Calipso.

The three of us woke up prepared a quick breakfast, and then headed to the bus station. We boarded the bus to Budva, Montenegro and were on our way. The whole bus routine has become quite normal, though  I do miss our other travelling companions.  After getting stamps of departure from Croatia and then a stamp of entrance to Montenegro we waved good bye to Croatia, and were ready to see more of the Balkans.

Upon arrival we found a taxi and then checked into our apartment. Travelling is exhausting so we took a small nap and then headed down to the beach area to scope out the area and find dinner. To my delight the ice cream vendors on the beach had my favorite ice cream, that I had only seen before in Serbia the Calipso.

We ate dinner then relaxed for the evening. Gabi and Ben went exploring further, but I headed to bed  early.

The next day we slept in, and then began to do serious work on our papers. But in all honesty who wants to be writing an essay when the Adriatic Sea is just a three minute walk away. In late afternoon, Gabi and I headed to the beach. Although these beaches did have more of a sand texture as opposed to concrete blocks, they were dirty, and reminded me of the beaches back in Connecticut.

Tomorrow we are off to Tirana, Albania. Hopefully we will be able to meet up with Gino a fellow student who was on the dialogue with us. 

Relax.

Disclaimer: Now that we are off the dialogue, I am going to attempt to maintain the blog, but some posts may be lumped together.

Finally some days for complete and utter relaxation. Gabi, Ben and I all slept in and then we had a nice little breakfast together. Our apartment is perfect we have a great terrace for inspiration(view to the left); it also provides us with fresh grapes and lemons.  Also the living is extremely cheap, we bought some groceries, and then have been making delicious meals.  We also spend time relaxing on the cement blocks across the street that are adjacent to the Adriatic Sea. On Monday we had a similar day, except we all started to work on our papers, the only problems in our paradise, that are due within the next week.

 Also, if anyone ever needs a travel agent, Ben has done a fantastic job researching the area and finding the perfect apartment to stay in. The couple who owns it has been more than helpful, and the place is immaculately clean and stocked with all the necessities, all for just 50 Euros a night. 

Grateful.

After looking back on this dialogue I am ever grateful for all the experiences we have had, all the people who have chosen to take their time and meet with us, and most importantly to our professors and TA.

Each meeting that was setup was done through networking and a series of phone calls. Meetings were cancelled and changed without a moment’s notice. Travelling around for five weeks is stressful and trying, but everyone tried to keep a smile on his or her face. Thank you again to all those who helped make this trip amazing. I can honestly say that by studying the conflict by travelling through the region and talking to the people I have learned so much more than any textbook or webpage could possibly have taught me. 

Sweet Tooth.

I cannot believe this day has already come. It was time to say good-bye to our friends and to start life after the dialogue (though we still had two papers to complete). Because the national holiday was yesterday the local ice cream shop was closed, so Fiona and I decided to head back to the city this morning and indulge our sweet tooth(s). The trek was definitely worth it. I got my favorite cappuccino and dark chocolate ice cream (so yummy, me enjoying the treat to the right). And Fiona got raspberry and dark chocolate, and she bought some macaroons to take with her back to the states.

All of us loaded our suitcases onto the bus, hugged the friends who were remaining behind and headed to the airport. Once through security I said all my final goodbyes to those travelling back to the states or other countries around Europe. Gabi, Ben and I are headed back to Dubrovnik and then onto a few other places.

Our flight was short and sweet; we were so excited to be back by the sea. At the airport the man whose apartment we rented picked us up and drove us to the house. Thank you to Ben for all his research. We are situated in a small enclave just outside the busy tourist area of Dubrovnik. Here we have two terraces with views of a bay, a kitchen, and three beds, a washing machine, and the ever-important wifi.

Upon arrival we walked down to the local marina and got some groceries, then headed home and cooked our first dinner and did some laundry. Having clean clothes is heavenly. We relaxed and enjoyed our time away from the stress of the dialogue. 

Presenting.

Today is the last full day of the dialogue, and the day to give our group presentations focusing on EU accession, and the Euro-Atlantic treaty. If I were assigned this presentation back when we were in Belgrade, I would have had no knowledge or experience in regards to these topics. Professor Yiannis likened this trip to a puzzle, as we travelled we were able to put together the pieces, and then learn about the big picture.  I am so grateful for the opportunity. By being in the region I have learned so much more than a textbook could have ever taught me.

