Waterfalls - Slapovi
Waterfalls - Slapovi
We have the most expensive Waterfall in the World
Hello and welcome to this edition of our Blog, from Čardačani, in the north of Bosnia and Herzegovina, written by an immigrant (me), as I am neither a tourist or a citizen here.
Well, the garden (and the property in general), is now overwhelmingly green, and about time too. It’s been a long time coming to be honest, but the reality for us over the last few years, is that the 4 season concept may now be over. We had the mildest winter ever, spring was short and confusing, and now we are already hitting the high 20’s Celsius and its mid May.
Crazy. But nice at the same time. Personally I prefer heat over cold any time.
You?
New Music
We have a super Ethno Group called “Trag” who are based in Laktaši. I really like their style, and interpretation of traditional songs from not only Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also the region as a whole.
In 2017, Hilda Hrekes, originally from Aleppo in Syria, joined Trag.
Hilda studies pharmacy in Banja Luka, as well as Byzantine chanting in Novi Sad, in neighbouring Serbia. She sings in both Serbian and Arabic.
Leaving Syria in 2011 with her brother to study in Zagreb, she moved to Banja Luka two years later.
Hilda comes come from a musical family. The family along with their father, played and sang from an early age, in the church choir. From age of 15, until she arrived in Zagreb she had her own children's choir in Syria. When she arrived in Banja Luka she joined the "Jedinstvo" choir.
Trag latest release has just had its premier.
Tamni Noći - بالي معاك - Dark Nights featuring Hadi Hrekes, perkusije & Marko Ružić, violina.
"Dark Nights" is a city traditional song from Kosovo and Metohija, which was recorded in Tešanj in 1955 with almost identical lyrics and a different melodic line. “Bali maak” is a traditional song from Syria.
"The song tells the story of very serious trials and challenges faced by traditional values, primarily families, in the context of the modern age".
I for one absolutely love Trag's music, as they combine tradition with a modern flair. This latest release certainly doesn't dissappoint.
Your thoughts below maybe?
Oh and please do share the video link.
We (Bosnia and Herzegovina), have the most expensive Waterfall in the World (apparently)
It is not very well known that Bosnia and Herzegovina has more waterfalls than France, Italy, Germany and Spain combined.
It seems it is now also the most expensive to visit.
Perućica is a unique rainforest in Europe, and Skakavac is the decoration and pearl of Europe’s offer, a waterfall that is more than 78 meters high and is located in the center of the rainforest. In order to preserve it, we have set an entrance fee of 1,000 BAM (€500) per person, said the director of the park, Aleksandar Kovac, last year.
He also explained that they have reduced the number of groups that can visit Perućica to ten with prior notice, and the obligatory accompaniment of their guide. The park points out that they are trying to preserve the rainforest with a policy that is not economically viable.
The biggest problem has been created by domestic tourists who entered the heart of the rainforest, left garbage, engraved initials on the bark of trees, were loud, they even lit a fire, so at a cost of BAM 1,000 BAM (€500), they are trying to protect the heart of the rainforest which is a very sensitive ecosystem.
There is still a trail through Perućica that is not charged, that is anyone can come with a ticket to the National Park, but to enter the heart of the rainforest you will have to pay BAM 1,000 (€500).
🇧🇦 Chats from the Shire 🇧🇦
We have a recently launched a companion narrowcast to this blog. It’s FREE to subscribe too.
One of Our Favourite Coffee’s Has Arrived
We visit the Sibinčič Fruit and Vegetable Seed Project.
Ivy and Slaven Sibinčič are a Philipino-Bosnian Serb family living in the north west of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
They have a passion for living a sustainable lifestyle.
As well as growing their own organic produce they have an exciting seed project, where the share their collection of seeds.
This is the second year that they will be sharing not only seeds, but fresh produce, homemade products, knowledge, and their experiences with their local community, as part of their sustainable living journey.
They want the world to become a better place to live in and they are encouraging other people to be a part of it too.
Ivy and Slaven want to encourage as many people as possible to increase access to healthy food by growing their own.
The Sibinčič family finds the ultimate joy in the magic of planting a seed and watching it transform into food that they then get to enjoy from garden to table.
We have been online friends for some time now, and so we both decided that it was time to catch up in real life.
Tamara and I, together with Tamara’s mother Lilly, drove to the village of Dornji Smrtici near the town of Prnjavor, where the Sibinčič’s live, and to find out more about sustainable living, and in particular their seed project.
In this video we take you on a short stroll around part of their property.
And Finally
If you would like to come and visit the beautiful country we live in and experience just some of what we experience, then please check out this small website we have launched promoting our apartment rental.
It’s a great place to base yourself at.
Tamara and I also offer a Slow Tourism planning consultancy for your visit as well.
Thanks for reading this post. We hope it provides some value to you 😀👍
If you want to read back editions of the newsletter, listen to previous podcasts (we have quite an archive now), or catch other content, all this is available on the web interface, just like a regular blog.
Oh, and please share the newsletter with friends, relatives and colleagues using the button below.
Tamara and I appreciate your faithful readership, your comments, and your generosity!
THANKS SO MUCH ❤️
What a magnificent piece of music it lifted my soul so grateful you published this thank you
I agree with you David - heat over cold.