Gračani

In Zadar we stayed in a local residential area, a nice change from the previous week’s touristy city centers. The seaside town was quiet and we laid low in the rainy weather. There wasn’t much to see but enough to explore on foot. A showery day was spent at the public library and an under-whelming Museum of Illusions.

Another bus ride took us inland (central Croatia) to Plitvice Lakes National Park – a trip highlight. We started exploring the Upper Lakes first. The water was exceptionally clear and vibrant emerald/blue – we could see the lake bottom, which seemed really crazy as we had never seen such a unique sight. The walking paths (often, very narrow with no handrails) were crowded but manageable (the selfie brigade was in full effect). Stunning waterfalls cascaded over limestone rocks as we strolled through the series of lakes and lush greenery.

Park entrance accommodations were exorbitant so we picked a place a few miles down the road, not knowing there was no public transportation available in the very rural area. Luckily, our host offered to send her dad “Lazy Bear” to get us in his metallic Ford. He spoke very broken English and after dropping our heavy backpacks at the house, he drove us 10 miles BACK to town where the restaurants were located. He was a champion and waited for us to eat dinner so he could drive us home because it was starting to rain. He directed us to the only grocery store in his broken Croatian accent “Grocery store 2KM on road or 300M up hiking trail.” The choice was clear and we stocked up on junk food (very limited healthy options). For our walk down the hiking trail we had two fully loaded cardboard boxes (Costco style): no grocery bags in this town.

Lazy Bear drove us home in the rain and Ken bonded with his Croatian father figure. He didn’t even work at the B&B, but was just doing his daughter a favor! So often people see us as “walking ATM’s,” try to scam or take advantage of our ignorance, or are annoyed by tourists. Not Lazy Bear. He genuinely valued Ken’s humor and was a truly hospitable and fun-loving individual.

Our second day at the park we visited the Lower Falls; unfortunately, a portion was closed for maintenance so we only hiked about three hours. We met a nice Italian couple that loved American football, while we ate our packed lunch (salami sandwiches) and waited for the boat to arrive. Ken made a fatal error and regretted not bringing his coat, as he froze on the boat ride.

We decided to hitchhike (or walk 10 miles) to our B&B. No sooner had we decided than our host (Lazy Bear’s daughter) came up behind us, “Hey guys!” She gave us a ride and we couldn’t believe our good fortune. That evening we took a beautiful evening stroll down our country lane.

The next morning Lazy Bear drove us to the bus stop. He assured us the bus would pick up at a specific stop, even though it was not the stop listed on our bus ticket. We frantically paced, ready to flag down the bus, expecting it might pass us. Lazy Bear waited with us to ensure we got on our bus. An absolute legend!

The bus ride to Zagreb (Croatia’s capital city) winded through the hills and Everett got car sick. I had to hold his bag of puke in my lap for the final 45 mins. Unfortunately, we accidentally booked a smoking apartment, so the place reeked. We also think an animal may have peed on the rug so it wasn’t too pleasant a smell. We opened all the windows to air the place out. The city and the apartment were actually really cute. We considered ourselves lucky for not having any lodging issues before this minor one, so we made the best of it.

The capital city had a totally different vibe than its famous coastal counter-parts – endless graffiti, local shops, tons of outdoor café seating, a little bit grimy, indoor cigarette smoking, and well, “it’s a real place.” We’ve only been here one day. This is not a touristy city and we are appreciating its raw authenticity.

In case you are counting, we had our fair share of issues this week: vomit, stinky apartment, and being stranded, but we keep finding solutions and continue to thrive.

The joy of traveling is in the people we meet (Lazy Bear), not the destinations.

Homeschool Question of the Week: Where was Nikola Tesla born? Yes, you’re right, Croatia!

Bonus Picture: Ken hard at work.Les mer