Today is also a national holiday in Croatia, so the majority of the shops downtown were closed, so we decided to stay by the hotel and relax. The afternoon had a bittersweet feeling. Many were happy to be done with the work and were ready to get home or onto their travels, but there was also the feeling of missing new friends. After a late dinner at the mall, many of us hung out in the hotel reminisced on the trip. Fiona and I also made plans to wake up early and head into town for a breakfast of champions, ice cream. 

Last.

Marissa and I woke up at Lara's cousin's appartment which was a welcome change from the hotels. We got ready, and then Lara took us to her favorite bakery (pekarina in Croatian). After eating we took a small tour of the old part of the city, there was a Museum of Broken Relationships which looked quite funny, while waiting for the rest of the group to meet us. 

We had two meetings today; Parliament (above, the main chamber) and we met with a Serbian business organization Prevrednik. Luckily the apartment we stayed at was across the street from Parliament so meeting up with the group was easy. We were given a tour of the building, and explained the history of some of the smallest details. I learned that something that one does not notice on first glance might have symbolic meanings rooted in the past of the nation, for example the windows. During the conflict the windows were covered with bricks too not only protect against gunshots and grenades, but also to symbolize the closed mindedness of the communist regime. Once the new constitution was in place the bricks came down to let in the light. We also learned that there are about 153 Members of Parliament, at least 5 of them are dedicated to Croats who hold duel citizenship and live outside of Croatia.

Our last meeting was with a Serbian organization Prevrednik. The word Prevrednik means entrepreneur. This was an organization started in 1897 to help poverty stricken Serbs realize their full potential through apprenticeships. The organization has been in operation on and off since the time of inception, due to the change of government, and multiple conflicts. Our speaker talked also about the discrimination of Serbs in Croatia, such as in jobs and in elections.

After our meetings we met up with Lara again for lunch. We spent our afternoon enjoying the city. Zagreb is quite a nice town, but I do not recommend anyone to visit it during the summer everyone is out of town enjoying the coast. Later in the night we had our last family dinner at a Red Hot Chili Peppers themed pizzeria. 

Reunited.

 Today, not only did we have two meetings, but also Marissa and I were going to get to see one of our dear friends from school Lara. Marissa and I packed our bags and got all dolled up to go to the Presidential Palace.  We all crammed into taxis for the 30-minute trip to the presidential palace. Upon arrival we were ushered into vans and taken to the building. Here we met with the chief foreign policy analyst for the president of Croatia in the reception hall, here they have greeted diplomats from all over, including the late pope (below).

He is an expert in the field, and he has written numerous texts (perhaps reading suggestions for next year). The European Union was the issue of discussion today. He first talked about how each country in Europe has suffered one or more of these four issues: internal civil war, occupation, reunification, and or disintegration. The Balkans is no different. Now just 20 years after the conflicts they are looking to be a normal part of the EU.

Croatia is set for admittance in 2013, but emotions are mixed. Many Croats are opposed to joining the EU for various reasons. First, Croatia just gained independence and many citizens do not want to give up their newfound freedom. Also, there are currently problems within the EU, and Croatia has a stabilized economy. On the other hand, the EU would provide protection to this small nation, and if all falls along the EU plan by joining the quality of life for Croatians should improve.

We were then escorted to the bus stop where we waited for the bus to take us to the main square. Once at the square Marissa and I were reunited with Lara. We met for a quick lunch of cevapi. After lunch we made a quick stop at Vincek’s Pastry Shop for some of the best ice cream I have ever had.  We gave our clothes to Lara and then parted ways, and made plans to meet after our meeting.

The next meeting was with the director of lexicology at the University of Zagreb. He talked about both the political and social affects of languages. Which reminded me of the book I had to read for class Blueprints of a House Divided. In this book they discussed how each language has changed due to politics of a region. So the original constitution for Serbia in 1990 included the term Serbo-Croatian and said nothing about Cyrillic. But then in 1992 when the constitution for Greater Serbia was written they called the language Serbian and included the term Cyrillic to describe the alphabet.  As there are differences in languages in different regions of Italy, there are differences in the Balkans region.

