Journey of Life

We went to the Old Bazaar located just opposite of our hotel, in the morning. It is a Skopje's central marketplace has been operating continuously since the 12th century, making it one of the oldest and largest in the Balkans. The Old Bazaar is significant not just as a marketplace, but also for its historical and cultural significance. Remains of Byzantine architecture coexist with Ottoman structures, and contemporary architectural styles have been included into ongoing rehabilitation projects.

While in Ohrid, we made an excursion to the boundary of the village of Ljubaništa , about 18 km to the south of the city. We had the chanced to visit the Monastery of Saint Naum and the Black Drim Spring.  Before entering the monastery area, we walked through a greenery park along the pristine surroundings of nearby National Park of Galičica. The freshen air in that early morning creates an 'eureka' moment of the ways we should enjoy our life to the fullest as we slithered on the edge of crystal-clear Lake Ohrid.

The Luani Arte Hotel is situated in Shkoder, Albania, on Rruga Gjon Buzuku street. The hotel made a good notion on us, not only because of the late dinner served on the day we came, but also because of the fantastic under contemporary idea that the hotel displayed. It was a brief visit, but it was one of the most unforgettable. We spent the entire day in two cities: Tirana, Albania, and Ohrid, North Macedonia. It took 2 hours to get from Shkoder to Tirana. When the bus stopped at Kolaudimi i Automjeteve, we got nice two hot chocolate.

Our journey continued to Albania, passing through Montenegro. Nevertheless, we stopped at two amazing cities, Kotor and Budva of Montenegro. These two cities are known for its stunning natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. Montenegro has a long history that is reflected in its numerous historic sites, including the medieval walled city of Kotor, the ancient town of Stari Bar . Montenegro is famous for its beautiful coastline along the Adriatic Sea, of which the city of Budva is located. 

Mostar   was the next stop in Bosnia & Herzegovina, probably the must-visit city of any Balkan tour. Located in southern region, it is a vibrant and charming city that took us on a glimpse through time and history of Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, and Yugoslav periods. One of the first things that we think of when arrived in Mostar was the stunning Old Bridge ( Stari Most ). Originally built in the 16th century, the bridge was destroyed during the Bosnian War in the 1990s, but was later rebuilt and reopened in 2004.

It was cold weather as winter is coming when we got to Sarajevo yesterday night. We checked-in to Hotel Holiday, situated at the heart of city center, for 2 nights stayed. Slackened our grips a bit after swapping lodging every single days.  Other than joining the scheduled Sarajevo city tour in the morning and further outskirt to Vrelo Bosne  [picture on right] in the evening, we walked in the town in the noon to the nearby shopping malls. Luckily the weather was nice when the walking tour started around 9 am.

The adventure still continues in Bosnia and Herzegovina, visiting a small town called Jajce, 150 km from Bihac. En route, we made a stopped after about an hour journey at Štrbački Buk (Serbian Cyrillic) offering stunning view of natural landscape. The attraction located within the Una National Park. A stunning views of tiered waterfall in Bosnia and Herzegovina that is well worth a visit. The water is extremely blue and transparent, and the sound of the falls is captivating. We arrived early in the morning, so the nearby restaurants and stalls were yet to open. 

We had to get up early and be at the hotel lobby by 7.30 a.m. because we were leaving for another country, Bosnia and Herzegovina. But before that, we were taken to Maksimir Park , which was supposed to be in the yesterday's itinerary. Passed through the GNK Dinamo football club, we arrived at the park entrance. The vast one-acre public park could not be properly explored in the given two hours. However, following a quick briefing by Akin, the tour leader, we were given enough time to enjoy some fresh air in the early morning. 

Hi! After nearly three years of closed borders and travel restrictions caused by Covid-19, we travelled again! Post-pandemic era, they called it endemic where travel restrictions across borders were eased in some parts of the world, with face masks and hand sanitizing practices strongly advised. We joined a private group trip to the Balkan region organized by Zafirah Travel to visit five countries: Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, and North Macedonia. I remembered from an earlier post that I wouldn't visit multiple countries in a single trip! For the time being, I will make an exception.