Explorer Genes

Despite being next door neighbors, the train experience in Bosnia & Herzegovina versus the train experience in Serbia could not be more dissimilar.

In Serbia, everything is now easy, modern and requires little effort. Here, it’s a bit more convoluted, vintage and backpacker-y, despite the tremendous potential for train travel in this mountainous and beautiful terrain.

Why? The war of course, which destroyed hundreds of bridges, tunnels and tracks, and other than the iconic Sarajevo/Mostar line, hasn’t been a big priority to repair.

Another major issue…. Bosnia’s complicated political structure. The country has two largely autonomous entities: The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska, each with their own independently run and non-integrated railway companies.

That said, definitely don’t expect to find schedules or ticket purchases available on a conveniently downloaded app. You have to go to the railway website which is equally as janky with no search options.

We presume this is why a lot of tourists end up taking the bus, which is sort of a shame considering it costs four times as much, and isn’t nearly as interesting an experience.

Needless to say, we were excited to jump aboard the 8:17 train for our day trip to Visoko.

***Click photos for details

From the bottom of the ruined Olympics bobsled track (see last post), you can continue on one of many precipitous downhill trail options to return to the city.

But before we did that, we decided to make a couple stops on one of the most strategically important ridge lines of the Sarajevo Siege.

The first was at one of Sarajevo’s most fascinating and forgotten landmarks…the Bistrik Kula Observatory, which is only about 10 minutes from the track. The site began as an Austro-Hungarian military observation between 1890 and 1910 due to its commanding views over Sarajevo, and in 1967 it was handed over to the University Astronomical Society of Sarajevo which transformed it into the only observatory ever built in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

I like the latter (smarter) option better…

The second, Čolina Kapa, offered more magnificent views of the city and because of this, was naturally also used in the war. (Because why wouldn’t you use a sturdy hill as a killing machine?😣)

Had we brought a lunch with us, we would have also added on the Abandoned Hotel Osmica and Tvrdana Palez, an abandoned fortress nearby-ish.

Maybe we’ll make it there before we leave, but with the cost of the chair lift or the super steep grade to get up there, it’s unlikely.

***Click photos for details

On July 4th, we arrived to another “Known Known” of Sarajevo with the plan of camping out five weeks. We first visited in 2019 for about five days, and really appreciated the East meets West vibe tucked into a spectacular setting encompassed by rolling mountains…an ideal escape from a baking Europe thanks to its slightly higher altitude. There are also a plethora of things to do and learn about, day trip options, and healthcare options to finish up our annual “medical month.”

On our last visit, we spent much of the time learning about and absorbing the recent tumultuous and heartbreaking history of this resilient capital during the Bosnian War. For this visit, we were most eager to check out one thing we had to skip…the graffiti blanketed ruined bobsled/luge track from the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics.

Being awarded the Winter Olympics bid was arguably a bigger deal than in typical nominations for the “underdog” of Sarajevo….then part of Yugoslavia.

It was a huge achievement, beating out a much wealthier nominee of Sapporo, Japan and served as the first Winter Olympics in a socialist state. Unlike the Soviet Union, however, Yugoslavia was non-aligned—not part of NATO or the Soviet Blocs. During this Cold War period, the city became a place where East and West competed peacefully, which gave the Games symbolic importance and created a rare sense of unity across the country’s different republics. (Source: audio tour on the track.)

Today, the Olympics are often remembered as the last great celebration before the break-up of Yugoslavia.

Thus, it was incredibly unreal to immerse ourselves on a walk-down the iconic track.

***Click photos for details

(July 4) Zvornik is one Bosnia & Herzegovina’s oldest continually inhabited towns, perfectly perched on a poetic bend in the Drina River.

This stunning setting served as a crossroads for centuries…a border town first mentioned in 1410 as a prosperous trading center where merchants, cultures and armies collided.

It was captured by the Ottomans in the mid-15th century and the fortress overlooking the city was expanded, along with mosques, baths, markets and workshops typical of an Ottoman frontier town. This was followed by an Austro-Hungarian takeover (1878), which eventually gave way to Yugoslavia.

The tumultuous times of Zvornik does not stop there.

In more recent years, it experienced severe violence during the Bosnian War (1992-1995). The town’s Bosniak population (southern Slavs whose historical and cultural identity is associated with Islam) suffered ethnic cleansing, killings, and displacement during the early days of the conflict. Today, Zvornik is part of the entity of Republika Srpska, while many former residents and their descendants live somewhere else. (Wikipedia).

Needless to say, this recent historical period remains deeply significant and senstive.

During many of these sagas, the ruined fortress soaring above the town served as a prominent defensive site, but today sits as a peaceful and weathered relic of chapters closed.

We were grateful for the opportunity to visit.

***Click photos for details

(July 3) From Valjevo, our next destination was Sarajevo, where we’d be spending the next five weeks.

Unfortunately, there was no train option.

