Medjugorje- Bosnia & Herzegovina
Me and my Planning
The more you see, the more you want, The cloud is clear and view is near, I share the view through my words, A must review from my side about the Beautiful Mountains that has become the pillars of Faith to those who seek. I am not sure about my language and grammar as the joy of writing something that I enjoyed is happening after a long time.
Medjugorge Trip Sept 7-11 2024 By Excellent Tours, Dubai.
It was a strange meeting with Moris and also a strange invitation to join the group to West Europe, I was part of the excellent tour some time back covering a pilgrimage journey with my parents in East Europe. Places and faith that were only known to me through books or video platforms. Became more curious about these places as i started visiting them, but when I was present at Lourdes in France and Fatima in Portugal it was indeed a blessing. I really couldn’t understand how I ended up with this 38 member group to Medjugorje in Bosnia & Herzegovina.
The hiccups and the confirmation
The payment itself had problems and I don’t know how I managed it. I was carrying out some project in my home town and was busy finding the financial source for the same. I had the optimism in me and the faith that tells me “ Gods blessings I reached here and the rest he will definitely guide me and his will, will be the way for me. Just pray and he will do it for you.” I met a Bank Muscat lady trying to help getting Bank Loan and in a weeks time I get my papers done. Lovely I had paid the advance and on the same Day someone called Jaypee messages me to pay the rest and I said Moris knows.
I paid and am set to go but am sure it won’t be that easy and was already going through the biggest crisis in my office, home and here I am not sure if I will be able to catch the flight. Anyways never bothered and just waited for my GM of the company to say go as I had received my tickets. Let me not take you through the group call for Medjugorje and subsequent queries raised which had some confusion especially the tickets booked and visa, as we were 2 individuals and 1 couple traveling from Oman and joining the rest from UAE. From Oman it was 3 Indians with USA visa and 1 Filipina with US visa. As per the instructions we could have the Wizz air from Muscat get down at the Abu Dhabi airport pay your On Arrival Visa (100 AED) pick your bags, go back to departures and do the immigration and take the next flight. Straight forward it sounds.
Day 1 - The Journey Begins (7/9/24)
We 4 from Oman met in Muscat airport on 7th September 2024 Morning at the airport. I reached around 5:15 am and didn’t get enough sleep due to previous day issues at office and poor packing standards. Last minute rush and I have to hush about it. We all met at the airport food court and we were familiar to each other as we all had gone to Europe before. Let me also tell you that Mr. Robert, Mrs. Meera and Miss. Michelle are catholic and all the 37 in the tour is catholic and am the lonely Orthodox Christian. Well not the first time experience and I know how it works. I always enjoy there lovely prayers and songs even though half of them doesn’t know each other, but the faith brings us all together.
Our flight is delayed by 1hr and 30 min, which means in Abu Dhabi we might have to rush a little bit. Still fine as start is absolutely fine from Muscat. Take Off from Muscat International Airport to Abu Dhabi has begun.
Welcome to Abu Dhabi.
We had a lovely touch down and proceeded to the immigration for the On Arrival visa. We knew we had sufficient time to reach the Departure to catch the next flight to Sarajevo. We roughly had around 45 minutes to catch the next flight. Wizz air operates only point to point so you have to get down pick your luggage to the immigration again to catch the next flight. We all had the impression it was Transit and only during the group message and orientation we realized we had to get out of the airport and move to departures. I could have driven all 4 of us to Abu Dhabi and parked my car at the airport. That would have been hassle free.
In 10-15 min we reached immigration and I was the first to pay and get my On Arrival Visa. The next one was Michelle who had the USA visa and suddenly they stopped her stating because she is having Philippines Passport she can’t get the on arrival and needs to apply for the visa. The officer said it will be quick and must go to another e-visa counter. Robert and Meera came out and we three of us are at the Baggage belt number 9 (will never forget this belt area). So our assumption is that she will get the visa soon and will come to departure in next 10-15 min, so better carry her suitcase.
Running Race begins
We had picked up the suitcase and slowly walked out and moved towards the Wizz air counter. We checked in and here comes the call from Michelle disappointed tone by what’s app message. She was not getting the visa immediately and they are asking her to apply online which might take 24 hrs. We had her bag and 20 minutes to decide what to do with the luggage of Michele and I heard her saying I am going back to Muscat. We tried Excellent Tours and No one responded, so decided to message the UAE members that one of the members of the tour is going through a situation of visa.
All tried to reach excellent tour and Me, Robert and Meera with Michelle’s luggage. Wizz air has the policy of 1 checked in Bag and Back pack. We 3 of us had this no option for Michelle’s luggage and quick decision had to be taken and u have 15 minutes before boarding.
Wizz air was rude and said you shouldn’t have taken someone’s luggage and can’t leave it with anyone. We said she is immigration provide us a solution to give this back so that she can have it. No suggestion No support and clearly rude behavior. God plans are great and have given us great moment to remember. If excellent tours had picked up we would have given them the luggage, but then Michelle calls and guides us to return the bag to the belt and we ran to the arrival and to the baggage service in 5 minutes. Fill the form and Meera said she will take it inside, turned out to be a good decision (won’t say why). The support guys took her to the Belt 9 and delivered them back. Me and Robert waiting outside said 5 minutes to gates and Boarding begins. All thanks to Meera for her brilliance.
