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Putopis by Siniša Vlaisavljević (Book)

2017-10-12T17:14:00.000-04:00

Putopis by Siniša Vlaisavljević (Book)
Ekvador Bolivija Čile Argentina

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Putopis

2011-07-20T00:11:00.001-04:00

Montenegro

2011-05-10T21:52:00.000-04:00

See Montenegro Photo Album

Costa Rica

2010-07-25T10:28:00.000-04:00

From Costa Rica

Brazil

2009-01-27T23:16:00.003-05:00

Best of Brazil (Photo Collection)

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Turkey

2008-07-27T01:33:00.002-04:00

Best of Turkey, July 2008
Turkey Photo Collection, July 2008

Ekvador Bolivija Čile Argentina

2007-08-20T21:55:00.006-04:00

Travel Adventures Through South America (Serbian)

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Dominican Republic

2006-11-16T23:17:00.000-05:00

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This time around, Dejan, Boris, Page and I decided to explore the beaches of the island of Hispaniola. It took us few months to organize the trip and take couple of days off work. The Dominican Republic was probably the least expensive weekend getaway destination we could find for this time of the year. For just over $600US we booked a vacation for mid November, hoping for good weather.

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The

Dominican Republic

is a country located on the eastern two-thirds of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, bordering Haiti. Hispaniola is the second-largest of the Greater Antilles islands, and lies west of Puerto Rico and east of Cuba and

Jamaica

.

A legacy of unsettled, mostly non-representative rule lasted for much of the 20th century; the move towards representative democracy has improved vastly since the death of military dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo in 1961. Dominicans sometimes refer to their country as Quisqueya, a name for Hispaniola used by indigenous Taíno people. The Dominican Republic is not to be confused with Dominica, another Caribbean country. (w)

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Departure flight was quite early, around 7am. I’ve decided to take a metro and almost missed my flight. Boys were already checked in, relaxing at airport Starbucks as I was rushing in from the escalator. Couple of hours later we landed in Miami and got some extra cash at the ATM just to make sure we have enough funds for tips etc.

Around 3pm, we arrived to DR and passed the customs with ease. Just like in many other beach destinations, we were greeted with music, this time it was famous Dominican Merengue. Our luggage was intact and as we were exiting the customs we were charged a tourist tax of $10US. Our driver was waiting outside and shortly thereafter we were on our way to our home for the next 5 days, Barcelo Beach Resort, Punta Cana.

Barcelo Beach Resort is located some 20 minutes drive from the airport. There is a major road construction going on as the Dominican government is working on a new highway to connect Punta Cana and its airport. The works should be done within the next couple of years.

photos - video

As we pulled in to the resort, we passed by a mini train that caries tourists between restaurants, shopping, casino and nightclubs. This was our main mode of transportation in the next few days.

Checking in were probably the only frustrating moments in the entire trip but it was our fault. The reservation we made was for a “Quad” room but nobody really paid attention at the time of booking. The resort management insisted on putting four (4) guys in a single room with two (2) king size beds! Heh, this one was kind of funny. It took us over on hour and $200US to resolve this problem and we had what we wanted, two rooms with two full beds. We were now happy to explore the resort.

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Barcelo Beach Resort is a part of a larger complex of resorts and it includes many restaurants, bars, swimming pools, casinos and miles of white sand and coconut tree shaded beaches. We had access to it all. The weather was absolutely perfect. Caribbean sea was comfortably warm, pretty much the same temperature as soft and windy air we enjoyed while hanging out on the beach drinking cocktails.

Piña Coladas, Cuba Libres and Banana Bombs were our favorite drinks in the resort. Bartenders were quite generous and drinks were made to perfection. During the day we would get few brick oven pizzas to snack on and local Presidente beer to quench our thirst. Pizza was the only food available between lunch and dinner.

Most nights we dined at the nearby steak house. Steaks were absolutely delicious and the wait staff was professional and friendly. After dinner we would visit local discos, casino or just hang out at the beach bar. One night we even ventured out to a locally famous night club.

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On a third day we decided to go for some deep sea fishing. The weather was perfect. At first, Dejan was little hesitating but he got himself some Dramamine from the nearby pharmacy and we were ready to go. Russian speaking Haitian immigrants were quick to organize a half-day fishing trip for $70US per person.

Few minutes later and couple of miles of the coast of this beautiful island I started to feel little shaky and lied down inside the cabin to rest. I took some Dramamine but it was too late. Next thing you know I lost both my breakfast and pizza. Page followed me right after. The end result of our fishing trip; 2 Mahi-Mahi and a Barracuda. The steakhouse chef was happy to prepare our freshly caught Mahi-Mahi for lunch next day.

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While sitting back and watching depressing “breaking” news in a cold and rainy Washington DC, I must admit that this trip was probably one of the best short vacations I’ve ever had. I hope I will be back again...

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Tristan da Cunha

2006-04-25T00:46:00.000-04:00

Celebrating 500 Years of History 1506 - 2006

"the remotest inhabited island in the world" - Guiness Book of Records, 1998

The territory of Tristan da Cunha is composed of four islands, Gough, Inaccessible, Nightingale and Tristan itself. The latter three are grouped together while Gough lies some 230 nautical miles (426km) to the south. The main island, Tristan da Cunha, is the remotest inhabited island in the world. Its nearest neighbour is St. Helena 2,334 kms to the North while Cape Town is 2,778 kms to the East. Tristan is an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom. It is under the authority of the Governor of St. Helena but powers are delegated to a resident Administrator.

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There is only one inhabited area. This is Edinburgh of the Seven Seas on Tristan. It is a small village of just under 300 people, the total population of Tristan da Cunha. It was named in 1867 after Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (second son of Queen Victoria) who visited in August that year as commander of the frigate "Galatea".

Brief History

Tristan da Cunha was discovered in 1506 by the Portuguese navigator, Tristao da Cunha. He did not land but nevertheless named the island after himself. In the 17th and 18th centuries the Dutch and French governments, as well as the British East India Company, considered taking possession of the islands but decided not to do so, mainly because of a lack of a suitable landing place. The islands of Nightingale, Inaccessible and Gough were originally known as Geebroken, Nachtglas and Goncalo Alvarez respectively.

The islands were later used as temporary bases by sealers and whalers usually from the USA, and it was from here that the first settlers of Tristan came. In 1811 Jonathan Lambert, who hailed from Salem, declared himself emperor (a copy of his flag can be seen in the Island museum). He disappeared in somewhat mysterious circumstances during a with one of his two companions. The other, Thomas Curry, was still on the island when its next occupants arrived. This was in 1816 when a British garrison was sent from Cape Town. Curry aroused their interest with stories of buried treasure but never revealed its whereabouts. He died of drink, plied to him by the members of the garrison seeking the treasure!

The garrison had been sent by the British Government because they were worried that the island might be used for an attempt by the French to rescue Napoleon from St. Helena. It was withdrawn in 1817 but Corporal William Glass from Kelso in Scotland, with his wife and children, asked to stay, accompanied by two stonemasons, Nankivel and Burnell, from Plymouth, UK. The stonemasons did not stay long but examples of their work can still be seen on the island houses.

Others joined William Glass and his family over the next few years, notably Thomas Swain from Hastings, UK. Five bachelors on Tristan in the early 1820s asked a naval Captain if he could arrange for five wives to come from St. Helena. In 1827 the ladies arrived and the community began to increase. In 1836 a Dutchman, Peter Groen, who anglicised his name to Green, joined them. In 1837 and 1849 Thomas Rogers and Andrew Hagan, both American whalermen, also settled on Tristan.

At this time the island prospered. Although only operating a subsistence economy they were able to barter their fresh vegetables and fresh water (an official currency was not introduced on the island until the early 1950s) to passing ships for provisions required on the island. Sailing ships en route to South Africa, India, the Far East and Australia all came via Tristan to utilise the trade winds. By 1856 there were 97 inhabitants.

However the decline in whaling, the transition to steam ships and the opening of the Suez Canal, all occurring at around the same time, stalled Tristan's growth. Many inhabitants emigrated to the USA and Cape Town and the Island was forgotten apart from occasions when the remaining islanders rescued shipwrecked sailors. It was partly in recognition of this help and the activities of missionaries that the British Government in 1876 formally declared the islands to be part
of the British Empire. An annual visit by a British warship to bring supplies was instigated.

In 1892 an Italian ship from Camogli in Italy was wrecked off the island. Two of the sailors, Andrea Repetto and Gaetano Laverello decided to stay and then married local girls. Two sisters, Agnes and Elizabeth Smith, from Kilkenny in Ireland met and married two islanders fighting with the British army in the Boer War and afterwards returned with them to Tristan. These seven family names, Glass, Green, Hagan, Laverello, Repetto, Rogers and Swain are the only surnames now found on the island.

The islanders survived over the years through good and hard times. In 1938 Tristan was declared a dependency of St. Helena - although the islanders today declare they are not dependent on that island! The start of a crayfish industry in 1950 brought about the transition from subsistence to a cash economy and in the same year the British Government sent its first Administrator to Tristan. In 1961 a volcanic eruption beside the settlement of Edinburgh caused the evacuation of the all the inhabitants to the UK. For two years the islanders stayed in England but maintained their close knit community and a desire to return to Tristan. In 1963 it was considered safe to do so and the majority sailed home. But life in England had changed attitudes and a more affluent and informed society emerged from then onwards, far removed from the lifestyles of their ancestors.

