Water Falling From Everywhere

After leaving Split, Croatia, one of our favourite stops on this trip, we headed inland where we would finish our trip. Still on a high we weren't disappointed. Plitvice Lakes turned out to be an amazing national park. There are 16 lakes cascading into one another, creating thousands of waterfalls. 18 km's of walking paths allowed visitors to cover both sides of most lakes and get close to the multitude of waterfalls. There were also 2 shuttle tram and 2 short ferry routes to shorten the the distance exploring the NP for those who do not prefer to walk as much as we do. While the Lower Lakes (4) area has the largest waterfall, the Upper Lakes (12) have just as much to offer and seemed to be void of the many large tour groups that frequent the park making it easier to navigate the narrow boardwalks throughout the park. While walking along the trails you needed to keep your head on a swivel to catch the multitude of waterfalls that appeared everywhere. It really is a fascinating place to visit and we highly recommend it to anyone that travels to Croatia.

From Plitvice Lakes National Park we took a two hour morning bus to Zagreb. Since we only had that day to explore the city we made the most of it, walking around both the Lower and Upper Towns. Unlike the Old Towns that we have been visiting in Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Zagreb reminded us more of other European cities that we have visited........lots of 4-5 story 17-19th century buildings, large public squares, elaborate cathedrals and bustling food markets. The Trg Bana Jelacica square (dancers, monument, public events), Dolan Market (food, flowers), Cathedral, Stone Gate (holy shrine) and the Lotrscak Tower (noon canon bast, views) were some of the highlights. Our only disappointment was not getting into the unique Museum of Broken Relationships documenting love stories with sad endings from around the world. Unfortunately for us the museum was closed for one day to do some renovations.

We are now back in our cozy home following a long day of flights (via Amsterdam). According to our clock we arrived home 6 hours after we left Croatia but the 8 hours we gained due to time zone changes will take our bodies a few more days to adjust.

Our Croatia adventure had so many highlights it is difficult to pick out a few. Almost every place we visited had a medieval flavour to it. The Croatians, and their close neighbours, have done an excellent job of preserving / reconstructing their historical properties which they are very proud of. The Adriatic Sea coastline, where we spent most of our time, was very picturesque and provided us with the opportunity to indulge in delicious seafood meals. Then finishing our trip in Plitvice Lakes NP, where mother nature is at her finest and on display, was very refreshing. Finally, it is always special to travel with one or more of our offspring, and this trip featured our oldest daughter and her boyfriend. Hopefully we will find many more travel opportunities like this one.

The Big Waterfall, not far from Gate 1 where we entered into Plitvice Lakes National Park.

We continued to be amazed at every turn by the number and beauty of the waterfalls as we walked around the park.

No shortage of clean, cool water supplying the roots of the healthy vegetation.

The view from one of the upper paths providing a different perspective from the one we saw walking along the boardwalk.

These are only a few of the many, many pictures we took while in the park.

Rushing streams ran beside the boardwalk or under it in many spots.

Looked like a good swimming hole but that was only allowed for the trout that populate the waters (who navigate the waterfall drops better than humans).

The Dolan Market in Zagreb. Strawberries were in season and plentiful throughout Croatia much to the delight of my dear wife.

St. Mark's Church with it's colourful tile roof. Our timing was fortunate because the organist was inside practicing when we entered the almost empty church.

We found a fabulous place to eat on Tkalcicera Street in the Lower Town which was a popular street to drink / dine on. This particular restaurant featured Sri Lankan food which was delicious. It was a break from the meat and boiled potatoes which were pervasive in Croatia.

My Music Video Premiere

For our final day in Dubrovnik we decided to take the harbour ferry to Lokrum Island which is close to the Old Town. We spent the day there wandering around the island which had a thousand people on it but was desolate compared to the tourist hordes in the Old Town, many of them cruise ship passengers. There were peacocks everywhere on the island and it was mating season so it was entertaining to watch the colourful males parading themselves with all their feathers in full display (and not having a lot of luck). While there were many other interesting sights to see on the island (inland pool filled by high tide daily, rocky seashore, nice walking paths, botanical garden) we also came across an indie band playing the same song over and over (Jolene by Dolly Parton) at various points around the island, often close to where we were. When we got on the ferry to return to the mainland, the band was also on the ferry and when a young boy near us showed interest in the guitar they played the song again and recorded it with the youngster playing the guitar (assisted). When we got off the boat I asked the guitar player what was going on and he mentioned they were recording a music video that was going to be released shortly. The band manger sent me the video a few days later and to my surprise I am featured in the video (two significant appearances)........well not exactly but that is my personal opinion......and the rest of my posse received some air time as well. You can check it out on:  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yl0u3EvEnuI 