We ran from departure to Arrival, miracle just showed up at the e-gate, i flashed my boarding pass and the timing on the boarding pass, immediately security takes my bag and checks me bypassing all others and here I go running towards the A4 gate. That was a surprise after seeing such a huge crowd. Slowly Robert and Meera joins, the Boarding has just begun. From muscat airport we had plans to buy food in Abu Dhabi and slowly move to the gates, which never happened. But me, Robert and Meera was not sure if we were going to get his flight, Mother Mary told us have faith.
Michelle was disappointed and am not sure what she was going through. I felt her pressure and wanting to join the trip, I could feel her hopeless and discouraged heart, but as the flight was about to take we got a message. Michelle had messaged Georgette of Excellent tours, who contacted and arranged the visa. But couldn’t join us on the same flight. Michelle took the next one via Turkey to Sarajevo. Lovely and I told something is there that Mother Mary wanted to let us know that we had some preparations not done properly. I grew in faith and my journey began with prayers and that running around was a message to me and others. Keep doing your work with good intentions and rest almighty will take you through.
6hrs of Silence and Welcome to SARAJEVO
We had quiet flight to Sarajevo as we 3 of us were tired and wanted something to eat or just sleep for sometime. 5hrs and we had the budget airlines Wizz dropping us at Sarajevo. No issues, showed our USA visa and got the visa stamped at immigration and here we enter Bosnia-Herzegovina. Took the baggage and the group was informed of the Michelle’s Visa and all were happy as she will reach the next day afternoon probably.
Marco our local help and guide was waiting for us. Our bus was waiting outside to take us for the 3 hrs of road trip to Medjugorje. He took the head count and made us very comfortable from the beginning itself.
Sarajevo Intl Airport
The Bus
Sulic Hotel - Medjugorje
We reached around 10:40 pm and as soon as we reached, the rooms were well allocated and the hotel staff was waiting. Looks like they close the kitchen by 9:30 pm but we were late so they waited for us till late night. Tired, hungry and the long journey made me weak and no more energy to push further. There you go the Dining was beautifully set and it was an amazing food.
The sweet dreams and Good Night. Be ready on 8th Morning at 5am.
Day 2 -The Faith and Mountains (8/9/24)
Good Morning and I am awake and up by 4 am. All set to visit Mother Mary. No breakfast just start the journey to the Apparition Hill
Medjugorje A Small Brief -
(As per Google)
Medjugorje is a town in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It’s been an unofficial place of Catholic pilgrimage since the Virgin Mary allegedly appeared on Apparition Hill in 1981. There is a “Queen of Peace” statue marking the site of the 1st apparition and one in front of the St. James Church. Liquid has been said to drip from the “Risen Christ” statue near the church. A concrete cross tops Cross Mountain, to the south.
Medjugorje Town - (As per Wikipedia)
The name Međugorje literally means "between mountains". At an altitude of 200 m (660 ft) above sea level it has a mild Mediterranean climate. The town consists of an ethnically homogeneous Croat population of 2,306. The Catholic parish includes four neighbouring villages: Bijakovići, Vionica, Miletina and Šurmanci. Since 2019, pilgrimages to Medjugorje have been authorized by the Vatican as long as there is no assumption the events are confirmed to have a supernatural origin.
After the briefing from Marco, we all were geared up for the Apparition hill walk ( the place we’re Mother Mary appeared for 6-7 children in the year 1981). As per Marco there are many miracles happened here in Medjugorje and one such miracle was curing of cancer for Korean family member which led to the installation of Mother Mary statute on the hill. This hill is significant because the 7 kids saw Mother Mary many times and continued to have the apparitions regularly to 3 of them.
Breaking at the the 5 stations prayer and holy hymns we chanted and we visited the Apparition Hill.
You can see only the believers and those with faith and no disability can stop them from reaching the top of the mountain. A Journey which I thought might stumble but each step gave strength and each moment gave me peace. As I reached the top the moment was so blessed I sat for few minutes and suddenly my past started to scroll through my eyes and thanked almighty to bringing me this far and all those people who gave strength to my life journey just appeared. I can’t describe it. Those were some incredible moments.
:There are in fact two blue crosses at Medjugorje – an upper and lower – located at the base of the mount known as Podbrdo or Apparition Hill . The upper blue cross is the original location; the lower blue cross was erected not too many years ago to accommodate Ivan’s prayer group. It is at the lower blue cross where Our Lady appears to Mirjana.
The group had the lovely time praying, shopping and moving around the town. after spending in devotion we moved to Hotel Sulic for our breakfast and there we start our lovely rest. The second half of the day was more of self exploring and visiting the church and receiving Michele who had missed the flight due to visa issues. and Evening well spend with lovely dinner.
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