Banja Luka

Kameni Most - Most means bridge.

Grabbed the bike and threw it on the back of the car after scoping out some trails the night before on the internet and speaking to a top fellow who is a mountain biking guru in the area.  After a bit of stuffing around and a few dead ends we parked the car and walked across a pedestrian suspension bridge and climbed a trail to a natural arch feature called Kameni Most.  The kids walked and I pushed the bike up the hill.

Bike + Kameni Most.

After we looked about at that Nicki and the kids descended and crossed the river and drove to the cascades further upstream where I would (hopefully) meet them later.  

I jumped on the bike and headed up another couple of hundred metres out of the river valley and then pedalled through the beautiful Bosnian countryside on the bike clocking up 25kms.

You tell me?  (It was the right hand one.)

Struck a few hiccups along the way with the local Cryllic signposting but nothing that couldn't be overcome by first asking and then shouting at a local (because that helps) and gesturing left or right when I came to an intersection.  

All good in the end and I met the kids and Nicki back at the cascades where they were attempting to dam the river after an unsuccessful fishing attempt.

Coincidentally the mountain bike guru was further down the cascades waiting to show some tour operators around so I stopped and had a yarn to him.  Got talking about the local politics of the region and the country and you could tell he was fairly frustrated with the portrayal of the area in the Western media.  

As he said to me a lot of people think it's so simple, "just like a $%#%ing American movie".

Anyway, it was interesting and having a chat to someone who was passionate about trying to bring tourists to his country.

Dam building - Bosnian style.

Dinner in town at the Hotel Palace on the main drag.  Making hay while the sun shines as it is cheap to eat out so why not.  

Stray observations:  There is approximately one ATM (or as they call them here 'bankomat') for every man, woman and child in Banja Luka.  

At least it seems that way.