After leaving Dubrovnik we drove to Mostar (Bosnia-Herzegovina) where we said goodbye to Pascal who had to return home to work in Basel, and spent the day exploring the Old Town which featured a famous bridge (1556) where trained people dive off of it into the Neretva River, a 25 metre drop. The temperatures (air and water) are a bit too cool this time of year so the only divers we saw were the ones on the deck of the Diving Club with beers in their hand. The town had a Turkish flavour to it, so we had to visit the bazaar, a mosque and a vintage Turkish House, as well as the War Photo Museum which had chilling pictures of the 90's civil war in Mostar on display.

From Mostar we took the bus back to Dubrovnik where we caught another bus that took us to the island of Korcula (the bus actually got on the car ferry). We didn't have a lot of time to see the Old Town but we did catch a beautiful sunset while walking around the small, walled town and had a delicious dinner at Marko's before settling in for the night, dreaming that we might be the future Marco Polo (born here). Early the next morning we caught the ferry to the island of Hvar where we spent 2 days close to Hvar Town. The first day we walked around town checking out the fortress (a nice steady climb), seaside promenades (east and west) and a favourite lunch (for me) of marinated anchovies. With heavy rain in the forecast we did some grocery shopping and arrived at our apartment just before the deluge started. Great timing. We had dinner in and played card games for the rest of the evening. The next day we took the local bus to Stari Grad (which translates to Old Town) which was just as scenic as Hvar Town but with less tourists.

We have spent the past 3 days in Split, back on the mainland. It was another very enjoyable place to spend time. Diocletian's Palace is the main attraction, with walls built around it and a small city within. The medieval history in Croatia is either well preserved or reconstructed, making it easier to imagine what life would have been like back then. The climb to the top of the cathedral bell tower rewarded us with 360 degree views of the entire city. Visits to the Fish Market, Green Market, seaside promenade and a hike up to the top of Marjon hill completed a very busy but satisfying day. We spent another day doing a day trip to nearby Trogir, further up the coast. The Old Town is built on a small island and the new town has expanded on both sides of the bridges. After walking around the scenic town (local market, tiny fortress, churches, seaside promenade) we discovered a beautiful square with an outdoor restaurant where we enjoyed our lunch in the sunshine (more small fish for me). Life is good.

This morning we said goodbye to our daughter Rachel who had to return to Switzerland for work tomorrow. We had a fabulous time travelling with her, and Pascal for the first week, and we will have to wait for another opportunity to be with our brilliant scientist again. Following a 5 hour bus ride inland we are now in Plitvice Lakes where we will have the opportunity to walk around the 16 colourful lakes (blue, green) and the multitudinous waterfalls that link the lakes together.

Within the first few minutes after landing on Lokrum Island this male peacock started strutting his stuff and calling out to nearby females who seemed to be ignoring him.

It was Easter Sunday and when I dropped into the Information Centre to collect a walking map of Lokrum Island, they were handing out Easter Eggs to the visitors. "Sreton Uskers" translates to Happy Easter.

Taken from the top of a mosque minaret, the Old Bridge in Mostar (used for diving competitions) over the Neretva River.

Some of the chilling Civil War photos on display, and Turkish rugs, in the museum housed in one of the Old Bridge towers.

One of the many narrow streets in the Old Town of Korcula with the Cathedral bell tower in the background.

A lady still waiting for her fisherman husband to return to the Hvar shore.

View of Hvar Town from the fortress to which we climbed, proving it was not impenetrable.

While enjoying drinks near the Stari Grad harbour, we were entertained by a young gymnast trying all sorts of stunts while his siblings watched and his mother paid no attention, silently engrossed in her book.

Looking down on Stari Grad from the top of Glavica Hill, a short hike that we did while exploring the town.

Some Roman guards in a time warp out front of the Cathedral of St. Domnius within Diocletian's Palace in Split.

Opulent gold and marble designs throughout the Cathedral, built by the Venetians.

View of Split from the top of the Cathedral Bell Tower. While at the top the noon bells rang out, extremely loud sound for us but deafening for the unlucky tourists who were caught in the stairwell right beside the bells. We noticed the warning sign when we returned to the tower base.

