Lukovo (Serb) to Kovizla (Serb)

Wow! What a last 24 hours!

I have been keeping a watchful eye out for signs warning of land mines before I venture into the forests to make camp but all too often the signs are hard to see as they are too low or even fallen over.

Last night I looked carefully before making my way into the forest but could see no signs. I made camp some hundred metres into the forest after cooking up my evening meal beforehand and hanging my food in a bag from a nearby tree in case of an unwanted bear visitation.

As I lay down readying myself for sleep I became aware of something digging into my back between my shoulder-blades. I tried to push it down through the groundsheet but it wouldn't budge. In frustration I battered it flat with the heel of my cycling shoe and then settled down for a night’s sleep.

On the way out of the forest this morning (I had come out a couple of hundred metres further west than I had entered) I noticed a sign warning that that particular section of forest was mined.

My mind was immediately taken back to the events of the night before where I had battered flat that protrusion. I’m still not sure what it was but I’m guessing it probably wasn’t a mine.

Today was tough as I climbed some big mountains but the cooler air up there was most welcome. The latter part of the day was making my way down from the high ground with relatively flat terrain ahead of me to the north.

A pretty alarming sign