Wednesday, June 20th, 2012
It’s not that my days start late or anything. I was out of bed at 0730 this morning. But 2000 (8pm) still seems to creep up on me out of nowhere. I think that means my days have been very productive at least I feel they have been very productive.
Today I wandered out of bed, had some breakfast and headed back to Plitvicka for another day in the park. I had hoped that by starting early I could avoid the annoyances (as in people) from the day before. For the most part it worked. Not sure if I mentioned before for but Plitvika Jezera is a World Heritage site (since 1979), which means it has to meet certain criteria (I'm sure I've talked about World Heritage Sites in the past). This particular area meets criteria for it's geological and ecological values. The site listing ensures that the area will be protected for years to come.
My predictions were quite correct and my hike took me just under 5 hours and that included a stop for lunch. The trail was mostly empty (it is the longer and harder trail so most people don’t walk it) so naturally I could walk as fast as I wanted.
The trail started up here.
And then I headed down the stairs. The trail continued to go up and down and up and down, following the lakes and then venturing off into the forest.
Another one of the many waterfalls you will find along the way. A favourite spot to take pictures so I quickly moved on because there were far too many people at this spot.
Part of the boardwalk trail. I would be making my way down there.
Heading back up the stairs.
The trail even had a tunnel.
So I walked really fast…..partially because I was really afraid there would be snakes (probably should have asked about that) and with no one else on the trails who would save me from them?) and partially because I just walk fast. I probably did the middle section little too fast because I was pretty tired the last quarter of the trail. The signs do not tell you how long any of the trails are.....just how long it should take for you to complete them.
A look at some of the lakes on the upper trail. Too bad more people don't come up all the way up here.
A really pretty spot.
Perfectly flat and reflective. Yes, those are fish you can see in the lake. No fishing allowed however.
The trail as you get away from the lake and into the forest. I suspect this is where the snakes were just waiting to pounce on me......so I walked really, really fast through this section.
Back next to another lake. It was such a beautiful hike.
One of the creeks you will find throughout the hike.
The boats crossing the lake. Yesterday I took the boat across. Today I walked around the lake instead.
Also a perfect hiding spot for snakes I think. The lizards certainly made me jump.
So peaceful down by the lake. So glad I decided to get an early start.
Another glimpse at the lakes.
Just loved it up here. No one around to take a picture for me though.
One of the waterfalls on the upper lakes.
Looking out from behind one of those waterfalls.
One of the last stretches of my hike. I just love this shot. You will be happy to know that I made it all the way through the hike without a single snake encounter. I call that a successful hike.
Once my hike was over it was time for me to hit the road again. I would finally be heading to the coast and getting my first glimpse at the Adriatic Sea (I mean on this trip....I'd seen it before in 2008 while traveling from Italy to Greece). My destination was the port cit of Split. I would find it instantly a lot busier and way more full of tourists than my last locations. Split happens to be the place where many of the high speed ferries from Italy and far too many cruise ships dock.
My little rental car. We got along quite well over the 5 days we were together.
Once I arrived in Split I had a couple things to do. First...find my hotel. Like so many places in Croatia, Split has an old city centre (where most tourist things are) and then the rest of the city. Naturally I chose to stay in the city centre which in this case is UNESCO world heritage site of Diocletian's Palace. Basically a city inside a city full of little narrow streets and hidden stores and hotels. Unfortunately a pedestrian area only so once I found my hotel and offloaded my stuff I needed to find a place to park the car for a couple days. That came by accident because I had to stop somewhere to get directions to my hotel, which happened to be at a long term parking lot. The young man there was nice enough to point in the right direction and then when I returned about 30 minutes later he gave me a deal on a couple days worth of parking.
Once I settled in I took the opportunity to explore the city a bit. It wasn't long before the sun went down and an evening of entertainment began.
A look at some of the old architecture I would get to explore. Great stories I'm sure.
The city after dark and a look at some of those narrow streets. There are all kinds of little stores along the streets and it is very easy to get lost.
St. Domnius Cathedral at night. Looking forward to seeing it in the daytime. However on this night it was the backdrop to some excellent entertainment.
This is the Peristyle. For years this area has been the main square of Split. In the past it would have been used for notifications and proclamations. Now it is the main corridor between the basement halls and the Cathedral. It is also used for events such as operas. On this night however it was a giant lounge, complete with music and wine. An amazing way to end my first night in the city.
After a glass of wine and some music I headed back to my hotel for a good night's sleep. No slowing down for me. Thursday would be another busy day.
Julie
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