Republika Srpska Bosnia & Hercegovina

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TESLIC: Now is time now for me to tell few things about the trip back to my dearest hometown of Teslic. Teslić (Теслић) is a small town and a municipality in Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, located southwest of Doboj, west of Tešanj and southeast of Banja Luka. So, as I have returned back to Washington DC couple of months ago, I think now is time to focus and try to get inspired to finish up this part of my traveling story.

So, Milorad and I were pretty much getting sick and tired of constant partying in Montenegro so we decided to make a move and escape the mighty state of Montenegro. It took us only about 30 minutes to pack our bags and find our way up the countless old-town stairs to the bus station in Herceg Novi. Milorad and I are like brothers, and this was just another fun life episode we were sharing together. We agreed to meet in Guca within the next week or so.

At this point I was still unsure where I was going. I did not have a good feeling about Teslic at this time of the year and quite frankly subconsciously I was trying to avoid going there. Why? Well, it is a very complicated matter and I will try to explain in detail in my up-and-coming autobiography blog.

teslic (w)

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Anyway, both my brother Goran and my dad Janko still live in Teslic. Goran works as an interpreter for Polish army forces as a part of European Union for the last few years. It is always nice to spend some time with my brother. He has grown into a true gentleman and I am so proud of him.

For the last few years I visited Teslic once or twice per year but only for few days at the time. It is a very emotional experience and I get goose bumps every time I drive across the town’s main bridge. This is some sort of a love and hate relationship between my birth town and me. All year long I think of my dad Janko, brother Goran and all people I grew up with, people I know.

I always get so excited when the time comes for me to visit but as soon as I get there things change. As soon as I get there I feel like I get into a constant anxiety state of mind and something makes me think I must not stay long. I get to feel like I must leave as soon as possible and run as far as possible and never look back. I guess I should talk about that stuff some other time.

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So, on to the more fun stuff...an overnight bus to Banja Luka from Herceg Novi and I was on my way back to Republika Srpska, Bosnia & Hercegovina and Teslic. Cold morning it was that day. Goran was waiting for my at the bus station with his WV Golf. Goran loves driving and he takes good care of his vehicle. The drive from Banja Luka to Teslic takes about an hour, depending on the rush hour; perfect time to catch up and learn about the latest news from Teslic.

As usual, the plan was to stay for few days and then take off to Italy, my last European destination before I head home to Washington. The town was quite in the morning. We parked at my brother place to drop of my stuff and went to have some breakfast and coffee. My brother owns a cute studio at the main town square with the beautiful view of the new Orthodox and a recently rebuilt Catholic Church in the town center as well as the surrounding hills in the background.

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The next 10 days were probably the best time I’ve ever spent there. My brother and I had a blast. The month of August is the time when most people working abroad come back to Teslic to visit. The town was full of familiar faces, people were happy to be back visiting family and friends and I felt like the war was totally forgotten. We’ve spent many nights at the Usora river front drinking local beer and fine vine, sang old nostalgic tunes and ate tons of good food.

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Then it was time to leave again. This time I was not running away. This time I felt something new has happened here and I was very happy with myself and everything that surrounded me during my stay in Teslic. Now, I had to make my way back to Serbia to see Guca, I think the most amazing music festival in the world. When he visited the festival Miles Davis said "I didn't know you could play trumpet that way".

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Serbia & Montenegro

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Serbia
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Montenegro
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Montenegro

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Short flight from Belgrade to Tivat (airport) and here I am, Montenegro (Crna Gora). This land is my land. My dad says that our family migrated from the Podgorica area, fleeing Otoman (Turkish) invasion, north to Lika region of Croatia in the early 16^th century. My family then settled in the Plitvice Lakes region of Croatia on Mount Kapela. My predecessors have lived here until the ethnic cleansing by the Croatian army ‘Oluja’ (Storm) operations in 1995 and even now, 10 years after, only few of my family members have returned back home.

My dad finished college and got a good job in Sarajevo, Bosnia where my sister Simela was born. Then my family moved to my birthplace, a small town in the cental Bosnia (Republika Srpska), Teslic, some 200 kilometers north of Sarajevo. Here is where my life story begins. How did I end up here in Washington? Well, that part of the story will be posted soon. This blog is about Montenegro.

