Travel

Last weekend Mr Goldman and four former Circus staff members Sean, Theo, Robin and Nate, accompanied by the Circus football team’s temperamental midfield maestro Tommy Tumbleweed, headed to London to watch the big American Football game…

Nate Dog is a hardcore 49ers fan, and when he found out eight months ago that they would be playing in London, it was not only clear that he had to go, but that he was going to take a lot of us with him. Usually it is hard when you try and plan things so far in advance, but somehow it all worked out and we all not only made the trip, but survived.

It all began on Friday morning at an hour nobody should be expected to wake up. We came together on the S-Bahn along the way to the airport. At security we ran into an old friend Foxy…and I was not sure if I was hallucinating or if it was real. If you know Foxy then you might imagine my surprise at his sudden appearance so early in the morning. Normally he is up on the bar with his shirt off.

In London Tommy had set us up with a cab to take us to Marlow, a small town not far from London. This is where Tommy grew up, and he took us for a beautiful walk around the place. The trees especially were amazingly picturesque, and the colours indescribable. We also saw the field where the England football team trains.

We then went for lunch in a local pub, where the ceilings were the perfect height for me, but less so for the others who had to pay attention to where they were walking. We had a great lunch and a beer that Tommy recommended, brewed right there in Marlow.

In the evening we went for some Mexican food at a place where we told them it was Tommy’s birthday in the hope of getting some free drinks. In the end they did make him wear a stupid hat and had the whole bar sing happy birthday for him, but we actually think they cranked the dinner price up…so they got the last laugh. After dinner we checked out another pub for a couple more drinks before bed.

The next day we got up early for some bacon and egg butties and headed to the train station for the journey into London. After dropping our bags it was time for a bad dash around the sights, including tea at the Queen’s place. Unfortunately, at Downing Street, the Prime Minister was unable to keep his appointment as he was apparently double-booked. Instead we had a wander around the Houses of Parliament and walked along the river until we came to the food market, where it was time for oysters, pies and some pints of beer.

More beers followed (BYOB) as we waited for an hour at a Pakistani restaurant but it was worth the wait…this was one of the best restaurants we have ever been to, especially the fish and the lamb chops. After the meal it was back to the hostel to get an early night, ready for the big day.

We spent the morning at Camden Market for a bit of shopping, and then to the pub to warm up for the main event. We were greeted at Wembley by an amazing scene, both the stadium of the fans, and we also had a great time watching the game, helping Wembley pay off their building debts with our “contributions” to the beer stands. The game itself picked up in the 3^rd quarter, and to Nate’s enduring happiness (and the good mood of the group) the 49ers got some lucky breaks and won.

Feeling good we headed back to the hostel and stayed up until they kicked us out of the pub and sent us to bed. The alarm on Monday morning sounded alarmingly quickly, and with a bit of a hangover and fuelled with a full English breakfast we had just enough energy for a bit more sightseeing, recovery aided by a few beers and some fish and chips along the way.

It was a great weekend, exploring Marlow and London Town, and a big thanks to Tommy for sharing it with us and to Matty for showing us the best restaurant I have ever been to…and thanks to the rest of the guys for hanging out and having a good time.

Till the next trip,

Mr Goldman

(Part three from Jared’s trip to Bosnia)

As I mentioned in one of my previous blogs, I have been reading a book about the search for Radovan, in which the author spends 6 years trying to track him down before finally coming face to face with him through the glass at the Hague. This is kind of how I feel about my trip. I came face to face with something that I still don’t understand but feel I will leave better informed than when I arrived. That is all I can ask for. I came on the search for information and I found various levels of information that will keep my mind replaying different conversations I had with people and the feelings that I experienced this time around.

On Tuesday I woke up with a small hang over heading to the Europe Hotel to meet my guide for the day. As I tried to enter the hotel I noticed a very large police presence. This is not uncommon for this hotel so I didn’t think much about till I tried to enter and realized that the place was full for security and even had a metal detector.

