Today – the start of our rest days – the weather changed. Our cycling plans may have to as well. Looking out of the window of the bus on the way to Banja Luka, I see snow. Visiting my good friend Aleksandra in Banja Luka.
Snow in the Bosnian mountains
Drahtesel is parked in the garage in Mostar. A rest day or three mean I turn into a sloth. Sleep, internet, coffee with the hotel manager. The stories he tells of the war, how friends became enemies overnight, how everything was destroyed, it is so sad. As the rain pours down outside, we hear of the continuing ills of a nation trying to find it’s way forward. People rebuilding their lives while frustration and aggression, remembering the past, fester in the background.
Rain in Mostar
The weather is grey, and the rain turns to snow as the bus winds it’s way round and round and up and up into the mountains in Bosnia. It is a beautiful landscape with deep valleys, beautiful gorges and little villages. We pass houses with ‘Warning, land mines’ signs just metres from the front door. A map of the mined areas (http://www.bosna.unas.cz/images/mapamin.jpg), sent by Aron, sends a shiver down my spine. It happened here, not long ago, and the legacy remains.
Snow in the Bosnian mountains
It’s great to see Aleksandra again – a friend and colleague from Philips, and to visit her home town. We will have a better chance to see Banja Luka in the day time tomorrow.
Me, James and Aleksandra
arctic-cycler.com 
Najaar in de Bosnische bergen… Dat is geen weer meer om doorheen te fietsen…. Hopelijk haal je het nog naar Istanbul. Wij hadden deze week een restje van een tropische storm, ook niet mis.
Gelukkig waren we met de bus. We kijken dat we niet door dat soort weer moeten fietsen. 🙂
Take note that the map you have as a reference is from 2004. Not that i want to say that they cleared a lot since then, but all the main and not so main 🙂 roads (asphalt) are clear from mines. Take care on gravel roads though. If the locals use them, then OK 🙂
Hi there. I assumed the roads themselves were ok, just when you leave them.. We are sticking to the roads. 🙂
Ciao Friend! Many years ago I was many times in Banja Luka and Prijedor immediatily after their terrible war, in order to help those people. So … for what I am concerned, these two towns are very very important for me … Best whishes for your enterprise!
Riccardo
P.S.: Do you have a pair of snow-ski for your bike?
Hi Riccardo. Thanks for the message. I also wish the best for these lovely people. They have had a difficult past.
No snow skis unfortunately. 🙂