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So, even though my last name is mouthful in English, people here in Montenegro treat me like I’m one of their own. Vlaisavljevic is a quite common last name in many regions of Montenegro. I love it here. Feel like I belong in so many places in this small world. If you’re interested to learn more about the history and current affairs of this amazing country click on a (w) right next to the main picture of the blog.

One of the reasons for coming back to Montenegro was to shop for an old stone house and possibly turn it into a small B&B or a restaurant in the next year or so. I’ve been dreaming about it for years. My prediction is that Montenegro will be the next 'hot spot' and its tourism industry and geo-strategic location might trigger dramatic increase in real-estate value, similar to the northern neighbor, Croatia. Basically, I think this is a great place to invest, sooner rather then later. I've connected with few agents and atorneys in Montenegro so if you need real-estate guidance or want to partner up for a property in Montenegro send me an email.

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One of my best friends, Goran Milivojevic, was vacationing with his family in Sutomore, about 45 minutes south of Budva. Goran’s wife, Marijana is a very proud ‘Montenegrina’ from Mojkovac region and her parents have a summer home in Sutomore. Few days later, my christening best-man and childhood neighbor Milorad would come by from Kragujevac.

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We woke up fairly early, had some coffee and a quick breakfast. Goran and I were figuring out the best way to get to Boka and the famous village of Perast. The thing is, there are not to many roads in Montenegro and frankly, it is not easy to get lost. Anyway, Marijana’s dad, Milojica let us use his beat up Golf and we were off to buy a property in Perast.

On the way, we passed by Sveti Stefan, Budva, Tivat, and Kotor. The sightseeing was of the hook. I was glued to the window trying to get a decent shot. We took a short break in Kotor, had some coffee and had lunch at the famous ‘Stari Mlin’ restaurant.

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Well, if you ever decide to visit this beautiful country this restaurant should be on your list as well as Sveti Stefan, Perast and the old town Budva. I would like to suggest the restaurant 'Stari Mlin' (The Old Watermill) in Montenegro. The restaurant is absolutely amazing. The river Ljuta runs straight through the center of the restaurant powering the old watermill (just as an attraction).

The wait staff wares traditional Montenegrin costumes, local specialties are fresh, perfectly done and service is excellent. Even though the tipping is not required in Montenegro, I would recommend tipping %10 in this place. We actually asked what would be the appropriate amount. Anyway, the restaurant is located midway from Kotor to Perast. Reservations are welcome but not necessary. Here is the address

Ljuta bb
Dobrota, Kotor
Phone: +381 82 333 555


(cрпски)
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Then we entered a small town of Perast. This village is amazingly beautiful. Perast is an ancient aristocratic and seafaring community in the fjord of Boka Kotorska (Bocca di Cattaro). Most houses (300) are built from the local white stone and I would say at least few hundred years old. Perast is famous for its Naval Academy going back to the Venetian Republic.

Locals are very proud of the fact that many young men from Perast ended up as sailors and captains all over the world. Perast is also famous for its geographical location as well. The village sits on the opposite side of the ‘Verige’ strait of Boka. Additionally, there are two tiny islands right in front of the village with churches built on it. (see the picture above)

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Few days later 'kum' Milorad Cvorovic took an overnight bus from Kragujevac to join my coastal explorations of Montenegro. We settled in Herceg Novi (Castelnovo), one of the coolest coastal towns in Boka. Herceg Novi has a great night life. During the summer time, rivers of tourists descend from the Serbia and Bosnia. Our apartment was in the prime location, right next to the old fortress and in front of the (in)famous slippery steps. Milorad and I had so much fun watching people fall down the steps from our apartment’s terrace. I know it sound weird but I never laughed so much in my life.

(cрпски)

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There are few legends associated with the islands. An interesting fact is that Perast is said to be home to many famous people such as Goran Bregovic, Emir Kusturica, Rade Serbedzija, etc... I confirmed the information with the 'one and only' real-estate agent in the Perast who said that he personally sold the property to all of them. To learn more about Perast click here. Click here to see PERAST PHOTO ALBUM!

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Next-> my hometown of Teslic…Serb Republic - Bosnia & Hercegovina

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