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Balkanistanien

August 2021
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  • Michi, derBalkanistanien
    2
    Day 6

    Buna spring

    August 11, 2021 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We spend the night sleeping in someone's garden near the spring of river Buna in Blagaj. Apparently the boys do not value a more idyllic random camping spot or are too lazy to move 2.5 km further out of town. The street lanterns and the many cars driving around make me curse half of the night ... and it is warm ... and we ate way too much for dinner ... and someone is snoring ...Read more

  • Michi, derBalkanistanien
    Day 6

    Hot and steep beginning

    August 11, 2021 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    The day starts very warm, the sun burns and the 800 m ascent to Nevesinje combined with the previous evening's heavy meat platter kills one of us who hitch-hikes the last bit on the back of a lorry. In Nevesinje we get a relieving thunderstorm with a little bit of rain which this area was longing for for so long! Our following route to Gacko follows beautiful curves through forests and plains on higher altitudes with good air. But Gacko smells like shit because of its ancient coal power plant. No people around. We get decent food in the one and only good restaurant though. At night the town reveals some friendly creatures walking on the streets. Funny.

    Underneath great stars in the sky we continue some kilometers to the artificial shore of lake Klinje wich is used as water reservoir for the power plant's turbines. Not super sexy but the water is crystal-clear! I take a midnight swim and meet two Serbs who are from Gacko but are studying in Novi Sad, Serbia. While I dry in the night's wind they tell me interesting insights about this Yugoslavia thing which is pretty difficult to grasp for us non-involved Europeans. Yet another opinion which helps me to fill my puzzle about Bosnia and Herzegovina and the surrounding nations. This night is again well-interrupted by shitty cars passing nearby. In the morning we realize that we slept right at the tourist view point and probably made it into every visitor's Instagram story :p    Read more

  • Michi, derBalkanistanien
    Day 7

    First peeks spotted

    August 12, 2021 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Starting from Gacko we want to reach Montenegro's border today. Around national park Sutjeska we get great views on the first higher peeks. The main road leads along rivers through deep and steep canyons with many tunnels. At Tjentište we stop by incident at the OK festival which is about to start today. The setting looks very promising but we have no time for music :-P Today is even hotter than yesterday. The next cycling trip in this region must be planned in spring or autumn because the temperatures are unbearable. We want to shortcut the main road's detour through Brod/Foča by crossing an old bridge over Drina river further southwards but this bridge turns out to be in such a bad state that crossing it would require balancing on naked steel with all your luggage 20 m above the water. No, thank you! Craig reveals some suicidal tendencies though, but we manage to convince him that he should first enjoy Durmitor national park before trying to cross this damn steel bridge.Read more

  • Michi, derBalkanistanien
    Day 7

    Re-energising

    August 12, 2021 in Montenegro ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    We cool down in the confluence of rivers Tara and Piva at Šćepan Polje. The surrounding area is overfilled with rafting camps. We dine at one of those because it looks cosy and offers a great view on the rivers and into the north-western valley. It also features a grassy lawn as parking lot which we pragmatically choose for overnighting. Done.Read more

  • Michi, derBalkanistanien
    Day 8

    1750 m upwards

    August 13, 2021 in Montenegro ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Where most other blind, ignorant and motorised tourists follow the main road south, it's time to push the group to take the panoramic route easterly to Trsa because it’s just a feast for the eyes. I came here on motorbike already once and could drive this road up and down every day! In Trsa we hope to find fulfilling food because the previous day we were too lazy to buy sufficient rations for traversal of this rather remote region. Some of our guys tend to over-optimize the route and saving of a 4 km food-supplying detour results in having to rush through this overwhelming landscape “because we do not have enough food to stay a day longer”. Stupid. Apart from that, one of us decided to travel “ultra- lightweightedly” and simply does not have space to stuff enough snacks for multiple days. Hmm. Now, Trsa’s one and only restaurant just offers ugly meat and unsatisfying service.

