Streets (part 2)

There are a few things that I didn’t tell you when I wrote about streets a few days ago.

One of the first, and probably most important lessons one must learn here is to NEVER assume the pedestrian has the right-of-way on the streets. Cars seem to rule here, and there are a lot of them!

Sunday, youngest daughter and I were forced to dodge TWICE cars that ran red lights while we were in the (same) crosswalk. And we had the green light.

Yesterday, I actually got bumped by a car while I was crossing a street with a group. This was down in the market. I didn’t have the presence of mind to slam my hand on his nice, Mercedes, hood, but I’ll try to remember if it ever happens again. I was not hurt at all…just a little shocked.
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Something else we’ve noticed here is little notices pinned up on trees and utility poles. They are, it seems, always in Cyrillic, and are apparently death notices. They have a picture of the deceased on them. I don’t read Cyrillic yet, but I’m told that these are notices for people who may have claims against the estate of the deceased.

Banja Luka seems to be a city under construction. There are buildings and houses been built or greatly renovated all over. Many of the houses seem to be being built by those who will live in them. The new house is often on the property of the old house. I assume that the old house will be torn down once the new house is built.

The brick structures (and it always seems to be large, red bricks) are done in stages. The bottom floor may be completed and lived in for some time before the upper storey or stories are completed. This appears to have been the case with the house in which we now live. Our apartment is much newer than the downstairs where the owners live.

God Bless you!