Economy

Tristan da Cunha is almost self-supporting economically - only large capital projects require overseas funding. Revenue, provided by the royalties from the lobster fishery, and interest from a reserve fund, finances government activities such as the provision of free health care and education. The Government is the chief employer on the island with a work force of 143. The lobster factory provides permanent employment for 23 and casual employment for a further 110 people on fishing days, when 20 small island boats catch lobster for processing. The lobster fishery is operated under the terms of an exclusive concession granted by the Island. The current holder is Eurex Ltd, a subsidiary of Premier Fishing from Cape Town, South Africa. Two company ships fish around the islands of Inaccessible, Nightingale and Gough, while the islanders fish around Tristan. In addition to the royalty and employment, the fishing company also provides a passenger and cargo service to Cape Town.

The islanders rely to some extent for their food on their own stock, poultry and crops. Each family is limited to 2 cows and 7 sheep - to conserve grazing - and potatoes, the main crop, are grown at Patches, about two miles from Edinburgh. Other vegetables are grown privately and by the Agricultural Department. The Island Store imports and sells a variety of foodstuffs, household equipment and clothing.

Government

The Administrator, appointed by the Governor of St. Helena, is the head of Government, which comprises 11 separate Departments. The Administrator must act in accordance with advice from the Island Council, which is composed of 8 elected members and three appointed members. A general election is held every three years. At least one member of the Council must be a woman. At the moment there are three women members. The Councillor who receives the most votes in the election is appointed Chief Islander.

Communications

The Administrator's office and the Factory have satellite communications by telephone and fax. The Administrator also has E mail. There is a radio telephone link via Cape Town Radio which connects to the international telephone service and in August 1998 a public satellite phone will be installed.

The fishing vessels bring most of the cargo and mail to the island, visiting the island six times a year. The "RMS St Helena", a passenger/cargo ship visits the island once a year, usually January, and the South African Antarctic survey ship, the "Agulhas" also calls once a year. A number of cruise ships also call.

Climate and Topography

The climate is temperate and oceanic with rapid weather changes, a wide temperature range (4 to 26 degrees C) and an average rainfall of 66 inches (1,676mm) per year.

The island is 38 square miles in area, and just over 25 nautical miles round. It is volcanic in origin (about one million years ago) and the central peak of the island rises to 2060m (6,760 ft.) from a plateau, known as the Base, which rises steeply from the shoreline to 600m (2,000ft.). A number of gullies, known locally as "gulches", lead down to sea level from the Base.

The area around Edinburgh and along the coast to Patches is grassland where the animals graze. At other points around the island are similar, but smaller plains which are used in a variety of ways by the islanders. Most are only accessible by sea.

Wildlife

The seas around the islands of Tristan are rich in finfish as well as lobster and octopus. Fivefinger, snoek, bluefish, stumpnose, steambras, soldier and mackerel can be found. The Yellow-nosed and Sooty Albatross nest on the Base at Tristan and on the other islands. Rockhopper penguins have established rookeries in various parts of the islands.

Fur seals, elephant seals, the rare Shepherd's Beaked whale and the Southern Right whale all visit the island. There is a rich and varied birdlife, including the Wandering Albatross, Petrels, Buntings and the unique Flightless Rail.

The people of Tristan are keenly aware of the need to live in harmony with their environment. The declaration of Gough Island as a World Heritage site and of Inaccessible as a nature reserve means that 40% of Tristan da Cunha's land is under protection. Gough Island has a Wildlife Management Plan to protect its unique environmental status.

INTERESTING FACTS:

Beliefs that Foster Peacefulness. The core values on the island are anarchy, absolute equality, and personal integrity. People who mind their own business gain prestige. Other values of the Islanders—kindness, consideration, peacefulness, and respect for the personal integrity of others—tend to shape their behavior;
anyone who might break their code would suffer a considerable loss of prestige in the community. They take pride in their lack of crime, strife, or status distinctions. There is little sense of special privilege, and people lack authority, superiority, or influence over others. Throughout Tristan Island history, survival has meant, and still means to this day, freedom and personal integrity; these are higher values to them than affluence, material comfort, or physical sustenance.

Gender Relations. The family is strongly patriarchal; wives act in a very deferential fashion in the presence of male visitors. Except for a couple of reports of spouse abuse in the 1930s, men generally treat their wives kindly.

Raising Children. Children are expected to obey their parents' directives, and they are subject to stern corporal punishment if they don't. From 1961 to 1963, while the entire population of the island was in England due to an eruption of the volcano, the Tristan children interacted with other children in the British schools in a very shy and silent manner, a result of the general tendency of the Islanders to be taciturn. They tended to be passive and to lack aggressiveness, in contrast to the British children.

Social Practices. The Tristan Islanders are normally anarchistic and highly individualistic, but their habits were tested in 1962 when the British government decided to keep them in England permanently. They wanted to return to Tristan, but they did not know how to effectively unite, form a leadership group, and take decisive actions. Faced with this crisis, they delegated some leaders to send petitions to the proper administrators, and, when they went unanswered, they held a group meeting. When the administrators realized the Islanders were determined to find their own way home, the Colonial Office backed down and permitted them to return to the island. In effect, the anarchistic values and practices of the Islanders had given way, for the first time in their history, to group action—but they soon returned to their normal ways when they got home.

Sense of Self. The islanders are very conservative and resistant to change. They relate to others with a mixture of helpfulness and deference. They attach great importance to maintaining their personal dignity, and refuse to drink alcohol, even if offered to them by visitors, because they do not want to lose control. The islanders value their independence, economic self-sufficiency, and personal freedom. They tend to repress self-assertion and evince a strong respect for others.

Cooperation and Competition. When the Tristan Islanders were forced to move to Britain in 1961, they had virtually no knowledge of competition—their peacefulness is based, at least in part, on their highly cooperative attitude toward one-another. While they are theoretically independent of one another, in practice they cooperate in a number of economic endeavors. For instance, launching a long boat into the ocean swells takes a crew of people, and bringing home a heavily loaded boatful of meat or produce from another part of the island can only be accomplished cooperatively.

Social Control. Teasing and ridicule are important parts of the socializing process on Tristan—a subtle means for asserting community moral values, informally communicating, and asserting social control. While they constantly gossip about one another, they avoid any open conflict.

Strategies for Avoiding Warfare and Violence. One of their primary strategies for avoiding violence and conflict is nonviolent resistance. A good example of this strategy occurred in the 1930s when they had to cope with an imperious, dictatorial minister who tried to run their lives. They could never confront him; they would always buckle under to his will with a meek “yes, Father,” out of respect for his power and high office. But they did perfect the practice of nonviolent resistance by accepting his orders as much as necessary to placate him—and ignoring everything else that they could get away with. They felt that his actions were simply part of the fun he enjoyed in being among them. Besides, in a few years another minister with different ideas would probably replace him.

But How Much Violence Do They Really Experience. The highest level that hostility reaches on the island is that occasionally two people will stop talking to each other, but they normally can’t maintain even that level of tension very long. Quarrels are rare and fights have not occurred in living memory. The person who lost his temper in a quarrel would have that scar on his reputation for life, while someone who diffused a tense situation with a joke would gain general respect.

Photos:

Lonely Planet's Tristan da Cunha Photo Feature

Images of Tristan da Cunha

Google Images

TRISTAN DA CUNHA 500 YEARS

Resources:

Tristan Homepage

Last Minute Getaway!

Edinburgh, Tristan da Cunha (Inaccessible Island)

Tristan da Cunha (Wikipedia)

Chat with the locals! (Yahoogroup)

Tristan Times (News)

Tristan da Cunha (Early History)

Sources:

Text retrieved on 04/26 2006 from Tristan Homepage
(http://website.lineone.net/~sthelena/tristaninfo.htm)

Text retrieved on 04/26 2006 from Encyclopedia of Selected Peaceful Societies (http://www.peacefulsocieties.org/Society/Tristan.html)

Atlas retrieved on 04/20 2006 from WorldAtlas (http://worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/islands/atlantic/tristan.htm)

Slovenia

2006-01-17T20:49:00.000-05:00

(w)
PHOTOS Lubljana - Maribor - Slovenian Coast - Postojna
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As I was pulling out of New Carlton train station on my way to New York, I said to myself, “I am going to finish this part of my story before I reach Manhattan. The cafe is already open and the smell of a freshly brewed Amtrak coffee lures me in. So, here I am, sitting alone in the cafe car on the train to the Big Apple, sipping on a cup of joe contemplating how to get this story moving

PHOTOS Lubljana - Maribor - Slovenian Coast - Postojna
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Luka, Mateja and Igor picked me up at Vienna airport and after a day spent in the Austrian capital, we drove back to their hometown of Maribor, Slovenia.

This was not my first time here. Back in the old Yugoslav days, when I was still in my teens, I traveled through Slovenia with a group of Red Star Belgrade soccer fans on the way to the European Champions League finals in Bari, Italy. Red Star won the trophy for the first time in history.

So, my plan was to spend a couple of days in Maribor and perhaps even go to Belgrade, Serbia to spend New Years Eve. Actually, believe it or not, more than 60 buses full of young Slovenes were heading to Belgrade within a day or two of my arrival to celebrate the New Years. Belgrade is well known for it's wild “river rafting” parties but this year I was ready to see what my northern neighbors had been doing all these years.

