The Croatian Coast
Aaaand we're back. Sorry about the delay. We had some technical difficulty and this is actually the second time I'm writing this. Anyway...
As I mentioned last post, on Sunday morning we headed for the Zagreb Airport and rented a car. We landed ourselves a silver Renault Clio and began the drive towards Plitvice Lakes National Park. At Plitvice we encountered the same problem we had in Hallstatt: rain. The park was still beautiful, but we really would have liked some sunshine to make all the surrounding green pop. Due to the rain, there was also some flooding in the park, which prevented us from seeing everything. That said, there was still plenty to enjoy. The park is known for its cascades that descend in about six levels over the course of around a half mile. We got to see four of the six falls while we were there. We walked in a big loop around the park that took us through forest trails as well as elevated bridges over waterways. After a few hours we loaded back into the car late afternoon and made our way to the coast and the town of Senj.
That was an interesting night in a few different respects. We arrived after dark and not a minute after our arrival, a young man waves us down and asks if we speak English. When we say yes he quickly asks, "Do you need room or apartment?" We were startled by this abrupt tactic but asked how much. Instead of quoting a price he insisted that we should just "pull over, pull over." Nah man, we're out. We drive away and after about a minute we pull to the side to scan for any wi-fi. The car behind us pulls over too and a women gets out and approaches the car. "Do you need room or apartment?" Not like this we don't! Stop it!
The other bit that made for an interesting night came when we decided where to sleep. We had a fairly roomy car so we thought we might try and keep costs down and sleep in the car. So we went and found a cliff parking lot overlooking the ocean. Bad decisions all around. We wind was insane and loud and we were both freezing and uncomfortable. In retrospect I'm not sure why either of us thought it would be a good idea. When we "woke up" (we were waking up about every half hour) in the morning it was clear that we would need a change of plan for the next two nights. After checking out a hilltop castle, we went back into Senj (which was happy and beautiful and a lot less sketchy during the day) and found a cafe to do some research. We decided on a place that we had looked at a few days before, a house down south a few hours on the island of Pag. Once we arrived at the ferry terminal it was very clear we made the right decision. The rain had completely cleared and it was 75 degrees and sunny. Our spot was in Stara Novalja (Old Novalja) just outside the town of Novalja. We was perfect. It was right on the water with a patio overlooking the bay. But the real reason we choose this place was that it was a diving center.
The next day we went out scuba diving twice. Jacob had been diving before but it was the first time for me. I'm a fan. We spent a lot of time in Novalja too. Its a small town with only one main drag right on the water. Despite its size it is packed with different shops, restaurants, and stands. There was a small board walk lined with palm trees and a bunch of sail boats and yachts moored at the docks. It was essentially a vacation from our travels. After two nights there we got up early and drove back up to Zagreb, spent the day there, and then caught a bus up to Budapest.
I'm writing this Thursday morning and I will write a post about today later tonight, which means that today will be the first day where two posts go out. Make sure to check them both!
(NOTE: I am aware that comments suddenly need my approval. It is not supposed to be like that. It's a problem on the hosting end. I'm pressuring them. Hopefully it will be addressed soon)