A drive Croatia and Bosnia war zone. Thanks, GPS.

Two days ago, Carrie and I punched Bihac, Bosnia into our GPS and set off from Istra Peninsula in Croatia to Bihac, which was supposed to be up and coming and outdoorsy. We turned off the main highway onto these little roads, and then to a really tiny road on the left which no one else appeared to be going on. What follows is our drive through the former war area of Croatia.

The shock of the landscape and desolation was hard to comprehend. We were both holding our breath and whispering as we drove along, hardly believing what we were seeing. I think especially since we had no idea we'd be going through that area, it really impacted us. For a long time afterward, Carrie and I both felt so strange, like we'd seen something we shouldn't have. Like we'd driven through a land of ghosts. And actually we had.



We were driving to Bosnia and thought this looked a little a like Deliverance... or West Virginia or Missisippi. Reversed to take a photo.

Then ran into these signs... ?? Course we don't speak Croatian. Is that even the language? I don't know. We wondered if it was mines or something.

Just about a mile up the road was this sign... Mines, yes. Very weird. Very creepy. We were about the only ones on this road.

Every time we would see an area that looked like "normal" farmland with houses, when we looked closer, we'd see that they were about 95% abandonded.

Steps to nowhere.

Cratered landscape went on for miles and miles.

This was a whole town empty.

Memorial on the door. Some people had spray painted their phone numbers on the sides of empty houses also.

A little town in Bosnia, Bihac, where we stayed the night. It felt more like third world Asia in most ways than Eastern Europe.

We saw several of these white vehicles. They said "Mine removal" on the side.

More of Bihac, Bosnia.

Strange to see signs for Sarajevo since Carrie and I both remember that war time.

Leaving Bosnia. This actually looks like Germany.

The road to/from the Bosnian border in Croatia. Not especially confidence inspiring. Actually the whole mine/war road was like this, even worse, with large potholes. We wondered if it was unsafe to repair.

Look at all the people stuffed in this Yugo. They were everywhere. The Yugos.

Isn't that guy cute? Carrie and I love old guys. Sorry Grandma, he appeared to have a wife in the passenger seat.

Finally, a home depot cousin in Croatia. Carrie was so happy. Then we jetted out out of Croatia and Bosnia back to the land of our love, Slovenia.