Kia ora and welcome back to Prebs and Goose wandering loose.
Saying goodbye to our last set of guests and knowing that we only had a final clean before we hit the road again was a great feeling. To celebrate we flung open the booze cupboard and after a cheeky breakfast beer and a load of washing we toasted a few piña coladas in the spring sunshine. Once our morning chores were complete it was time for corn fritters, bacon and champagne with a couple of fellow chalet hosts. It was also closing day for our local Les Gets ski lifts so we got out in the sun for a little Spring skiing which was all the more thrilling after our morning antics.
We enjoyed a week of cleaning up our chalet, eating all the left over food and drink and hanging out together with the other chalet hosts. We also had time for a cheeky road trip down to a quaint medieval on the shores of lake Geneva where the spring flowers and leaves were a welcome sight after the still drab forests of Les Gets. Leaving our small town for the last time was with mixed emotions but we were certainly ready for a change of weather as we left in a foggy white out with snow falling (our friends who remained did enjoy a rare powder day though).
Having acquired a few extra Winter woollies our packs were loaded to the hilt as we easily navigated our way through the streets of Zagrab, Croatia. Ditching these at a choice hostel run by a classic Aussie lad we headed into the old town for some traditional food… We opted for a cold beer and an excellent curry made by a very friendly Sri Lankan called Bryan. After a nights rest we dodged the odd bit of drizzle and joined a walking tour around the city. This was very informative and a good way to get our bearings. The afternoon was spent on bikes racing through the large wooded park before making our way through the huge cemetery complete with its grand walled entrance way.
Pletivich Lakes National Park was our next destination and it certainly lived up to its hype. Thankfully we managed to avoid most of the Asian tour groups by walking more than a couple of hundred meters and enjoyed the waterfalls and surrounding lakes and forest. A hassle free shuttle with a brief stop to see a captive bear and we were in Zadar. This town heaves with tourists in the Summer but the narrow cobbled streets were nice and quiet for us to stroll around. It was great to be back on the sea after 5 months in the mountains and watch the sun set and full moon rise with a beer in hand listening to the tunes of the famous sea organ. Although there was a cool breeze we did manage a brisk dip which woke us up.
Travelling around has so far been very easy with a great motorway system but you certainly pay for it with buses being pretty expensive. We broke up our trip from Zadar to Split with a stop at Krka National Park. The waterfalls here were similarly impressive although the vegetation was of the scrubby Mediterranean type as opposed to the lush beech forest of Plitivich. While in the park we also took a boat ride to a very old monastery situated on a tiny wee island.
Forum at Zadar
Split was the next ancient town we dropped into and the old walled diocletian palace was charming and not too overrun with tourists either. Although it wasn't beach weather we made the most of our time with a long walk through the large city park, a stroll through the fruit and vegetable markets and got lost amongst the narrow wee alleyways in the palace.
Next we opted for a slight dog leg and left the coast and Croatia for the town of Mostar and its famous bridge. It was a great day to spend sitting in an over priced bus (buses are outrageously expensive here) as it was pouring with rain. The bus ride was scenic as we headed inland as too was the city of Mostar. This city like most in Bosnia saw heavy fighting during the Serbian invasion of 1992-1995. Strolling through the narrow streets there was plenty of raw remains of buildings and the majority had countless mortar and bullet holes riddling the sides. We checked out the bridge but due to the freezing weather and very low water level weren't tempted to jump off.
The bus up valley to Sarajevo was beautiful and as we wound our way through the mountains we were greeted with a good 10cm of fresh snow. This snow was also to ground level on the streets of Sarajevo making for pretty but cold winter scenes. It was great exploring this city, we did an overpriced tour of the city which included a visit to the tunnel under the airport runway built during the war. This provided a vital link to the outside world for the citizens of Sarajevo who were under siege by the Serbs while the UN (called the United Nothing by the Bosnians) placed an embargo on Bosnia obtaining weapons and shone the spotlight on any daring Bosnians trying to run across the UN controlled airfield. The afternoon was spent basking in some rare sunshine and taking in the many surviving old buildings and churches from all religious factions. The city is unique in its mix of ethnicities and cultures, with a synagogue, mosque and church within 150m of each other.
The sun was trying to emerge as we took a taxi to the top of Mount Trebevic where the remains of 1984 Winter Olympic bobsleigh track are. It was really cool walking down the concrete remains complete with tagging and some snow and we got great views of the city. We also got a great perspective of how vulnerable the local residence were to mortar and sniper fire. You could clearly see the exposed bridge where the citizens living in the old city had to cross to get water from the brewery every few days. After a beer at the local brewery and a tasty kebab we prepared for an early departure back to the coast.
It's remarkable how welcoming and friendly the people are in Bosnia and also how crazy the war was given that all religions and ethnicities had lived so happily together for so long. Certainly would recommend a visit.
