Boris took me for breakfast and insisted that I try Cockta, the Yugoslavian Cola. Before long we were at a Café enjoying a short black opposite the Mosque. Camellia stopped by with a second Boris. The new Boris told me about the book he had written documenting his travels through Scandinavia.
The original Boris and Camellia showed me around the town and a small gallery near the castle. Boris told me that in 1969 there was an earthquake in Banja Luka; it had a magnitude of 6.4 and left 65,000 people homeless. In the centre of town there is a clock which stopped during the earthquake; it is now fixed in place reading 9:11.
I needed to be in Zagreb for the following day to meet an old friend and Boris arranged for me to stay in Gradiška - on the border to Croatia with his compadre Nemanja. It was easy to find the mighty Dinaroid as he's probably the tallest man in Gradiška. Nemanja had prepared a feast which began with Rakia and he really made me feel welcome. My mind was tired from continuously moving around so it was wonderful to relax.
The indigenous hero of Gradiška took me to his local bar where I met Djordje, the Bosnian dagger; he is feared by many but loved by more. I jest, Djordje is absolutely lovely.
Nemanja and his pals told me more about the former Yugoslavia. Sitting with us was Radovan, he was equivalent to a Corporal during the war and went on to describe the Croat concentration camp and his experiences. From the people I have met everyone tells a similar story. Nobody is proud of what happened and often have a look of sadness when recalling the events. No side appears truly innocent but for many it was a case of survival.
We'll have more on Nemanja - the Super Serb tomorrow.