Livno

Katie and I are getting ready to leave Livno. We arrived here about 6 last night. The trip from Banja Luka was 4 hours. It was a beautiful drive . The river Vrbas cuts a huge gorge through the mountains. It was a gorgeous ride. About 40 people tried to commit suicide while driving by passing on hlls, grades, blind curves etc. I call it Bosnian chicken. I met my third Bosnian policeman in 3 days. Money changed hands. Enough said. Our little 4 cylinder Opel isnt cut out for that. Livno is great. It is small (about 35,000) and very hilly. We met all the kids and their parents last night in a cafe. They are all doing well. Ivannas hair is jet black and very stylish. I met Toni s twins brother and sister, Nino and Nina. they are 10. His parents were there as well. Hrvoje brought his parents. they are very nice. Andjelka hasnt changed a bit. Andrija brought his mom. He looks like her. His parents own a pizzeria in town. We had a great time. Today we took a walking tour of the city, which dates to 892 (not 1892). It is very hilly and that explains why Daniela and all the kids are so skinny. Their project centered on volunteerism and was very successful. All but Toni will be going to college, probably in Zagreb next year. We also visited the Croatian catholic Church. It was spectacular, very reminiscent of Italian churches. We also visited the Franciscan museeum which documents the history of this area for the past 5000 years. Very nice. All in all, Bosnia is not what I thought. It is so unexpected. The kids here live in a beautiful place. All the schools are in 2 shifts, so there are always kids around. The cafes are always hopping. Very lively. Delaware 4-H ers will be very comfortable in Bosnia next year. Now we are splitting for Split and maybe Dubrovnik then on to Mostar to see Aida. See yuo all soon.