 Once the meeting was over we waved goodbye to our group and headed to meet Lara and her cousin Sandra. The two of them continued to give us a tour of the city, and show us their favorite places (the local park right, St. Mark's Church with the Croatian flag on the roof). It was so nice to see another familiar face. We then stopped by the grocery store to get goods for the dinner we planned to make. It was so nice to finally have a cheap and delicious home cooked dinner (me cooking below). We talked about their opinions on Croatia joining the EU, Sandra and Lara both were against the idea, while they said their parents felt oppositely. After dinner we wandered around the town and enjoyed the evening together (Lara and I with the statue of King Tomislav below).

Beauty.

The buffet of food the hotel had for breakfast was delicious; we filled our stomachs, and then packed onto the bus and headed for the Plitvice Lake National Park. Once at the park we split into smaller groups to explore the area. Our group decided to take one of the longer paths around the lakes. We were able to see a lot of the waterfalls, and multi-colored lakes. The views were breath taking. These lakes are all different colors due to mineral content, organisms; the way the sun hits the surface, and temperature. We hiked around the lakes for over 5 hours. Upon completion I was exhausted.

 

We got back on the bus at 3 in the afternoon, and headed for our final destination, Zagreb. As soon as I got into my seat I passed out for the entire trip. Of course our hotel in Zagreb was far from the city center, so Marissa and I decided to head to the nearby mall for dinner. If being near malls is the idea of Location, Location, Location, then Dragan did a great job with that, but I would much prefer being in the city center. That night since we were so tired, the majority of our group chose either to watch a movie at the mall or go to sleep early, I chose the latter. 

Persistence.

This morning everyone woke up refreshed and ready to get to the Plitvice Lake area. I was especially excited, because I heard there would be places to hike and explore. That is one thing I miss about being home, the ability to be outside doing physical activities. We arrived to our quaint hotel mid-afternoon, we had a planned family dinner at 7. Our hotel was literally in the middle of nowhere, and I was beginning to go a bit stir crazy. I found a brochure for “Mini-Plitivice” (pictures below) and decided I wanted to do some exploring prior to dinner. I convinced a small group to come along. The brochure said three minute drive, so I figured about a 30 minute walk, but to my surprise, the drive was along a main road that you could not walk so getting there without a car was impossible. Luckily Professor Sullivan was persistent and convinced the manager of the hotel to drive us there and pick us up.

We explored the area for about an hour and then headed back to our hotel for dinner. It was nice to sit with the group and talk about our past few days. We all went to bed early, since we knew tomorrow was going to be a day of hiking and sightseeing.

(photo credit to Fiona for the picture above) 

Walk.

After two relaxing days in Dubrovnik, we were off to another coastal town, Split. We got up early and started on our road trip. We arrived in Split around 2 in the afternoon. Unfortunately our hotel was a 2 kilometer walk from the beaches and the downtown area. A group of us decided to go to the beach right away. I was so happy to be at the beach again. The water was warm and being by the sea just made everyone so much happier (Some of the girls and me relaxing in the sea, photo credit Fiona). Once we had enough of the beach a small group of us headed to town for dinner, we had a delicious dinner of fresh sea food, followed by some ice cream. With our stomachs full, we were ready to get back to our hotel.  Since we were so far from everything and most people were tired after spending so much time in the sun the past few days we all relaxed in the hotel.  Tomorrow we are headed to the famed Plitvice Lakes area.

Old.

It was so nice to wake up and realize that we were a minute walk from the beach, so as soon as we were up we lathered on sunscreen, went to eat breakfast, and then headed for the beach. We spent the morning lounging in the sun, and swimming in the Adriatic. Then in early afternoon I headed to old town with a few of the people from our group. There we ate a late lunch and walked around for a bit. Ben met up with us, and we all enjoyed a quick ice cream together. Sam then convinced Ben and me to walk the city walls with him. I am so happy he did this. Even though Ben was exhausted he walked with us and we all enjoyed the fantastic views. (below are some of the sites)

Ben went home to catch up on his sleep while Sam and I further explored the city. We both were in need of ornaments for our mothers, so we checked many of the stores, until we found the perfect gifts. We then headed home and all of us spent a nice relaxing evening at home.  

Two.

