Balkanistanien

August 2021

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Michi, der Balkanistanien
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- Aug 6, 2021, 2:30pm
- 🌧 20 °C
- Altitude: 75 m
- Germany North Rhine-Westphalia Dortmund Derne 51.56926, 7.5112351°34’9” N 7°30’40” E
Day 1
Sausageduft
August 6, 2021 in Germany ⋅ 🌧 20 °C
Yum yum, the car smells like Würstchenbude now that I leave from Mom's place in direction of Yugoslavia's former mine fields.
Traveler Wo geht's überall hin?
8/6/21Reply
Michi, der Ziel: Meinen Fahrradboys in Montenegro den richtigen Weg weisen.
8/6/21Reply
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Michi, der Balkanistanien
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- Aug 6, 2021, 5:00pm
- 🌧 19 °C
- Altitude: 139 m
- Germany North Rhine-Westphalia Anröchte Klieve 51.5821, 8.278851°34’56” N 8°16’44” E
Day 1
Kaputt?
August 6, 2021 in Germany ⋅ 🌧 19 °C
Ha, what the heck is going on with my good old Passat? Shorty after Hamm I notice a rattling sound coming from the front left wheel. Something with the tyre, or the axle bearing?? I stop and do a quick visual check of the tyre. Nothing. One Rastplatz further I stop again. The sound appears only while decelerating and vanishes while braking or accelerating. A bearing problem does not make much sense. Hmm, I decide to unmount the wheel for a more detailed check. But, wait, what? Now, two wheel nuts are missing! Wtf?
I steal one from the back wheel, drive to the nearest Werkstatt, buy two new ones and off I go on the Autobahn again. The reason for all this? Don't know. Always check your wheel nuts before a long trip!Read more
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Michi, der Balkanistanien
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- Aug 7, 2021, 10:00am
- ☁️ 19 °C
- Altitude: 545 m
- Germany Free State of Bavaria Seefeld Höll-Graben 48.0321, 11.205648°1’56” N 11°12’20” E
Day 2
Tswishen Stop
August 7, 2021 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
Surfing the biggest couch I ever surfed on, with the tiniest kittens I ever snuggled with, at the place of the vikingiest sailor I ever sailed with. My beloved Carsten is immer gut für ne Nacht! At breakfast I am blessed by the very first wasp of this year.Read more
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Michi, der Balkanistanien
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- Aug 8, 2021, 9:00am
- ⛅ 23 °C
- Altitude: 138 m
- Slovenia Metlika Primostek Lahinja 45.6344, 15.310845°38’4” N 15°18’39” E
Day 3
SLO rock!
August 8, 2021 in Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
In Germany I always complain when leaving Lower Saxony because this also means stopping to receive great rock "Radio21" in the car. NRW offers just crap as radio stations and even in Bavaria I could not find famous "Rockantenne", even around its broadcasting home town of rock city Augsburg! While crossing to Slovenia I leave all clouds behind, pure blue sky! I turn on the radio. First statio: Highway to Hell. Thank you SLO for this welcoming greeting from your "Rock Radio"! \m/
I sleep in the car on a grassy lawn next to the bordering river Kupa and take little notice that in fact I park next to an established camp ground :p With a breakfast of cheese burek and poppy-seed-filled somethings I cross to Croatia.Read more
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Michi, der Balkanistanien
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- Aug 8, 2021, 1:00pm
- ⛅ 30 °C
- Altitude: 583 m
- Croatia Ličko-Senjska Županija Plitvička Jezera Galovac 44.8737, 15.607844°52’25” N 15°36’28” E
Day 3
Plitvička turistička
August 8, 2021 in Croatia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
After bathing and coffeeing in river Korana I proceed to Plitvička Jezera where I dive into a flow of tourists to examine the indeed pretty lake formations with crystal-clear, turquoise water. A small hike around the surrounding hills follows but I have to leave this crowded place even though the majority of the crowd consist of damn-pretty Polish girls. Seems like whole Poland migrated to Croatia.Read more
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Michi, der Balkanistanien
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- Aug 8, 2021, 6:00pm
- ⛅ 31 °C
- Altitude: 366 m
- Croatia Ličko-Senjska Županija Plitvička Jezera Kundrići Mihaljićin Vrh 44.8357, 15.755944°50’9” N 15°45’21” E
Day 3
Traces from the past
August 8, 2021 in Croatia ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C
