Monthly Archives: October 2012
57 Days in Central Asia & the Balkans: Epilogue
Both the Silk Road and the Balkans have long been on my wish list. Finally I have come to see these two fascinating regions. Comparing with my 72- day overland journey to nine West African countries earlier this year, this 52-day trip to ten countries in Central Asia and the Balkan Peninsula is smooth, … Continue reading
Balkan (6) Ohrid, Macedonia & Tirana, Albania October 11-14/10, 2012
Balkan (5) Prizren, Kosovo & Tirana, Albania October 9-10, 2012
Balkan (4): Bosnia and Herzegovina October 6-8, 2012
Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnia) is a young nation with a rich but sad history. The assassination of Austrian Crown Prince Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914 was the curtain raiser for the First World War. Bosnia’s declaration of independence from Yugoslavia 20 years ago led to a most gruesome and devastating war from March 1992 … Continue reading
Balkan (3) Serbia October 3-5, 2012
I first learnt about Yugoslavia, Tito and political turmoil in the Balkan Peninsula when studying world history in 1970s. Yugoslavia disintegrated following wars and bloodshed in 1990s. After having visited Croatia, Montenegro and Slovenia more than five years ago, I have longed to see other parts of the former Yugoslavia namely Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, … Continue reading
Balkan (1) Bulgaria September 25 – 28, 2012
After spending 37 days in four countries in Central Asia, I continued to explore countries in the Balkan Peninsula. My original plan was to visit Bulgaria and Romania. At the end, I spent eight days in Bulgaria and 12 days in Serbia, Bosnia – Herzegovina, Kosovo, Albania and Macedonia.