It was finally time to get to Croatia. I was so excited to get to the famous beaches of Croatia. The only things standing in the way of the beaches was the three hour bus trip, one boarder crossing, and two stops. The two stops were before getting to the border. The first stop we made was Medjugorje, a religious pilgrimage site. Here it is believed that the Virgin Mary appeared to six children in 1981. When we arrived an Italian mass was just finishing. It was so interesting to see all the people crowed into the pews and spilling out the back door to listen to the mass. After the service was over Marissa, Lily, and I the only practicing Catholics on the trip entered the church and prayed. We then went and visited the statue erected on the spot of Mary’s alleged appearance (below is the statue). Once all of our prayers were said we headed to the shops to pick up souvenirs, and eat a quick lunch. Our next stop was a Serbian Monastery. Here we met with a monk in training, he was very helpful in explaining the small building. He talked about how the wars have destroyed the monastery, but how the people are persistent and keep rebuilding. We then boarded the bus and headed to Croatia.

(Below left is the monastary, right is the artwork some of which has been preserved since 1506, and further down is the Monk, Dragan (the bus driver), and Mladen(our TA)). 

Our bus trip took us right along the coast of Croatia; the views were breathtaking, at every bend in the road people’s faces would light up with even more anticipation and excitement. We were ready to get off the bus and enjoy our small vacation for the next few days. As soon as we arrived in our hotel we threw our bags down, and headed to the beach. Today is Liz’s birthday so we headed over to a nice restaurant for dinner. Dubrovnik is a tourist town, so obviously the prices are high, but the view of the sunset was breathtaking. After dinner we headed into the old town to celebrate even more. The old town is absolutely adorable, it is an old fortress with a network of streets within the walls, I cannot wait to go back during the day and explore further. 

Union.

Our meeting for today was not scheduled until four in the afternoon. I had slept in, but then Marissa and I had quickly realized that most of the group had already left to explore. We got up and got ready and then headed to the city, we decided to eat cheap so we looked for the nearest Pekara (bakery) . After our lunch, we walked around the streets of Mostar. We saw various mosques, and browsed the small shops lining the streets. We then decided to stop at a café by the bridge. We enjoyed watching two people jump from the top of the bridge. After the first person jumped we immediately thought of our friends Keith and John who were quite the daredevils. Then speaking of the devils, they walked down to our table. They told us that  in order to jump you had to be part of an elite diving group, and you had to collect 50 Euros prior to plummeting in the cold water. If you did not follow these guidelines there was a hefty fine.  The boys were a little disappointed they couldn’t jump you could tell they wanted to try. (Below is the picturesque bridge, the boys wanted to jump from.)

After our quick snack, we headed back to the inn to prepare for our meeting. We walked in the opposite way of old town to the Croatian Democratic Union. The walk was saddening. Many of the building were shelled out, or closed because there was too much structural damage. Unlike Sarajevo, you could tell there was little funding for repair of this city. The differences between buildings were stark, and were a grim reminder of the war just 20 years back.

We were able to meet with the President and Vice President of the Croatian Democratic Union (CDU). They said that their party was made up of 27,000 of the most active Croats in the region. This country has about 300,000 Croats, and the rest are part of the other 5 Croat based parties. Because of the divides it makes it hard to elect one unifying leader for their people. The two went on to discuss how the country was ethnically torn, and how both the Serbs and Bosniaks had areas where the majority of their people resided (Banjaluca for the Serbs and Sarajevo for the Muslims).

The two went on to further discuss their radical opinions. First they talked about the flawed system of elections.  They discussed how since they were the minority that the other majority parties play a large role in selecting the Croat President, which really upset the young Croats. Next, they talked about how ethnic tensions were still on the rise, and how they saw no unified Bosnia & Herzegovian identity.  They had quite the extremist ideas, but it was interesting to hear their point of view.

We headed back down to the old part of town for dinner, and to watch the sunset once again. After dinner we went back to the inn and got ready to go out. Since it was a Thursday night we figured it would be better go to the club (which was pretty cool, because it was inside of a cave), and we were going with the majority of the group. The night turned out well despite some torrential downpours. 

Small.

Sarajevo was just starting to feel like home, we were finally getting comfortable, but it was time to start the next part of our journey. We checked out of the hotel at 10:30, and then were given free time to walk around the city, until 2:00 when we would board the bus and drive to Mostar. Marissa and I walked around in the center again (below) we found a place to get lunch, and then I enjoyed a delicious Bosnian coffee while Marissa sipped her clear water. It was nice to sit and people watch, as I mentioned in an earlier post going to cafes is something I am going to miss dearly, and the coffee.

