Life As Nomad

2017-03 Bosnia and Herzegovina

What is the single most important item in my backpack? My phone – I don’t even know if the trip would be possible without Google Maps.

So how do I stay connected to the internet while traveling? Despite many options, there is only one that can clearly beat the rest: Google’s Project Fi.

Sure you can use international data plan from your own carrier, buy a local SIM card in each country, carry a portable wifi gadget, etc.. But each of these solutions has its own drawbacks.

Google’s Project Fi offers the best solution by far: For about $40/month ($20 base + $10/GB), you can have internet at your fingertips 24/7 in 135+ countries in the world by simply using a Project Fi SIM card. The plan is affordable, convenient, and in my opinion the best solution for world travelers; I have been to 5 countries in the Balkans so far, and Project Fi has been working seamlessly wherever I go (Except in Bulgaria where my coverage kept dropping out of network every few hours. This was fixed by working with their 24/7 chat support and by dialing a code to manually switch its network to T-Mobile or Sprint, which partner with Project Fi).

There is only one catch: You have to use a Google Pixel or LG Nexus phone to activate Project Fi. If you are a hardcore iPhone fan, you maybe able to borrow a Pixel / Nexus phone from your friend to activate Project Fi, then use your Project Fi SIM card on your iPhone (or any unlocked phone). You can still get about 85% of the logistical advantages and 100% of the financial advantages; for me though, I decided to switch from iPhone to Nexus all together, so that I can enjoy 100% of what Project Fi offers.

* Disclaimer: Google didn’t pay me to write this (But I won’t mind if they do).

#BosniaAndHerzegovina

Dervish Monastery.
@Blagaj
Dervish Monastery.
@Blagaj
Dervish Monastery.
@Blagaj
Sarajevo is fairly diverse: Within a few blocks there is a Catholic church, an Orthodox cathedral, an Islamic mosque, a Jewish synagogue, and the Sarajevo Brewery – Especially the brewery.
@Sarajevo
I had previously never observed a prayer in an Islamic mosque. Out of curiosity, I decided to walk into the Emperor’s Mosque to take a look.

As I walked in, a group of about 20 Muslims was kneeling down praying in front of the preacher by the front wall of the mosque, while a few older Muslims were sitting at the back. Since I didn’t want to disrupt their prayers, I sat down quietly at the back after taking off my shoes; after another 5 minutes of prayers that I didn’t understand (in Arabic I suppose), they finished their prayers, stood up, shook each other’s hands, and walked out the mosque – One of the Muslims shook my hands on his way out, and an older Muslim lady said hi to me (in Bosnian I suppose) before heading out.

These are cool people. Let’s shake some hands!
@Sarajevo
Cevapi, a national dish in BiH.
@Sarajevo
Srebrenica Exhibition, showcasing photos from the Srebrenica genocide of more than 8000 Muslim Bosnians during the Bosnian War in 1995.
They even put music to create a mood of suspense. The photos here are much more interesting than most of the ones in the Historical Museum of BiH, in my opinion.
@Sarajevo
Historical Museum of BiH displaying the damages during the Bosnian War in 1995, and the reconstructions.
@Sarajevo
Everybody has a say.
@Sarajevo
My hostel is all the way up the hill. Talk about burning calories.
@Sarajevo
The Old Bridge, and Islamic architecture in the Balkans, was completely destroyed during the Bosnian War in 1993. It was restored to its original design in 2004.
@Mostar
The Old Bridge, and Islamic architecture in the Balkans, was completely destroyed during the Bosnian War in 1993. It was restored to its original design in 2004.
@Mostar
@Mostar
@Mostar
My hostel in Mostar is owned by a Bosian lady who has been running the hostel for 12 years. She has a decent-sized house and decided to turn it into a 15-bed hostel. She (Majdas) and her mom (Nisa) treated us like their own kids and constantly fed us food (breakfast in the morning, spinach pie and soup in the evening) and gave us a thorough history lesson about her family’s life during the Bosnian War.
@Mostar
We look extra badass here.

Experienced hitchhikers from France and Turkey, with a total of 200+ rides combined. Although Mostar is not an easy city to hitchhike in, with these two we managed to hitchhike back to the city of Mostar after visiting the Dervish House – This saved us about 3 miles of walking.
@Mostar

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