Басылган: 20.09.2018
At the border, it seems like everyone knows each other: a brief exchange of words, then a wave through. Of course, tourists like us don't get the same treatment, we only get wished 'Have a safe journey' after a minute.
And that's what we had. After about two hours, we reached the beautiful Kravica waterfalls. Interestingly, in Bosnia, it's not a problem to climb or swim in supposedly protected natural phenomena.
We continued our journey to Mostar. There, we found a small (once again overcrowded) old town waiting for us. Tourist stalls were set up everywhere, with an oriental influence that could be seen in various mosques. After a quick meal - Cevapcici for Karsi and Börek for Lotti - we headed to our final destination: Blidinje National Park. On the way there, we were once again amazed by the unique nature. A crystal-clear river ran alongside the road, with steep mountain slopes and high peaks on either side. In the national park, we found the perfect place to spend the night, in a mountain pass with a breathtaking view.
The next day, a 60 km mountain bike tour awaited us. It was sweaty, exciting, steep downhill on the gravel path (Lotti constantly had her brakes on, feeling a bit scared), frustrating uphill on the asphalt with wide tires, almost unbeatable against the wind, but also fun at times. In summary, mountain biking is probably not a suitable sport for us, but looking back, definitely worth a try. A refreshing swim in the lake and a well-deserved pesto encouraged us once again.
The next day, a new physical challenge awaited us. A 28 km hike, including a 14 km uphill climb with a 1000-meter elevation gain to the 2228-meter-high summit of Plocno. Surprisingly, we were approached by a soldier on the summit, who came out of a building that we initially thought was empty. We were informed that we were in a military restricted area (yes, it was a hiking trail signposted by the national park itself). Apparently, we convinced him, because he accompanied us to his territory and even took a picture of us at the highest point.
After reaching Willie after the hike, we continued our journey to Croatia. Just before the border, we encountered another police checkpoint. Apparently, police officers from different countries find it suspicious that we covered the entire trunk with aluminum foil to keep the heat out. I wonder why?