2022 in Bosnia (Republika Srpska - Trebinje)
On October 4, 2022, the Balkan bus tour brought me to Trebinje, in Republika Srpska, within Bosnia and Herzegovina:
Now, we had arrived in the Serb majority part of Bosnia: signs, both public sector and storefronts, had writing in Serbian Cyrillic. Things seemed more "European" than "Middle Eastern" by this point. It actually felt more like Serbia than Bosnia, with more red-blue-white flags than the official national flag flying.
We stayed in Trebinje not so much for touring but just for staying at the hotel, at which we had two nights. The bus tour did not officially guide us while here, using Trebinje only as a base for going to Dubrovnik, Croatia (likely to keep accommodation prices within budget).
Still, I took it upon myself to tour the small town. Things here had a "former Yugoslavia" or at least "very Serbian" vibe. A sign saying "Требиње" (Trebinj in Serbian Cyrillic) gave me that "sense of difference". There existed a central square, typical of most Eastern European towns, with fountains and war memorials. Many names of young people who died in the early 1990s were immortalized there.
Reflection
There's something that even small towns offer. I think, they offer even much more than the big cities that tend to "change the subject" when it comes to their history. Small towns, on the other hand, prefer to do their own thing and focus more on their local heritage.
I enjoyed wandering off on my own in Trebinje and see this country-within-a-country. I had known about Republika Srpska only through Wikipedia and would often discuss it with my history-buff friend. Yet, here I was!
I even found a mural that looked like a Wojak meme (incidentally, Wojak means "soldier" in many Slavic languages!).
Sometimes, going off on your own, within reason, has its advantages!