Preparing for my travels

I am sitting in the mall where there is free wireless attempting to install updates on my MacBook and trying to download some new tunes from iTunes. I am fairly unsuccessful in this quest because the internet is so incredibly slow. I would have to wait 13 hours to download one podcast. Boo!

In the meanwhile, I am looking at what to do in Sarajevo and Mostar, the first 2 cities in Dao and I's Western Balkan Adventures. I am excited and nervous about visiting these places. There is so much history and the recent history is tragic in Bosnia Herzegovina. I am hoping that Dao will be open to going to Medugorje, near Mostar. It is a Catholic pilgrimage site where the Virgin Mary appeared to children in the city. My Dad went there in 1988 or 1989 and witnessed miracles. My friend's brother went there and he became a Catholic priest. I want to join the ranks of the Medug Heads (those that visit Medugorje). It is a holy place and I want to go - not to mention I was a pilgrim in Spain. I get to skip purgatory, I think, because of my pilgrimage through Northern Spain. If I make it to Medugorje, who knows what will await me in heaven! And to think, I am not even Catholic! What about Anglicans/Episcopalians? That's me. I think Dao and I are pretty flexible, although she may have made hostel reservations in Split, Croatia, that cannot be moved. We'll see.

My bus ride to Sarajevo is 14 hours (doh!) but it is through the night tonight so I am hoping I will be able to sleep most of the time. I will arrive in Sarajevo and check into our hostel. A nap may be in order. Dao doesn't arrive until the evening so I will have the day to explore the city by myself. I am a bit nervous because my Macedonian is poor, which means it will be hard for me to understand the Bosnians, but I'll manage. Until my next update from the road...fare thee well.