WHAT MAKES THE PERFECT HONEYMOON: RECOMMENDATION FROM NATASA AND ALEKSANDAR BALABAN

What makes the perfect honeymoon? Some might say it's the first marital vacation in a luxurious hotel on the French Riviera. Others might opt for a beach getaway with the finest sand and turquoise sea. There are those who dare to embark on a Caribbean adventure or a journey through unique Asia. Some may wish to spend their trip with their partner exploring the challenging landscapes of Italy, whether in Rome, Verona, Tuscany, or Venice...

Destinations are plentiful, choices are vast, yet for the vast majority of couples, the common denominator is luxury, romance, intimacy, and exoticism...

However, Nataša and Aleksandar Balaban are not part of that vast majority. The young married couple from Banja Luka merged their love for nature, mountains, and adrenaline into an extraordinary adventure on the roof of Africa, the mighty Kilimanjaro, and its highest peak, Uhuru, rising 5,895 meters above sea level from the Kibo crater. And yes, it was the perfect honeymoon.

Nataša and Aco first met on the mountain. After one of the mountaineering events, they stayed in touch. Then they fell in love and got married. Fate wanted their love to be celebrated on one of the most fascinating mountains on the planet.

With a 4,600-meter altitude difference from the base to the summit, this stratovolcano is the tallest freestanding elevation in the world. Therefore, the challenge was immense. Passing through tropical rainforests, meadows, rocky vegetation, and ascending to the summit, the Balabans passed a tough psycho-physical test.

There were tears, sleepless nights, annoying coughs, nervousness, vomiting, dizziness, hunger, thirst... But in the end, it all paid off. Nataša and Aleksandar went all the way, on an adventure experienced once in a lifetime.

"I am extremely proud of Nataša. I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical because she seemed to take some things lightly. But okay. Everything turned out great in the end, from the honeymoon itself to the mountaineering event, which was successful by all parameters. Of course, being together was the icing on the cake. We went through everything together. There were many beautiful moments, but also small disagreements," Aleksandar summarized the African adventure for SeeSrpska.

But let's go back to the beginning of this somewhat cinematic story. The year was 2021 when Nataša completed her first mountaineering event on Vranica. During the event, she met members of the Mountaineering Association "Abonos," who persuaded her to start mountaineering with them. She soon signed up for the next event. And the rest is history.

"It was on Mount Šator. That's where Aco and I met. Then we went on a few more events, and after Dimitor, two years ago, the next day we accidentally got involved in a story for the next event. And, as we started texting that day, we stayed together," Nataša explained.

Aleksandar, who is the president of "Abonos," added that from the beginning of dating to the wedding, only 13 months had passed.

"Everything went quickly. It started in April, May. In August, I went on events in Georgia and Iran. After a month, I came back, and that's when Nataša moved in," Mr. Balaban interrupted with an interesting remark:

"But you have to say that you invited me to move in, so it's not like I came by myself," Mrs. Balaban replied, laughing.

Through laughter, her husband continued, "When I left, I left you the key."

Shortly after, the Balabans started planning their honeymoon. Their first idea was to visit European cities like Prague, Bratislava, Krakow, and Dresden. Roughly, it would have been a Czech-Slovak tour with a little bit of Poland and Germany. Their secondary plan was to catch a Rammstein concert. However, the tickets were too expensive. Then came the deviation from the Old Continent.

"I've wanted to go to Sri Lanka for a long time. Actually, Vietnam and Sri Lanka were at the top of the list. We almost booked tickets, and it was during those days that the Kilimanjaro story began. One day, Aco came and said he was going to Africa. And I replied, asking him how he plans to go alone. And when we both realized that we wanted to do it, that it suited us because of the timing, annual leave... it was clear that it was the best option," Nataša emphasized.

Aleksandar explained that the change of plans was also influenced by nature itself, particularly adverse weather conditions. Since the Balabans wanted to go to the more interesting and tourist-attractive part of the island. However, the monsoon over Sri Lanka forced them to reconsider.

"We didn't want to sit in the hotel for 13 days, watching the rain fall and making sure the wind didn't blow us away. So we considered going to another part of the island, which wasn't as interesting. Then we had options like Jordan, Cambodia, Thailand, Iran... And when I announced the Kilimanjaro event, I thought Nataša could really go with us. Okay, she hadn't been at those altitudes before, but it's not an ascent that can't be overcome, provided that the person is physically and mentally prepared. And so the decision was made to go to Kilimanjaro for our honeymoon," said Aleksandar.

For such endeavors, serious and extensive preparations can be crucial. Nataša did not take Kilimanjaro lightly, but she admitted that she didn't know what to expect from the final, most challenging ascent.

"In my head, I imagined it was like climbing five, six, seven peaks of Šehitluk in a row. I watched a lot of videos of people climbing to the top. All those paths seemed easy, beautiful, but I didn't see the final ascent anywhere. Aco got a little angry with me because he thought I was taking everything lightly. So he scared me, mostly with the altitude. That was maybe my only fear because I knew I was physically ready. As I started, I had more and more strength and desire. Once I saw the peak, there was no chance I would turn back unless, God forbid, I got injured or something. The first few days were great. As the altitude increased, I had slight dizziness. Until the end, it was fine, and then the final ascent took my soul. However, at no point did I think of giving up," described Nataša the five-day ascent to Uhuru.

Aleksandar, on the other hand, had different problems. Since he had previously climbed peaks above 5,000 meters four times, he was aware of what awaited him on the way to the Kibo crater. But a persistent cough was something he hadn't anticipated.

"I was bothered that every time I coughed, I threw up everything I ate and drank. So I climbed Kilimanjaro hungry and thirsty. It really exhausted me, and that was my hardest day. Everything else was in the normal range. Like Nataša, I didn't doubt that I would reach the top. The thought of quitting never crossed my mind," said Aleksandar.

The weather was favorable throughout the expedition, with temperatures ranging from 20 to -20 degrees Celsius. They had good equipment, a guide who took care of everything, porters who carried heavy equipment, and a chef who prepared meals three times a day.

When they arrived at the highest peak on the continent, they celebrated the success with champagne. They spent only about 10 minutes at the summit because it was too cold, and they started to freeze. After taking a few photos, they began the descent to the camp.

"We were on the summit just before 6 o'clock. We took a few photos, enjoyed the view, drank champagne. It was a really short break because it was terribly cold, and we started to freeze. I couldn't feel my hands, so I took off my gloves. It lasted only a minute, then my hands froze. We returned to the camp at 10. Then we ate breakfast and continued to the other camp. We descended to 3,000 meters, where it was warmer," Nataša recalled.

For her, the descent was more difficult than the ascent because of the trail and different terrain. At some points, the rock was too steep, so it was more like climbing than descending.

"Despite the support, we both had difficulties. It was challenging for me because we descended for a very long time, and my legs hurt. Especially the last day, when we went down to the village. The ascent was a little more challenging for me because I wasn't used to walking so slowly. I always went ahead of everyone. However, I always had someone behind me. At times, we argued about nothing. But once we saw the camp, all the problems were forgotten," she concluded.

The Balabans' friends were not surprised by their choice of honeymoon destination. They supported them in every possible way, both financially and morally. They wished them good luck and a safe return.

"The first day, when we landed in Tanzania, I texted our group on Viber. It's an elite group of the highest peaks in the world. It includes 40-50 people who have climbed some of the highest peaks in the world, so I've known them for a long time. That day, there was an unusual number of comments and messages. The group got a little annoyed because they thought it was unnecessary to send so many messages. But then I said, 'Okay, guys, we landed in Tanzania. We're going to climb Kilimanjaro. We're doing well. Greetings to everyone from Uhuru.' Then they were all surprised and happy for us," said Aleksandar.

They also congratulated the Balabans on their return to Banja Luka. They threw a party, where they relived the African adventure, discussed the conditions they encountered, and talked about how they celebrated their success.

What about the future plans of the newlyweds? Nataša and Aleksandar, whose relationship has been described by their friends as a fairy tale, said that they would love to repeat the ascent of Kilimanjaro. They would also like to go to the Karakorum, the second-highest mountain range in the world. They also talked about the possibility of skiing in Norway, skiing in Chile and Argentina, and hiking the Camino de Santiago, a network of pilgrims' ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain.

But for now, they plan to go to the US. If the situation allows, they will attend a mountaineering event in Washington. Then they will drive across the country, passing through Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. They will continue to Alaska, where they plan to spend a week, and then return via Chicago.

As the conversation ended, the Balabans expressed their gratitude for the support and love they received from their friends and family. They also wished everyone to experience at least one adventure in their life and to climb a mountain as high as possible.