Plitvice Lakes

0530 – Wake up from deep slumber. Sun is already shining outside. But it’s still early. Go back to bed. Mmm.
0630 – Alarm goes off. Snooze for 10 min.
0640 – Alarm goes off. Snooze for another 10 min. This is a holiday!
0650 – Alarm goes off. Ok ok, I have a bus heading for Plitvice Lakes to catch. Crawl out of bed reluctantly.
0700 – Wash up and shower. Why does it take me forever to adjust the water temperature? If it is not too hot it is too cold. Grumble. Ah, that’s it finally.
0730 – Pack pack pack.
0750 – Ready, get set, go. Bus station is a good 20 min walk away.
0800 – Stop to buy water. Read that 1 litre of water costs 3 euros at the lakes. It’s just 0.70 euros for 1.5 litres here in Split. No time to stop at bakery. Hopefully the bus stops over at some place with one.
0820 – Arrive at bus station. Queue to put luggage in bus. 1 bag costs 1 euro on top of 22 euro ticket.
0840 – Bus leaves about 10 min late. Not too bad. Start of 4.5 hr journey. Ask bus conductor if the bus stops at Mukinje bus stop where the Plitvice accommodation is located. Bus conductor nods and says yes.
1045 – 5 min stop at Knin. I spy a bakery and make a dash for it. Pizza and chocolate bread for 1.70 euros! Yum.
1215 – Bus stops at some random restaurant for 25 min lunch break. Drinks at the attached mini mart are indeed expensive. Food is not over-priced fortunately.
1245 – Bus journey continues. Almost there! Overhear another passenger inform bus conductor to stop at Mukinje bus stop.
1315 – Bus speeds past Mukinje bus stop. !?!?!? Observe several other passengers watch the stop disappear forlornly. Subsequent stares at bus conductor useless. Bus stops instead at Plitvice Lakes entrance 1.5 km away. Ugh.
1320 – Walking back the highway to Mukinje not a good idea the way the vehicles are speeding. Look for alternative route.
1335 – Alternative route found! Up-hill, stepped gravel path. No fun half-dragging half-carrying trolley bag. No other choice. At least the path is shaded by trees.
1400 – Finally. Arrive at accommodation at Mukinje. It’s homestay like in most of Croatia, and the old lady owner frowns in sympathy as I recount the bus-not-stopping incident. She assures that the 0640 bus tomorrow morning to Zagreb will stop at Mukinje bus stop nearby. Sigh of relief that there’s no need to drag luggage through that path again.
1415 – Walk back to Plitvice Lakes entrance to buy ticket. For 1 day it costs 11.50 euros for students. ;p Yeah, we’re all still learning aren’t we?
1445 – “Panaromic train” ride to top of upper lakes. It’s actually just a tram and I can barely see the lakes through the trees. Oh well. I read in Lonely Planet that the lakes are sometimes turquoise blue, sometimes jade green, sometimes steely grey. Wonder what colours of the lakes I will see today.
1515 – Walking begins on wooden planked path. On Park Itinerary H which takes 4-6 hours to complete.
1520 – Path leads to first of the lakes and the clarity and colour of the water makes me forget in an instance the effort it took to finally get here. A gradient from colourless to turquoise to sky blue, water sparkling in the sunlight. A group of ducks flap and flutter across the surface. Flowing waters teeming with fish. Golden cattails swaying in the breeze. Luminescent mayflies buzzing around.
1525 – I put my new camera to good use. Oh how I love its 20x optical zoom. 🙂
1545 – A short stretch of water rapids lead to a small waterfall. Video time!
1630 – More waterfalls and more lake views. The path runs just beside the lakes.
1700 – Spectacular waterfall over a dome-shaped hill! Snap snap snap. 1730 – Postcard shot of a seemingly still patch of the lakes. Simply breathtaking.
1800 – 15 min boat ride across one of the lakes. Oh look in the distance! A line of baby ducklings swimming behind a duck. Power zoom kicks in.
1815 – Itinerary H continues around the lower lakes. Need to walk a little faster.
1830 – More lake views, more rapids, more waterfalls. Turquoise blue, jade green, steely grey — check, check, check, and even more colours. This is nice but the walk is getting slightly tiring.
1900 – Veliki Slap! The highest waterfall in Croatia at 78 metres. The surrounding lush area looks like a scene from The Land Before Time.
1920 – An uphill climb for more aerial shots of the lakes. A pity the sun is not at a good angle. In fact I would say that Plitvice Lakes is best done in the early morning. Not just for the lighting, but also to avoid the crowds that will start to come in by mid-morning.
1940 – End of walking part of Itinerary H. Ample time to catch the last tram to the entrance at 2000.
1955 – Tram arrives and leaves before 2000! Good thing I’m there early. 2010 – Dinner at a self-service cafeteria at the entrance. 4 euros for roast chicken (just a thigh) with potatoes.
2030 – Walk back to Mukinje before it gets dark.
2100 – A treat of a 250 ml bottle of chilled Sprite at 1.50 euros at the end of a long day.
2200 – Sweet dreams after a relaxing shower. Have to wake at 0500 to catch the bus to Zagreb.