Postcards from Bosnia is an audio journey into the heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina, seen through the eyes of an Englishman who has made this place his home.
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Hello again from ÄardaÄani.
As I sit outside this evening, the sun is just slipping behind the wooded hills of Kozara National Park. The sky turns that perfect dusky pink, the kind that makes me reach for my camera, though it never seems to capture the colours quite right. I must work on that.
But tonight isnāt about the view. Itās about the sound.
Not the familiar birdsong, the bark of a village dog, or even the faint whir of a distant tractor.
No, this eveningās soundtrack is coming from underground.
Meet the Mole Cricket
Around this time of year, late July, something remarkable happens just below the surface of the soft, river-fed soil we have all around us.
A gentle, rolling trill begins to rise from the earth. At first, it sounds faint, almost electronic. Then, as the minutes pass, others join in, and the entire area begins to hum.
These mysterious little performers?
Mole crickets.
Now, Iāll be honest, I hadnāt paid much attention to them until about three years ago. Theyāre not flashy. You wonāt catch them hopping across the path or fluttering through the trees. No, they live in the quiet, deep in the soil, digging with their strong, spade-like forearms and keeping mostly to themselves.
We accidentally dug one up during some garden work once, and I was genuinely startled. Theyāre not the most handsome of creatures, in fact, Iād say theyāre a bit grotesque,but theyāve earned their place in my summer evenings.
Natureās Hidden Symphony
Thereās a particular kind of magic to their chorus.
It starts with just one cricket calling out from its burrow. Then another replies. And another. Before long, the valley becomes filled with this strange, pulsing music, natureās own ambient soundtrack.
Itās not easy to miss, even if youāre busy scrolling or wrapped up in the noise of the day.
But if you sit still and let yourself listen, itās like discovering a secret concert performed just for you.
Thatās one of the many things Iāve come to love about life here. The quiet things are the main event. You begin to mark the seasons not just by the dates on the calendar, but by the sounds around you.
In spring, itās the frogs.
In June, itās the nightingales.
And in the height of summer, like right now, itās the shy, subterranean song of the mole crickets.
The Rhythm of My Bosnia
What Iām sharing here isnāt a tourist destination or a hidden gem to pin on Google Maps. Itās just a moment. A rhythm. A reminder that some of the most beautiful parts of life are the ones that hum gently in the background, waiting for you to notice.
So wherever you are, walking, working out, winding down,I hope youāll pause and listen to your own dusk chorus.
Iād love to know what it sounds like where you live.
Letās Stay Connected
If you enjoyed this little postcard from my Bosnian summer, Iād love to hear from you. You can drop me a message.
š§ And if youād like to experience it yourself, Iāve included a short soundscape, just under half an hour , of the dusk chorus recorded right here in ÄardaÄani.
Thank You
Thank you for listening to these little slices of my life. If youād like to get more stories, you can subscribe to my Substack, itās free, and if you ever want to upgrade to paid but canāt afford it, just email me. Iāll sort it out, no questions asked.
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What would make you hit āplayā on an audio post instead of just reading?
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