PHOTOS Lubljana - Maribor - Slovenian Coast - Postojna
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Frankly, growing up, on of my biggest fears was the wicked Slovenian winters as Slovenia sits in the chilly Julian Alps. To my surprise, however, it was a beautiful sunny day as we drove through the sleepy bare-bone vineyards hills behind Maribor. Maribor is the administrative center of Stajerska region and the second largest city in Slovenia.

I was so excited to finally meet Mateja's and Igor's families. Igor, Mateja and Luka live just outside of Maribor, in a hillside neighborhood and Mateja's parents live next door. For my first dinner, Mateja's mom, Anka, prepared amazing Slovenian Christmas specialties and we had some excellent Slovenian Refosk wine. Slovenian food is a sort of a blend between Italian, German and Balkan food. Prior to my visit, I had no idea Slovenia even had a wine industry at all. During my visit, I have learned that besides the fact that Slovenes are proud of their rich vine culture, they actually own the oldest live wine tree (StaraTrta) in the world-see bellow.

PHOTOS Lubljana - Maribor - Slovenian Coast - Postojna
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The next morning, Mateja laid out the plan. In the next few days I would get to see much of Maribor, the Slovenian Adriatic coast, the country's capital (Ljubljana) and the world famous Postojna Caves. At this point I had no plans for the New Years Eve and I was happy to leave it up to my dear hosts.

For the first couple of days the weather was absolutely amazing. We walked through the old town of Maribor, enjoyed a beautiful afternoon on the banks of river Drava and hiked local hills behind the Piramida. Piramida is the hillside fortress ruins of the old city. Next, we went to see the family business. Mr. Franc Krajnc, Mateja's dad, owns a Citroen dealership (Avto Plus) and service center in downtown Maribor. Mateja, Mateja's brother Mishek, and Igor, all work for the dealership.

PHOTOS Lubljana - Maribor - Slovenian Coast - Postojna
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On the third day of my visit, it was time to take a trip around the country. Luckily, the distances between tourist attractions are less than a couple of hours long-perfect!

Ljubljana, the Slovenian capital was our first stop. On the way, we picked up Robi and Nina and visited the Lubljana fortress and the famous old town where we had an authentic dinner in a beautiful downtown restaurant. I had a typical Slovenian dish consisting of some grilled pork sausage links and sourkraut while Luka was munching on some organic Slovenian baby food. After dinner we drove straight to the coastal town of Portoroz (Portorose), where they own a beautiful condominium with the view of the Adriatic sea. As we were getting out of the the capital the snow begun to fall and the temperature dropped drastically. It was a perfect time to escape to the coast.

PHOTOS Lubljana - Maribor - Slovenian Coast - Postojna
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The Slovenian coast is simply beautiful. We were up early, had some breakfast and decided to take a long walk along the coast up to Piran (Pirano). Piran is a bustling coastal town sitting in a tiny peninsula overlooking the north part of Croatian Istria. Piran's old town is as dramatic as any East Adriatic coastal town like Montenegro's Budva or even Croatia's Dubrovnik. This area of Slovenia is a very popular travel destination in the summertime. Exhausted from a long day of walking, we decided to stay in and play a balloon-ball head bounce game. This was hilarious! I do not recall laughing this hard in a long time.

The next day we decided to drive back east to Postojna Cave (Postojna Jama). Postojna is the most fascinating cave I've ever visited. Twenty kilometers of caves were carved out by the underground river. The cave was discovered by the local villager a little over a hundred years ago. Luka was very excited to see the cave as well. Recently, the Slovenian government built a mini train to make the visit as more enjoyable for tourist. Also, there is an amazing creature that lives in this cave and I had to see it. Proteus anguinus in Greek mythology represents a sea-god, and I think that is where the name of this little creature originates. I finally caught a glimpse of it on my way out, making this visit complete. As we were walking out, our little expedition was greeted by at least a foot of snow and cheerful vendors selling delicious honey and famous Slovenian pear brandy, locally known as Viljamovka. I had to take a bottle home.

PHOTOS Lubljana - Maribor - Slovenian Coast - Postojna
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Next thing you know, were were back in snow-covered Maribor. The last few days flew by. I was having such a great time that I decided to spend the rest of my trip here. And then a great surprise. I was invited to Igor's parent's house where I literally got 'a taste' of Bosnia. Nedo and Tatjana, prepared a typical Bosnian dish, Bosanski lonac, hard to describe but sort of Hugarian goulash meets Turkish stew. I had three plates and am dreaming of a bite right now. Slovenia truly is a cultural crossroads, where East Europe meets the West. My friend Igor moved to Slovenia with his parents from Bosnia in the early 80's. Igor and I go way back and were friends early in childhood. Actually, Igor is only 4 days younger than me and our mothers were together in the hospital. We must have waved at each across the nursery, because I can't even remember how we met.

Igor is sort of a celebrity in his hometown of Maribor. He is a boxing champion and has represented Slovenia on numerous occasions. I am so happy we found each other again. During the last Bosnian war we lost touch and hadn't heard much about each other for almost ten years. Last summer I run into Igor's uncle, Marin, in Teslic (videoBlog) and immediately called him up. Shortly after I returned from my round-the-world trip back home to Washington DC, Igor, his wife Mateja and one year old son Luka came to visit.

Back to the story. It was a Friday, December 30^th, and Igor and I decided to go out and check out the night life in Maribor. I remember singing a Serbian karaoke tune on the stage in the night club. It was all I remember from that night...

PHOTOS Lubljana - Maribor - Slovenian Coast - Postojna
VIDEOBLOG - view - download

Sretno Novo Leto! (Happy New Year!)

New Years Eve party came as the greatest surprise. Mishek, Mateja's brother invited me to join his friend in celebrating the New Years Eve in a popular fashion. Many locals chose Pohorje, a famous ski resort annually hosting the Golden Fox world championship. Pohorje sits just outside of Maribor and is the place to be for New Years Eve.

Sometimes around 8pm on New Year' eve, Mishek picked me up from Igor's place and we drove off to his girlfriends condo right in front of Pohorje. As we walked in, Mishek's friends were drinking champagne and dancing to the tunes of a Serbian turbo-folk mega star Ceca. Now this was little weird but I guess she is still very popular in the Balkans. I should have known that Slovenians getting down to Ceca would be the sign an unforgettable night.

We were all fully dressed up in ski uniforms. Since I obviously did not have my ski gear handy, Mishek let me use one of his ensembles. I was not sure what to expect. Each one of us was carrying small backpacks packed with bottles of champagne, wine and treats. I've noticed that half of my bag was filled with veal Milanese or Vienna schnitzel. At 5 am, it proved to be the best schnitzel I've ever had. I could see the lights of Pohorje and gondola movement from the balcony. After a few bottles of champagne, we took off to the mountain

PHOTOS Lubljana - Maribor - Slovenian Coast - Postojna
VIDEOBLOG - view - download

It was just about 9pm. Roughly two hundred people were waiting at the gate to get into a gondola and catch a 20 minute ride up the mountain. As we ascended, the view of the city fading away under the clouds was idyllic. As I stepped out of the gondola huge camp fires appeared right in front of the hotel and the music in the background started throbbing. People jumping, dancing, screaming, singing and plain old happy to have made it this far. We were all sharing food and drinks and eagerly awaiting the countdown. It was a very cold night but the mingling body heat of hundreds of people in front of SUV size camp fires that would have made Tom Hanks on castaway island very jealous.

The setting was perfect. Fireworks covering the clear night sky as I am standing on top of the snow covered mountain drinking champagne. The champagne bubbles, as they erupt in my plastic glass mix with the clearest pine forest essence I have ever experienced. Mishek is keeping a close eye on me, making sure I am having fun.

After the fireworks, people started to descend down the ski run. Some on sleds, skies, plastic bags and who knows what else. The best thing about this descent was that the party was far from over. Every few hundred yards we would stop by a mountain cabin bar for a drink, all together about a dozen I think. Just before sunrise we finally came down to the parking lot, absolutely exhausted and ready for bed. As far as I know, everybody made it down the mountain. This was probably the best New Years Eve party I've ever been to. I must come back and do this again. Mishek, thank you your hospitality, I owe you one.

