can tell a lot about the humour of a place by its graffiti . Sarajevo ’ s was quirky and fun , as was the discovery of Bosnia ’ s version of Mickey D ’ s . Mak Donor ; golden arches and all , but not a burger in sight .
I love sitting in cafes in foreign lands . They are amazing peoplewatching opportunities aren ’ t they . Once off the main drag we found cafes that the locals use more than visitors and in them we found Muslims , Christians and Jews sitting next to each other . No doubt there were a few atheists in the mix too . Intense conversations batted back and forth over tiny cups of steaming very dark coffee , and peals of laughter rolled out on a regular basis . I closed my eyes and let the sounds wash over me . I was very obviously and wonderfully in a foreign land .
Coffee is a bit of an institution in this city , and it ’ s treated with full respect . It ’ s served to you with a china cup , a glass of water , and a small bowl of sugar lumps . You ’ ll have your own long handled brass or copper pot , within which the coffee has been brewed just for you in the style of ages .
By the time we had to ride on , Sarajevo had given us the feeling that perhaps , if the country as a whole and in fact every nation could adopt their friendly , live and let live attitude , the world would be an even finer place . A ride through the Balkans ? It ’ s a gem of an escape route , and we still had another seven of the Balkan countries to explore on the next trip . SM
Sam Manicom is the author of four reknowned motorcycle travel books plus his latest offering ; The Moment Collectors , a collection of tales of travel by twenty likeminded motorcycle riders ( see our review later in this issue ).
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