Once we reach about 1600m the landscape opens up onto meadows with some shepherds' huts. Then a few more climbs and we reach planiska Kuka. What is so exceptional about this place? It depends on you. As far as I'm concerned I can compare it to our Italian Apennines (which I invite you to visit). No extreme peaks, gentle slopes of isolated mountains covered in green (for example Mount Stog), small lakes, absolute peace. Non-existent traffic. And yet, it is known throughout southern Bosnia. On the shores of the nearby Jukovo lake, someone (authorized or not) is starting to build some isolated wooden houses with very steep pitched roofs. There are only a few for now and they don't disturb the landscape too much. We leave the bikes at our hut, take a walk in the sunset to see the lakes, while approaching a nearby building we are offered a couple of beers (and also something similar to grappa or vodka, which we firmly refuse). Candlelight dinner on the veranda of the cabin without electricity, but fortunately with fresh, drinkable running water. The cabin was prepared for our night with sheets, blankets, etc., giving us a good level of comfort, all in all. It's a shame that the structure as a whole is a bit run down.
Let's dance the Balkans stage 7, from Tjentiste to Planiska kuka. In the "controlled" adventure of our itinerary we have deliberately chosen a couple of days a little more precarious, to add even more spice to the trip. So, with the backpack loaded with food, we set off on asphalt from Tjentiste, towards the bivouac of Planiska kuka. We are in a Muslim enclave, any small village, from now on has its elaborate Catholic churches, the austere Orthodox churches and the exotic mosques. The dirt road climbs into the Sutjeska park, giving us between Popov Most and Vbrnca a flat stretch of 9km, in the shade of the woods and with some fountains. A true paradise! (In Vbrnca you can also find some families willing to host you, if you ever pass by here). Further on, the choice was to take forest roads, and despite a curious indication of a completely isolated MTB track found in the woods (the only one all day, ) that suggested some more or less identifiable route, at a certain point we found ourselves in a maze of paths mostly not marked on the maps, with large puddles of water and mud that were almost permanent, considering that it was August, the temperature was around 30°C, the depth of the water in some places was well over half a meter and that they were populated by communities of frogs. We came out of it quite dirty.
Translated by Google •
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