After a good day of rest, I took a train back to Austria to catch a flight home. While looking at the mountain slopes through the window I thought how fortunate I am to have and be in contact with family and friends all around the world. Thank you all for sharing your lives with me...

more trevelogues...

austria
bosnia & h'govina
serbia & montenegro
-> serbia
-> montenegro
netherlands
namibia
mozambique
republic of south africa
india
thailand
australia
fiji
argentina
usa

Austria

2005-12-29T23:18:00.000-05:00

(w)

videoblog (low res - high res)

I was able to take off one full workweek and two weekends over the Christmas holidays and visit my childhood friend Igor, his wife Mateja and one year old son Luka. Since it was little difficult to find a good connecting flight to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, I’ve booked a flight to Vienna, Austria. Igor offered to pick me up in Vienna so I booked my ticket without much hesitation.

videoblog (low res - high res)

The flight was quite comfortable. For some reason I always get excited about the in-flight movie program and must admit that Austrian Airlines have excellent in-flight service, food and entertainment. I watched couple of movies and as I was about to start reading the Da Vinci Code when the captain announced landing. I was very excited to meet up with my Slovenian friends.

videoblog (low res - high res)

Washington - Vienna flight gets in very early, around 8am. Since I had no additional bags to wait for, I quickly cleared the Austrian Immigration. As soon as I walked out to the arrival section, it felt like I walked into whole new world. Well, this world comes with “all-inclusive” clouds of tobacco smoke with a taste of heavy roasted espresso coffee.

videoblog (low res - high res)

Luka, Mateja and Igor were already on the airport waiting for me. Despite the cold and rainy weather, we’ve decided to spend the entire afternoon in this beautiful city. Vienna is the largest city in Austria and main cultural, economic and political center. We focused on the Cathedral of Saint Stephen and the local coffee shops. The Stephansdom (Cathedral of Saint Stephen), is a beloved symbol of Vienna and the site of many important events in Austria's national life. This is where I captured a father and son – mirror reflection moment. Austria is always fun during Christmas. The area around the cathedral was buzzing with people buying last minute presents.

videoblog (low res - high res)

I realized that I could use this opportunity to meet up with another good friend, Teodora. Last summer, Boris, my “kum” from Toronto got married and he honored me to be his best man in the wedding. His wife Sladjana’s counterpart, Teodora, lives in Vienna suburbs with two Bosnian girlfriends, Irma and Sofia, for the last couple of years so I rang her up to join us for lunch. Teodora was working that day but she invited me to Vienna on my way back to Washington.

videoblog (low res - high res)

On the way to Slovenia we stopped near Graz to have some famous Austria stew and amazing strudels for desert. Luka was sleeping in the back seat as we were crossing the border to Slovenia.

videoblog (low res - high res)

Next: Slovenia

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Republika Srpska Bosnia & Hercegovina

2005-08-14T01:25:00.000-04:00

(w/rs)(w/ba)

PHOTOS (1) (2) (3)
VIDEOBLOG High Res 50mb - Low Res 10mb

TESLIC: Now is time now for me to tell few things about the trip back to my dearest hometown of Teslic. Teslić (Теслић) is a small town and a municipality in Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, located southwest of Doboj, west of Tešanj and southeast of Banja Luka. So, as I have returned back to Washington DC couple of months ago, I think now is time to focus and try to get inspired to finish up this part of my traveling story.

So, Milorad and I were pretty much getting sick and tired of constant partying in Montenegro so we decided to make a move and escape the mighty state of Montenegro. It took us only about 30 minutes to pack our bags and find our way up the countless old-town stairs to the bus station in Herceg Novi. Milorad and I are like brothers, and this was just another fun life episode we were sharing together. We agreed to meet in Guca within the next week or so.

At this point I was still unsure where I was going. I did not have a good feeling about Teslic at this time of the year and quite frankly subconsciously I was trying to avoid going there. Why? Well, it is a very complicated matter and I will try to explain in detail in my up-and-coming autobiography blog.

teslic (w)

PHOTOS (1) (2) (3)

VIDEOBLOG High Res 50mb - Low Res 10mb

Anyway, both my brother Goran and my dad Janko still live in Teslic. Goran works as an interpreter for Polish army forces as a part of European Union for the last few years. It is always nice to spend some time with my brother. He has grown into a true gentleman and I am so proud of him.

For the last few years I visited Teslic once or twice per year but only for few days at the time. It is a very emotional experience and I get goose bumps every time I drive across the town’s main bridge. This is some sort of a love and hate relationship between my birth town and me. All year long I think of my dad Janko, brother Goran and all people I grew up with, people I know.

I always get so excited when the time comes for me to visit but as soon as I get there things change. As soon as I get there I feel like I get into a constant anxiety state of mind and something makes me think I must not stay long. I get to feel like I must leave as soon as possible and run as far as possible and never look back. I guess I should talk about that stuff some other time.

PHOTOS (1) (2) (3)

VIDEOBLOG High Res 50mb - Low Res 10mb

So, on to the more fun stuff...an overnight bus to Banja Luka from Herceg Novi and I was on my way back to Republika Srpska, Bosnia & Hercegovina and Teslic. Cold morning it was that day. Goran was waiting for my at the bus station with his WV Golf. Goran loves driving and he takes good care of his vehicle. The drive from Banja Luka to Teslic takes about an hour, depending on the rush hour; perfect time to catch up and learn about the latest news from Teslic.

As usual, the plan was to stay for few days and then take off to Italy, my last European destination before I head home to Washington. The town was quite in the morning. We parked at my brother place to drop of my stuff and went to have some breakfast and coffee. My brother owns a cute studio at the main town square with the beautiful view of the new Orthodox and a recently rebuilt Catholic Church in the town center as well as the surrounding hills in the background.

PHOTOS (1) (2) (3)

VIDEOBLOG High Res 50mb - Low Res 10mb

The next 10 days were probably the best time I’ve ever spent there. My brother and I had a blast. The month of August is the time when most people working abroad come back to Teslic to visit. The town was full of familiar faces, people were happy to be back visiting family and friends and I felt like the war was totally forgotten. We’ve spent many nights at the Usora river front drinking local beer and fine vine, sang old nostalgic tunes and ate tons of good food.

PHOTOS (1) (2) (3)

VIDEOBLOG High Res 50mb - Low Res 10mb

Then it was time to leave again. This time I was not running away. This time I felt something new has happened here and I was very happy with myself and everything that surrounded me during my stay in Teslic. Now, I had to make my way back to Serbia to see Guca, I think the most amazing music festival in the world. When he visited the festival Miles Davis said "I didn't know you could play trumpet that way".

PHOTOS (1) (2) (3)

VIDEOBLOG High Res 50mb - Low Res 10mb

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Serbia & Montenegro

2005-07-26T23:42:00.000-04:00

(w)
Serbia
blog - photos - videoblog - guca - download video
Montenegro
blog - photos - videoblog - download video

Montenegro

2005-07-25T10:14:00.000-04:00

(w)
PHOTOS - VIDEOBLOG (download low res - high res)

Short flight from Belgrade to Tivat (airport) and here I am, Montenegro (Crna Gora). This land is my land. My dad says that our family migrated from the Podgorica area, fleeing Otoman (Turkish) invasion, north to Lika region of Croatia in the early 16^th century. My family then settled in the Plitvice Lakes region of Croatia on Mount Kapela. My predecessors have lived here until the ethnic cleansing by the Croatian army ‘Oluja’ (Storm) operations in 1995 and even now, 10 years after, only few of my family members have returned back home.

My dad finished college and got a good job in Sarajevo, Bosnia where my sister Simela was born. Then my family moved to my birthplace, a small town in the cental Bosnia (Republika Srpska), Teslic, some 200 kilometers north of Sarajevo. Here is where my life story begins. How did I end up here in Washington? Well, that part of the story will be posted soon. This blog is about Montenegro.

PHOTOS - VIDEOBLOG (download low res - high res)

So, even though my last name is mouthful in English, people here in Montenegro treat me like I’m one of their own. Vlaisavljevic is a quite common last name in many regions of Montenegro. I love it here. Feel like I belong in so many places in this small world. If you’re interested to learn more about the history and current affairs of this amazing country click on a (w) right next to the main picture of the blog.

One of the reasons for coming back to Montenegro was to shop for an old stone house and possibly turn it into a small B&B or a restaurant in the next year or so. I’ve been dreaming about it for years. My prediction is that Montenegro will be the next 'hot spot' and its tourism industry and geo-strategic location might trigger dramatic increase in real-estate value, similar to the northern neighbor, Croatia. Basically, I think this is a great place to invest, sooner rather then later. I've connected with few agents and atorneys in Montenegro so if you need real-estate guidance or want to partner up for a property in Montenegro send me an email.

PHOTOS - VIDEOBLOG (download low res - high res)

One of my best friends, Goran Milivojevic, was vacationing with his family in Sutomore, about 45 minutes south of Budva. Goran’s wife, Marijana is a very proud ‘Montenegrina’ from Mojkovac region and her parents have a summer home in Sutomore. Few days later, my christening best-man and childhood neighbor Milorad would come by from Kragujevac.

PHOTOS - VIDEOBLOG (download low res - high res)

We woke up fairly early, had some coffee and a quick breakfast. Goran and I were figuring out the best way to get to Boka and the famous village of Perast. The thing is, there are not to many roads in Montenegro and frankly, it is not easy to get lost. Anyway, Marijana’s dad, Milojica let us use his beat up Golf and we were off to buy a property in Perast.

On the way, we passed by Sveti Stefan, Budva, Tivat, and Kotor. The sightseeing was of the hook. I was glued to the window trying to get a decent shot. We took a short break in Kotor, had some coffee and had lunch at the famous ‘Stari Mlin’ restaurant.

PHOTOS - VIDEOBLOG (download low res - high res)

Well, if you ever decide to visit this beautiful country this restaurant should be on your list as well as Sveti Stefan, Perast and the old town Budva. I would like to suggest the restaurant 'Stari Mlin' (The Old Watermill) in Montenegro. The restaurant is absolutely amazing. The river Ljuta runs straight through the center of the restaurant powering the old watermill (just as an attraction).

The wait staff wares traditional Montenegrin costumes, local specialties are fresh, perfectly done and service is excellent. Even though the tipping is not required in Montenegro, I would recommend tipping %10 in this place. We actually asked what would be the appropriate amount. Anyway, the restaurant is located midway from Kotor to Perast. Reservations are welcome but not necessary. Here is the address

Ljuta bb
Dobrota, Kotor
Phone: +381 82 333 555

(cрпски)
PHOTOS - VIDEOBLOG (download low res - high res)

Then we entered a small town of Perast. This village is amazingly beautiful. Perast is an ancient aristocratic and seafaring community in the fjord of Boka Kotorska (Bocca di Cattaro). Most houses (300) are built from the local white stone and I would say at least few hundred years old. Perast is famous for its Naval Academy going back to the Venetian Republic.

Locals are very proud of the fact that many young men from Perast ended up as sailors and captains all over the world. Perast is also famous for its geographical location as well. The village sits on the opposite side of the ‘Verige’ strait of Boka. Additionally, there are two tiny islands right in front of the village with churches built on it. (see the picture above)

PHOTOS - VIDEOBLOG (download low res - high res)

Few days later 'kum' Milorad Cvorovic took an overnight bus from Kragujevac to join my coastal explorations of Montenegro. We settled in Herceg Novi (Castelnovo), one of the coolest coastal towns in Boka. Herceg Novi has a great night life. During the summer time, rivers of tourists descend from the Serbia and Bosnia. Our apartment was in the prime location, right next to the old fortress and in front of the (in)famous slippery steps. Milorad and I had so much fun watching people fall down the steps from our apartment’s terrace. I know it sound weird but I never laughed so much in my life.

(cрпски)

PHOTOS - VIDEOBLOG (download low res - high res)

There are few legends associated with the islands. An interesting fact is that Perast is said to be home to many famous people such as Goran Bregovic, Emir Kusturica, Rade Serbedzija, etc... I confirmed the information with the 'one and only' real-estate agent in the Perast who said that he personally sold the property to all of them. To learn more about Perast click here. Click here to see PERAST PHOTO ALBUM!

PHOTOS - VIDEOBLOG (download low res - high res)

Next-> my hometown of Teslic…Serb Republic - Bosnia & Hercegovina

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Serbia/Србија

2005-07-10T21:33:00.000-04:00

(w)

SEE Guca Trumpet Folk Festival VideoBlog 2005 !!!

PHOTOS belgrade kragujevac
VIDEOBLOG lowRes highRes

English version coming soon...

Ovo je ziva istina. Cekam bukvalno pred ulaznim vratima u avion, tacno ispred ‘kokpita’ dok se ‘strucna posada’ JatAirways nije smilovala da smesti nas par nesrecnika koji smo bili na listi cekanja. Pored mene stoje par devojaka i jedan tip. Tip je ono obucen kao, sljokice, frisko ispeglane lanene pantalone, izvezena bela kosulja kratkih rukava I nosi neke opasne naocale.

Posmatram ja njega, posmatra on mene. Sve ono kao nesto napeta situacija. Na njegovoj desnoj ruci uocio sam Rolex sa dijamantima, zlatni lancuga visi oko vrata i jos je ukrasen tetovazama na rukama ispod ramena. Tip je kratko osisan, plave kose I verovatno negde u svojim srednjim tridesetim godinama.

PHOTOS belgrade kragujevac

VIDEOBLOG lowRes highRes

Ovo vreme protice tako sporo, osecam kao da prolazi citav vek. Postaje napeto. Vise nisam siguran dali cu uopste da letim u Beograd. Ovi ‘jatovci’ su stvarno bezveze, totalne seljacine. Odlucim ti ja onako instinktivno da se predstavim ovom tipu koji nervozno setka ispred vrata jer mi je neverovatno poznat.

Izletim ti ja onako lagano da se neutralizuje bilo kakav akcent, Gospodine, ja se zovem Sinisa Vlaisavljevic. Izvinite sto vas uznemiravam ali htedoh da se javim jer mi se cini da se znamo. Strasno ste mi poznati. Kako se vi zovete?

PHOTOS belgrade kragujevac
VIDEOBLOG lowRes highRes

Njegova face se u istom momentu ukoci. On zastade citavih tridesetak sekundi i napokon se predstavi. Ja se zovem Matjaz ……., zaboravih mu prezime, ali nije ni vazno. Ja onako, ni pet ni sest, aaaaa “ Da niste slucajno iz Teslica?” Mislim se u sebi, “kakav sam ja manijak da pitam facu dali je iz mog malog rodnog grada”. Matjaz pocrveni u faci, odmeri me od glave do pete, pridje mi na nakih metar i tiho rece, “DA, JA SAM IZ TESLICA”, taj I taj. Ma koji crni Matjaz, ne zelim da objavim njegovo pravo ime ali facu znam od malena.

Neverovatno! Prepoznao je i Matjaz mene. Posle tolikih godina sam i ja nekog prepoznao. Izgrlismo se i izljubismo se nas dvojica ko braca. U isto vreme i nas predivni Jat se smilovao da nas pusti na let I cak nas ubaci u prvu klasu jer nigde drugo nije bilo mesta. Skoro dva sata leta smo Matjaz i ja pleli konverzaciju I koliko toliko se ispricali.

PHOTOS belgrade kragujevac
VIDEOBLOG lowRes highRes

Pazi, on se naravno ne zove Matjaz, negoooooo....faca je "sredio" Slovenske papire, koja je evo vec duze u EU tako da se odlucio da zivi i radi u Amsterdamu, kao Matjaz. Koje su to kombinacije:) I tako ti ljudi moji pocinje opet nova avantura, sada u jednoj od najlepsih zemalja sveta, zemlji pecenja, rakije, kafana I cigana, Srbiji.

Jako tesko sletanje, umalo smrtonosno, mislio sam moje zadnje. Kapetan "Mikula Mali" kao da sad sa broda ili kapira da vozi svinje ili vozi pilice. Mislim ono prednji tocak aviona je odskocio par puta i jako udario da su neki ljudi poceli da vriste. Ja pomislih, sva sreca pa nista nije zahrdjalo inace bi sada vec svi putnici bili u planu za put sest stopa ispod zemlje.

PHOTOS belgrade kragujevac
VIDEOBLOG lowRes highRes

Milorad, (orle) moj najmiliji kum me sacekao da ‘ladnim pivom i krenusmo mi odmah u Kragujevac. Bio sam u tom lepom gradu vec dva-tri puta i uvek sam se lepo proveo. Kumovi mi zive u “potoku”, deo naselja kad se ide od centra prema “aerodromu”. Olja, Miloradova sestra, uspesno nosi na ledjima “beauty salon” koji je dugo bio lociran u centru grada blizu autobuske stanice ali je sada radnju prebacila u poslovni prostor njihove rezidencije. Miloradu trenutno radi na nekom ekoloskom biznisu sto je pokrenuo sa ujakom iz Soko Banje i u poslednje vreme se usredsredio svu snagu na salon gde je postao "equal partner":).

Pre rata u Bosni, Milorad i Olivera (Olja) su ziveli na cetvrtom spratu, u istom ulazu zgrade u naselju Jovana Ducica u Teslicu. Tu su se svi stanari doselili polovinom osamdesetih. Milorad i ja smo zajedno pdrasli, isli u istu osnovnu (Mladost) i srednju skolu (Djuro Pucar Stari), prvi put se napili zajedno u njegovoj garazi od neke ljute crnogorske brlje (rakije) koju smo pili iz ketchup flasica-prijatelj i kum kakav se samo pozeliti moze.

PHOTOS belgrade kragujevac
VIDEOBLOG lowRes highRes

Budimir i Mirjana Cvorovic, njihovi roditelji su sada vec penzioneri. Karijere su proveli kao profesionalci kulinarskog zanata u cuvenom Hotelu Kardijal koji se dan danas nalazi u Banji Vrucici u predgradju naseg malog Teslica.

Kragujevac=zurka. Mislim da se tamo covek nikad ne moze da odmori, nema sanse. Svako vece smo izlazili po kaficima, nocnim klubovima i u teske sate ubijali se neverovatnim rostiljom. Vrucine su bile nesnosne, a klima uredjaji su ipak jos uvek retkost tako da smo se preko dana sakrivali po hladovini a nocu lumpovali, uglavnom Akademija i Getho.

PHOTOS belgrade kragujevac
VIDEOBLOG lowRes highRes

U isto vreme dok sam bio u Kragujevcu odrzavao se i muzicki festival u Novom Sadu. > EXIT je postao jedan od najposecenijih a ujedno u najpopularnijih festivala u ovom delu Evrope. Ipak, nisam imao snage da odem. Na kraju sam odlucio sam da malo pobegnem od Milorada i odem u Beograd da uknjizim par fotki.

Djordje Djukanovic, prijatelj iz Washington DCja, jedan od retkih uspesnih povratnika koje znam vec preko godinu dana zivi i radi u Beogradu. Djole me lepo ugostio u svom novom stanu tacno pored nove sportske arene na Novom Beogradu (sigurno me mrzi jer sam mu pojeo sav 'beef jerky:)'. Siroke ulice, lepo osmisljena arhitektura naselja i prostupacnost banaka i kvalitetnih prehrambenih prodavnica me stvarno podseca na Ameriku i zapadnu Evropu.

