Maps inadequate for the territory...

Not only is travel information about the FYR difficult to come by, but a number of "authoratative" sources outdated or just downright incorrect.

Lonely Planet's website still lists Kosovo as Serbia, and has a grand total of two paragraphs about the entire country (or, in their opinion, region of another country).

Wikitravel has rapidly become the most current source of info on the area, with some singular reports from individuals via CouchSurfing.  It seems that travel by bus is quicker than train in a number of locales.

Thanks to the British Airways strike, my flight plans are pushed back from 20 May to 24 May.  This effectively eliminates Budapest from a multi-day exploration, but it looks like I'll get into that chain-bridged city at noon on one day and I can take the nighttrain to Beograd the next day, so I'll have about 34 hours to soak in a Turkish bath, eat copious amounts of goulash whilst downing an inordinate amount of Tokaji, and watch the sunset (and the lights of the bridge blink on) from Gellért Hill, and, I suppose, sleeping for a bit.

In Beograd, I'll stay for a few days and, depending on the schedule of others, stay through the weekend or visit Bela Crkva and a friendly CouchSurfing host there.  The return to Beograd will conclude meetings with folks there or head on immediately, again, depnding on schedule of others.  Ideally, I'd have my meeting with Kusturica following this—which means train/bus down to Mokra Gora and his entho-village near there.

I'll reach Sarajevo once before Vidovdan, but I'll certainly walk the former Appel Quay that morning, something I've had a morbid fascination of doing for more than twenty years.

Destinations without specific timeline:
Sarajevo (first visit)
Mostar
Srebrenica
Višegrad
Jajce
Dubrovnik
Krk
Bar
Prishtina

Like to, but unlikely at this point:
Zagreb
Vukovar


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Smurf Director.

Bravely out of range, Papa Smurf directs the Siege with little interest.

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Contact. 3... 2... 1...

So I finally got off my electronic missives to a couple of notable persons in the Balkans.  Directors Danis Tanović and Emir Kusturica.  Incidentally, both are Sarajevans, with one having returned to Sarajevo after the wars and the other relocating in (apparently) more than merely geography from where he was before the wars.

I would feel honored and privalaged if I can even have a correspondence with them, let alone getting to meet and speak with them first-hand.

52 days until I hop on that big ol' jet airliner that will carry me to Far Away.

Excitement is starting to simmer at a mid-boil.  :)


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