Do and Don't: Lukomir.

Brace yourself - there are a lot of photos. I brought out Bella (the fancy cam) for the day and had a blast playing around with her taking a lot of pictures. I like my pictures to have really warm, rich coloring - and playing around with the manual settings on my camera has helped me achieve a lot more than I ever could on any of the preset settings :)

The total for the day's hike was over 600 pictures. Some may call that excessive - they would be right - but I narrowed it down considerably for this blog (not an easy task) - so here are the dos and don'ts for hiking Lukomir:

Do: stop on the way up at the place where they held some Olympic skiing events during the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo. It is a much happier time in the history of the city and the people here are still very proud of it.

Don't: step or sit on these super old tombstones - you will get yelled at - and it's kind of disrespectful.

Don't: wander off while the guide is talking - he's telling you interesting information about these really, really old graves.

Don't: whack each other with the walking sticks - well, maybe you can a little.

Do: start the hike in a good mood - all together.

Don't: pet the sheep - they look cute and adorable (especially the lambs) - but they are not very nice.

Don't: leave anybody behind - even if they are a little bit slower at hiking than you are.

Do: admire the view.

Don't: approach this adorable dog while it is protecting its owner's property - wait until it follows you for a little while and then cuddle with it on the side of a hill overlooking the beauty of Bosnia.

Don't: leave your camera on the wrong settings when taking a picture of pretty things - because then you have to use all the computer knowledge you have in an attempt to get the coloring as warm and dark as you like and it still won't come out right.

Do: admire the beautiful countryside.

Do: escape from the group during a break and take in the view while listening to some great music (in this case The Open Sea - who you will love if you love The Civil Wars)

Don't: be creepy taking pictures from behind the whole time - make sure to turn around and take pictures of people hiking forward, too.

Do: spin around on the top of a hill, singing "the hills are alive with the sound of music"...

even if the rest of the group laughs at you while you're doing it - it's part of your charm.

Do: adopt an adorable dog at the beginning of your hike. Name her Mala Jabuka (yah-boo-kuh) which means Little Apple in Bosnian - call her Jabuka or Jabi the rest of the day.

Do: enjoy the respite from the sun in the cool forest areas of the hike.

Do: allow little moths/butterflies hitchhike a ride while you hike.

Do: follow the trail markers - or your guide - but the trail markers are fun, too.

Don't: hit your head on the many, many low branches - doing the limbo is a perfectly acceptable way to avoid said branches.

Do: climb this beautiful rock formation.

Do: take lots of pictures of Jabuka - she's adorable and quite photogenic.

Do: become "King of the World"

Do: take lots of pictures of your adorable friends with the beautiful background.

Don't: miss incredible photo opportunities of your friends being ridiculous.

Don't: forget to get a few pictures of yourself with pretty backgrounds - pointing and the cute little village on the hill across the canyon.

smiling.

and being silly.

Do: let the boys be boys.

Don't: smush the little inchworm on the trail - instead take a picture of it being adorable and inching across Anya's arm as she tells you about having her gymnastics kids do some sort of gymnastics move called the inchworm.

Do: take pictures of everyone hiking with beautiful vistas in the background.

Do: make friends as you hike.

Do: have fun jumping around.

just Don't: hurt yourself while you're having fun jumping around. 

Don't: fall down the mountain - especially when the guide makes sure no one else falls down but leaves when it's your turn to cross the dangerous spot - even though you're the one who's fallen 3 times on this hike already.

Do: admire the "Bosnian Grand Canyon" - as one of your guides jokingly calls it - it is absolutely breathtaking.

Do: get excited when you see Lukomir - even if it is a steep final climb up there.

Do: refresh yourself with water as soon as you enter the village - it's cold and delicious.

Do: take pictures of the beautiful people in Lukomir - only after asking.

Don't: forget to buy socks from her (ones that she knitted) and get a picture with her and your socks.

Do: sneak a picture in of the old man you've been sitting with.

Do: get a picture with him, too - along with the socks he picked out for you.

Do: follow the food once it arrives.

Do: laugh at one of your drivers when he calls himself "Lawrence from Bosnian" from a child's toy.

Don't: be afraid to scarf your food - it's okay - that hike made you hungry.

Do: continue to enjoy Jabi's company.

Don't: fall. it's a long way down.

Do: sneak up on your friends to get pretty pictures like this.

Do: admire the gorgeous canyon and marvel in the lack of people there to disrupt the beauty.

Don't: fall - seriously, it's a long drop with nothing to stop your descent.

Do: admire the beautiful Bosnian countryside.

Don't: forget to turn around and admire Lukomir, too.

Do: find a rock overlooking the canyon - get someone to take a picture of you enjoying the view.

Do: laugh together.

Do: visit old friends (our guide has been here several times).

Do: spend as much time with Jabi as you can.

Do: get a group shot.

Do: get the cute little old man who whittled the spoon to sign it for you.

because he is adorable.

Do: take silly pictures with your spoon.

Don't: forget to say doviđenja as you're leaving.

Do: continue to enjoy the Bosnian countryside as you're driving away.

A beautiful day - and a beautiful hike.