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My route was to take me firstly to Vitez, I had only been there once as part of the UN in 93 as it was another part of my old Battalions area. But it was on my so I stopped off and had a brew. Also had a ride round and took some video with the Go-Pro.
From Vitez I went to Nova Travnik T (as we called it), it was a T junction near to Nova Travnik and it was the scene of trouble when I was there. A convoy (which we named the Convoy of Joy due to what it was carrying) which had already been through Gornji Vakuf was stopped at this point and quite a lot of people were dragged out of the vehicles and killed and the convoy was ransacked. Been there as the UN your main job is to observe and not to be seen to be getting involved with a particular side. But seeing this it did not take long for members of my old Battalion to intervene. It made the news for several days after it had happened. I didn’t take photos out of respect. https://twitter.com/BosnianHistory/s...57889950027777 |
Once I had been passed there I went untowards Gornji Vakuf via some really weird looking stones and Bistrica. I did find some information on the internet about them but can not find it now
The Stones are really odd and have very strange markings on them, if anyone knows what they are called then let me know please. https://i.imgur.com/WBhYqGNl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/CDVMEcMl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/00L36JIl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/QkPkA8xl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/kB5jhY1l.jpg https://i.imgur.com/hHR4Zzbl.jpg |
Bistrica, a place close to my heart. It was where I came across a family whose grandmother had been shot by a sniper whilst she was working the field to the rear of the house. Every time the family went to try and help here the sniper stopped them. I was dark by the time they managed to get to her and she was dead. We went on a routine patrol the following day and visited the village and got talking to the family and they told use the story and seeing the grandmother laid out on a stretcher was not good. I was the first and only time I shed a tear in the conflict. All they wanted use to do was guard them whilst they buried her. Which we did and the family was very grateful.
https://i.imgur.com/rg6fpC2l.jpg https://i.imgur.com/Vu5Pn1jl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/SEr4Zhyl.jpg A monument to the dead from the village I also took the photo below in 93 and took another with the bike parked in the same spot give or take a couple of feet today https://i.imgur.com/K9Hgk8ml.jpg https://i.imgur.com/IM0FIEil.jpg |
From there I was into Gornji Vakauf (GV). This was the place where I based was for 6 months in 93, it was good to see a normal live going on with cafe bars all over the place and people milling about doing there thing. Oh times have changed….GV was a very busy area back in 93 with lots of indiscriminate killing, tanks were in the area and artillery and motor fire hit the town and our camp every now and again. Also every day and night there would be exchanges of gun fire between the separate groups in the town and lots of ethic cleansing from all sides. It was a busy old 6 months.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gornji_Vakuf-Uskoplje The Old Base is still there and you can even see the UN sign on the wall of the building if you look carefully https://i.imgur.com/rpyUTvTl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/47EUblol.jpg https://i.imgur.com/Vbkr5lIl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/NI7FHlLl.jpg On my way in to GV there is still scaring from the War https://i.imgur.com/B4qZWCml.jpg https://i.imgur.com/4zZRPtPl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/bqeJwqFl.jpg Looking towards Wayne Edwards Bridge https://i.imgur.com/WnH0ym4l.jpg From the otherside https://i.imgur.com/Cr48qG8l.jpg A couple of photos from the town https://i.imgur.com/noWeZ0kl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/66S1H2Bl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/syn2rr0l.jpg |
Tito’s Fist, this was a great monument back in the day and a symbol of the ruler of Yugoslavia as it was. Doesn’t look much now
The first photo I took in 93 the second was today. https://www.spomenikdatabase.org/makljen https://i.imgur.com/kvawKyJl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/AUfXGBCl.jpg Then it was down into Prozor to find somewhere to sleep for the night Wayne |
Good man .......strange breed us humans :unsure:
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Wayne |
Thoroughly enjoying your report Lonerider :thumbup1:
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I'm enjoying your report by the way. Many of your pics bring back memories. :thumbup1: |
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Glad you are enjoying it Wayne |
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Thanks for taking the time to get the information about the stones. Glad your enjoying the report Wayne |
Day 18 Balkans Trip
Day 18 Balkans Trip
The route today was from Prozor to somewhere before Mostar. It started off good and ended good with a bit of a twist in the early stages. It took me about 45 mins to get out of Prozor because I was trying to find a bank to use the ATM and all the main street was having road works done. Talk about traffic congestion it was manic. Eventully found a bank my 3rd run through the town. Then it was fuel and I was off. Day 18 Prozor to near Mostar |
I didn’t want to take the main roads so I had plotted a route through the middle of no where…and it sure was. In some places it was very barren and others were forestry blocks. It was a good ride.
https://i.imgur.com/E2YOJPzl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/dGZEmbwl.jpg As I left Prozor I rode around Lake Ramsko and in the middle is the Island of Sćit with a Monastery on it. I forgot it was there until I was well around the other side https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramsko...nd_Herzegovina) https://i.imgur.com/9SsR7Txl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/isQdi9Kl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/habAH9ql.jpg Taken from the Dam https://i.imgur.com/76pPZVIl.jpg The other side of the Dam |
https://i.imgur.com/jBO5aOjl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/C4CMRJbl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/V3uSiyNl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/bCghvaql.jpg https://i.imgur.com/lGCsJD1l.jpg As I continued with my journey I came across a Shrine N43.69696 E17.53280 which was towards the edge of the forestry block, but it was in the middle of no where. I could not see what it was for. https://i.imgur.com/9OVuvyDl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/sJsGsrCl.jpg As I left there the twist happened, N43.69657 E17.53327. I had only ridden about 100 yards from getting back on the bike after taking the photos of the shrine and I ended up in some loose gravel, not good, the front washed out from underneath me, I tried to keep the bike rubber down but it wasn’t having none of it, down I went on the left side, the left pannier ended up on my foot, the boots work. So after I had prised myself from under the bike, I picked it up, it was heavy but not as bad as I thought it would have been. On close inspection I have put a big dint in the bottom left corner of the pannier, and pushed it in where it attaches to the frame, I also think the frame has moved but cant be sure. I got on the bike to ride off to find that the bars had twisted in the fork clamps, or thats what I hoped, Yes they had. So a few hard knocks on the opposite lock sorted that out. Time to move on. https://i.imgur.com/4KzCEAql.jpg https://i.imgur.com/XlWGsSol.jpg https://i.imgur.com/K6HUWJGl.jpg |
Next up on the unpaved road I came across some more of those Stones N43.66331 E17.54271, these were more tomb shaped than the others I saw the other day.
https://i.imgur.com/pQhm7rIl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/J8YfI5Ql.jpg https://i.imgur.com/Dpw1iNdl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/wy4W9NIl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/jwMvIm7l.jpg https://i.imgur.com/sxemUeQl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/5QmlZzHl.jpg |
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