A full table of condiments at the local market in Trogir, highlighted by olive oils but also offering everything else a chef could dream of.

My lunch plate of delicious small fish (smelt in this instance) paired with the finest wine available within the small island town of Trogir. I shared the wine but not the whole small fish......actually the ladies wanted no part of my meal.

Exploring the Adriatic Sea Coastline

Our first post on this adventure comes from Dubrovnik, Croatia, situated on the coast of the Adriatic Sea with its warm climate this time of year (20C). We arrived here 4 days ago following a whirlwind stopover in Toronto and cottage country where we had 13 separate visits with family and friends over a 10 day period. We wish we had more time to spend with everyone but that is life now that we live on the other side of the country and don't find enough opportunities to return to our roots. As busy as it seems, it is always a treat to see everyone again and catch up on life and recent family additions.

After arriving in Dubrovnik we headed immediately to Kotor, Montenegro, further south along the coastline where we met up with our Swiss daughter and her boyfriend. We had 2 wonderful days there staying within the Old City walls in a 2 bedroom apartment and spent almost all of our time within the walled city that was mostly built between the 12th and 14th centuries. The narrow, winding, cobblestone streets made it an adventure every time we left our room. We even climbed the 1350 steps up to the fortress castle at the top of Old City. Not interested in duplicating our path back down we descended along a secondary path which we quickly found was not used very often, making it difficult in many spots to find the stone steps where the vegetation had overgrown the path. With a bit of scrambling we did make it back down and amazingly ended up less than 50 metres from our apartment patio.

Yesterday, on our way back to Croatia, we made a slight diversion to Trebinje in Bosnia-Herzegovina where we walked around the walled Old Town and enjoyed libations in the town square at an outdoor cafe on a nice, warm day. Our most interesting observation was of a nearby table where some locals were consuming multiple shots of a clear liquid (likely vodka since there is still lots of Russian influence here). When we cam back a few hours later after walking around the Old Town their table had grown in size, they were singing (actually sounding pretty good) and ordering more shots. We weren't sure we could keep up with them, drinking or singing, so we left. While in Trebinje we also made quick trips to an ancient bridge (1574, now pedestrian friendly) and a monastery situated on top of hill which provided scenic views of the town and surrounding area. The drive back to Dubrovnik involved another hassle-free border crossing and added a few more stamps to our passport.

The four of us spent today walking around the old walled city, including a wall top walk that was 2 km in length surrounding the city, and up to 25 metres high at some points. With the sea on one side and small forts at every corner, it would have been difficult to penetrate the high, thick walls when wars were fought without planes and missiles. Being over in Europe really helps you understand the importance and impact of history on our culture, something we don't all appreciate in our 'new world'. There are still many people living within the walls but in order to do so they need to sacrifice their privacy since thousands of people walk on top of the walls every day, and even more when the cruise ships pull in which they happened to do today. At the same time there have been many reminders on our trip so far (war memorials, waiting to be reconstructed buildings) about the 1991 - 1995 civil war that took so many lives in the former Yugoslavia. Tourism dollars are helping with the recovery and additional accommodations are rapidly being built.

The seafood has been abundant along the coast and we have had our share with more to come as we head further up the coast once we leave Dubrovnik in a few days.

Sretan Uskers (Happy Easter).

The Staples siblings re-union in Muskoka.

Old Town Kotor in one of the larger streets allowing for outdoor dining.

Looking back at some of the 1350 steps on our way to the fortress and castle at the top of the hill. The mid-way chapel, Our Lady of Health, was named after 14 people in the chapel safely survived a series of bombings during the civil war while many others perished.

After finding our way through several overgrowth patches on our way down we looked at the next segment and determined it was too late to turn back so we marched on.

During our visit to Trebinje in Bosnia-Herzegovina we wandered over to the pedestrian-only Arslanagic bridge that was built in 1574 for all vehicles at the time.....horse and buggy.

The local market in the town square in Trebinje........plants, food, clothes and herbs that looked suspiciously like something that is currently illegal in our home country.

View from the wall while walking around the Old City. Most of the non-church buildings were shops, museums or restaurants at ground level but homes above the street level.

View of the wall walk after the cruise ship tourists had boarded buses to take them back to their ship.

