11/4: Bosnia and Croatia

I've done a pretty poor job of journaling lately so here are the cliffnotes from Halloween up until now (Nov. 4):
Miller dressed up like a giant penis and I dressed up as Achilles and we partied at Rotunda and Space E
The next day we had and all day drive and an all-night boatride to Croatia. I really wish I would've brough a sleeping bag for the boatride.
After a ton of busriding we finally made it to Medjugorje.
Bosnia is freezing cold. As soon as entered its borders you could tell it was stil deep in recovery. There were lots of abandoned houses and buildings and trash everywhere. The roads weren't in good shape.
Medjugorje was a lot smaller than I thought. We first settled into our pensiones, which were surprisingly nice. Then we hiked up to the aparition site, saying a decade of the rosary at five different spots. I hiked up the hill barefoot because that's how the traditionalists do it. It wasn't a trail though. I was sharp, steep, and rocky. It was pretty painful and cold, but it was a powerful experience. That night for dinner we went to a restaurant that was very cheap. We had some great food and great conversation. We went back to our pensione and had a sober fun night. We played King's Cup without the drinking. I think the girls had fun but couldn't understand our 205 dialect.
The next morning we headed to Mostar. The ride was short. The town isn't that big but it had a lot to offer. Just driving through you could see several buildings destroyed by bombs. A lot of walls were peppered with shrapnel. We went on a tour through the older part of town with our smoking hot tour guide. She talked a little bit about the war but not much. You could tell that the newer generations are ready to move on, but there is still bad blood.
After the tour we got lunch and then checked out the shops. They sold a lot of vases, pens, and other things made out of mortar and bullet shells. They also sold old military gear, which sort of creeped us out. There was a helmet that looked like it had been blown up. John was looking at a knife that turned out to be a bayonette blade from an AK47. When he pulled it out of its sheat it still had oxidized blood on it.
I loved the river and old bridge. Mostar had a lot of character and I think eventually it will be a prosperous town. That night the pensione gave us a free dinner and a lot of free wine. They're so nice to us here. I stayed in and just hung out with the other people staying in our hotel.
The next morning we drove back into Croatia to the coastal town of Dubrovnik. It's a fortified town with huge sonte walls that overlooks the Adriatic. It was amazing. The Adriatic is as clear as any river I've every seen and you could see fish all the way from the top of the castle walls. I ate a delicious lunch of calamari and then went for a swim even though it was pretty cold out. The water was still warm. Then we just chilled at an outdoor bar overlooking the sea. It was absolutely beautiful and we even saw some dolphins in the distance.
We had another night of fun and then another day and night of traveling. All in all this trip was a very moving and eventful one. I will never forget it. I hate it because after every school trip I want to go back in the spring on my own.