Stumbled into Grbavica, opening scene of the war. There is a memorial on the bridge to Suada Dilberovic (1968 - 1992), the first casualty. Also, the most shot-at lampost in Sarajevo - it has a line of bullet holes going from top to bottom, and was obviously used to line up their sights.
We wander up onto the hillside, being careful to avoid areas sealed off with yellow mine warning tape, as the houses are heavily booby-trapped, and there are a lot of unexploded mortars and anti-personnel mines around. The damage here makes everything we've seen so far seem completely insignificant. The pictures speak for themselves... Although we know we shouldn't, we can't resist picking up a few mortar tails and cartridge cases as souvenirs.
Howard tells us he has lined up a full night's entertainment... First, a gig at the local pool hall, followed by an after hours party. We head off for a quick bite to eat first, and arrive at Bock just in time to see the band leaving, and to get an ear-bending from Oliver, the owner, for being late. Oh, well.. at least we've got the party to look forward to...
We meet some of the local characters, Oliver himself being one of them... He lost everything just before the war, and came to Sarajevo to 'settle down'. He owns the pool hall, which was very popular during the seige, not only for it's ambience, but also because it is in the basement of a well tucked away building, so was one of the safest places to be when the rain came down. He tells us a bit about conditions during the war, and how much it cost to buy bare essentials. Top of the list for any healthy Bosnian is of course cigarettes - at 15DM per packet, it seemed like a good time to give up (especially as they were usually rolled with paper torn from old books). Coffee was 80DM a kilo, and sugar 60DM a kilo.
We meet Josh, a much slimmer fellow than he was when he arrived in Sarajevo on a Serious Road Trip convoy, back in '93. They were squatting in UNIS towers, the big blue glass buildings that now have everything except the blue glass and the building left, when the convoy departed. Josh decided to wait for one going out a couple of days later... Unfortunately, the seige intensified, and Josh was stuck inside with only a packet of biscuits, the change in his pockets and a New Zealander for company. The building is right in the middle of a grass square, and is completely exposed. It was taking hits every few minutes, and there was no power or water. Every day they had to run the gauntlet of sniper fire and mortars to get fresh water and food. After three months of this hell, a package miraculously arrived from Serious Road Trip, London. Josh was understandably overjoyed... It must be money and food, or at least food, or maybe food and money!!! Hardly able to contain himself, he ripped it open, to find:
1 x Packet crayons, mixed.
25 x Balloons, printed, EC Logo.
2 x 'Serious Road Trip' 45 singles.
1 x Letter, detailing how wonderful life was in London at the moment, and how the forthcoming tour of Bosnia by a group of jugglers and clowns was going to be a great success.
And he wept...
Our favourite time of day arrives... curfew! We head off to the party, which Howard says is "around here somewhere".
"Maybe it's up here...".
"I'm sure it was just along here..."
"It's bound to be in this block..."
And we wept...
How to get ahead in computing... Howard, Harris, Head
A bigger splash
Grbavica
Click the following images for audio files
(22Khz, 16 Bit, Mono, WAVE)
This is Air Cav., son, Air Mobile... Anywhere you want that tank, young Captain...
There's never one around when you need it...
Edina & Oliver
Rudi (UN Radio) & Samra (Teacher / UNIDO)
Josh, the eternal bachelor and balloon salesman...
Jim Marshall (Scottish Reprobate to Carl Bildt's office)
with the reason he's got such a smile on his face...
Some poseur...
William Hunt- Is this guy following us around?
Vlado & Oliver
I'll swap you this used cigarette for that nice camera...
Major Pink Hat, Andre & Friend from KUK, Babe & Alledged Guitar Hero
Ich bin ein Berliner
Say Cheese! (The other Andre)
