I'm in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. (REALLY m&p)

Here’s a thread I started a year ago on this topic when I saw the Macedonians coming into the Olympic games, with some info on this issue: “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” - will it ever just be Republic of Macedonia?

Wow, I didn’t realize that, but you’re right. Crazy.

Anyway, I am now in Sarajevo. I LIKE Sarajevo. It is so charming it actually makes me angry. I’m annoyed at myself for having waited 28 years to come here. And I’m pretty sure that most of the buildings here are not reconstructions of pre-war places. Since so many of the buildings are covered in bullet holes, I’m pretty sure they’re authentic.

Oi, Kyla, you travel to the most interesting places!

One of my best friends works at the embassy in Sarejevo so if you get in trouble, let me know and I’ll hook you up! :wink: She, too, loves it there and, in fact, extended her tour. Have fun and enjoy!

Ha! I live in a town (they get mad if you call it a village) of 3,000 people! How interesting is that? This is the first time I’ve left Bulgaria in almost a year. Turns out, not being able to speak the local language is highly overrated.

More about the Skopje Earthquake

The reason I remember the event is that I was on holiday in Yugoslavia at the time. But I was at the other end of the country, in northern Istria.

My wife and I took a trip to the area last fall. We didn’t make it Macedonia, but we flew into Sarajevo and rented a car. We then headed south to Dubrovnik and across Croatia to Istria and then came back through the interior of Bosnia.

Driving in the area really isn’t so bad if it wasn’t for the damned Cyrillic. Part of the consequence of the war was the Serbian Republic of Bosnia or some such thing. That means that as you drive through Bosnia you can pass an invisible barrier where every sign is abruptly in Cyrillic.

Enjoy Sarajevo. It may be my favorite city in the world. I only wish I had discovered it when I was a college student and could afford to spend months doing nothing very cheaply.