Returning to Bosnia & Completing the Tour 🇧🇦🏁

While it felt like we saw so much on tour, we were only three days away from making it to Sarajevo, where we would meet up with our friend, Adnan. At this point in the trip we were both waking up a bit sore and tired, but could sense that we wouldn’t have to push for much longer. On most days, we’d wake up between 5 and 6am in order to beat the heat and the traffic. In Metković we departed early, heading to the Bosnian border which was not too far down the road.

Given that it was early in the morning and not a crowded crossing, things were pretty chill and soon after that we were on our way to Mostar. Mostar is a historically significant city and recently a popular tourist destination in the Herzegovina region. During the the breakup of Yugoslavia and the war that followed, Mostar was one of the fault lines between the warring factions in the region and you can still see the remnants of those divisions today. The famous Stari Most (Old Bridge), built by the Ottomans in the 16th century, was shelled and destroyed by Bosnian Croat forces during the conflict in 1993.

After a nice day in Mostar, we departed early the next morning along the Neretva River, weaving deeper into the mountainous interior of the country. This would be our longest day riding in Bosnia, and we were biking straight into the wind for a lot of the ride. While following the river was scenic and easier than trying to cross over some of the mountains, this was still the main road so traffic was hectic. Regardless, we pushed through and made it all the way to Konjic, where we would stay the night before our final push to Sarajevo. Konjic was a nice small town and since it was Saturday, there were lots of people out and about downtown, which was nice to see. We hung out for a bit, but went back for some rest before our last ride.

It’s only fitting for the last day to be one of the most challenging. Sarajevo is separated from Konjic by mountains and we would have to climb about 600 meters to cross them. At this point we were pretty worn out, but could see that the finish line was within reach. To make things more fun, our bikes were a bit jacked up and in my case, my two lowest gears were out of commission, making climbing all the more difficult. We departed early again, and on this last day it was really cold! The mountain air is no joke. Pretty soon I didn’t mind the chilly weather as I was huffing and puffing up the mountain road, with cars occasionally whizzing by. On roads like that it can feel like it will never end, but I knew no climb lasts forever. Eventually we made it to the tunnel that cuts through the final mountain and would send us on our descent into Sarajevo. We were rewarded on this stretch by a mostly peaceful road, which ran parallel to the newer and more popular highway.

Now we didn’t plan it this way, but as we descended from the mountains, we realized that our arrival would be fairly close to Adnan’s arrival from out of town, so we opted to head straight to the airport. As we were riding in, we could even see the plane landing, so we knew we had a shot to catch him, and we did. Mission accomplished!

You would think after such a trip, there would be an epic conclusion, but the ride finished much like our previous days. We just wanted a shower, nap and some food. A trip that started with good company, ended with good company. I think it will take more time to reflect on the ride, but for now I’d say I’m grateful for the friends I have to visit and for the friends willing to accompany me on the journey in between. It’s not something I take for granted.

Lastly, if you are thinking about taking that trip or trying something new, do it. I had never cycled more than 55km in a day and I ended up covering more than 1100km (688 miles) over the past few weeks. I cycled in four different countries, and there was not one time I can recall feeling unsafe (other than with traffic sometimes). When you are on a bike, people recognize that, and are often willing to help you out with anything you might need. This trip was a great way to see what’s actually out there, ironically at a time TV and social media are telling us to be afraid and to worry about everything that’s wrong with the world. There is so much more I could say about our time on the road, but I’ll stop for now. I’m very grateful and blessed to have had this experience.

Take care! Until next time!