Back in Sarajevo at last.

I made it back here last week. I flew in late thursday evening, and as I was leaving the airport to find a taxi to finish my journey, Nedzla popped out! She and her dad had come to pick me up. It was a lovely suprise, and then when we got back to the hostel, she and her family welcomed me into their home for a chat. They then fed me, some fantastic capiscums stuffed with meat and rice. a local dish that I love, but it is also so much better when it is home made. Tastes delicious.

Since then, I have spent time catching up with people, wondering around town and just hanging out, like I would at home. I have looked at the bike. The guy had got it running, but I had to get it idling, and she does. But there is a rattle in the exhaust at revs any higher than 3000. Noisy. It had me scared for a bit there, but an expat biker here came and looked at it, and confirmed it was the exhaust, and after some time and questions on online forums, the advice is keep riding. So that is what I intend to do. BUT, I also had a problem with the front wheel being rotated (twisted forks), so we have pretty much fixed that, with the hope that the forks aren't bent. I will find out when I hit a pothole, at slow speed hopefully.... And again, but, when we were fixing the rotation, we found that the handlebars themselves were rotated. Looking closely, we realised we had to pull it apart. The bolt in the left handlebar clamp was bent. Considering it is high tensile steel, that is quite impressive! Aside from the crash, the reason it probably bent is because there is a cushioning pad that is missing. So now my mission is to get that replaced, possibly by a local guy who will make one, and then fashion a cushion myself. Getting parts here will be a nightmare, and I have been riding the bike for over a year like that, so it will do for a couple of months, then when I get back to London I will source it, and maybe a new handlebar too. The handlebar is still bent but not too badly.

So that is the bike. Due to this, and me not getting my act together, I will be staying here in Sarajevo till next week. I am not upset at all by this, I will thouroughly enjoy hanging out here, and I can see myself coming back many times. I will update when I know what I am doing. but over the next few days I have the opportunity to go to Zagreb with a friend for the weekend. I also may go pillion with an Aussie-Polish guy on an Africa Twin to the pyramids nearby. That will be fun. I still haven't been able to ride my bike! Argh. Soon, That should motivate me to get moving shouldn't it?   

View from the hostel terrace, no wonder I am stuck here!