European Vacation #2 - we’re off - almost!

June 11. We left for the Denver airport at 7am as the High Park Fire continued to burn – more than 20,000 acres at this point. After we checked in for our flight Tobey discovered that they were not serving any food between Denver and Montreal. He left the boarding area to do the important “hunter-gatherer” thing and procure something tasty for our lunch! Amanda, too, decided to get something. In the meantime, the boarding process was underway … and like good passengers, Wendy and I got on the plane. Settled into my seat, I waited for Tobey. And waited. The flight attendant pointed to the empty seat beside me and if he was coming. I assured him that yes, Tobey had his boarding pass and was on his way. Amanda appeared, but she had not seen Tobey. The flight attendant came back and asked if I wanted to assume the responsibility of flying with his luggage or get off the flight – they needed to close the door and push away from the gate. Well, I stalled … and very slowly said that I guessed I would get off the plane.

Tobey had gone to Schlotzsky’s Deli and the line was long  - and slow. He heard his name being called for the final boarding call for our flight so he stepped behind the counter, grabbed the sandwiches he had already paid for, and did the “airport sprint” to the gate. Suddenly, at the front of the plane, the gate agent appeared with Tobey. While he had his boarding pass, I had his passport and she would not allow him on the plane without it. She came and got it, checked it, and then allowed him to board. The rest of the flight from Denver to Montreal, on to Frankfurt, Germany and then Zagreb, Croatia where our REI Adventure was to begin, were uneventful. The sandwich, however, was delicious!

We arrived in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia with a population of more than 1 million, about noon on Tuesday, June 12. After checking into Hotel Dubrovnik just steps from Ban Jelacic Square, the city’s commercial capital since 1641,  we set off to explore the area.   

     

 

After dinner we met the ten other adventurers, as well as our tour guides, Ivan and Nikolina. Introductions were made, an overview of the week was given, and drinks were shared. The fun was about to begin!

Our group left Zagreb Wednesday morning in two vans, heading for Plitvice Lakes National Park, about two hours away. Our first stop was at the Croatia War Museum. Croatia was originally part of the Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia. After Tito’s death in the 1980s, the federal government began to crumble. Croatia declared independence in 1991 and the Serbian community in the Krajina region seceded which caused heavy fighting. The Serbian community was supported by the Federal Yugoslav Army who intervened under the pretext of halting "ethnic fighting". Much of Croatia fell to Federal forces and the destruction from the “Homeland War” is still evident today with many bombed out buildings and road signs warning to keep out because the area is still littered with land mines. Croatians built tanks from farm tractors and fought with farm implements and hunting knives. In 1995, the Croatian military launched a massive assault on Serbian positions in the Krajina and recaptured the territory. The Serb army and about 150,000 civilians fled to Serbia as Croatia consolidated its borders. Bill Clinton sent troops to aid Croatia in their struggle and today, most Croatian people love Americans. The Dayton Peace Accord established Croatia's borders and provided for a gradual return of the Serb-held province of Slavonia which was accomplished in 1998.

From the War Museum we headed on to Croatia’s first national park, Plitvice Lakes National Park, which was listed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1979, in recognition of its "outstanding natural beauty and undisturbed production of travertine (tufa) through chemical and biological action."  

We hiked over six miles through this incredible park which lies in the Lika region of Croatia. It is surrounded by mountains which are part of the Dinaric Alps. The 16 blue-green Plitvice Lakes are separated by natural dams of travertine. Waterfalls connect the lakes, and the tallest waterfall is Veliki Slap at 230 feet tall. There is large variety of interesting and colorful flora and fauna, including over 70 types of orchids.

The last hour of our hike was in a steady rain, but the temperatures were warm so it wasn’t too uncomfortable. The sun came back out as we finished our hike, allowing us to dry out before retiring to the tiny riverside village of Korana where we spent the next two nights.

Dinner was prepared by our local hosts – cauliflower soup with pretzels, salad and goulash with gnocchi. It was a great end to a great day!