This was apparently the number 2 beach in Dubrovnik (the best beach wasn't much bigger).......small and still lots of small pebbles but at least devoid of the rocky coastline.

Strike 3

Our Prescott, Arizona visit went very well, and it is a destination that we will likely re-visit on future U.S. trips with our camper van. With daytime temperatures in the mid-70's (F), it was ideal for golf and hiking, so we did plenty of both during our week-long stay. The challenging Stoneridge Golf Course was our favourite among the four courses in the area. The hilly terrain and numerous gulches called for accurate shots along with the use of a mandatory golf cart. We also enjoyed hiking the Watson Lake Loop (near our excellent Point of Rocks RV park and partially through the Granite Dells) and the Lynx Lake Loop which had two cold water crossings.

With rain in the forecast we decided it would be a good time to head further north towards Utah in search of some more hiking opportunities. It turned out to be a good decision. Another good decision was booking a hotel room in Flagstaff, Az. for the night since the overnight temperature was going to be around freezing. The evening rain turned into snow overnight and when we woke up there was 6 inches of snow covering our camper van! Driving further north to Kanab, Utah we dropped 600 metres in elevation so the snow disappeared and the daytime temperatures rose to comfortable levels. The main reason for returning to Kanab was to try our luck at the daily lottery for the 10 available Wave hiking permits. This did not go so well :-(  We struck out all 3 days that we entered the lottery, competing against 70-80 other hopeful hikers each day.......that would actually make 4 unsuccessful attempts if you count my attempt Feb. 1 on my drive south. We did find a couple other interesting hikes to do while hanging around Kanab. The Wire Pass trail, while unexciting at first as you walked for 2 km's in a dry wash, led to a beautiful slot canyon which had a very narrow walkway and very high walls. The much shorter and easy Detroit Rip Rap trail led us to two spots where old, crushed vehicles were piled one on top of another to prevent erosion in a small slot canyon.

Since none of the Major League Baseball teams conducting spring training in Phoenix seemed interested in the knuckleball skills of an aging pitcher willing to sign for the minimum salary of $535,000.........and not wanting to take the folklore place of the young lady from France who entered the Wave lottery for 30 consecutive days before finally getting her permit.......we decided that it was probably best to start the long drive home. I am happy to announce we were successful in achieving our goal on that task. The trip south was a nice break from the cold and snowy winter here at home. It was also a success from a hiking standpoint......29 different hikes during the two month trip, most of them on moderate to difficult trails.

So many more trails and places to discover and experience though, which always give us something to look forward to and more wonderful memories to add to our ever growing list. Our next adventure starts shortly.

Our Watson Lake Loop trail took us around the Granite Creek dam (they wouldn't let us walk across it to save time!) and through the amazing Granite Dells in Prescott, Az.

Still walking around and over the Granite Dells on the other side of Watson Lake.

Enjoying ourselves at the Stoneridge Golf Course in Prescott.

Enjoying a picnic lunch following our hike around Lynx Lake in Prescott.

The scene as we stepped outside our door in the morning after staying overnight in Flagstaff, Az.

The same day as the Flagstaff snowfall, we stopped for a picnic lunch beside the Navajo Bridge and the Colorado River.

Looking back at the entrance way into the slot canyon on the Wire Pass trail. Somewhat reminiscent of the colourful pictures we took while at Antelope Canyon in Page, Az. a few years ago.

An interesting sight while walking along the Detroit Rip Rap trail which obviously got its name from the Motor City sustaining wall. 

Spotted during the Rip Rap trail........the closest we came on this trip to seeing something that looked remotely like the spectacular Wave pictures that are advertised.

Painfully waiting for our bingo ball number to get called, which it never did........a challenge I have not given up on.

Be Careful What You Wish For

Our main reason for heading south this winter was to seek warmer temperatures. We got more than we asked for. The Phoenix area has been immersed in heat wave for over a week, with 90+F temperatures, which has curtailed much of the outdoor activity that we enjoy doing. Preferring not to start lengthy hikes at 7 am or golf at that time we narrowed our scope down to spring training baseball games in shaded seats and shorter hikes (5-6 km's), along with regular trips to the park swimming pool. With the forecast showing much of the same heat for the following week we decided to head further north where the weather was much more encouraging for outdoor activities.

