Drafts of Letters from my Travels (part 2)
My Second Letter
So I know it’s been a while since I last wrote and perhaps we will be back before it sends - all depends on our WiFi - last couple nights it’s been very intermittent at best. We are leaving Split-Dalmatia headed for Plitvice Lakes National Park - the day is sunny but much cooler and the wind is pushing our little Buzz all around! Not to mention he’s giving us a low tire pressure alarm and we can’t find a working air pump! Not sure how to capture the last few days. So full - averaging about 20,000 steps per day - plus approximately 100 flights of stairs! Needless to say by night we are pretty beat.Dubrovnik was very crowded, busy in all ways and directions! We walked along the wall that encircles the old town which was full of scenic views, lots of people and very hot! Meandered through the streets and visited the churches, fountains and steeples that begged for our attention. A museum that captured the events of the 1991-1994 war was worth the visit and very sobering. Took a ferry to Lokrum island - explored more ruins and a monastery and then to Christine’s delight we went swimming in the Adriatic Sea! Despite the discomfort (for me) in initially getting in, it proved to be most refreshing! We also had one more dip in an area they called their Dead Sea- that was a bit more calm but actually colder. Watched the sunset over the Adriatic from the top of a mountain accessed by a cable car. Of course there was a lovely viewing area but that’s not good enough for some people - they have literally removed the bars off the railings, crawl through and perch themselves on the cliff rocks - including, you guessed it, Christine! Finally we sat down for a real meal, at a real restaurant- it was delicious and very satisfying. Montenegro was fabulous! The drive was breathtakingly beautiful - Kotor was ancient, charming, a feast for the visual! Thoroughly enjoyed every step and stair in that town- including the climb to the fortress overlooking the bay ( pic on instagram). After that venture our journey got really exciting or just plain crazy- I’m not sure- we decided to go to Lovcen National Park - the highest peak in Montenegro which realistically is all mountains. So our adventure began by finding the route up the mountain - just a narrow road with zillions of tight switchbacks. If that wasn’t a terrifying 30 or more minutes we then had to turn onto a one lane road that continued to climb. I was somewhat confident because there was a sign .. sort of... however that was short lived. It wasn’t long before the road disappeared altogether and it became a construction site! Unbeknown to us this went on for several kilometers - some gravel, some dirt , some just plain rocks! But one thing for sure just NO road! This really required a 4 wheel drive vehicle - if not just a bull dozer and we are in a car that really isn’t a car! Buzz was a trooper , pushing through all the challenges- I however was in panic mode - and Christine was determined to push on! In the end it was all worth it - the views were amazing - and of course we found another way down with solid pavement and occasional signs of life. Christine did a great job navigating us through territory we hadn’t researched- caught a car ferry back to the main drag toward Dubrovnik and arrived late at night once again. Bosnia Herzegovina was a completely different experience. The ravish of war much more raw and visible. Mostar was uniquely different and examining the war from their perspective was enlightening - needless to say war from any view is tragic. Arriving into the city area Christine says “look there are bees in that back window” well on closer examination the whole car ( a beater at best) was full of bee hives, he must have been transporting them somewhere! Talk about frightening! We listened to the call to prayer through the numerous minarets and watched the local boys dive off the old bridge. The “feel” here was somewhat oppressive and not inviting so we headed on to Split - the Dalmatian coast! Now if you want a real WOW in life - Split offers that! We loved this area- right from Klis castle to Diocletian's Palace! It was eye candy in every direction. We walked every nook and cranny in that city in addition to taking in some live entertainment giving us opportunity to just people watch. One last venture into the city for a pastry and a stroll through the farmers market then onto where I started this morning - Plitvice Lakes National Park. We have now gotten the tires aired up and hiked 27,000 steps -yes friends - 12.2 miles throughout the most unique park - more waterfalls then countable, teal blue lakes, wooden broad walks, wooded paths, spectacle views abound! A very fitting end to an awesome adventure!
