I Survived To Compare Notes: Sarajevo to Mostar

June 25, 2015

I'm anxious to continue upon the original plan to reach Portugal and southwest Spain by September to catch a flight to Buenos Aires for the southern Spring. I've really liked the Balkans, but I need to get a move on west. Once I reach France it should be plain sailing. But until then, I've got to get through Italy. And after an exhaustive look at the map and what I know of road conditions in Italy, the Alpine north is out of the question. Instead I plan taking the island route. I know I mentioned not liking island hop-touring, but it is the lesser of two evils in the circumstances. I will take a ferry from perhaps Dubrovnik, back to Bari, thence to Sicilia, Sardinia, Corsica and mainland France.

So today I'm on the familiar road, leaving Sarajevo on the way to Mostar, where thankfully the weather has turned out nice. Yesterday was cold and wet. Indeed half the days I'd stopped in Sarajevo were wet and miserable. The city is at almost six-hundred metres, or getting on for two-thousand feet up in a mountain valley and therefore has a cool climate.

It's an easy hundred and twenty kilometres, mainly downhill, but the road is pretty hairy as it is the only direct route between the two cities. You need to keep your wits about you at all times. It's a usual narrow single carriageway road scenario with frequent convoy following behind an oncoming heavy truck and then a truck with a tailing convoy comes from behind. There are countless short tunnels, but thankfully with a raised walkway to the side, wide enough to ride upon in places. And one other hazard is curbs on the way into and leaving the many large villages on the way, meaning if a truck passes too close, which did happen coming out of Sarajevo and I just got my foot out of the pedal in time and down on the pavement, in so doing, prevented a painful spill. Otherwise the way is fairly scenic, passing through a narrow lake filled valley much of the way.

I survived and this evening I've checked into a backpacker hostel. There are a couple of other cyclists here, so we are comparing notes.