Lake Plitvices, Croatia



Welcome to Plitvices National Park, Croatia



We left Split with our day packs filled with snacks. We were staying a night in the Lake Plitvices National Park and knew we were at the mercy of the hotel for food. All of the websites said the restaurant was expensive and not that good. We decided to save a few dollars and go prepared.

I got up early to shop for fresh fruits, nuts and dried apricots at the fresh market. Then I picked up cheese, ham and crackers at the grocery.

We found our bus and waited to board.

The bus trip to Lake Plitvices was 4.5 hours through some beautiful landscape. Rain storms were rolling in over the mountains. We arrived at the national park and were dropped off at the main entrance. We walked to the most expensive hotel I have stayed my entire trip. I was not happy spending $115 for our room but, I wanted to hike the lakes and waterfalls. 

The bus pulled up to the bus stop and I followed mom off the bus. As I stepped down off the bus I see mom falling towards the ground. Oh my! What happened? The bus driver was standing next to me and we both asked if she was ok? Yes she was and she laughed. She had tripped over a rock. Not a pebble but a huge rock the size of a soccer ball. She was covered with dirt on one side. She looked at me and the bus driver and said she was fine as I pulled her up off the ground. Well, I know where I got that talent from...thanks mom for my lack of grace!

I grabbed our bags and we both laughed as the bus pulled away from the stop. She was glad she would never have to see him again! We started walking down the road looking for the sign to Hotel Jezero, the only hotel open in the park. We walked 15 minutes and mom finally went in to ask for directions. Oops! We had walked 10 minutes past the turn. We backtracked. It was cold and rainy but I was excited. I could hear the waterfalls. I couldn't wait to see the natural beauty. 

 

We settled into our room and ate a picnic lunch. I was full and energized and ready to go see the park. Mom said to go ahead. I asked if she was hurt and she said no but didn't want to push it after falling. I told her I would be back by dark. I walked down to the entrance and bought our passes. The woman told me to take the trail down to the boats, across the lake and follow the path to the left. I just had to return by 4:00pm to catch the last boat back across the lake. I looked at my watch. It was 2:30 so I didn't have a lot of time. I thanked her and was on my way. I walked down 277 steps realizing I would have to walk back up them. I made a mental note to avoid this trail when mom comes with me in the morning.

It was beautiful, the leaves were still changing beautiful shades of yellow and the rainy mist gave a beautiful back drop to the lakes. 

I crossed the lake and hiked up the wooden stairs. It was peaceful. I did not see or hear anyone. Nothing but the sound of the waterfalls. All of the paths were dirt or wooden paths over the water. I felt at one with nature.

I walked along the lakes and explored the different paths. I kept a close watch on the time and turned back just as I met my first group of tourists. I chatted with the Taiwanese travelers on our walk back to the boat. They told me about the walk down from the upper lakes and I made a mental note to get up early and go in the morning. Back at the hotel, mom was waiting for me. We had dinner and relaxed watching tv.

 

The next morning we got up and walked down to the lower lakes first. The information center had told us where we could go and made suggestions for my mother due to her limited mobility. We took the shuttle down to the lower lakes. When we arrived, we followed the path. The walk was beautiful. We were not disappointed.

 

 

 

 

 
 We walked along the lakes and had beautiful lookouts over the lower lakes and the waterfalls.



Lower lakes and waterfalls. A wood path for viewing the waterfalls.

I wanted to explore a little further and mom wanted to rest. I told her I would be back in 15 minutes. As I walked, I could hear the water getting louder and louder. I continued following the path down. The mist and fog was thick so it was difficult to see. But I could make out the top of the large waterfall surrounded by smaller ones. It was a beautiful sound and sight. 

 

 

 I walked back and found mom waiting for me. She had made herself comfortable on a park bench.

We decided to take the shuttle to the upper lake and she was going to walk with me for a while. The paths were stunning on the cold, foggy and rainy morning.

We came across some beautiful evergreens and mom was ready to decorate them for Christmas.

When the path changed to steps down into the ravine, mom decided to go back to the hotel. She was going to tell the hotel we were staying one more night while I hiked from the upper lakes to the lower lakes. I promised I would be back by 2:00 pm. I walked her back to the shuttle and then continued on my journey down.
I had been warned about the flooding on the upper lakes and to be careful where I walked. I ended up in the flooded area and had to turn around and backtrack. It was so beautiful, I did not mind. I hiked up a mountain trail. When I came around a corner this was the view. It was breathtaking!

 

 

I continued following the signs to the boat dock and came to the best part of the hike. The wooden paths lead over the lakes to the waterfalls.

 

 I wandered from one to the next. There were hundreds of waterfalls and only a handful of tourists.

 

 

 At the end of the hike, I was enjoying the red carpet of leaves when I came across a beautiful rock.

 

You never know what is hiding in nature unless you take the time to explore and enjoy it.