I thought for sure my guide would not be inside waiting for me so I placed myself directly across the street expecting him to sweep me up in the car. As I was waiting I realized more and more guys coming out in the street with ear pieces, and there were many large black men also dressed in suits and wearing sunglasses. I knew they were American judging from their accents and thought ok somebody slightly important must be coming out.

To my surprise I saw Mrs. Hillary Clinton walk out of the hotel, waving at nobody because I was the only person standing outside with any interest.  My hangover dissipated and shock came over me. Since was not expecting that and I was close enough to have touched her.

After she peeled out of the hotel I got enough guts to enter and found my guide drinking coffee and smoking and he said I have been waiting since 8:45 for you. I explained to him that I didn’t really think they would let me in to the hotel since Hillary just came out. He told me no problem they all know me here. I know all the security, I just walked right in.

We found our driver and headed off to the city of Srebrenica. We had a long drive but I had prepared some questions and we talked about hours about everything that came to my mind.

We arrived in the city and headed straight to the hotel I stayed at 3 or 4 years ago where the owner speaks good German and is a famous chef and people come from all around to his place. I couldn’t believe I was back at this place and told him that I  just read about his restaurant in a book. He offered us a table and we quickly realized we were not the only guests he was waiting for. There was a large table already set for a  luncheon. There were lots of questions exchanged but there seemed to be a lot of hush hush. According to my translator nobody was allowed to say who was coming. I think they all knew it might have been Hillary or surely part of her delegation.

We had a beer and a fabulously prepared meal of veal, chips and some kind of vegetables that were unrecognizable. Just after my after-meal ciggie and with my beer not finished my driver and guide jumped up and said lets go! The next thing is that again big American-looking dude started pulling up in cars, radios were going off and everyone was looking at me very suspiciously. But I had to go to the toilet and my guide said go ahead. I had one of those moments where I could hear more and more agents coming in and I felt like the scene in the god father when he goes to the toilet to find the hidden gun. I managed under extreme pressure to finish my business and as I came out I was escorted by my guide and driver.

I felt like I really had my own security and later in the day I found out that I did!

We had a bit of  walk around the town went up into the hill and drank from a fountain that may have silver in it. The town used to be very wealthy with a health spa and the water is meant to be very good for you.

We then started with the darker part of the tour and that was stopping at the football stadium where nobody plays. Around 200-300 hundred Muslims were killed in this stadium. At this time the hair on my neck started to rise and after a pleasant car ride, decent lunch, I suddenly felt an overwhelming sadness. I had tried to prepare for this but I don’t think its possible.

After that moment the rest of day changed, conversation was kept to a minimum, my guide seemed to be quiet, not talking, and a bit angry and disturbed.

Next we went to the barracks of the UN troops from Holland. This was the spot that you can see on TV footage of 1000s of people waiting outside to try and get in. The walls still had the graffiti left on it from naked girls, calenders with the days marked out, and Harley Davidson eagles.

I was then shown a movie made by British women about the area, the accounts of wives about the last time they saw their husband or children, and scenes from the mass graves. This again put a huge weight on my chest and as I walked past photos of the men trying to escape to the hills I no longer had a voice. I was introduced to a guy who is in charge of the museum and my guide said, ask questions he has the answers, but I was still in a state of shock and tried to speak but could no longer find a voice.

I was taken to the museum which is now in the hanger or a factory where 5000 people were let in. This is the spot where women were having babies, the elderly were dying and because some people knew their fate around 12 men committed suicide. The guide gave me the history of the place let me walk around looking at the history of the town and in the end there is a well presented exhibition on different stories from people that had lived in the town and disappeared and part of them and their belongings had been found in mass graves.

In the exhibition  there were belongings and again to see the wedding ring of a man or a young child’s bracelet spun my head out thinking of what those people went through. There is something about seeing their objects that brings reality a bit closer to home.

I walked outside with my guide still absolute silent and we walked across the street to the cemetery and memorial. The one that Bill Clinton inaugurated.

My guide in silence looking at the names showing me the members of his clan on the white marble with all the names. He was also looking to see if any had been crossed out since some people in the end were still alive.

