One Month In....

Interesting tidbits on Bosnia:

1. Toilet paper is always optional.  I have learned to keep stashes of it in my pockets, purse, glove compartment, backpack etc. because I have found myself too often in that prickly situation where you finish your business and naively reach for the tp, only to find that not only is there none, there isn’t even a toilet paper holder!  Keeping a roll on hand at all times is just good planning.
2. Locks on bathroom doors are prohibited.  Stalls don’t come equipped with locks.  Maybe stall designers were afraid people would spend too much time drip-drying.
3. Sitting in a café at least 2 hours a day is a must.  I’ve never seen more cafes per capita in my life.  Locals fritter away the hours lounging in the outdoor cafes, chatting and people-watching.  It is a little disconcerting to walk down the street and always have an audience of old men sipping from tiny espresso cups.
4. Always validate your tram ticket.  But if you don’t, running away from the tram cops is a valid option.  Obviously there is a story here….
5. Always obey the speed limit. Unfortunately, the highest speed in Bosnia is 80 km/hr (which is slow, but to go any faster would be suicide on the tiny windy roads they consider highways). More speed traps than cafes – we passed about 10 in the 500 km we drove in the country.
6. Bosnia cats know how to beg.  The street cats that infiltrate the restaurant patios could put any dog to shame.

Also - Things You Can't Do in a Mosque:

- Whispering sweet nothings into someone's ear

- Smoking

- Being in possession of nineties-era cell phone

- Toting weaponry

- Walking Marmaduke

- Riding a bicycle

- Strutting as if you were on a catwalk

- Drooling over a messy Nutella sandwich

- Flirting while sitting on a bench

-E