Sarajevo Cable Car

When I was little and when I lived in the city that has always been at the centre and at the end of the world at the same time, I never knew I'd be writing about it.
By default, I took my hometown for granted, as all of us do, thinking that everything lasts forever. And as it always inevitably happens - our reality becomes quite different. Everything changed and I lived now far away, and in the meantime, I've realized that I took my hometown, its landmarks and its soul for granted.

But as things change, I appreciate it now, so with every visit to Sarajevo, I immerse myself into the city.
This year visit was special for quite a few reasons, and one of them was Sarajevo Cable Car. Or "Sarajevska zičara", on the Bosnian language. It was finally rebuilt, after 26 years. I say "finally", because of my selfish desire to ride it again.
I know that its restoration has never been a real priority, and of course, money would go elsewhere - who'd need a cable car, even in the Olympic City - but it did happen, in April of this year as the cable car was rebuilt.
I rode it last time either in 1990 or 1991 - maybe I will remember when that happened. I know that we went to the lookout ("Vidikovac") to escape Sarajevo fog/smog so it could be sometime in December 1991.
The cable car was opened in 1959 and it was operational until 1992 when it was destroyed in the war.

The new, modern cabin

The old cable car cabin

Sarajevo people and their guests enjoyed it for almost 33 years, and then it took 26 years to have it up and running again.

I was quite excited to experience it again. To feel the cable car, almost to travel in time - to relive moments I lived so many times in the past.
Of course, everything was new, everything was bigger, everything was "shiny". As it didn't belong here, at least not to the world I remember - but certainly, it did belong to this new Sarajevo that has gotten rebuilt.

Perhaps the strongest feeling I had once I boarded the gondola was being contented and relieved. Despite all the forces who tried very hard to destroy it (together with the city and its people), the cable car existed again, and I knew that many Sarajevo's tormentors will be riding it as if nothing happened.
When I decided to write about this Sarajevo symbol, I thought that I'd be able to write without any reference to the Sarajevo siege, but then, it seems that such a thing is not possible.

Once on the top, where the former "Vidikovac", the vista point was located, I was looking at Sarajevo. After more than a quarter of the century I was standing there, and I was happy and sad at the same time.
I was looking at the only place I've ever called home.
I was happy to be there, on Trebević mountain, where I always belonged, I was happy that now, finally, I could show Ada how my city looks like from high above.
I was sad as I remembered the violence that the city and its people were subjected to. The flow of emotions rushed through my head and my eyes changed the colour.
People say that time passage heals everything, but I believe, in some instances that is not possible.

The city was beautiful, laying and resting in the valley. I could see the old town, "Centar", "Kosevo"....Marindvor, New Town, Little Rome, the flats on the west end, and all other mountains around the city. As I could touch it with my hands.
And I would if I could.

There were quite a few people riding the gondola, and then on the top, many of them were hiking, or just walking around Vidikovac.
That was a nice sight, the sight of hope. There were parents with kids, and that reminded me to mountain days that I spent with my mom and dad.
We walked all the way to "Brus"(a place that Sarajevo people know very well), by following the ridge and passing "Dobre Vode" mountain lodge that was still in ruins. The air was fresh, and the mountain offered its silence.

Sarajevo Gondola

I felt content.Ada was happy too, she enjoyed the gondola ride, the city views and Mt.Trebević. She said that it was the same as in Banff, except the city of Sarajevo was a real city in the mountains, not just a little mountain town.

Banff Gondola

Sarajevo gondola was bigger than Banff gondola. Not in size, not in fanciness, but in meaning.
For me, it was the best cable car in the world. In my hometown.
In Sarajevo.
The city that will always be in the centre of the world and at the end of the world at the same time.

Incredible and Inspiring

I've been enjoying watching the Pyeongchang Olympics. It's been such a treat.
Ever since "my" Olympics, in Sarajevo, I've been closely following the Winter Olympics events.
And inevitably each Olympics had stories that have become part of history.

