Ultimate Balkans and Transylvania Travel Talk Tour: Trebinje, Day 11
Day 11: Tuesday 18th October 2022
Start: Sarajevo, Bosnia (Currency: Bosnian Convertible Mark BAM)
Finish: Trebinje, Herzegovina (Currency: Bosnian Convertible Mark BAM)
Temperature: 9 degrees and heavy fog, low visibility Sarajevo,
Hello my literary friends!
This morning we are up at 7am for an 8am departure, breakfast was lovely! My favourite part was the creamy rice pudding with orange zest and pistachio. This morning we drive two hours before a comfort break then another hour or so to Mostar, home of the iconic Old Bridge where daredevils, young and old come to test their resolve and jump into the river below. We then drive on to the waterfalls with a small hike and then at 5.15pm we will depart the waterfall for Trebinje, and drive two hours to our hotel.
Heavy fog hung over the city, reducing visibility significantly to just a few metres in front of the bus. About 20 minutes into the drive, we popped out of a series of tunnels into a bright open valley with barely a hint of fog in sight. In the distance, rocky outcrops begin to appear at the top of more mountainous ranges. It was beautiful to see how the landscape changes. Our comfort stop was a roadside restaurant which had several lamb spits roasting away over coal in the front window. Here we bought ‘lamb sandwiches’ for (20?) which we will take with us for lunch at the waterfalls.
Mostar was a beautiful little town and we were blessed with the most beautiful weather. One thing we didn’t count on was a member of our group jumping from the ‘Old Bridge’ which some may recall from Hamish and Andy’s visit to Herzegovina. We were lucky enough to be seated at a beautiful restaurant (Bela Vista) having drinks when she made her final jump from the top of the bridge. For safety reasons, first time jumpers are required to jump two lower jumps to prove their proficiency before being allowed to jump from the bridge. We bought ice cream from local vendors, and my fellow aussies bought copper teacups and sets made locally in Herzegovina.
We met back at the bus at 1.45pm to allow time to drive to the Waterfalls. Midway there we came across a stretch of road that was closed, and had to wait until the road reopened at 3pm (35 minutes wait) before continuing.
After our drive from Mostar, we arrived at the Kravitz waterfalls. A short walk downhill over cobblestone and dirt paths, we came across a little store selling liquors which we had to laugh at. Further down the hill was a café and restaurant with bathrooms and changing locations for anyone wishing to swim. We took some pictures and ate our Lamb sandwiches from this morning while watching a few of our crew running enthusiastically into the cold water. Our Aussie trio did a quick walk up to another ‘viewing point’ of a different mini-waterfall where it was possible to stand over the inlet and watch the water crash down the other side. Afterward we settled in for a beer at the café until 5.30pm when everyone began the hike back up the stairs to the bus. I will admit, I had no trouble but some members of our group really struggled with this. As with any kind of tour, always remember basic fitness is important for health and safety. There was a ‘train’ that shuttled people up and down the mountainside, but from what I gather, this finished around 5pm.
We met at 5.45 for a 6pm departure from the waterfalls, followed by a 2 hour drive to our hotel in Trebinje for the next two nights. Tomorrow, we take a day tour across to Dubrovnik for a walk and beach day to unwind.
Hotel Central Park is centrally located right in the heart of Trebinje. The entrance is flanked with a large courtyard with tables and chairs, before walking into a neat and tidy lobby. The breakfast bar/indoor bar looked good and the rooms were a reasonable size, clean and tidy.
Bojan suggested a bar for extremely cheap cocktails nearby called Azzaro, which is an easy 3-minute walk from the hotel. Dinner was optional and so a few of us followed our bus driver Vladimir to Restoran MG. We had a large table and the staff were very accommodating. Food was reasonably priced and I’d call it ‘classic pub food’. Not amazing, not terrible!
We took the opportunity to get to know a few of our new group members and share stories across the table. Vlad, our driver, got into the mood by bringing out his home-made Rakia, which we didn’t realise until we tasted it! We ate salads and assorted meats and enjoyed the Rakia, during which time, Vlad decided to play fortune teller! Apparently one couple were going to have two babies within the next year (we too, wondered about how this would play out!) and I was betrothed to a man whose name I hadn’t yet learned. (It made for a hilarious story, which we ended up laughing about with Vlad for the rest of the trip). So my new kiwi ‘husband’ and I learned each other’s names and were told that Vlad would start saving for a ticket to come to the official wedding in the southern hemisphere!
Tips:
Accommodation: Hotel Central Park, Trebinje Herzegovina
Hotel Tips from Guide:
· The hotel have worked very hard to improve their breakfast options including buying a coffee machine which made a reasonably good espresso.
· Laundry Services Available – 2 options, pay for Laundry, or DIY in the sink.
· At this time of year, all hotels have switched to central heating, so any travellers who are unaware will turn on the ‘air-conditioning’ only to find it is heating the room. This is pre-set and can’t be changed. Open a window if you are hot.