"Why don't you try from Vitez?" they advise us in Zenica.
In Vitez, the same situation. All roads towards Travnik, Vakuf and Jajce are open only during the daytime. By the way, one drives very fast on these roads. All depends on number plates. Croats, who had been expelled from Travnik, drive through this city as fast as an arrow. Muslims do the same when they drive through Vitez or Jajce.
Night catches us in Vitez. We walk around looking for a place to sleep. At the reception of a pretty hotel "Vitez", they ask for our personal documents.
"Are ID's OK?" we ask.
"What kind?"
"Well, these, from Belgrade," we say.
"In that case, it would be better if you gave me your passports, if you have them," the receptionist responds, seemingly unperturbed. He's curious to find out how we ended up in Vitez.
"Since the beginning of the war, no one from Belgrade, nor from Serbia, has spent a night here," he says.
Obviously glad to see us, at the edge of tears, he treats us with Karlovacko beer. He proposes to take us on a tour of the city. If it weren't for this chance meeting, I wonder if we would have dared to walk around the city, in which we found ourselves by accident and where we don't know anyone.
In the city center we find restaurants at almost every step. Terraces are crowded. Young, happy people. It is obvious that they are spending a lot of money. All prices are in Deutsch Marks. Restaurants are open until late in the night.
The day was Sunday, about 10p.m., but the shops were still open. The goods arrive from Split and Zagreb. We enter one of the shops. We buy some candy and a box of cigarettes. Surprisingly expensive. That same day, we had bought cigarettes in Zenica. In Vitez, everything costs at least twice as much as in Zenica. Rovinj "Ronhil" [cigarettes] - 2.5 DM. Two cities, only 15 kilometers apart, seem like two different worlds. In Zenica, desolation and poverty. Here, in Vitez, affluence and wealth. In Zenica, "Lilies" [Bosnian symbol]. In Vitez, "Checkerboard" [Croatian symbol, Croatian coat of arms]. In Zenica Bosnian Dinar, in Vitez - Kuna [Croatian currency]. Still, to tell the truth, Deutsch Marks are the currency of choice in both cities.
The merchant says: "There are about 35,000 inhabitants in Vitez, of whom at least 5 percent are Serbs." He points out a well equipped household: "that is the household of Vasa the Serb. That is his bakery. This cafe is also run by a Serb. Those people sitting over there, they are also Serbs, the Sesun family. You'll only find Croats and Serbs here. No others; I mean there are no muslims. We don't even mention them... There's a village out there but we've managed to isolate it."
In cafe "Monaco" we meet a group of Serbs. One of them is the co-owner of the cafe. His name is Mirko. They are all glad to see us. The conversation begins: about Croats who had fought with the Serbs against muslims in this war; about the Lasva valley, which they had defended and saved together; about casualties, young widows, salaries. About the Muslim-Croat federation.
"We thought that here in Bosnia, we were all friends. But it won't work. Not even hundred Washingtons could unite us Croats with muslims. We are more oriented towards Serbs, isn't that true Mirko?", says Dragan.
Muslims can pass through Vitez only during the daylight hours and very fast!, our collocutors openly say. They say that, in Vitez, people cannot forgive Muslims for all those Croat families which had been expelled from Travnik and Zenica.
"Muslims say that you killed everyone in the village of Ahmici, here in the Lasva valley,", we say.
"They were looking for trouble." And the conversation goes on: who started the whole thing.
"They attacked first," says Stipe, waiter in the cafe. " First, they expelled our families, then confiscated property and everything else. Were we supposed to do nothing?"
"My neighbors, Croats, saved my house," says Sesun. "I respect that. I also respect Herceg Bosna. And Croatia as well because she assists these people. And I cry for Serbia."
Finally, they are giving us a lift to our hotel, in a "Mercedes". They say: "We were looking for boss Vasa, so that he can tell you about his life here. He had gone to Budva, on a vacation."
Tomorrow morning, polite receptionist wishes us a pleasant journey. At the bus station, while we are waiting for a bus to Jajce, we are talking to local policemen. Federal police in Vitez doesn't wear green, muslim, but blue, Croatian, uniforms. They say that the federal police is actually muslim police and if we were to meet them somewhere (of course, not in Vitez) they would greet us with "merhaba" (hallo) ["Muslim" greeting], instead of "Bog stari" [Croatian greeting]. One of the policemen is showing us his ID. On it, there is a huge badge with a checkerboard.
"Of course, we are the federal police," they laugh. " Only, we earn for one month the annual salary of a Habib's (muslim) policeman. This is Herceg-Bosna, and that is a Croat state. We don't need Europe. No one. We'll go alone if necessary."
They claim to know everything about the situation in Serbia. They watch Zagreb and Belgrade television. Most houses in Vitez have a satellite antenna.
" How come you don't watch Sarajevo TV?", we ask.
"How could we, when at the end of the program they say "lahka noc"...[lahka in Bosnian corresponds to laka in Serbo-Croatian and Croatian] After that, I cannot sleep until the dawn."
Soon, the bus arrives to the station. We get on... In Travnik, a few kilometers from Vitez, we spot federal policemen in green uniforms.