 

I returned back to the hotel at 2:30. Mom was worried and was trying to figure out who to call when I walked in. I had a fantastic day hiking and was cold....time for a hot cup of tea and a bowl of soup!

 

Mom had made arrangements with the hotel for us to stay the night, get a breakfast box in the morning and to be at the bus stop at 6:00 am. We wanted to get an early bus so we could make the bus connection to Ljubljana, Slovenia in the afternoon.



Motorbikes, Waterfalls and Bears....Oh My!

After a couple days of culture, I was ready to explore the wilderness and have some fun. I met an American couple the previous night as we bonded over the spiciness of Lao food. Laughter turned into a conversation and we realized we had all grown up in the Midwest. We enjoyed a Beerlao and laughed over travel stories. One thing led to another and they invited me to go with them out to visit Kuang Si waterfall. When they mentioned they were renting a motorbike (scooter) and driving out, I was in! You know how I love the motorbikes!! We made plans to meet in the morning. I found a place in town and rented an automatic bike for $20 for the day. After a quick lesson in how to start, stop, lock the front wheel and store the helmet I was ready to go! I was a little nervous at first but all those years of riding a moped came back to me. I figured it would be a success as long as I made it back in one piece and got to swim at the waterfall. Driving was easy as the traffic was light and much less congested than Vietnam. We headed out of Luang Prabang 30 km to the falls. It was a beautiful ride on paved roads through Hmong villages and farms. The rolling hillside made for a relaxing drive. We arrived at the waterfalls and bear rescue center. That's right, Laos has black bears! Oh my! I had forgotten about it until we arrived. We parked the motorbikes and paid $3 for parking and entrance to the falls. We decided to hike to the waterfalls, swim and then make our way back to the bear rescue center.

The turquois water made me feel like I was in a magical jungle setting. It was so beautiful, we were all eager to touch the water. Wow! It was freezing! Hopefully, it will feel great after some hiking and as the day gets warmer. There were several levels for swimming.  We walked further along the trail to the large Kuang Si waterfall. It was spectacular. As I watched I noticed there were three levels of waterfalls here. But swimming was not allowed in the upper levels. 



We had a sandwich and sat in the sun waiting to get warm. It eventually became time to take the plunge. I walked to the side of the water, stuck my toe in and it still felt freezing cold. I knew it was a matter of just jumping in. I leaned forward and jumped. Brrrrr! I lost my breath. I kept moving, waiting to get numb. I swam to the waterfall and stood on a rock, enjoying the scenery. It was tranquil and wonderful. I noticed something tickling my foot. I asked James if he felt something and he thought it was little fish eating the dead skin on our feet. Just like the Mr. Fish pedicures! It tickled. I looked down and could see little fish. An added bonus at the falls!

We walked down to the lower level and could hear the tour bus had arrived with people. At this level there is a rope swing that is the center of attraction. You just walk out on the tree, use a stick to grab the rope, hold on and play Tarzan as you swing through the jungle.

We continued down the path to the Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Center. There was no fee and the bears appeared happy. Most of the bears were rescued or confiscated from illegal poaching and trading. They are Moon Bears and look similar to the US Black Bear. They put food in different toys for the bears to keep them entertained. Most of the bears were taking naps. 

We jumped on our motorbikes and headed back to Luang Prabang. Everything was going well until we had to cross a bridge. Ann and James went first. They were almost across the bridge when they went off one of the boards and the scooter went over. They were both fine. Just a little scratched and bleeding. Everyone that came by stopped to off their help. People offered to give them a hide back to town, German tourists offered medications and others stayed to make sure they were fine. One Lao man walked down to the ditch and grabbed a handful of leaves. He chewed them and started rubbing them on Ann's leg. He handed some to James also. We don't know what it was but they said it stung! We made it back to town safely and decided to get cleaned up and meet for dinner. 

We decided to walk across the bamboo bridge over the Nam Khan River. It is a little scary. It is made entirely of bamboo and there were a few spots that seemed rickety. I grabbed the side rail and realized it was a little wobbly also. The bridge bounces as you walk. I was excited when I made it across and decided I had earned my Beerlao for the night. We ate dinner at Dyen Sabai. We started with a Lao platter for an appetizer. It was delicious. The platter included

eggplant, pork with sesame seeds, jaew bong , Luang Prabang Sausage and fried seaweed with lemongrass roasted peanuts. It is accompanied by lots of black sticky rice. 

For the main course, we ordered the Lao Fondue with chicken, buffalo and an extra side of vegetables. The fondue was fun. They bring a large bucket of hot coals and put it in a hole in the middle of the table. Then a grill is added to the top. We ordered chicken and buffalo meat which came with a large bowl of chopped vegetables, herbs, and a couple whole eggs. You start by pouring in water around the edge and add the vegetables. The meat goes on the grill at the top and the juices run down to flavor the soup around the edges. We added noodles and broke an egg into the soup. You then eat it up until you are full. DELICIOUS! I was full and happy for my walk back across the bamboo bridge. Another wonderful day in Luang Prabang.