PHOTOS belgrade kragujevac
VIDEOBLOG lowRes highRes

Jedno vece smo izasli na splavove, zujali po gradu i jeli najbolje palacinke sa nutelom na planeti. Mislim, Ameri imaju ok pancakes, Francuzi imaju superiska crêpe, ali Beograd i Srbija imaju stvarno 'do jaja', daleko najbolje palacinke. Par dana sam setao po gradu, slikao Hram Svetog Save (slika gore), prelepe beogradske ulice, Kalemegdan, Skadarliju i po malo i fantazirao o mom zivotu na Balkanu. Ko zna, mozda se jednog dana i vratim.

Srbija sigurno napreduje, vidi se na svakom koraku a ljudi su toliko zeljni boljeg zivota i sanse za sigurnijom buducnosti. Elem, za nekih 100 Evra nadjem jednosmernu kartu za Tivat, Montenegro i krenem malo na more da vidim kumove iz Kanade i usput da pogledam par nekretnina u Boki Kotorskoj. Sledi Videoblog...

Pogledajte Videoblog

Netherlands

2005-07-07T00:36:00.000-04:00

(w)

PHOTOS - VIDEOBLOG (coming soon)

After a short trip home to take care of some business I am back on the road. I used my return ticket New York – Cape Town via Amsterdam and got off the plain in Amsterdam. My childhood friend Almir was waiting for me at the Rotterdam central station.

Almir now lives in the suburbs of Rotterdam with his wife Alisa and son Alen. More than a decade ago, wore broke out in our homeland and both Almir and I have found our peace elsewhere. We grew up as best friends, sharing beer and vine during countless nights by the river beach in our little home town of Teslic, now in the Republika Srpska, a province of Bosnia and Hercegovina.

PHOTOS - VIDEOBLOG (coming soon)

The night of my arrival, we had a nice dinner, went out to a local bar from some drinks. The following few days I’ve spent with Almir and his family. Frankly, the times spent with close friends from childhood feel like some sort of spiritual rehabilitation. Obviously, my generation in the former Yugoslavia did not grow up like most other “normal” kids. To me, these rare times with people who knew me before the war are very important and I am grateful for it. These times add another level of existence and awareness of my life and my well being. We were struck by the lightning of war during our teenage years and grew up instantly thinking how to save our families and survive. Well, that’s another story, which I plan to write in detail next year.

Anyway, this is not my first time in the Netherlands. I lived in Amsterdam for few months in the early nineties during the war in the former Yugoslavia as a refugee. The people here are very friendly and welcoming. I always thought that I would live here one day. The Netherlands is very populated, multicultural and unique for its "low-lands", flower industry and windmills. One of my favorite things to do in the Netherlands is to take trains to the country side.

PHOTOS - VIDEOBLOG (coming soon)

On my last day in the Netherlands I went back to Amsterdam to take few photos for the blog and book a ticket for Belgrade, Serbia. Actually, this is not true. Almir and I were partying all night long and he decided, as a true friend to drive me all the way back to the airport.

Never fly Jat Airways from Amsterdam to Belgrade unless you have to. The Jat representative at the Amsterdam Schripol airport was very unprofessional, rude and an absolute “seljacina”. To make a long and unpleasant story short, I ended up staying one extra night in Amsterdam due to the fact that my seat was sold for a better price, I was put on a stand-by list, standing there for hours, trying to send some sort of invisible signals to the Jat freak that my boarding pass had a seat assigned to me and that I was suppose to be on the flight!

PHOTOS - VIDEOBLOG (coming soon)

Believe it or not, I overheard the conversation between the Jat rep. and the pilot discussing the last stand-by person waiting in front of the airplane door. The last passenger was put in the cockpit with the pilots. Unbelievable!

That night I went to couple of Cuban clubs, smoked some fine cigars and had a great Turkish kebab for dinner. I've always thought that the best Turkish food was in the western Europe. Anyway, the next day I came back to the airport and this time around I successfully boarded the plane and took off into the unknown, the land of Guca, Serbia...

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Namibia

2005-06-22T00:42:00.002-04:00

(w)
namib photos (black & white) (color)
etosha national park photos
namibia vlog

After spending few weeks in Cape Town with my childhood friend Neb, I’ve decided to take action and continue my trip as planned. Last few days were quite cold and it was raining almost every day. I went to a Flight Centre travel agency near Long Street in Cape Town and booked my ticket to Windhoek, the Namibian capital city. The flight was short, only two hours, and from the airplane window I was able to see some pretty rigid landscape and dry river beds. I was on the way to the land of the oldest and most beautiful desert in the world.

We had a rough landing but it was compensated by a very smooth immigration process. First thing to do was to get myself a local phone number and rent a car for my expedition. Shortly there after I was on my way cruising with a Toyota Corolla towards the capital city located about 50 kilometers west from the airport. Yes, I am not kidding, it was a brand spanking new, silver Toyota Corolla.

namib photos (black & white) (color)
etosha national park photos
namibia vlog

First impression, the surrounding area was surprisingly mountainous but covered by a short steppe grass and few bushes scattered around. It looked rainless for the last few years. Just before I entered the Windhoek, I’ve noticed few baboons running across the road. I felt I was about to have some of the best times of my life. The Republic of Namibia is huge, like France and Germany put together. It is sparsely populated and situated along the south Atlantic coast of Africa. The roads are fabulous and some travelers even drive up from South Africa. Before the independence in the early nineties, Namibia was known as South West Africa. The oldest desert in the world, the Namib Desert, (SEE PHOTOS- b/w, color and MOVIE) stretches along the whole west coast of the Africa and it ends in the south of Angola. Namibia is also famous for the Etosha National Park and the Skeleton Coast.

So, I arrived to Windhoek, got myself few local maps and set down in a German bakery to have some strudel and coffee. Namibia is very, and I mean VERY German. Some people said it is more German than Germany. I thought South Africa was great and major credits go to German shops that are all over the place. Same thing here in Namibia; bratwursts everywhere! Anyway, the plan was to drive up to Etosha National Park, spend 2-3 days in the park then drive south to Swakobmund to see the Namib Desert and have some fun ATVing the oldest sand dunes in the world.

namib photos (black & white) (color)
etosha national park photos
namibia vlog

Etosha is about 500 kilometers north from the capital. I took off to try to make it to the park the same day. The roads were excellent, well maintained and on average people were driving 150kmph. I stopped by in few places for a break and to get some gas. The gas stations are no different from western counterparts. The Etosha Pan is believed to have originated over 10 million years ago as a shallow lake. The Etosha Park is also well recognized as being one of the last wild sanctuaries of the endangered black rhino which you may even find in my movie special. There are three rest camps, Okaukuejo, Halali and Namutoni.

namib photos (black & white) (color)
etosha national park photos
namibia vlog

While entering the Etosha National Park about 20 minutes before sunset, I’ve realized that I had to make to Okaukuejo ("the place of the women"), the western resort in the park before the sunset otherwise I would have to come back tomorrow morning. The thing is, no one can enter/leave the park at night. I stepped on my gas pedal after I signed the entrance sheet hoping to make it to Okaukuejo. This was the end of the pawed road and a great time for me and my Corolla. I was quite confident that we can pull this one together. On the way I’ve noticed humongous termite mounds, some small antelopes and wild boar. On my right I’ve seen six giraffes having their dinner snack. Immediately after, two huge lions jumped right in front of my Toyota and attacked my vehicle. My body instantly froze. I was alone in the car, scared as one can be, luckily with my windows rolled up. I thought if adrenaline was worth something I would be a millionaire by now. This was nothing like a ZOO, trust me.

namib photos (black & white) (color)
etosha national park photos
namibia vlog

I did not have much time to get to the first camp. I was getting little nervous as I could see the sun already sinking in behind the bush. The lions were hungry and on the way out hunting for their next kill. I passed them on my right side and suddenly I have realized what I was getting myself into. I was here, my favorite channels, Discovery, National Geographic and Animal Planet all together. I was in a wildlife reserve territory and I felt very vulnerable.

Few minutes later I made it to the Okaukuejo rest camp and checked in at the reception. It was not as expensive as I thought it would be, so I had few beers and a cigar to celebrate nothing else but me. Yes, I was celebrating the survival of a lion attack and my reincarnation, or whatever. The interesting thing about Okaukuejo is that the camp has a lighted waterhole, meaning I was able to see the animals in action at night. This was so much fun. National Geographic live!

namib photos (black & white) (color)
etosha national park photos
namibia vlog

The waterhole had a stadium size lights and one can see the other side where the animals are coming from. Rhinoceros’, lions, elephants, zebras, antelopes, wildebeest, ostriches, storks, and giraffes and many other animals were trying to make it to the waterhole. It was amazing, that’s all I can say. Mosquitoes and other annoying insects were all over the place obstructing my observation of a Rhino face off and an unsuccessful lion hunt. It was already 2am; hyenas were cynically laughing in the background; exhaustion was kicking in so I decided to go back to my hut to get some sleep. This was one of the most amazing days of my life.

namib photos (black & white) (color)
etosha national park photos
namibia vlog

Next morning I’ve checked out and left Okaukuejo behind. Again, try to imagine me driving this mid size Toyota Corolla through a park filled with all kinds of animals that I felt could break this little car into peaces. Some people said that Etosha has the tallest elephants in Africa, measuring up to 4m at the shoulder. Anyway, the plan was to get to Halali camp, about 100 km east of Okaukuejo and half way to Namutoni. While driving through dusty roads I stopped by many waterholes and seen some amazing wildlife. Zebras were all over the place and not in fear of my Corolla. I wanted to stay for a night at Halali but once I got there I decided to move on and drive to Namutoni. Namutoni is a former German fort and it has a good sunset view from the ramparts and tower. The resort also had a very nice waterhole for night viewing so I stayed for the night. Namutoni was a quite busy stop where I’ve met few European travelers, mostly Italian and German.

