I spent the first month of my time in Bosnia in Visoko, just outside of Sarajevo.
I booked a month there when I learned that it was the location of the Bosnian Pyramids, but I planned to go there anyway because of a verse in the song 'Pješke idem iz grada.' I really wanted to be able to say "Bio sam u Visoko." (I was in Visoko)
I am very happy to report that I can truthfully say "Bio sam u Visoko" :D
Bilo društvo veselo...
Visoko has become a tourist town because of the pyramids, and they are really cool, but Visoko should be a tourist destination because of how awesome the people are.
Truly, the people of Visoko are my favorite in Bosnia. I was almost universally welcomed by the people there, and I formed many friendships amongst the people I met.
I made friends at the coffee shop, the pub, the pijaca, and the little shop where I bought my daily groceries.
Enisa is the woman who runs the little shop, and I would go in there every day for eggs, cheese, or cookies.
Enisa didn't speak English, but she was so patient when I would speak my broken Bosnian to her. She would always compliment my pronunciation, and say that I was speaking wonderfully.
In the evenings, I would go to the pub. The bartenders there were all young, and all of them spoke English.
They were a bit more truthful with me in my efforts to speak the language, but they were still welcoming and patient.
My friend Nedim let me know that I spoke Bosnian like a 'napušeni Srbin.'(stoned Serbian)
lol
As I learned the language, I learned Serbian, so I pronounced everything in the Serbian style... with a thick American accent!
I was actually so happy when he told me that, because he didn't say I sounded like a stupid American.
The pub nights were really fun, and I found out about the Balkan love of chess. EVERYBODY plays chess there.
The first time I went to the top of the pyramid, I was with one of my friends from the pub.(Haris)
Haris is a great friend, and he freaked me out a little bit by speaking English with a London accent. It was crazy, since he was born and raised in Visoko, and had never been to England.
After my first month there, I went back to Visoko a second time for a week. It was during Ramadan, so the pubs were closed until sundown, which is when the Covid restriction kicked in! I was very sad that I didn't get to hang out with my friends that week.
I will time my next trip better, so I can experience the pub life again.