The railway heads southwest into Montenegro, not Bosnia & Herzegovina, so for the first time in Serbia we had to rely on buses. We figured getting to the border…and then Sarajevo…would be simple.

Wrong.

What started as a logistical headache unexpectedly turned into a night in the beautiful mountain border town of Zvornik.

But first, we had to get there…

***click photos for details

Serbia: It’s a Wrap!

On our 2019 first visit to Serbia, we only got a small taste of the country in the cities of Belgrade, Niš and Novi Sad.

To be frank, we weren’t enamored, which is not surprising given our affinity for smaller towns, villages and more off-the-beaten path locations. However, we did fall for Subotica, which we discovered on a day trip from Novi Sad. It has been on our radar to return to for years, and it was this side of Serbia, arguably quite different in the province of Vojvodina, that ultimately captured our hearts. We also enjoyed seeing a slice of the western mountains, an area we would definitely consider returning.

Below is our personal list of stats, money saving tips, and personal upsides and downsides for the country.

Time Spent: 32 nights
Money Spent: $1740 or $54.38 in USD/two people, which breaks down to:
$776 (Accommodation)/$24/night avg.
$555 (Groceries)/$17/day avg.
$145 (Restaurants)
$136 (General)
$130 (Transportation)

Our itinerary:
(1) night, Belgrade
(28) nights, Subotica
(3) nights, Valjevo

Day Trips included: Sombor, Senta, Palic, Subotica Sands, and Szeged (Hungary)

Would we return? Absolutely to Subotica, and we’re also interested in discovering more mountainous regions in both the west and east near the Bulgarian border, ideally with a car.

Best Budget Saving Tips:
-Take the train when you can; it’s much more enjoyable and cheaper than town-to-town bus travel
-Stay for a month in one place for deeper discounts. This goes for almost anywhere and has been a true advantage to our new, more intentional, slow-down plan.
-Shop at the local market for fruits/veggies and local artisan goods. Again, applies almost everywhere.
-Take city public transportation. In Subotica it’s very affordable at $1.20/ride and in Belgrade, it’s even free!
-Cook the majority of your meals in, or pack picnics. Duh. Of course, this also goes for almost everywhere.
-Shop at Lidl! It saves so much money in Europe. Sadly, Too Good to Go hasn’t made its way here yet.
-Maxi Supermarket is terrific in the evenings for deep discounts on expiring products.

Our Upsides
-Overall, the destinations we visited were incredibly walkable, tree-lined and charming, with no transportation, other than our feet, needed.
-As mentioned, the train network is phenomenal and affordable. It also crosses into many border countries.
-Most Serbs speak some English thanks to their mandatory and early exposure to the language.
-We were able to use our knowledge of Bulgarian to speak rudimentary Serbian more than we expected. There were many words and phrases that were the same or similar, including numbers.
-All public transportation was integrated into Google.
-The currency conversion is quite easy to interpret if you are spending USD. $1 USD=$102 Serbian Dinar
-The Art Nouveau architecture, especially in Vojvodina, is unique to the region, and stunning
-It’s common to buy bottles of locally produced wine by the liter, meaning better bang for your buck. (~$4-5) It’s also quite quaffable, for table wine.
-Portion sizes in restaurants are huge.
-You can easily have a great meal out with wine for 2 people around $15, a scoop of gelato for $1, and a beer for $3.
-Access to a public swimming pool for $3/visit was terrific for doing laps.
-Also, green and enjoyable parks for running/walking
-We lived comfortably on our budget of $55/day.
-There is a wide selection of mouth-watering fruits and vegetables.
-Grocery stores are plentiful and well-stocked. We were able to get mostly anything we wanted.
-DMs (the German H&B store) are widespread and significantly cheaper with their product than in Western Europe. It’s a good place to stock up on toiletries, as is Lilly.
-It’s was also easy and affordable to find our prescription medicines (without a prescription). Strangely, we also encountered two pharmacists that didn’t speak English, but that wasn’t an issue.
-We had great, and economical, experiences at the dentist, getting bloodwork, and ultrasounds
-It’s incredibly bike friendly. We loved watching the older people scoot by our apartment on their often rickety and dated bikes.
-And certainly last, but not least, was the people. We felt welcomed by nearly everyone we encountered, and we noticed their good sense of sarcasm and humor. Most Serbs were eager to speak some English and typically said hello in passing. We also appreciated the mostly welcoming vibe we received from the plethora of locals who joined or interacted with our page.

Our Downsides
-That said, sometimes the energy in comments could feel a bit like swimming in choppy waters.
-The smoking. Oh my goodness, it feels like 40 years ago in the States. Every restaurant or cafe…although fortunately buses no longer seem to allow it.
-If you’re a shorter person, cabinets and mirrors can be difficult to reach. These people are generally tall and all seem to be related to Nikola Jokić. 🤣
-Not being able to rent bicycles for the month was disappointing. If we stay for longer on a future visit, we would consider just buying and reselling, because it would definitely be an advantage in flat and bike-friendly Vojvodina.
-That said, Vojvodina is simply too flat for our taste, as many of you know we love our hiking/mountains. Of course this changes in other parts of the country.
-We’re not crazy about Serbian food. Most of it feels red meat-centric and heavy for our taste.
-Drivers weren’t always good about stopping for pedestrians
-Buses are considerably more expensive than trains, and then they charge you for luggage as well.

