Our man Bills has Bosnian hangover

Our man John Bills has been sampling the lifestyle in Bosnia and has a massive hangover for his troubles.

One of the most interesting and exciting aspects of the former Yugoslavia was its ethnic diversity, and in particular its religious diversity.

None of the republics displayed this as clearly as Bosnia, with Islam, Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity living side by side in the same town, often on the same street.

Whilst the war caused fractions between the three, this same religious diversity is still visible today, as seen with the mosques and churches that are never far away on the streets.

According to the last census, 45% of the country follow Islam, with 36% and 15% following Orthodox Christianity and Catholicism respectively. Sarajevo, the capital, had a particular reputation for religious diversity that earned it the nickname 'the Jerusalem of Europe'.

This great diversity has dulled since the war, with Muslims now making up around 75% of the city's population. It would be no great stretch to say that Sarajevo is now a Muslim city.

Of course, because of particularly biased media, most people have a pre-disposed opinion of Islam and its followers. Tabloid newspapers and cinema depict it as a backwards oppressive religion of hate, with no personal freedoms.

It doesn't take a genius to understand that this is complete rubbish of course, but for anyone who still harbours a (and lets be honest here) racist view, Sarajevo is a city that will put any misguided fears to rest.

Sarajevo also puts to bed the idea that there is no fun in Islam. If it is fun you are interested in, there are two words that negate the idea immediately, that put a sword directly into the heart of the argument and leave it on the scrap heap. Those two words my friend, are Kino Bosna.

Kino Bosna roughly translates as 'Bosnia Cinema' (I'm sure you could have worked that out), and it is in fact the old cinema hall that is still in use throughout the week, with an old projector screen and old fashioned seating throughout.

On Mondays however, this old hall is transformed for an ageing cinema into a time machine. The screen disappears, and tables and chairs fill the room. Musicians take their place on the stage as the people file in, and people sit down to the bottle of rakija that seems to be sitting on their table.

For those who don't know, rakija is a catch all term for an alcoholic spirit that is made from fermented fruit. Depending on the fruit it has a different name, with the most popular in Bosnia being sljivovica (plums) and loza (grapes).

Truth is you can make it from pretty much any fruit, ranging from the sublime (cherry rakija) to the near unbearable (fig rakija). All of them are super strong, especially the home made versions which are usually around 50 or 60% in alcoholic content. Strong stuff.

So, to put this in mathematical terms, you have the following equation...

Old cinema + traditional musicians walking around the room + complimentary rakija x old fashioned Bosnian culture = Fun.

I can't quite describe how much fun. Almost everyone who visits Bosnia leaves the country with an overwhelmingly positive opinion of it. People go away gushing about the valleys, the mountains, the waterfalls, the lakes, the bridges, the rivers, the food and more.

More so than any of those, people go away gushing about the atmosphere of the country, and nothing sums this up as beautifully as Kino Bosna.

The musicians don't stop to breathe, treating each table to an impromptu private gig, constant smiles etched on the faces of all in attendance. The conversations get heated and subside, as old Bosnians discuss the ills of the world and exchange ideas before realising the truth, which is that everything would be much better if people hugged more, so they hug, and hug, and hug.

It is an incredibly infectious atmosphere, one that is nigh on impossible to avoid getting swept up in. Before you know it the cherry rakija is flowing and everyone is taking it in turns to proclaim a toast to nearly anything you can think of.

The hangover the next day is not pleasant (when are they ever?), but if every night could have the feeling of Kino Bosna, I would take the hangover every single day.