Safe Return Doubtful

67 miles (108 km) – Total so far: 828 miles (1,333 km)

I really enjoyed staying in Glamoc, up at 950 metres asl.
There are lots of bars for a small town. At 8 pm they were all busy, many sat outside despite the temperature dropping rapidly.
School holidays still on here as the kids were outside until 11.
A group of men in a bar by the hotel were sat around in a group of about 12 singing loudly, and actually quite well. And playing drinking games, clapping in unison.
Of course everyone smokes. A smoking ban on bars here would have a huge effect and I can’t see it happening in the near future. Like in the UK, many of these bars would close down.
On the dot of 11 pm the kids and people in the bars All left quietly and went home.

Generally a good night of sleep in Hotel Split.
At 5:30 am though there was a small earthquake. 4.6 on Richter.
I switched into Chile mode, and immediately thought what floor I was on (2nd) and how the building was built. It was over in 30 seconds, but an aftershock about 20 minutes later.
Having stayed safe in the 5th biggest earthquake of all time, 8.8, and the 2 month series of aftershocks, it has, I realised, become habit.

Though clear in town, it is still a misty morning out on the plains.

Today I passed so many abandoned villages and houses, a result of the ethnic cleansing from the war, which continued after it also.
3 million Bosnian Muslims left in the war, and many others sent their children to other countries, significantly Serbia, Germany and Italy. At least a million haven’t returned, The population is 3.5 million.
The displaced have received money from the U.N. and other agencies to be rehoused, and so have, understandably, not returned.

10 km out of Glamoc on a quiet road, and onto the R 402, 50 km on an unsealed road across this high plain, with no traffic at all.
I expect pre-1992 there would have been. There were even bus stops on the route that have no purpose since then.
It is therefore, a magnificent ride.

I met one car, that’s all.
Joseph from Czech Republic and his family (2 little girls) and two French hitchhikers from Brittany headed for the Stans.
We chatted for a while, and compared routes.
Joseph and his wife had lived in Central Otago, so we had plenty in common. Also the VW van, albeit his has 4WD, and more than one bed…

The R402 descends to Drvar town, then the only big climb of the day, up 400 metres out of town, on a busier and sealed road, but still only moderate traffic.
Lunch stop for me half way up, the famous curly bread of Glamoc and Pate of the high Bosnian forests.

After the climb, that wonderful R402, restarts.
With slightly more traffic, but still hardly any. A car every 10 minutes perhaps.
Iits a great road, but any scenery in just the forest, as it gently rolls up and down for 20+ kilometres.

Looking down at Drvar near the top of the climb out of it.

Then the road heads steeply down, losing 450 metres in about 7 km, into the National Park Una, which is based around the Una River and it’s Gorge.

Lots of efforts at tourism here along the river. There are plenty of water sports, chiefly rafting.
Few come from Western Europe though.

The bridge over the Una into the picturesque town of Kulen Vakuf, where I am staying tonight.
The wild dogs are so much better behaved than people’s pet dogs. The latter are defensive of their property.
The wild ones just laze around. There are two on the bridge.

I’m staying at a wonderful apartment. It’s almost new, and could house a family of 5. The owners are incredibly welcoming, speaking in extremely basic German. It’s 15 Euros for the night, and complete luxury. Apartments Bergovic if you’re headed this way, right opposite the grocery store in the middle of town.