Traveling Day

I spent the majority of the day on a variety of buses and trains to make it from Ljubljana, Slovenia to Banja (bon-ya) Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Croatia is not a part of the Schengen zone, so I finally got my passport stamped! In Zagreb, Croatia, I had to switch from train to bus, and there was a 2 hour gap to fill between my trains arrival and my buses departure. The bus driver told me I had to put my bag under the bus, which I wasn't used to, and then charged me 12 krun for it... I tried to ask why and I'm pretty sure he acted like he didn't understand me. 12 krun is only around $2.50, but I was still irritated. I got on the bus, and we began the journey to Banja Luka. I fell asleep at some point and woke up when the bus stopped at what I thought was some sort of toll booth. Everyone got off the bus, and I just blindly followed their lead. As soon as we were all off, the bus pulled away and parked away from the booth. At this point, I realized everyone had their passports out. This wasn't a toll booth... this is the border between Croatia and B&H!!! My passport was in my bag, under the bus, in Bosnia and Herzegovina... which left me on the Croatia side. I finally found a passenger who spoke English who, after getting checked, spoke to the bus driver and was able to get my passport to me. Problem solved, everything is ok, and I made it safely to Banja Luka.

I spent the evening talking with my host over a cup of tea, discussing life and travels... it was relaxing, and enjoyable. The day is over, and I'm excited to explore this little place tomorrow. It reminds me of the less populated areas of Alabama... the path (a well trodden dirt path large enough for one person) to my hosts house led us across some pasture, and through a patch of woods... There are people tending their gardens, splitting firewood, and children are playing soccer in the field. This is much better than the hustle and bustle of London and Paris!