Quickly leaving the tourist hot spot, I spend the late afternoon on the deserted military air base Željava which has been built into the rocks! There are hangars leading into the mountain. The airstrip is overgrown but you can drive around freely. I have been warned of patrolling police but the only beings I meet are other Croatian tourists and a young bear crossing the airstrip. Have to return here one day ... this region offers many interesting lost places. Nearby you also find Petrova Gora with a deserted fancy memorial where I have been with my motorbike in 2018.
In good mood I leave for the Bosnian border with the setting sun in my back. I dream of a last local restaurant to devour Croatian tastiness but ... the last town Ličko Petrovo Selo before the border has nothing to offer. Also Bihać on Bosnian side does not accept my credit cards to withdraw cash. My illusions are destroyed. Thank God I have my car full of cookies!Read more
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Michi, der Balkanistanien
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- Aug 9, 2021, 10:00am
- ☀️ 23 °C
- Altitude: 283 m
- Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation of B&H Grad Crno Vrelo 44.6367, 16.043644°38’12” N 16°2’37” E
Day 4
Una river trout
August 9, 2021 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
I think about wild camping at Una river but spontaneously stumble across live-saving Chefik who prepares me a fresh trout for dinner. Argh! It's the best trout I had for years! Crisp skin, soft flesh, I leave nothing but the bare bones and get rewarded by a flat rate of home-made šljivovica. Chefik also has a camp at the river shore where I sleep next to three campers from Augsburg Rock City.Read more
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Michi, der Balkanistanien
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- Aug 9, 2021, 3:28pm
- ☀️ 33 °C
- Altitude: 364 m
- Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation of B&H Bravnice Šedinac 44.31923, 17.2490344°19’9” N 17°14’57” E
Day 4
Getting ready for action
August 9, 2021 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C
Two deliciously home-made pite/burek with spinach and cheese and a Bosnian coffe. Let's start into the hills!
There I will visit Matej and Leon whom I met in 2018 on my motorbike trip.
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Michi, der Balkanistanien
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- Aug 10, 2021, 10:00am
- ☀️ 25 °C
- Altitude: 604 m
- Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation of B&H Lužine Brezovik 43.9234, 17.937643°55’24” N 17°56’15” E
Day 5
Welcome to "Valmar"
August 10, 2021 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Wahoo, good to be back to Foijnica! Matej and his brothers Leon and Anton run the local veggie and fruit distribution business "Valmar". They work hard, day and night! They get the best tomatoes. They have the best raspberries. Their blueberries are awesome. And they are drying fruits. And they are distilling fruits. And Matej can drive 6 km on the back wheel of his bicycle. And I get my own room for a night. And unfortunately I have to leave again. But! I might be staying for a few days of "far from home office" on my way back.
First, I have to join my Fahrradboys in Mostar and change from 4 motorised to 2 musculised wheels ...Read more
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Michi, der Balkanistanien
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- Aug 10, 2021, 5:00pm
- ⛅ 36 °C
- Altitude: 73 m
- Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation of B&H Vihovići 43.3471, 17.795843°20’50” N 17°47’45” E
Day 5
I get picked up
August 10, 2021 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⋅ ⛅ 36 °C
I park my Passat somewhere in the backyards of a residential area of Mostar and get my things ready when my German fellows appear within 5 minutes on their bicycles! Lukas, André, Craig and Karl. They started in Tivat some days earlier. The first three also visited me last year in Botswana.

While unpacking my bike I notice a flat rear tyre. What? Aha. Wasn't flat this very morning. Hmm. The diagnose reveals a leaking inner tube repair patch. Did not remember that I repaired this tube at all! Probably the patch was old and did not stand the high pressure. My boys act quickly and return to a cycle shop which they passed at the last corner and buy a spare inner tube for me. I did not bring one because previously I never had problems on my last long-distance adventures. What do I learn? Always check your bicycle's inner tubes (and you car's wheel nuts).

As a present for joining them I get a fresh cycling shirt in yellow-violett pizza style which Felix organized. Unfortunately he could not join but is caring for our sweet flat in Braunschweig instead :-PRead more
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