07.26.23
Our first 24 hours in Bosnia is leaving a HUGE impression on Kat and me, and it’s all good. The border crossing from Croatia (Schengen to non-Schengen) was seamless and took just a few minutes, which is always a great way to start! This was really our first time in this country except for a 15 minute run through Bosnia going into Dubrovnik back in 2019, but now our route is taking us from Split (Croatia) to Sarajevo, and then into Serbia, so we will totally bisect the country in two.
But let’s start with the first nights’ stay; a small village called Rama (actually Scit…), which is a finger of a land mass between two lakes. The weather looked a bit iffy when we left Split, and it was overcast the entire trip through Bosnia. We were recommended to visit the lake area since it is/ was a higher elevation (2000’) and hopefully cooler, and it was. But the RIDE coming into the area was breathtaking as we stopped at a view spot and just took in the two lakes and the few islands peppered throughout them. Kat and I noticed a finger of land jutting off the mainland and said, “How cool would it be to go down there!” and that is where our room was.We had no mobile data coming into town since it had not been set up yet, and as we came down a long hill we stopped in front of a house to check the map. This guy comes out, Mario, who spoke English, and asked about us. We told him our short story, and he says, “wait a minute, please,” and he disappears. We thought he might be getting us some water or maybe someone who spoke better English, but instead, he came out with a carafe of raki (native liquor) and three glasses, and we did a toast! What a welcome, right?? He told us about his life there in just a few minutes and took us to see his dog’s new litter of pups, which was a joy for Kat, who loves her doggies!
He gave us a recommendation for a restaurant right down the hill and Oh My God, what a treat! I had trout, Kat had a shish kabob, we had two beers, and the price? About $15 USD. Yes, maybe we COULD live here affordably! From there we went to our room, which was another surprise. We had a lovely lake view, a balcony, and comfy beds, plus our hostess could not be sweeter, even though she spoke zero English. We met some fellow travelers, enjoyed (another) beer, and had a nice night with windows open and no mosquitos, which is great.In the morning we took a walk, checked out the local church, and took in the sights of the lakes in the morning. We almost stayed a second night since rain was expected, but the weather cleared, so off we went, up many curvy, hilly roads, which Kat handled like a champ. We also stopped in a restaurant that had lots of meat on spits outside, and we shared an awesome lunch for a great price.
Our target was Sarajevo, but since much of the road paralleled rivers and lakes, we kept our eyes out for that overnight option on the water. Which we found. After a few false starts we found a hostel on a river which is actually just connectors for the many lakes here. We rode down some truly majestic canyons along the way and pictures cannot even come close to capturing their size. Our room is on the river, great balcony and view, and highly affordable as well. Oh, and we are the only ones here…
We’ll probably stay a second day since a second days’ rest is always a treat, but even after one day, Bosnia is looking to be a VERY desirable summer destination since the temperatures are 20 degrees cooler than the oven we roasted in over much too long! The people are lovely, prices are right, and the scenery is off the chart. Yup, add Bosnia to your list to check out.
In the nearby town of Konjic we loved the unique walking bridge and I learned that this was one of the focal points of the Bosnian war from the early ’90s. The entire country, and especially this region, was under siege for 4 years. Many of us remember that.
07.29.23
A reminder popped up on my memories page, that yesterday was the 7th year anniversaryof when I landed in Amsterdam to begin a 19-day journey over there. It was really my first time in Europe, and I was intimidated, scared, and excited as hell. After visiting six different countries and speaking at three different venues, I was so impressed with how the Europeans lived that I decided that I needed to learn more and commited to returning. That I’ve done, and I had no idea back then where my life would go. And sometimes neither will you…
Many of you are nomads, wanting to be nomads, or still thinking about it. Regardless of where you are, if you want to make it happen you can do so.08.02.23
The End of Stage II
Four countries in one week; that’s a lot even for us! Last Monday night we were having dinner in Croatia, the next day we were in Bosnia which we loved quite a bit. We actually liked it so much that we stayed a few extra days and have put it very high on our list of places to return. Serbia however, has us a bit confused as we get mixed feelings.
It is quite flat, and not as dramatic as some other Balkan countries, and there is an unusual energy. Some people are friendly, others are very curt, like they don’t want us here. I rarely pay attention to people looking at me, but I definitely felt like the odd man out! But we have had amazing meals over the last few days. My favorite freshwater fish, trout, is abundant, and we have enjoyed several.
