13. Aug 2023

Krupa na Vrbasu - Jajce

Video: When I see waterfalls like this one in Jajce, I think of the words of Jesus when he said that through our faith connection to him rivers of living waters would flow from within. The water keeps coming with life, vitality, freshness and power, for us and through us to others. This is how Jesus intended our spiritual life to be.

Photo 1: I got an early start today. I wanted to get out and use the cooler hours before noon. Temperatures have been and will continue to be in the mid to upper nineties.

Photo 2: The whole walk today was on the main road and followed the Vrbas River. I had to walk through 9 tunnels. At first I was somewhat hesitant of how this might be. After going through the first ones I actually looked forward to the next tunnel: It was cooler in the tunnel and the acoustics were great for my pilgrim song! Being on the highway like this, I did not think I would have much of a chance for a Talk-and-Pray encounter. I had three. Viktor was a fisherman whom I met sitting in a shady spot at a hotel just before the first tunnel. He was a Bosnien Croat who spoke English quite well. About halfway through the stretch I met Zoran who was overseeing a contruction site that I passed through. He was a Bosnian Serb who had worked in Germany for awhile. Towards the end I stopped at a Catholic Church where there was a water faucet and a place to sit in the shade. Ivan was also sitting there and understood English. We talked and prayed.

Photo 3: The medieval fortified city of Jajce. In its golden age it had been the city of the Bosnian kings before it was conquered by the Ottoman Turks.

Photo 4: Jajce is known for its waterfalls.

Photo 5: The ancient Roman Church and Bell Tower of St. Marys was converted to a mosque after the Ottoman conquest. Eventually the Mosque was burnt down three times. Now the shell of the original church structure remains as a reminder of its turbulent history.