We arrived in Medjugorge on Friday around 7am. After attending Mass we settled into our place of accomodation, a castle built by a Canadian couple who sold everything they had to build it. They allow pilgrims to stay for free/donation, and rely completely on Divine Providence to keep the place up and running. It's huge, and gorgeous and they are a really sweet couple. That afternoon we went to Cross Mountain, which is about 520 meters high. As is tradition, we climbed up the rocky slope barefooted as a sign of penance. Ow, did that ever hurt. I honestly can't believe I made it up with either collapsing or having an asthma attack... once I got back down to the bottom I looked back and could NOT BELIEVE that I had climbed it. That night Shirlea and I chillaxed in the downtown area - it's seriously like a Catholic Chinatown with tons of cheap shops. I wasn't impressed with the commercialism, but there was one little place that was unique and I was so excited to finally find something I could buy for me madre! The next day we climbed Apparition Hill (where six local children had an apparition of Mary in 1981. Three of them continue to have daily visions of Our Lady. Until the visions stop, the Church can't state their authenticity definitively). After attending a morning Mass and having a tasty lunch - all of our food was fresh and homemade, down to the bread and fruit preserves - we took a small trip outside the city to see some beautiful waterfalls, and then to Mostar, Bosnia- where the front lines of the war were not twenty years ago. Most of the buildings were still speckled with bullet holes. The city is divided in Christian and Muslim, connected only with a bridge that was rebuilt after the war. We walked mostly on the Muslim side, and I bought a small personal hooka and some more goodies for Mum! Our third day in Medg, I took a lengthy nap after the morning Mass, which was in Croatian and SO cool. That night after another feast of dinner, a group of 5 girls including myself took flashlights and climbed back up Apparition Hill to pray a Vigil Rosary. There were some Italian pilgrims there and they prayed with us in Italian, it was so cool! And the night sky was one of the biggest highlights of my stay there. I expected to go to Medj in order to decide whether or not I believe the apparitions are true, but it was instead for me a retreat and spiritual refreshment.