Home -> Europe -> Croatia -> Travelogue 2003 -> Friday 4 July

Plitvicka national park

We wake up during a refreshing shower but when the sun breaks through the clouds it becomes very warm almost immediately. Still, it seems to be a bit cooler, 30 degrees at most, and we go for a drive so we see more of the country. Also a break for our skin to recuperate a bit from all the intense sun-violence.

First

we drive to Nin, a village just north of the campsite. It is a small town with a partly restored medieval wall. It is nicely situated with views on the sea and on the mountains on the mainland. Many times we are being surprised by wide panorama's. That is also something we missed in Hungary, there were not many wide views and almost no surprises.

The highest point of this mountainrange we cross, is at 1044 meters. There is one mountain in the distance (not on the picture) with such a white top that we are not sure whether it is snow or just very white rocks on the top.

Our goal for today are the waterfalls in the national park Plitvicka, about 150 kilometers from Zaton, but very soon we notice (again) that traffic goes very slow in these mountains. This time we could drive a bit further on the new highway than last monday, when we arrived. Roadworkers are busy everywhere and this time we also have to pay toll, while on monday we just could drive through. We wouldn't be surprised when this highway (from Rijeka in the north to Dubrovnik in the south with an intersection to Zagreb) would be ready before the end of this year.

The national park has been turned into an attraction with boatrides on the lakes and we should pay 90 Kuna, or € 11 per person. We just want to walk up to the falls and make a picture, so we refuse to pay that price. We have seen a lot of waterfalls already. From a distance the lakes look very beautiful with its blue-green water.

On our way back we drive through Gospic and in this whole area we see the devastating traces of the war: villages which are totally bombed and destroyed and now left abandoned; new houses are being build next to the empty and often roofless old homes. There are not many buildings without traces of heavy gunfire where bullets and grenades left their gaps in the walls. The traces look so fresh that it is hard to imagine it is already 8 years ago that the war ended.

Local people say they have the feeling the reconstructing of the country has only begun last year and it will take some time before it is complete. But how long will it take before the psychological and emotional damage has been repaired and all the feelings of hate have gone? One generation, two? Sometimes it is said that war is good for the economy, but we don't see any benefits. What a waste of human lives and also of the environment and lots of money. And for what reason???

Back at the campsite we go first see Joško to ask him how the show went and he says it was fantastic. They even have plans to start practising together on a more regular basis. Maybe we can let you hear a small part of their music through this website in a while.
On this side of the mountains the sky is totally clear and tomorrow we will have another quiet day at the beach.

Travel through Europe and Africa

with Elisabeth and Teije