Outings to Medjugorje and Blagaj

We had encountered a mix of cultures and religions in Mostar. The couple of outings we made from there reflected that mix too.

One was to Medjurgorje, only 25 km from Mostar. It has become a place of Catholic pilgrimage due to apparitions of the Virgin Mary, which have supposedly been happening there since 1981. The village itself reminded me of Fatima, full of shops selling the usual souvenirs. At least they also sell some local produce too.

Considering how many people visit each year, I thought that the church in the centre of the village wasn’t particularly large. But then we turned a corner … and found a huge outdoor altar behind the church, with enough benches to accommodate thousands!

It was a scorching hot day, so I was relieved that the Oldies decided to go for a stroll under the shade of the trees in the park behind the church. That’s where we came across the Statue of the Risen Christ. It is an impressive modern sculpture, but I was wondering why people were queuing up to touch the leg with cloths and handkerchiefs. When I took a closer look, I could see liquid weeping out at the right knee. I saw it with my own eyes, but apparently, no one seems to know how or why this happens. Is it a hoax, is it some strange kind of faulty plumbing, is it a miracle? So far, it’s a mystery.

After looking around town, the Oldies set off up the hill to where the apparitions originally took place. This is not a climb for the faint-hearted. The footsteps of the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who have trekked up this path over the years have polished the stones to a high – and highly slippery – shine. I was amazed to see so many people, many of them quite elderly, doggedly making their way up without complaint. At the top of the hill, away from the bustle of town and with magnificent views of the surrounding countryside, the crowds were gathered in silent prayer around the Marian statue. It is most certainly a peaceful place.

The Oldies also went on a visit to Blagaj Tekke, a 16^th century Dervish Monastery built in Ottoman style. Although in some ways it could not be more different from Medjugorje, when I come to think of it, both places have certain things in common. Like Apparition Hill, the tekke is in a stunning location. In this case, the Sufi retreat was built underneath a sheer cliff face, directly at the source of the Buna River. Those monks certainly found themselves an incredibly beautiful and remote spot.

Sadly, as in Medjugorje, the location has become overly commercialised. Many of the souvenir shops, restaurants and other tourist outlets that line the riverside were built without permission. I am sure the original dervishes would be spinning in their graves if they could see the hustle and bustle surrounding their holy retreat today!

In spite of all the goings-on outside, the tekke itself is still a peaceful place. It is hard to believe that it is just a few kilometres outside Mostar.  

On our way back to Croatia, we drove via Imotski Polje, a karst plain lying between Croatia and Herzegovina. We had already seen many a polje in our travels, but at 95 km², the scale of this one has to be seen to be believed! What an incredible wonder of nature, with lakes that appear and disappear with the seasons, stunning scenery and acres of beautiful wildflowers! You just cannot pass this place without stopping. Indeed, the Oldies stopped at the top, then drove the long winding road down towards the polje, stopping again and again at numerous vantage points to take in the awe-inspiring views. I was certainly perfectly happy to stand and stare alongside the Oldies. It did your heart good!

I, of course, do not have any concept of religion or spirituality. However, I love the idea of that great philosopher and honey lover, Winnie the Pooh, of having a ‘thotful spot’. Bear, bird or human being, it can do none of us any harm to occasionally retreat to a thoughtful spot.

Whatever your persuasion, this beautiful part of the world is certainly blessed with an endless supply of thoughtful spots.