He then took one of my cigarettes and when I turned around he was gone. He had vanished! I was left lonely surrounded by white grave stones that seemed to go on and on forever. I felt a bit better for some reason that at least these families found their love ones and they could lay them to rest. What about all the people still out there that have not been found yet?

I walked around for a half hour had my final look and headed back to the car. My guide said in his great accent “lez go home”. On the drive back nobody talked. For at least an hour and half no one spoke. My naive questions and my search for knowledge that I had been planning for hours the night before all seemed so stupid and I could only reflect on what I had seen and felt.

We arrived back to the hotel and attached was the Vienna cafe inside, my body ached from being in car all day. My spirit shattered and I was in desperate need of a beer.

This broke the ice with my guide and we continued to talk about a lot of different things when he started to reveal stories about what he did in the war and the rations that he sold on the side, and then he started talking about his friends before and after the war. As he described that many of them no more get along the beers kicked in and he started to shed tears. He kept saying I am sorry, I am sorry. I of course told him that there was no need to be sorry and that everyone is allowed to be sad.

He jumped up in his chair now stone cold sober and said yes you are right. He started laughing and thanked me because he had never thought about his. He said he  must write this in international law. that everybody in the world has the right to be sad. He mentioned what a paradox that you can’t know what sadness is without knowing what happiness is.

This really made his day and it made mine as well since I seemed to have helped him discover something he had never thought about. On this note we said our good byes and he disappeared into the dark corners of his mind somewhere in Sarajevo.

Like the guy in the book I came on this trip on the search to find something. I am still not certain what I have found but I have found somethings that I certainly wont forget.

(The second blog from Jared’s trip to Sarajevo…)

Friday was my first real day in the city, having finally had a good nights rest. It began with me writing the first blog entry, and ended up again in my favourite pub with the new books I invested in. The great thing about arriving in a city that you already know is that there is less pressure to try and see everything, and you have a bit more freedom to relax and explore other avenues.

As I was sitting in the pub reading and having my breakfast, I thought I recognised one of the students that I met last year. At first I was convinced that my eyes were playing tricks on me, but low and behold, it was the same person. We had a small chat, which I think he found a little uncomfortable as he had not spoken English for a year.

I headed back to my hotel to drop off my books, and my mouth was watering for those little sausages that I mentioned in the first blog. But before I could get back out on the street, the owners of the hotel invited me for a small lunch of freshly-made borek. It is really good here in the shops, but this one was even better, and you could really taste the love that went into making it.

After a short nap, I headed out to services at the Jewish synagogue. I arrived early and so sat in the waiting room with two guys no doubt wondering why I was there. Everyone was smoking, and it seems that here even the holy places are not holy enough that smoking is forbidden. After a quick ciggie, we were ushered upstairs with about eight me into the main synagogue. The service was short but sweet, and I couldn’t help wishing that they had been that way when I was a kid. Afterwards I was invited for an egg, some bread and fried cheese, and a glass of wine.

It was the second time that day that I had been taken in by strangers and invited to share something as special and important as food.

Since the service had been quicker than I expected, I headed out into the city in search of somewhere that was showing the European qualifiers between Bosnia and Albania. I found a small bar with a mixed crowd of girls sipping cocktails and men drinking beer and watched the game. I met up with another friend from last year, and after the game he took me to the twisted tower. This is the largest building in Sarajevo, with a view that cannot be beaten. These are the type of buildings that every good traveller should collect, such as the TV Tower in Berlin, or the tower in Sydney. From up there it was not only an amazing view, but it was very clear how the city could have been attacked from the hills so easily during the war.

After the tower we headed to a Russian party, in a venue that is a cafe by day and a club by night. It was packed with people sipping on Heinekens and Red Bulls, and as my mojo was good I put on a little jig…I was with people I like and my mood good. At 1am the noise restrictions meant that the party had to shut down, but by then most of the people had already packed up and hone home. Obviously nobody wanted to be the last to leave. Not cool. I was still there to the bitter end…I guess I am just not cool