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 isnât about the view. Itâs about the sound.
Not the familiar birdsong, the bark of a village dog, or even the faint whir of a distant tractor.
No, this eveningâs 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, Iâll be honest, I hadnât paid much attention to them until about three years ago. Theyâre not flashy. You wonât 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. Theyâre not the most handsome of creatures, in fact, Iâd say theyâre a bit grotesque,but theyâve earned their place in my summer evenings.
Natureâs Hidden Symphony
Thereâs 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, natureâs own ambient soundtrack.
Itâs not easy to miss, even if youâre busy scrolling or wrapped up in the noise of the day.
But if you sit still and let yourself listen, itâs like discovering a secret concert performed just for you.
Thatâs one of the many things Iâve 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, itâs the frogs.
In June, itâs the nightingales.
And in the height of summer, like right now, itâs the shy, subterranean song of the mole crickets.
The Rhythm of My Bosnia
What Iâm sharing here isnât a tourist destination or a hidden gem to pin on Google Maps. Itâs 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 youâll pause and listen to your own dusk chorus.
Iâd love to know what it sounds like where you live.
Letâs Stay Connected
If you enjoyed this little postcard from my Bosnian summer, Iâd love to hear from you. You can drop me a message.
đ§ And if youâd like to experience it yourself, Iâve 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 youâd like to get more stories, you can subscribe to my Substack, itâs free, and if you ever want to upgrade to paid but canât afford it, just email me. Iâll sort it out, no questions asked.
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