In the morning I paid my park dues and drove to a city of Tsumeb. There was not much there and it was quite early in the morning so I followed my gut feeling again and decided to drive straight to Swakobmund. After I purchased some petrol, water and some snacks for the road I was approached by a hitchhiker. This redneckish old man, an obvious pipe smoker with a checkered shirt and rough hands looked like he was a construction worker. I thought he definitely worked with his hands. His name was so long and complicated for me to pronounce that even after I politely asked his name few times I was still not able to remember it. Believe it or not, he was hitching all the way to Swakobmund. Later I have learned that he is 70 years old, car salesman and his grand-grand parents came to South Africa from Holland. He drove almost 600 km to sell a car in Tsumeb and now he was on his way back home to his wife.

I eventually agreed to his company and we were on our way to Swakobmund. He voluntarily chipped in N$100 for the gas and shared his stories of the wild Namibia which made the trip even more interesting. Some hundred kilometers later he took over my Toyota and drove all the way to Swakobmund with the average speed of 180 kmps (110mps)! This was one crazy old man flying through the desert. I dropped him of at the local gas station in Swakobmund and immediately took off to see the Namib dunes.

namib photos (black & white) (color)
etosha national park photos
namibia vlog

As I was driving on a highway to Walvis Bay, some 30 km south of Swakobmund, I had an experience that I was waiting for my entire life. The Namib Desert on my left and the Atlantic Ocean on the right, working in perfect harmony with the wind blowing from the ocean. The dunes were huge, almost surreal, actually the only sand mountains in the world. If you use Microsoft Operating System such as Windows XP or Windows 2000 you’ve probably seen the Namib as one of the default desktop background pictures of the dunes. Well, this is where I was now.

I stopped by the Dare Devil Adventures to schedule some dune boarding lessons or any desert activity. Fortunately, there was a small group about to leave on a sunset trip to the Namib Desert interior. At this point I was out of cash. Thanks to my American Express, I was able to put in my credit card and had a blast cruising through these magnificent dunes. I was stopping whenever I could to take pictures and movies but this place I certainly recommend for a live visit. The desert is quite cold. My hands were freezing. The temperatures can drop down to almost freezing at night while it gets unbearable hot during the day. We encountered a well camouflaged snake while finding our way to the “Half an Hour” Dune to see the sunset. The sand was so fine, almost like powder. It messed up both of my digital cameras but it was worth every second of filming.

namib photos (black & white) (color)
etosha national park photos
namibia vlog

That night I’ve spent a in a German owned, well secured hostel and had some sort of antelope steak for dinner. In the morning I went back to Windhoek. The fog was so thick that at one point I had to drive 20kmph. Three hours later I arrived to the airport, hopped on a plane back to Cape Town and fell asleep before the airliner’s security demonstrations. Namibia was just like a dream. Hope to be back someday.

On the way back to South Africa...

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Mozambique

2005-06-19T16:10:00.000-04:00

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Mozambique trip was not planned at all. Due to a constant rain and cold weather in Cape Town I have decided to escape north for few days. After looking into few options, the only available flights to Maputo, the capital of Mozambique.

Upon arrival, the customs process was very slow and unprofessional, what to expect from an ex communist country. The Mozambican Immigration officer took my passport and I had to wait for about an hour for a visa stamp. Lonely Planet recommends Fatima’s Backpackers in the city centre, so I decided to check it out. Fatima’s son picked us up at the airport and dropped us at the hostel. The hostel was very clean, people were friendly and beer was cold, I guess a world travellers dream. I had few beers at the hostel terrace chatting away with other travellers. It was too late for sight seeing so we stayed.

Malaria is sort of a big scare here in Mozambique. I covered myself completely with the mosquito repellents. All beds in the hostel had netting. It was pretty scary stuff and reminded me of a Travelocity TV commercial when a couple was shopping online for a vacation.

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Anyway, the next morning I took a long walk along the city centre streets, bought some awesome carved wood art and had some pizza. The streets were packed with street artists, fruit vendors and the one can hear Creole music everywhere. It felt like I was in Martinique for a minute. One of the funny things I’ve noticed was that the streets were named after communist leaders.

Mozambique is well known for its wood art. In addition to the wood art, Mozambique is famous for its prawns. The best seafood meals I’ve had in Maputo were in Costa del Sol, about 15 minute drivenorth of the city centre. Before I headed back to Cape Town, I went to the beach up north of Maputo and ate more unbelievable seafood.

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Republic of South Africa

2005-06-19T15:59:00.000-04:00

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Where to start…In the early nineties, my childhood buddies Neb, Neven and I (Tuljan Group) decided to take our chances and try immigrating to South Africa. There was a major civil war in the Balkans at the time and South Africa was not as stable as well but after a pretty insane farewell party at hotel Kardial we went to Belgrade, Serbia to look for work visas. To make a long story short, Neb was the only one that made it to South Africa and he lives there since. Neven is back in our hometown of Teslic, happily married and running few small businesses.

Few years back Neb visited me in the States and we drove cross country from Washington to Los Angeles. It was an amazing experience. Now it was my turn to come to South Africa. To be honest, I was so happy to get out of India. The flight connected through Dubai, UAE where I had a 15 hour layover. The airport and its surroundings looked great and I agree with the saying that Dubai International Airport is probably on of the coolest airports in the world these days.

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Anyway, from Dubai I flew to Johannesburg and then a local flight to Cape Town. Neb was these waiting for me at the airport. I did not shower for days at this point and I have run out of luck since Neb was renovating his bathrooms so I had to stay at the Long Street Backpackers for the duration of my visit.

First impression: I could get use to this place. I guess, after India I could get use to any place on this earth. Long Street is one of the most famous streets in Cape Town and one can find numerous bars, restaurants and hostels. The street itself has this New Orleans look and feel. Victorian architecture mixed with modern glass high rises; one can instantly notice multicultural European influence. I checked in, showered and had few beers with Neb the first night. Next morning I took a nice walk, had some English breakfast with crispy bacon and took some local money out of the ATM. The weather was miserable; raining and it was quite cold.

Visit to the Table Mountain National Park, trip to the Cape of Good Hope and vine country were the highlights my travels through South Africa. Table Mountain was amazing. Short drive from Long Street to the Cable Car station was all it took to get there. The car can fit about 60 people and it spins around for a maximum viewing pleasure. The top of the mountain is simply flat with unique flora & fauna.

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What is so special about the Table Mountain is the fact that the “table cloth” cloud sits on top of the mountain creating a very magnificent view. Neb and I spent an hour on the top, took some pictures and the serene warned to boar the last car down otherwise we would have to hike down. While we were up there, there was a rescue mission. Rescue team and a helicopter were there to save few climbers stuck on the mountain cliffs.

The Cape of Good Hope is one of the south most points in Africa and the park itself was one of the most beautiful sites I’ve seen so far. The bottom of Africa is actually about 200 kilometers from Cape Town but this location does not have much of the historical significance. Neb and I climbed to the Cape lighthouse, checked out some cool beaches and on the drive back stopped at the farm.

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Then I went to

Mozambique

...

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INDIA | Delhi | Agra | Jaipur

2005-05-25T09:37:00.001-04:00

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India-Delhi- Landed to Delhi Indira Ghandi Internation Airport after a very pleasant, four hours flight from Bangkok. First impression: heat blast, Swedish sauna. People are sleeping on the sidewalks. This place looked like a gipsy airport stuck in a sauna. Amazingly hot, humid, dirty and the outside street lights (or lack of) make it look I was walking on a movie set in Nabu.

I picked up my bags and decided to do the same thing as I did in Thailand, put one bag with a “left luggage” service. First I stopped by the local mobile telephone company to buy a SIM card for my phone. I found it to be very helpful to have a local phone number even if staying just a couple of days. The security officer on the airport pointed out to a barely lighted structure across the main parking lot. As I was walking out, I was approached my at least 30 people trying to sell me a ride to any destination.

I walked in to the building with no signs, with a single light bulb. No one was there. The only thing you could hear is a ceiling fan and the visibility was very limited as well. Behind the desk I've noticed a man sleeping on a bench. Flies were everywhere. One huge rat squeaked and run from one end of the room to another. I’ve seen some old dusty bags there but it did not appear as a left luggage service at all. As I turned around, two men walked in. They asked if they could help me with anything. I said I was looking for a left luggage service but I was probably at a wrong place.

They woke up the sleeping man behind the desk. He looked up very slowly and asked me what I wanted. At the same time many bad thoughts we going through my mind. What the hell was I thinking? Leave my bag in a place like this! No way. He said, this is left luggage service sir. How many bags do you want to leave with us? I wanted to get out and find my way back to the airport but I was very tired and decided to leave my heavy bag full of presents and other unnecessary items there. I had no lock on my bag as well.

In the background these three men spoke like they were fighting. I asked then where to look for a cab. Shortly there after, another man with mustache showed up out of the dark and said he was a taxi driver. He took my other bag and we walked to his cab. I am not even going to describe the mode of transportation this was. It would take a whole separate blog. Taxi this certainly was not.