    We continue in direction of the peaks around Bobotov Kuk and decide to camp westerly of the border of Durmitor national park in a wind-protected ditch at around 1800 m. It’s the first time we pitch our tents for breeze protection and cook pasta in one of the tents. The day was pretty exhausting with being exposed to the burning sun and having climbed a total altitude difference of 1750 m. Hujaka bujaka!    Read more

  • Michi, derBalkanistanien
    Day 9

    Durmitourista

    August 14, 2021 in Montenegro ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Early start. Great landscape! Most of us carry 3-4.5 litres of water and “the lightweight” just 1.5. But after yesterday’s refilling and cooking we have only little left. Craig separates from the group as the remaining 4 of us spontaneously decide to walk up the peak of Bobotov Kuk. Water is not enough for a whole day of climbing and continuing on bike. But we will have to continue after the descent because we are out of food. Grml. I see a trend for underestimation of crucial factors in our group and get a bit pissed. My arguments are not considered by the pushing party. On the hiking car park, I manage to organise 3 more litres for us ascending guys from other travellers. Now I’m in good mood to go. During the ascent then I notice that we did not take all our available water with us. What the fuck? Miscommunication and overhastiness at the start were probably the reason for that. The peak of my personal pissiness is reached when the faster two of us stop waiting for André and me and just haste onto the mountain top, with our remaining water and our snacks and MY BELOVED GERMAN FLEISCHPEITSCHEN which I brought all the way here for this moment. There is this – for me unexplainable – stress factor which makes the group continuously rush forward without any real reason. Little room to enjoy the journey's path.

    I decide to descend with André – having reached just the lower saddle under the peak. Funnily, we stumble across the three German campers with whom I spent my first Bosnian night at river Una with the delicious trout. They still have a long way up in the mid day's heat, hehehe.

    We pause at a small lake. In the distance a lot of smoke from burning forests is filling the air and the view is getting hazy. The wind brings smell of burning wood from the south. Back down at our bicycles the missing two fellows are already awaiting us with grinning faces. For me there is nothing to grin; they left us without water and ate all my Fleischpeitschen. These bloody Arschgeigen! :-P Anyway, I probably would have acted similarly in rushing up the mountain ... and devouring their Fleischpeitschen in their absence ... but would have left a word before.    Read more

  • Michi, derBalkanistanien
    Day 10

    Reunion

    August 15, 2021 in Montenegro ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Further down in Šavnik we meet up with Craig and share a great dinner. The town’s children’s playground with bathing place in bathtub-clear water becomes our place for the night. Evening bath, morning bath and naked Germans on the town square for breakfast. That's definitely not only holiday for us but also for the locals =)Read more

  • Michi, derBalkanistanien
    Day 10

    Into the smoke

    August 15, 2021 in Montenegro ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    From Šavnik to Danilovgrad Lukas the routing minister leads us across a wonderful plateau landscape. We stop in Nikšić for Burek, pita Sirnica and Zeljanica. What a deliciousness!! The city is a great relic from Soviet times with its rotting steel factory, the pompous boulevards and the radial street layout.Read more

  • Michi, derBalkanistanien
    Day 11

    Danilovgrad

    August 16, 2021 in Montenegro ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    In Danilovgrad we again have discrepancies about the sleeping location but I have to admit that the chosen meadow north of river Zeta just opposite of the city centre proves to be an awesome place. Even though I get woken up at night by a hedgehog sniffing at my hair and later in the early morning by two idiotic dogs barking at us in the dark for about 20 minutes without any reason. We start with a nice breakfast. Our sleeping bags are covered with tiny crumbs of ash. The forests around are burning, the air is smoky and preventing a clear view. A familiar bacon flavour is emitted from all things you touch. We start with a bath but today is getting really hot. "Hot" as in "really damn fuckin' bloody hot"!Read more

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