The drive to Mostar was about two and a half hours, so I could not complain. Upon arrival we placed our stuff in our rooms, and then headed to town to see the famous bridge, and eat dinner. A small group of us found a small restaurant right on the river. The problem of the small restaurant was the small portions. So to satisfy our hunger we walked around the old part of town and got some ice cream. We trekked back to the inn we were staying at just outside the city, and got ready to go to a club. Upon arriving at the club, we found that even though it is summer, it was still a Wednesday in a small town so not many people were there. We still met some Scandinavians, they had lived here until they were five and then relocated, they were our age, and gave us their opinions on the past war. 

Numbers.

 Today was dedicated to visiting the Parliament of Bosnia & Herzegovina. Upon arrival we were ushered into a large conference room. A lovely woman told us about the building and set up of Bosnia’s parliament. The building is brand new, since most of it was destroyed during the conflict. The architects worked to make the space as conducive to the ever-changing world as possible, making rooms of various sizes. She then went on to explain the two houses. The first is the House of Representatives, which is made up of 42 members directly elected, and the other is the 15 member House of Peoples elected by the republic’s parliament. The thing about the House of Peoples is that there must be 5 elected who are Serb, 5 who are Bosniak, and 5 who are Croat. The division of the house was setup by the Dayton Accords in order to keep equality in this section, but instead this causes ethnic tensions to rise.

We then toured the building; it was so interesting to get to see the inside of yet another parliament in the Balkans. Our tour guide talked even more about how Bosnia and Herzegovina has done such a good job keeping the media involved, and making sure the people see what is going on. She said that even Slovenia, a member of the EU, is looking at the techniques they have in place. We were able to see a meeting on Foreign Policy in progress as well (above). Then two Members of Parliament (pictured below, on the left and center, on the right is Mladen our TA) stopped by and discussed their views about the situation in Bosnia. As true politicians, both remained optimistic about the future.

Later that night the majority of our group got together and went out, it was so nice to explore the city together and have some bonding time. All the people on the streets were friendly, and the city had this quaint charm, aside from the plaques that are on some streets, it is almost easy to forget that this city was a battleground just 20 years ago.

Law.

Today we headed to the courthouse in Bosnia & Herzegovina. The court is split into three sections: war crimes, organized crime, and general crime. We met with a total of four speakers who each highlighted separate parts of Bosnia’s law system. . A lawyer, a legal assistant, and the two American judges took their time to meet with us. The two judges had ties to Northeastern University, one attended school there and the other had a son studying Computer Sciences.  In this meeting I became aware of the strength of our system, and how grateful I am for the Supreme Court and our legal system in general.

The biggest difference we discussed, was the actual lack of universal law.  A person tried in one court could end up with significantly less of a punishment then a person tried for the same crime in a different court. Punishments are not universal.

Since we are here studying about the recent war and the repercussions, we learned about the War Crime sector of the court. Because of the countless trials, and the outdated system, international judges were sent in to the country to help Bosnia try the war criminals in a more just manner. Each trial has three appointed judge, and one international judge which oversees the proceedings. The international judges are paid by their own countries; this then creates less of a financial burden for Bosnia & Herzegovina.  Although the international judges are working for a better legal system student at the university in Sarajevo are learning the outdated practices from the early 1970s. Fall of 2011, is the first time a class on procedural law is being taught. The judges have dedicated years of work and service to the Bosnian courthouse, but the two are not optimistic about the future of the Bosnian court. In fact, Judge Whalen said, “Since 2007, we see less and less hope for the future. Thing are not changing quickly, there is no forward progression”. Bosnians can now only hope for the best and look past ethnic conflicts. They should remember the war, but move on and work towards repairing their country.

In the afternoon we met with a Bosniak originally from the Republik of Srbska, who now lives in Boston, where he owns a restaurant (Sabur). He told us about his experiences as part of the Yugoslav National Army, and about how his officer was Milosevic. He was a decorated war soldier. In the early 1990s he started to hear about uprising, but then as time went on the conflict started to turn into a war. He was ready for the war, but being a Bosniak, he was caught in the dilemma of not having any weapons due to an embargo of arms within the region, and all weapons that had been stockpiled were property of the Serb army.  He also felt that on his trips home that nationalism is rising and another conflict is likely to come, he claimed, “This is a heated area, nothing is settled, the Dayton Agreement stopped the war, but nothing is solved.” The meeting with this man was unnerving he talked about the war as if it needed to happen.

