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Diary - Croatia to Turkey (5th Apr to 7th Apr)
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| Having spent three wonderful days not really moving anywhere with Gweneveer, we decided it was time to head east and head out of the comfort zone of Europe. However I wouldn't say Bosnia and Serbia are normal countries to visit. Neither of the next few countries really offerd us anything that we really fancied doing or seeing, especially not as the lure of Africa is taking hold. So are journey was set, three days, four countries and a lot of driving. |
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| Bosnia was a big suprise in how lively the atmosphere was. It was also very majestic and varied in the scenery and made a wonderful change to the blandness of the Croation hill sides. Although initially having to sort out getting through the border as we had to buy a Green Card having been previously told by our insurance company one was not needed. Thankfully after a frantic scrabble about the vehicle we scraped together the required amount of Euros and in we went. |
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| Our first and only sightseeing stop was to visit Mostar. This is a very mixed town architectuly as it is a mix of very old buildings, new replacments and the remnants of a war zone and ruins. Even with all the bullet peppered buildings did not taint the atmosphere and if anything gave it a more aluring feel. Possibly as going through what they have has given them a more relaxed and accepting manner. The rest of our first day was spent driving to Sarajevo where we were to camp for the night. |
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| The next two days started badly, partly because the first hour was spent negotiating Sarajevo and then getting turned away from the Serbian border, with a three hour detor because we needed yet another Green Card and the first border didn't supply them. I then made a big mistake and fell, hook, line and sinker a t the border and got done for far too much money! Lesson learnt and certainly one I will make sure doesn't happen again. This plus being stopped for speeding (yes speeding in a Land Rover!!!) earlier in Bosnia (which I played the language card and they let me off) did not give us the best mindset for looking at Serbia with a clear mind. To save money and also because we didn't have another option we wild camped properly, tucked down a forest track out of sight from the tiny little road that wound up the hillside. We slept ok but you are always on edge with every little noise you hear, even it is just the other one moving their foot. However each time will make it easi |
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| The wild camping did give us an early start for our final trekking day that involved a 13 hour drive, across 2 borders and three countries, not something we would chose to do again. Unlike Gweneveer who seemed to take it in her stride and felt keen to bed down with all the trucks that fill up the parking spots on the Toll Road in Turkey. |
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| Thankfully the Bulgarian border was hassle free and we even managed to pick up the road tax that we had so far failed to do everywhere else. To be fair though Bulgaria was the least inspiring country of the three and one neither of us are keen to go back to as from what we saw it was not either pretty or clean. The day ended with the Turkish border and wandering around looking a bit lost and pretending to be a car as we weren't sure which desks we were meant to be going to so we simply stood in a line of cars leaving the Landy elsewhere. It has to be said that so far Turkish people are the friendliest we have met and all willing to help. |
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| Although the last three days have involved a lot of driving and stress with the border crossings we are having a really adventurous time and now in Istanbul we feel that the proper adventure can begin. It was a real feel of satisfaction getting here and something neither of us will forget. |
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