Bosnia Trip (VI)

On my third day I woke up stranded in a village on the mountain plateau near Mostar.

There was absolutely nothing to do there. 
Got up to the plateau at night on a completely unimproved road using a taxi ($30US).  If that road were a Disneyland ride it would be too scary for small children.  The driver knew the way, a definite plus on such a moonless cloudy night since the road was unmarked, had no guard rails on the two dozen switchbacks.  The road  was just plain dirt and mud and the car careened, in a persistant uphill slalom, winding higher and higher away from the twinkling lights of Mostar.
Arriving at the village I checked in my gear at the inn and I went out in the dark for a walk on the featureless  road but the clouds hid the stars and due to landmines, I couldn't really meander with abandon anywhere so there was nothing to explore.

The inn owner and his wife had been watching a Croatian ski race on the TV for several hours.  I joined them long enough to conclude that noone was going to beat any of the three Austrian race leaders.  No Yugos were in the top twenty.   I went up to my room and read. 
Then slept. 
I came down to the lobby and the owner, for breakfast, gave me a nice assortment of local jam, cheese, and day old homemade bread.  A stray pony was eating the flowers in the garden. Men on tractors were arriving at the inn, large  men taking off multiple layers of coats and wind shells to come in for a hot coffee and a smoke and to chat to each other.  Near the inn I saw a  large monument commemorating dead villagers from the recent war.  Facing the monument there was  a mosque with a minaret.  There was a post office (shack) but it had closed before I even got up (daily hours 8AM to 10AM only).

I went back to my room and meditated.  Did some pushups.  I decided this day could be a chillout, a Sedona spa trip.
Went out and jogged, careful to stay on the roads.   Managed to run to the next village over.  Talked to some shy tiny kids. 
Came back and ate more delicious homemade local food for lunch: lamb, potatos, boiled carrots, some soup. 
Got the schedule for when the local bus would come.   
Went to room and had a shower.  Read some more. 
Just as I was waiting for the bus, a rich Italian guy and girlfriend, packing up their hunting dogs and rifles, offered me a lift back to town.  Along the way we passed an old castle.  The truck smelled like dogs but the conversation was good.  The man had hunted in the Balkans every couple of months for  years.  He  entertained us with stories about hunting for pheasent in Albania.  "Albanians stole my dog.  They ransomed him for $400."

The mountain plateau, a desolate exile. 

The region is Podvelezje, the village is Smajkici, the hotel is Hotel Sunce.

Comments

[Albert Wu]

Hey Mr. G-man,

Glad to hear you're having what seems to be an awesome experience in Bosnia. I was wondering what the name of the EST track you showed me last time was? I've seen a couple of his CDs around, and wanted to get the right CD with that track, because it's so awesome.