For dinner, we met with the judge from the war court. He escorted us to dinner at the local beer distillery( above left). This building had historical importance since people could get fresh water here during the war. He also brought his friend Francine an International Relations professor at Ball State University. Both were very friendly and answered our numerous questions about the region. Later, we went for a stroll around the city to see the Eternal Flame (above right), the location of the assassination of Archduke Frances Ferdinand, and the Austro-Hungarian inspired architecture. This city is rich with culture, and it just saddens me to think that if another war erupted some of these things could be so easily destroyed. 

Genocide.

Because of the detour to Montenegro we missed seeing Srebrenica. Our group made the decision to visit today, despite the 6 hour bus ride there and back. Srebrenica was the site of the 1995 genocide of about 8000 Muslim men ranging in age from 12 to 85.  The site of the graves was depressing, you could just see the tombstones lining the hills, and freshly dug graves, because just two weeks ago they started moving the bodies they had found in a mass grave. Being there was slightly awkward, since it was a national day of remembrance and there were countless widows and young children mourning the loss of their family members.

Then, we walked across the street to the museum, which was a large warehouse that was used as part of the UN base. The sad part of this genocide was that UN forces were watching the whole thing take place, but could not do anything because as part of their rules they cannot do anything unless someone shot at them first.  We all left in silence and reflected on the experience. The one thing that keeps nagging me, is the fact that we have heard about the genocide during World War II, I was a young girl during this genocide, and there are currently genocides occurring in Africa. I wish there was a way to end the hatred among different ethnic groups, so people could live in harmony, but that is just wishful thinking. 

Story.

After two grueling days on the bus we were ready for some time in Sarajevo. Our first visit was with Dragan a Bosnian Serb. He told us this heart-wrenching story about his life in Bosnia.

Prior to the war he and his best friend were from different religions, but that did not matter. He invited his friend to their religious holidays, such as Orthodox Easter, and his friend being a Muslim invited Dragan to his holidays. The two were inseperable, until 1990, when Dragan’s friend did not invite him over to celebrate one of the high holy days of the Muslim religion. When Dragan asked why he wasn’t allowed his  friend told him that his father felt that the Serbs were the enemies of the Muslims.

Then in 1992, Dragan’s town fell under Serb control. All the Muslims were in danger, so although Dragan and his friend were not as close he still helped Dragan and his family to a safe territory. Dragan then spent time and money sending care packages to his friend’s family while the war was going on. The Dayton Peace Accords of 1995 were signed and Dragan’s municipality was given to the Muslims, so he moved his family out of the area. While leaving he ran into his old friend. The meeting was bittersweet, Dragan was happy to see his friend alive, but saddened when his friend called him an aggressor and blamed the Serbs for the war. Because all of their belongings did not fit into car on the first trip Dragan came back, but upon his arrival a group of Muslims beat him up, one of them was his best friend.

A new law was passed that allowed the Serbs, and others who were forced out to repossess their properties.  As he was in the process of rep[oscession he ran into his best friend’s mother. She apologized for her son and husband’s behavior. She explained that the two of them had joined an extremist branch of the Islam religion. She then went on to explain that her son moved to Afganistan in 2001, and was later killed. Prior to his death Dragan explained to his father that he was sorry for all they had done to Dragan, he explained how Dragan was the best friend he ever had. The wife then went on to explain that  her husband was not able to cope with the loss, and then committed suicide.

To this day Dragan still meets with his best friend’s mother. She considers Dragan her second son, and is eternally grateful for all that he had done. She wants him to be one of her pallbearers at her funeral. Dragan then explained that he helped a total of six families, but of those six only two remain in contact, while the other two deny Dragan helped at all.

Hearing this story, made the war seem even more real. As we walked through each of the cities or made stops we had seen bullet holes or heard the stories of rebuilding but to hear two friends lost touch because of this war saddens me. I would like to thank Dragan for taking his time to meet with us and explain his story. (below is a photo of Dragan at the Serbian Temple in Sarajevo)

After leaving the temple, we headed to the market for lunch. Marissa and I then explored the market we wanted to get some  souvenirs for friends and family. Although it was pouring rain, we were ready for an adventure (in my attempts to find soccer scarves we ran into this character below). The old town was gorgeous, and inspired by Turkish architecture. Later that night I headed out with a small group to the city and enjoyed the nightlife.