of the town. Everyone knew we were coming for the wedding. Some were a bit worried that we’d leave with a bad impression, as we were all staying at a hotel that hadn’t been used in a while and may have some damp in it, but the welcome and hospitality we got, the amount of hugs I got, the sheer warmth, could have left no other impression than a resounding and gracious thank you. Right, for now I’m finished work and so there’s no time to relate the wedding story, but hopefully I’ll have photos to include in the next part on Tuesday. I hope everyone has a great bank holiday weekend. I’m hoping to make it to Cork for a Colours party. Particularly, since I’m silver!