In many cultures around the world, the number eight is one of the most positively regarded… symbolizing strength, abundance, balance, and the idea that actions lead to results.

With that acknowledgment, it seems a fitting year for some reflection.

Eight years ago today we departed the US on a journey around the world on $50/day.

It was supposed to be two years. We would then buy a property abroad and “settle down” to open a bed & brewery.

COVID changed everything.

It helped us realize that dream was not ours anymore.

In fact, we wanted nothing more than to continue this life.

So, we took the seed money we had for that property, and did something else.

Some days, we’re still incredulous, and always grateful, that we found a way to make it work, and though we’ve slowed down substantially, we’re still going strong.

For us, it’s an integral part of who we are.

It’s the explorer gene.

A gene that 20% of humans…maybe you….also have??!

It keeps us exploring.
It keeps us learning.
It keeps us sharing….

That said, thanks to YOU, our 7.5k followers, all who have joined us organically through this page, and continue to follow us through our monthly blog newsletter .

We sincerely appreciate all the comments, shares, fellow travelers/nomads, and armchair explorers out there from around the globe. But, whether you’re contributing or lurking, we’re glad you’re part of the journey. We also value all the friendships and relationships we’ve made because of this page, so if we might cross paths, please let us know!!

As you might have noticed, we have chosen to never monetize our content for fear of it changing how we write and share our travels; as such, our content will always be offbeat, free and without clickbait, memberships, or advertising…on our social media, (so long as we can control it) and on our website, which is packed with all our archives.

We will also not serve as brand ambassadors, though we do sometimes share brands we truly love.

Finally, we will be authentic…written by us, and not AI, though we do use it for research and historical fact-checking purposes.

With that said, if you feel charitable and would like to give thanks in support of the efforts that go into our posts and website, you can now make a contribution through Ko-fi via our website, (comments) or by simply using any one of our referral links. Your support genuinely helps us, motivates us, and keeps us doing what we do. 🙂

Regardless, Thank you, Merci, Gracias, Danke, Hvala, Grazie, Obrigado, Děkuji, Blagodarya, Mulțumesc, Köszönöm, Terima Kasih, Teşekkürler, Tack, Càm ón, Khapunka, Rahmat, Shukran, Arigato….and the list goes on….to ALL of you!

And…Happy 8th Nomadaversary to us!

Photo: Kiev, Ukraine, year one, 2018

(July 1) En route to Bosnia & Herzegovina, we paused in Valjevo mostly to slide in some hiking in the Gradac Gorge, which caresses one of Serbia’s most pristine and inviting rivers.

It combines crystalline waters, dramatic limestone cliffs, dense beech forests, historic monasteries, caves and swim holes, which all feel relatively untouched.

No tourist center. No fees. No overdone signage. No crowds.

That said, according to a local we met, the gorge (which he also amusingly called “The Amazon of Serbia”) has increased in popularity significantly since people started traveling locally during COVID and now every weekend during the summer is filled with day-trippers from Belgrade.

Fortunately, we went on a semi-rainy weekday and mostly had it to ourselves.

The best part?

You can wander there directly from the town (about 15 minutes) and go for miles in a variety of directions.

Unfortunately, we had a late start due to some torrential rains, but we still managed to fit in 14k and see many beautiful views and sights, as well as douse ourselves in some much needed forest bathing.

***Click photos for details

(July 1/2) En route from our one month in Subotica to our next five weeks in Sarajevo, we wanted to check out some other parts of the Serbia, so we settled on Valjevo. It was convenient to access by train and offered hiking in a beautiful gorge, which we were desperately hungering for after a month in pancake-y terrain.

The town of 56k sits where the Kolubara and Gradac River unite and also offers Tešnjar which is one of Serbia’s “best preserved cobbled old quarters,” according to Serbia Travel.

Our final conclusion was that it wasn’t really worth the side trip, especially because getting out of Valjevo and heading to Sarajevo wasn’t so straightforward.

Still…it was a pleasant stop for three nights and we really enjoyed our hike, which we’ll get to in the next post.

***Click photos for details

Where are we now?!

We’ve returned to Sarajevo, another “Known Known” for the next five weeks!

Here’s our post from our 2019 visit.

In the meantime, we’ve still got a bit to catch up on in Western Serbia and Eastern Bosnia & Herzegovina!

Unpacking Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina - Explorer Genes Before we arrived, a few things came to mind when we thought of Sarajevo, etched in our brains from early history lessons and events. Mostly, involving war…the one during the Clinton years, a siege we knew pretty much nothing about, and the beginning of World War I kicking off thanks to the assass...