May 12, 2023
Bihac (BA) to Plitvice (HR)
We started our last morning in Bosnia and Herzegovina dry (except for the wet shoes) and with Tobias sitting up front on my bike. I missed having him there yesterday and we made up for lost time spotting every digger and truck and van on the road.
Unfortunately it was short lived and before we'd even made it out of the built up area the rain started as a drizzle, and by the time we'd gotten Tobias relegated into the trailer and everything rearranged it was raining. We switched between rain and drizzle for the whole climb up to the border. It was a nice climb. We gained about 100m up to a prominent mosque we could see as we approached. When it wasn't pouring, it was a really pretty view back down the valley with low hanging clouds clinging to the hills.
We didn't stop until the border since we weren't sure how long the process would take and we didn't want to have to get Tobias in and out of the trailer too much. It was cold, but we also worried we wouldn't get him back in quickly once he got out. The border was smooth though, only 2 cars in front of us and they were satisfied to peek in at Tobias. He looks so different now to his 5 day old passport photo so it's probably more about making sure we do indeed have a baby with us, rather than identifying him.
We decided to push on to a cafe before we stopped since it was still cold and raining. About 5km from the border we found somewhere. It was just for coffee, no food so everyone smoking inside. But it was warm and dry and we had enough food for Tobias' lunch and some emergency Snickers for us. After lunch it actually stopped raining and Tobias was begging to ride his bike so we let him have a ride up and down a side road before putting him back in the trailer for his nap.
We adjusted our route last night to follow the main road rather than the back road to the south of the Korana river. The back road would have been fun, but looked like broken up seal with lots of potholes which is less fun in the rain and with a sleeping kid. Instead we followed the main road down to cross the river then climbed back up again. The road surface was good, but there were lots and lots of trucks. They were all really respectful giving us the whole road as they passed and waiting if there was incoming traffic. Far less dangerous than drivers we've encountered in New Zealand. It was still a bit unnerving though and we were pleased to turn off down some quieter roads for a bit. Especially because the sun finally came out and everything was lush and green.
We arrived at our apartment just as our host got back from work and Tobias woke up, so good timing all round. The place really undersold itself online and we have a beautiful apartment with a big bedroom, balcony, and a well equipped kitchen. The icing on the cake is a big bag of toys for Tobias and a huge backyard where he could play. James tinkered with the bikes for an hour while Tobias ran between a ride on race car, tractor, and his bike.
We're here to visit the Plitvice lakes tomorrow, mostly because they kept coming up as the sign in screen on our computer and looked nice. We've only figured out just how much of a tourist attraction they are in the last few days. In the supermarket tonight we heard a whole variety of languages and every second house here has an apartment or a room for rent.
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Today's ride: 32 km (20 miles)
Total: 810 km (503 miles)
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