Pyeongchang Olympics hasn't been different - there have been already a couple of amazing achievements, but I will focus here on women's alpine skiing.

Yesterday, during women's Super G race, things were going almost in a routine fashion. The best in the world were holding the first three spots (except that the best out of best ones was sharing the fifth place. And she would've been leading if she didn't make that error at the very end).

And then something happened that has never happened before. The girl who wasn't supposed to be on the top, or in the top twenty, started her run as the 26th skier. Her run was bumpy, wild, maybe shaky too, but throughout the run, she was leading and when she crossed the finish line, her time was in "green".
That meant that she was leading, that she posted the fastest time. She was 0.01 seconds, faster than the current leader, the defending Olympic champion from the skiing nation, Austria.

TV camera focused on her upper body, so we were able to see her face. Her face looked puzzled. She was standing there, almost confused, I guess looking at that green colour, and not believing that she was indeed on the top. That was something so pure and amazing.

This was more incredible because she is not a skier, she is a snowboarder, that's what you'll find on the internet, and even more importantly, that's who she considered herself to be - a snowboarder.

An even more amazing reaction, excitement, and emotions came from commentators. Our Canadian commentators were freaking out - they let out their emotions too, it was pure happiness. Like kids.

It felt so good to watch and to listen to all of that.

Another crazy thing is that she borrowed Super-G skis before the race, and her lender was another equally amazing athlete.

The good thing for us, for viewers and audience, is that there still might be more. Ester Ledecká will compete in her snowboarding events, in the sport that she's dominated. That means that she has a chance to win gold in snowboarding. If that happens, it will be the first time ever that anyone won a gold medal (or medals) in different sports in the winter Olympics.
What a treat to watch that.

What she did is comparable to someone who is really good at badminton but decides to play tennis as well, and then goes to Wimbledon and wins it.
How incredible that would be.

The Olympics have been always been inspirational from so many angles. This was the ultimate one. Perhaps the most descriptive and humble comment came from the best female skier ever - she said:
"All I can say is I wish I had so much athleticism as she does to be able to win at two sports in the same Olympics, because I'm only good at one sport, and that's ski racing. So the fact that she was able to beat all of us and be a snowboarder is pretty darn impressive".

There are no limits.

My first run in 2018

I slacked in 2018 so far. In regards to running. Today was the first day I went running in this year, and it is already January 18th. In the past, by now, I would complete at least 8,9 runs.
I can certainly find a couple of excuses: It was too cold, it was Christmas time, it was New Years, I spend the majority of my time skiing.....
But then, I did similar things in the past. I did go running on - 25 C. I did go running during Christmas and New Years. I did ski a lot in December and January.
What was different this time?

I got scared by cold weather. I just couldn't push myself to go running, to simply get going. I was thinking about cold and about being cold. But then, I did go mountain climbing, I did go backcountry skiing, I did go resort skiing, I even did go shopping  :). And during all of these activities, it was almost - 30 C.

Did I become weak? Am I getting old? Am I tired of being uncomfortable? Or was it just a period in which my body wanted to rest. To take rest from running.
Perhaps. I don't know. I might find out it when there is another super cold weather snap......
Quite interesting how all of these questions pop up in my mind, and I start questioning myself.
As it's never enough.

But, I did go running today and I did enjoy my first run in 2018. It was still "cold", well, just -9 C, but for us at this latitude and altitude, that's warm.
I chose a flat route, as I didn't want my lungs to complain. I knew that my legs might complain, but they didn't :).
The flat route was really not that flat, it was still hilly, but it didn't push me as other "normal' routes.
I was listening to my body, the way how it was reacting to the terrain. It was interesting how even on very small hills I slowed down, even though I wanted to keep the pace. My brain wanted it, but my body was unable to comply. I just slowed down.

But I kept pushing.
It was a wonderful feeling, running again, being completely free. Being off-grid. Using your own power. Being connected with nature.
Feeling my lungs and heart.
Being alone but not lonely.

Running again.