My plan was to spend few days in Delhi, see the Red Fort then make my way to Agra (Taj Mahal) and Jaipur, the pink city). I was woken up by the taxi driver when he suddenly turned left from the main road to this dusty street in the middle of nowhere. Total darkens, no sounds, just occasional car passing by on the next street. The taxi driver quickly got out of the car and said he needed to talk to a man in the office to see the road conditions or something. I was getting nervous so I stepped out of the car, took my cell in one hand and a first rock I could find next to me. This smelled fishy to me. Next minute two men came out and approached the vehicle. I was on the other side. The car was between us. They saw my one hand with a cell phone making a dummy call. One man asked, “WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU?” I looked at the driver, raised my voice and said, “JUST GET ME OUT OF HERE!” I will not pay you a rupee is we do not leave now. I was so angry and afraid at the same time.

Alone.

It was 3:30am. The man realized that I was aware of their scams and that I made enough noise that few houses turned their light on to see what was going on outside. My “taxi driver” got in and silently invited me back into the car. I was furious. He dropped me of at the city center, Connaught Place. All hotels were packed, so they say. Finally, one hour later I was so exhausted that I had to settle in another are of New Delhi. Believe me, there was nothing NEW about it.

Now I know why so many photographers take black and white pictures here. This place is so dusty, dirty and poor that b/w pictures come out the best. I guess. Beggars are everywhere. It was sad for me to see all this. I thought it would be different. I was expecting a culture more similar to Myanmar (Burma). I couldn’t sleep that night. I was thinking how lucky I was in my life so far, or was I? The next morning I went to the main train station in Old Delhi and got myself a ticket to Agra. I was hoping to get out of this place as soon as possible. I wish I had a helicopter to film thousands of people on the station. It felt like I was in a movie filming trains on their way to concentration camps in Germany. The main difference was that these folks here had absolutely nothing on them. Nothing at all.

Train to Agra was two hours late but the station officials said that the train is late every day. Agra is about 6-7 hours by train from Delhi. The Taj Mahal was constructed by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, whose death in childbirth in 1631 left the emperor so heartbroken that his hair is said to have turned grey overnight. His son imprisoned the emperor and later buried his father next to his wife inside the Taj. I stayed the entire morning and took few pictures. I am just amazed how such a magnificent palace can be built in the middle of nowhere. I mean, lets be real here. I would say, if you want to see it, fly directly to Agra and spend only one day there. Avoid traveling in India in summer time.

Next morning I was on my way to the pink city, Jaipur. While I was waiting for the train I’ve notices rail workers moving some rails in the middle of the day. I stepped down, took some photos and purchased drinks for the entire group. Cute little four years old girl was playing with me while I was waiting for the train. I bought her some street food and took some pics.

see the girl from agra album here

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Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan state. It is known as the 'pink city' because of the Maharaja order in 1853. He wanted to honor British Prince Albert so he decided to paint all the walls pink. The Rajputs associate the color pink with hospitality. This was the best part of my travels in India. I’ve met few folks on the train to Jaipur and we went out sightseeing together. Unlike Agra, Jaipur is very colorful with Indian textiles one can see in the western worlds everywhere. Next day I went to see the cobra dance, textile factories and dinner in a local PIZZA HUT! The next thing was amazing.

beggar jaipur train station india

see the album here

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While walking on the street by the bazaar, I stumbled upon a old man selling cool rocks on the side of the road. If you know me you would notice that ware a big silver ring without a stone for years. I kneeled down, randomly put my hand on his little pile of rocks and picked up a peace that fitted perfectly into my ring. It was almost like an illusion, a true déjà vu. I gave the old man 200 rupees and walked away staring at my new ring. It was amazing.

On my way back to Delhi I’ve met a Spanish lady on her way to Delhi. She wanted to buy stones in Jaipur and resell in Spain. A Tibetan monk, her friend picked us up and helped me find a room for the night. Next morning I picked up my bags from the “left luggage” and I was no my way to South Africa.

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Thailand | Bangkok

2005-05-22T23:55:00.000-04:00

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OK. Last night was weird. While going through the immigration in Sydney, I met Name. Name is his name. His parents are diplomats in Australia so Name was going back home to Bangkok after 6 weeks. We exchanged friendly smiles and were off to the aircraft.

Initially, my plan was to go to Koh San road but Name suggested that I join him and his friend on a night out. I left my bag in the "left luggage" and packed few things to my carry-on. We walked out of the airport and Name's friend was waiting with a brand new, black Mercedes. I was very curious to see what will the night bring.

Even thought I was absolutely exhausted, I had to accept the offer to join these guys out. I wanted to see what a real "Thai night out" was. Half an hour latter we stepped out of the car. The name of the night club, First Class, was shining in the blue-purple neon lights. We were greeted by the valet parking staff, reserved table; bottle of black label and a Thai band on the center stage. People dancing everywhere. I felt I was in a martial arts movie.

The place was very impressive. For a moment I thought I was in some place in Washington. First Class reminded me of the old Cities restaurant/bar in Adams Morgan. Anyway, First Class was great but I was craving some good and spicy Thai food so the boys took me out for dinner/breakfast. It was pouling rain outside. The UEFA cup soccer finals were on the big screen. We were drinking vine and Thai beer. CSKA won the cup for the fist time in history.

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Next thing you know, I was in the cab to Koh San road. Checked into a cheep hotel and passed out. Woke up few hours later in sweat. The room had no windows and no AC! Amazing. I guess I was to drunk and tired the previous night to notice. The following days I went to see some Thai temples, the Wat Po (huge reclining buddha) and had some amazing food on Koh San road.
Since there are some major problems in Nepal these days, I've decided to go straight to India. Now, this was absolutely amazing...

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2005-05-20T05:08:00.000-04:00

Cheers to Igor, Dejan and Louis from Khaosan Bangkok!

Australia | Fraser Island

2005-05-14T22:30:00.000-04:00

SYDNEY - BLUE MOUNTAINS - BRISBANE - FRASER ISLAND

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PHOTO ALBUM - VIDEOBLOG (15mb)

FRASER ISLAND -My cousin Savo and I drove up north 300 kilometers to a small township of Hervey Bay. Just before we entered the town we stopped by the Go-Cart place to have some fun and shorty after we checked in our backpackers hostel next to the port. We looked into many different options how to get to the FRASER island. Hervey Bay is the gateway to Fraser and many travelers start their journey here. We chose to fly-4wd-fly package.

Fraser Island is the largest sand-formed island on the planet with a 75 mile long sand beach, many creeks and fresh water lakes, rain forest and the purest strain of DINGO in Australia. The Fraser Island is on the World Heritage list as well.

Anyway, 15 minutes later Savo and I were flying over the most beautiful beaches and lakes I've ever seen. Savo was a co-pilot for the duration of the flight. We landed our little airplane right on the beach and our 4WD was waiting to take us to our first destination, Lake McKenzie.

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Lake McKenzie is about 15km inland from the coast but it took us about 35 minutes to get there. While other travelers were sunbathing on the fresh-water sandy beach, my cousin and I decided to take a hike and walk around the entire lake. Following the Dingo tracks, it took us over two hours and this adventure included some bush-walking, survival message writings in the sand and swimming in the fresh water. It was amazing.

After lunch we drove up to the Indian Head point, about 70km north from out base camp. On the way up we stopped by the rusty old shipwreck and climbed a moon landscape alike dunes. This is for real. I am not kidding. The dingo's were everywhere. Well, I guess I am exaggerating but we did see few dingos hunting for a snack:). Next thing you know it was getting dark so we had to get back to our resort since night driving is not allowed on the island.

The weather was not on our side the following day. It was very cold and raining. Savo and I took our fair well drive and almost got stuck on the island due to a 4WD battery failure. Thanks to a local fisherman we managed to start-up our vehicle and made the flight back to Hervey Bay...

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SYDNEY - BLUE MOUNTAINS - BRISBANE - FRASER ISLAND

Australia | Brisbane

2005-05-14T21:38:00.000-04:00

SYDNEY - BLUE MOUNTAINS - BRISBANE - FRASER ISLAND(w)
SYDNEY - BLUE MOUNTAINS - BRISBANE - FRASER ISLAND
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With Garden State soundtrack music in my ears, I am writing this into my diary while flying back to Sydney on VirginBlue. The roaring sounds of the jet engine adds another soundtrack to my ears as I think of my visit to Brisbane. What to say. It was to good to be sad, surreal for a farewell cry. I could only smile while leaving the sunshine state. Long lost family ties recovered; family united. Genuine love I've experienced and only a fool would not go back for more:) Thank you for the most wonderful time I could possibly have. No worries mate!

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SYDNEY - BLUE MOUNTAINS - BRISBANE - FRASER ISLAND

Australia | Blue Mountains

2005-05-07T22:20:00.000-04:00

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BLUE MOUNTAINS -Covered by the misty blue clouds from the acacia trees evaporation, the Blue Mountains are very interesting formation similar to the Grand Canyon on a smaller scale. This national park is about two and a half hours from Sydney and it is worth a day trip or even a weekend destination. I've seen my first 'roos in the wild here...

SYDNEY - BLUE MOUNTAINS - BRISBANE - FRASER ISLAND