Glad to meet you

[Blackdog]

I am originally from Nebraska but have been wandering around apparently lost for several years. Currently I live in the Republic of Kosovo with my good and understanding wife. I have to say that southern Utah is my favorite place to visit when I can slip away. On my last visit I was pleased to meet the owner of Frontier Auto Service in Escalante when I had to have my rental Dodge Durango towed out of the monument. Ram tough they say, Ha I say. My wife loved seeing that on the old credit card. I enjoy backpacking, motorcycles and have a slightly ratty Landcruiser tucked away in a storage facility dreaming of better days. While living here in wonderland I get to explore the Sharr mountains bordering Kosovo Macedonia and Monte Negro. Stumbled on this site researching my next trip which may or may not happen in January. Don't mind the cold but the short days can be a drag. Once again, glad to meet you.

[Don]

Welcome! This site is an amazing resource glad you found us. Be sure to contribute; I'd love to see pics and a trip report from the Sharr mountains... (You still have to worry about land mines around Kosovo?)

:2thumbs:

[KapitanSparrow]

Welcome to the site! How's is daily life in Kosovo like for people of Kosovo and for foreigners like you?

[RugerShooter]

Welcome Blackdog :2thumbs:

[Blackdog]

Welcome to the site! How's is daily life in Kosovo like for people of Kosovo and for foreigners like you?

Daily life is OK and much better than my first short stay in 98 and my longer stay in 99 thru 2001. First short stay was during the conflict and pretty grim. I came back after the Serbs left with my wife and life was still a bit tough. Running water and electricity for a hour or two a day on no schedule. Collected water in tub, heated it on a camp stove and took turns on alternate days taking short "showers". Now water is on most of the time but off each day from 10 am until 3 or 4 pm. Frequent power outages but never all day lately. The people here for the most part really really like Americans and even tolerate my Canadian wife. One of the main streets here in Pristina is named Bill Clinton street, they love that guy. The place is choked with trash, these are some garbage throwing professionals. I call mountain hiking "walking above the trash line" The mountains are not world class, but pretty darn good and best I have. Better than Bosnia for the simple reason that they are not littered with mines. Food wise most staples are available and cheap with produce being pretty much seasonal and good. You can get many imported foods from time to time, here today and gone tomorrow at bit of a premium. Really no problem if you can be a bit flexible. We spent a few years in Bosnia and when I returned to the states and went shopping after being there for a while I was totally confused, standing there just trying to pick a shampoo after only having a couple of choices was a trip. Job wise I work mostly 5 days a week which leaves just enough time for goofing off. All and all better than working for a living I guess. My life is good but for the most part Kosovo is poor. The unemployment rate very high and wages low. Big black market economy and organized crime but strangely enough not any street crime to speak of. You get a mix of high end cars zooming and horse carts plodding along, bad drivers and turn signals just pretty flashing light with no definite meaning, a right signal may just mean that the driver plans on making a wide and wild turn to the left or just plans on stopping in the road to talk on his phone. Ahhh Life in paradise.

[KapitanSparrow]

Thanks, Blackdog. First hand accounts are always best. If you don't mind, may I ask what you do? Teaching English? Anyhow, have fun on the site.

[Blackdog]

Welcome! This site is an amazing resource glad you found us. Be sure to contribute; I'd love to see pics and a trip report from the Sharr mountains... (You still have to worry about land mines around Kosovo?)

:2thumbs:

You got it as soon as I figure out how to put up pics.

Not may land mines but a few mine signed areas in the hills near here. Before my good buddy Sarajevo Sam the real Blackdog died I would put him on a leash when we got close. I did come upon 3 or 4 kids and a old man poking at the ground with a stick a while ago. They called me over to take a look and they are poking at a mortar round, incredible.

[Blackdog]

Thanks, Blackdog. First hand accounts are always best. If you don't mind, may I ask what you do? Teaching English? Anyhow, have fun on the site.

Retired from the military and have been a contractor for about the last 13 years. My wife would call me a professional scamp.

[JP]

Howdy & Welcome :wavey:

[Sombeech]

Welcome to Bogley!

[Don]

Thanks, Blackdog. First hand accounts are always best. If you don't mind, may I ask what you do? Teaching English? Anyhow, have fun on the site.

Retired from the military and have been a contractor for about the last 13 years. My wife would call me a professional scamp.

Oh, that's all we need; another Mil guy hanging around, :wink:


:roflol:




(I'm Mil too BD, not giving you shit without taking some)

[BruteForce]

Thanks, Blackdog. First hand accounts are always best. If you don't mind, may I ask what you do? Teaching English? Anyhow, have fun on the site.

Retired from the military and have been a contractor for about the last 13 years. My wife would call me a professional scamp.

Ah yes, another former Military guy. Welcome here. I know that area all too well (Camp Bondsteel, Mount Duke, etc).

[Blackdog]

Thanks, Blackdog. First hand accounts are always best. If you don't mind, may I ask what you do? Teaching English? Anyhow, have fun on the site.

Retired from the military and have been a contractor for about the last 13 years. My wife would call me a professional scamp.

Ah yes, another former Military guy. Welcome here. I know that area all too well (Camp Bondsteel, Mount Duke, etc).

I work on Bondsteel and commute from Pristina. Until the snow started loading up Duke the rotation that now mans Bondsteel was making regular trips there (Good on them). We had at one time a radio repeater site on a spur coming off the peak, it was a good excuse for a walk and a day out and about. The Polish contingent made a fairly well marked trail to the summit quite a while ago. The Poles have also marked who knows how many trails thru the Shar Sharr or Sar mountains (Lots of different spellings). I have run into their red and white trail markers in a number of areas that surprise me.

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

[KapitanSparrow]

The Polish contingent made a fairly well marked trail to the summit quite a while ago. The Poles have also marked who knows how many trails thru the Shar Sharr or Sar mountains (Lots of different spellings). I have run into their red and white trail markers in a number of areas that surprise me.

Yeah, we're known for our love of the mountains :haha: