Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Plitvice Lakes were beyond our expectations. There is no way to prepare yourself for the majesty of it all, simply spectacular! We arrived at 7.30 am and it took us a good four and a half hours to walk the track. The early morning start was worth it, it was like having the park to ourselves.. Talk about "walking the plank" , you walk along a wooden platform over the rapids, beside huge waterfalls and most of it does not have hand rails! To makes things more interesting, it shakes when you walk on it , and all the while, this roaring of the water... Sometimes, lapping over the platform....(Yes, I've become soft in my old age! ) Every now and again, the platform joins onto a track which winds it's way up the hills, also filled with waterfalls and down into more valleys. Truly, this really does take your breath away.
At one stage, we emerged from the virgin beech and fir forest to a waiting ferry which took us across one of the lakes to continue our trek. Simply magnificent. It seemed as though each time we rounded a corner, there was something else to make us gasp and reach for our cameras. The water is the most brilliant emerald green, due to the limestone in the soil and the path of the water is constantly changing the landscape.
Credit has to go to Croatian Tourism for making this an experience of a lifetime.
Later in the afternoon, we drove to Bihać, in Bosnia as it was only an hour away. We had lunch in a restaurant overlooking the river Una and then went for a walk over the bridge. It was raining quite heavily but it was a bit depressing, buildings in disrepair, an overwhelming sense of grey and stray dogs rummaging in rubbish on the streets.
Mind you, life is very hard there, unemployment is rife and the economy in dire straits. A sobering experience...
Dugi Otok is our next destination, we are leaving early for the port of Zadar to catch a ferry. We will leave behind the forests and lush meadows of inland Croatia and embrace the rocky coast!
- comments
Lu Beautiful! The colour of the water reminds me of the Huka Falls.Hope your knee is holding up old girl!! Mum saw some photos yesterday and likes Geoffs haircut!! oooxxxx
Leila Mum you should have been a pro at the waterfalls after Jourama! The trip to Bosnia sounds interesting - I imagine it takes a long time to recover. Were the people friendly? I hope you're enjoying the island! X
Joel Sounds amazing Mumma and Dad! Are you taking photos in Bosnia as well? Although it is depressing it must be breathtaking to see the history of the country. And you love dogs so whats depressing about that? Are the Bosnians like the Croats in kindness? Do they harbour any resentment to westerners? I am happy to hear you are both having a wonderful time, but I do wish one of you had fallen in the river (not harming yourself) and the other had taken some photos! Haha.