04 Dec 1985, Posted by Scott An Chora in Travelogue, No Comments.

12/04 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia

It was very late, or to be more accurate, real early in the morning.  Outside the station it was dark and cold, really cold.  Neither one of us were equipped for that type of weather.  The streets were covered in ice and our worn tennis shoes didn’t provide much if any traction.  When we exited the station we had no idea which way to head to find ourselves a room.  There were two others that also exited our train so we began following them in the hopes they would lead us down the right path.  We came to a large boulevard lined with large office shaped buildings but there were no signs or lights that provided us any indication that we were heading in the right direction.  Then we noticed a light in the front lobby of one of those buildings where there was a man sitting in front of a rack of keys.  We approached the glass door, knocked and gestured that we were tired and interested in a room.  He looked kind of puzzled but came to the door and let us in.  We followed him back into his office where the three of us gathered around a small heater he had been using to keep warm.  He gestured asking if we wanted a cup of tea and poured us each a cup.  The tea hit the spot and helped warm us up.  We sat across from one another and tried to communicate through our obvious language barrier.  We continued pointing at the keys behind him and gestured that we wanted to sleep but we were getting nowhere.  It seemed like forever but eventually he reached behind him, grabbed a key and gestured that we follow him.  The joke was on us.  Once we entered the building it was obvious it was not a hotel but a school.  We were both laughing while we followed him up to the second floor.  Our host grabbed a small heater out of a utility closet, unlocked a door and led us into a teacher’s office.  The teacher’s desk was scattered with report cards.  My mischievous nature challenged me to change some grades but of course I didn’t.  We got down on the floor next to the heater and fell fast asleep.

I once had a friend and oh did we soar, so many new things, never seen them before
flyin’ so high, within the night air, moment to moment, without even a care
There’s a joy, in the height, when looking on down, I notice them moving, just wandering around
to hover above, to circle again, wondering why and wondering when
I felt so free, like a bird through the air, moment to moment, I had not a care
The night, was our own, to adventure the wind, reality my canvas, the paints to pretend
not a fear in the world, to go where I dare, wandering here and wandering there

My dreams were suddenly interrupted by our night custodian.  I got the impression we had to move because the teachers and student were on their way in.  We gathered up all our things quickly and exited into the cold streets.  I’m sure I still looked as dead as I did the night before but this time I could see.  We managed to find a local hotel.  Our priorities were to get out of the cold and find something hot to drink.  We entered and got ourselves comfortable in the lounge and tried to make it look as if we had spent the night there.  This allowed us to take advantage of the hot coffee and fresh muffins.  From our view that was the only option until the city woke.  When the market place opened we picked up some bread, cheese and impulsively Jenni bought a bottle of cherry brandy.  We started out with a one sip, then another and eventually ended up downing the entire bottle in a small park before noon, or maybe it was somebody’s garden.  Our train to Dubrovnik didn’t leave until early evening so we had the entire day to absorb what we could of Sarajevo.  The brandy helped warm and loosen up our joints which made all the walking more tolerable.  We went in and out of shops, up one street, down another and saw a few of the local sights.  Eventually we came full circle and ended up lying on individual benches and soaking up the sun in the same garden from where we had started our trek.  The clock was ticking very slowly and there was still a distance to go until departure time.  We broke out the note pads and continued sketching down thoughts about the previous days’ ventures.  Sometimes when I consumed alcohol early like that I get bored and starting thinking about things under a negative light.

You say I’m dreamin and it’s really nothin new, you know, I must be dreamin, baby, to think I had a clue
where ever I go and, whatever I do, I can never seem to find a way and it’s got me feelin blue

This has got to be, some kind of dream, why can’t I open up my eyes
cause every time I see you, I’m back and I don’t know why

Were drivin down that same old road, down to nothin new, you know,
I must be dreamin, baby, to think I had a clue

I thought, I thought I knew the way but every time I’m coming close, somehow you slip away
You know it’s true, I can never seem to find a way and it’s got me feelin blue