The Left Handed Gun (1958)

[Deej]

Scott, I'd definitely go ahead with Captains Courageous! It's a pretty good flick. It's all about a spoiled little bastard who lerarns to grow up and be a man. With Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney in the cast, it's very similar to Boys Town(another good one).

[Scott]

Seen BOYS TOWN probably in the 70's. CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS is sitting on deck, along with HOMBRE. I'm going to have to pay for another 5 days as they have been sitting on the table since Tuesday.

Seen your website also Deej. What was your location during that photo?

[Deej]

The photo was taken outside of Brcko, Bosnia, near the Sava River on the border with Croatia. The Happiest Place on Earth!

 I very much enjoyed my year in Bosnia, and am trying wrangle another assignment there. I would especially like to live in Brcko again.

[Scott]

Deej what did you like most about Brcko, Bosnia? What made it interesting?

[Deej]

Brcko, while small, was just a pretty amazing place to live. The Town Centre had a variety of shops, bars, restaurants and hotels. I don't know anything about  architecture, but the buildings,those that weren't destroyed, sho is  purty. There was a great deal of fighting in the Brcko area during the war, so many of the houses are pocked with bullet holes, and many more were destroyed outright. But, the people have rebuilt nicely, and still seem to be in a building boom.

Most of the towns in Bosnia, are segregated along the lines of Bosnian(Muslim) and Serb. There is another town near Brcko called Brka that is completely Muslim. Brcko, however, is an integrated city with a population of Serbs, Muslims, and Croats. Unfortunately some of the sections of the town are still segregated, for instance the town centre seems to be pretty much Serbian.

All, and I mean ALL, of the people I met, were warm, humorous, and riotously fun to be with. The food is wonderful, mostly fried, but still kick ass. The best Cordon Bleau I ever had was in a restaurant called the Holiday Tavern in Brka, about 5 miles from Brcko.

Another attractive feature of living in Brcko, is it's close proximity to two different borders. This was not good during the war, but for purely tourist reasons, it's wonderful. Brcko is right on the border with Croatia, just seperated by the Sava, and only a few Km east of the border with Serbia(former Yugoslavia). Zagreb, the capital of Croatia is only about 2hrs drive to the north-west, and Belgrade only about 2hrs to the north-east. Both of these towns are capitols, so more accustomed to international visitors, both are large, and both are historic, so in my opinion, they make great spots to visit on vacation or leave, also they have airports which are more reliable than the one in Sarajevo. There was some bad feeling in Belgrade, because of the Nato bombings in the late 90's. Totally understandable, but still, I've never felt threatened there, or really anywhere else in the Balkans.

Of all of the places I've been stationed during military service and my current occupation, I'd have to say I was most impressed with Bosnia, and the Balkan region in general. I've even thought of retiring there, though hopefully that's many years away.

Okay, sorry Scott. I'm sure that was a much more long winded answer than you wanted. What can I say. one...I'm long winded.... two, I love the area. Thanks for your interest!

[Scott]

Sounds like great memories. If I had the time and money all I would do is travel. Well, when I find myself in Brcko I'll tell them you said "hello" Deej.  I bet you could get a good deal on a home there. What's the value of your average home in Brcko?

[Deej]

I rented my apartment for 300 KM(Bosnian convertable Marks)which is roughly $150.00 per month, It was a 2 bedroom near the town centre. The economy is still recovering from the war, the unemployment rate is 40-50%. Goods and services are incredibly inexpensive, and so a small amount of American cash, converted into KM or Euros will go a long way.I don't think the low prices are strictly an effect of the poor economy though that certainly is a factor. I was able buy a good car for about $750.00, and although I could take my meals free of charge on one of the US army bases in the area, it was far more enjoyable and very inexpensive to visit a local restaurant.  Even the larger cities in neighboring Croatia and Serbia are inexpensive to visit. I was able to spend an outstanding weekend in Belgrade, including lodging, food, and (much)drink, for about $200.00.

There is, of course, crime and corruption, but the criminals try very hard not to target Western Europeans and Americans, this is probably due to the presence of US, British, and French troops in the area, as well as the International Police Task Force. So, the Balkans are a fairly safe place to visit, no more dangerous than Italy or France. The only real short coming is ineffectual and corrupt police, they tend to stop and fine motorists with expensive cars, and the border guards usually expect a gratuity. I found that a DOD and UN badge resolved the situation, but a tourist might want to bring a little extra cash. Only a little extra, they're corrupt, but not greedy.

PS. If you do visit, the only place to find Guinness is at the Three Carrots, an "Irish" pub in Belgrade.

[Scott]

How much can you buy a home or apartmetn building?