Three borders in one week

We crossed three different borders like there was nothing to it. Not even in our wildest dreams would we have dared to take the camera out of our bags at a border – after having been threatened with jail upon entering Croatia for the first time (see our blog entry on our trip to Croatia), had it not been for a very special customs officer. But let us start at the beginning.

In late October we learnt how olives are harvested and processed. We also learnt that 100 kg olives make around 15 litres of olive oil. In November, a completely different picture presented itself to us. On the road to Opuzen, we kept passing one mandarin orange stall after another reflecting the region’s fame for the juicy little fruit. We kept being offered lots of them even for free, and finally we had to ward off the vendors‘ kindness by all possible means lest we collapse under the weight of the heaps of fruit in our backpacks. In Opuzen, our kind hostess, Nena, explained to us that this area is especially suited for growing and cultivating mandarin oranges due to plenty of sweet water (see our video in German: mandarin harvest in Opuzen) and the favourable soil. That same evening, Nena’s son Josip took the day’s harvest by boat to the nearest collection point using one of a large number of water passages. When he got back, he arranged some accommodation for the following night, acted as our tour guide showing us around the historic village and – to top it all off – invited us for a drink. By then our lengthy walk that day had taken its toll and exhaustion gradually set in. Yet, appreciating our friend’s kindness we held on until midnight without falling off our chairs.

The following night we had prepared ourselves for an abode of the humbler sort. So we were amazed when we found ourselves in a top-notch B & B, and when our hosts Anci and Oliver took us into their home as their guests. When they even invited us to dinner, we declined since we could see they were exhausted from work. They had just returned from the mandarin harvest, and we didn’t want to trouble them. We were perfectly happy just having been offered a roof over our heads, since the village, though teeming with tourists in summer, appears quite deserted now with only about ten houses actually inhabited. So we kept declining their kindly meant invitation, but in vain. During our devotional time the following morning we marveled at Psalm 104 which seemed a perfect description of our hosts. From their living room there’s a view of their garden, the mountains and the sea. Anci loves fishing and generally being outdoors. So we read the following: “He (God) waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the land is satisfied by the fruit (also mandarin oranges) of his work…. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number.” After praying for Anci and Oliver we were on our way again, inspired by our conversations with Anci and Oliver and strengthened by God’s Word. Our next stop was Bosnia Herzegovina. At the border we were welcomed into the country by a very kind young lady customs officer. On the very same day we crossed another border, again into Croatia. This time nobody even bothered to ask for our passports.

At the Dubrovnik youth hostel, we met a 61 year-old lady, who is on a pilgrimage from Rome to Jerusalem. The following day she joined us for a stretch of the way. On that day, we, including our travel companion, made the acquaintance of Vlaho, a very special customs officer. His friends Uwe and Edita Mueller from Split (see our video: Uwe and Edita Mueller) had told him about us, so we got a text message from him inviting us to stay at his parents’ house for the night. In the evening he shared his story with us: Five years ago he had had a dream in which Jesus appeared to him. After that Vlaho started reading the Bible. The message of Jesus completely transformed his life. Until then he used to be drunkard and a liar. Now he was a free man. His story reminded us of a ‘colleague‘ of Vlaho’s: the tax collector Zacchaeus in the Bible. Zacchaeus had only focused on things that mattered in this life. He only found the truly fulfilling, spiritual riches when he met Jesus (The Bible, The Gospel of Luke, chapter 19). Vlaho knew we would come by at the customs the following morning, so he suggested we could take a photo then. We couldn’t believe our ears… That is how it came about that, upon exiting Croatia, a Croatian customs officer took a photograph of Vlaho together with us right at the border. Who would have thought?! How more diametrically opposed can experiences in one and the same country get?

We’re in Montenegro now. These past few days there have been several thunderstorms and lots of rain. We are grateful we always found some form of shelter or a room in time whenever we needed it. We will soon reach Albania. Thank you for your prayers.

Best regards from Montenegro

Hanspeter & Annemarie