Payson, Az. was our first destination, a scenic drive from Apache Junction. The following day we relocated to Prescott where we currently are enjoying temperatures in the mid - 70's F. We are staying at an RV park that is right beside the Granite Dells where the round granite boulders are stacked upon one another for a very scenic landscape and fun to wander through. The golf rates at the 4 local courses are all in the $35 range so we are getting our fill of golf this week, checking them all out. At 5.400 feet above sea level, and with dry hard fairways, our golf balls are travelling further than normal and we are starting to think we might be ready to join a professional tour :-)

In a few days we will head a little further north to Sedona where there are more hiking opportunities.

View of Superstition Mountains during Silly Mountain hike.

Wave Cave hike......almost there. The people in the cave are standing on the wave-like rock formation.

Goodyear Stadium lawn watching the LA Angels play the Cleveland Indians.

San Tan Flats following our San Tan Trail hike with Cottonwood friends Brian & Shirley-Ann.

Watching the full moon rising from our Apache Junction campground.

A packed stadium in Tempe watching the Dodgers and Angels play for L.A. bragging rights.

An Oakland A's fan sitting in front of us. His Rollie Fingers tatoo was initiated by getting Rollie (Hall of Fame - 1992) to autograph his arm and then he went to a parlour to have it imprinted for life. Rollie was also at this game signing autographs but we decided not to do the same thing.

Watson Lake view from the Granite Dells, a short walk from our campsite.

Alone........no more

My own personal version of “Alone” (a favourite outdoor challenge TV series of ours on the History channel) has come to an end. My sweetheart and I have been re-united after a month of self-inflicted, somewhat solitary confinement, since I headed south in our camper van in search of warmer weather and strenuous hikes (moderate to difficult, 10+ km's), while Pocahontas got her fill of skiing with girlfriends back home. While she has been a good hiker companion in the past, she is starting to show a preference for mountains that have a chairlift that will take you to the top and then let gravity bring you back down.

Since my last posting I completed two more exciting hikes in the Superstition Mountains on the east side of Phoenix, an area that my parents used to enjoy following retirement many years ago. The first one involved a climb (lots of tough, steep rock scrambling) to the top of the Flatiron, one of the highest summits that can be reached in the range (2800' elevation gain to almost 6,000'). The next day I approached from the south side and hiked to Weaver's Needle (a tall, eroded volcanic remnant), a picturesque sight that is not visible until you reach a mountain saddle 5 km's from the trailhead. Feeling a little leg weary the next day, I opted for a baseball game on the day that the Cactus League spring training season started, finding a spot on the outfield grass to relax and watch the L.A. Angels defeat the Milwaukee Brewers 2-0. Then it was off to Eloy for re-visit with Calgary friends but not before some excitement on my way. During the one hour drive south from Phoenix I had a rear tire that exploded while I was on the busy Interstate 10 where the speed limit is 75 mph. Fortunately I was travelling in the outside lane so I was able to pull over onto the shoulder fairly quickly and not damage my wheel rim. I started to get out the tools I would need to replace the tire but had second thoughts when the 18 wheelers were passing by the van less than a metre away from my vehicle and the van shaking a little every time they did.......not sure if the van was also afraid or if it was the wind. While I was still mulling that over, a highway patrol vehicle pulled up behind the van with it's lights flashing in order to create a more safe situation. Not having a cell phone with me, the officer called AAA on my behalf and advised them it was an urgent situation, to which they promised to be on-site within an hour (I was 30 minutes south of Phoenix at the time). The officer had to respond to another call so he left but I felt more comfortable knowing help was on the way. I waited outside the van, about 25 metres off the road, since I didn't feel it would be smart to wait inside the vehicle in case it got hit by a fast moving truck. After an hour and a half with no sign of AAA I tried to flag down some vehicles with no luck so I continued my wait. When 5 pm approached (3.5 hours later) and concerned about darkness setting in, I made the decision to change the tire myself. It was a slow and tiring process since the damaged tire had blocked the easiest path to the wheel well for the jack and I had to crawl underneath the van to find an alternative route. I successfully completed the task just before the sun went down and was back on my way. I called the AAA after arriving in Eloy (30 minutes later) and spoke with a supervisor who promised to look into the matter and get back to me......a week later I have still not heard back from them......strike two.

Pocahontas arrived in time to join in on the McKenzie Lake re-union in Eloy so she had a good chance to visit with our friends before we headed south to Green Valley (purchasing two new van tires along the way). While in Eloy, we played a round of golf on the well maintained local course, visited the nearby renowned skydiving centre, and had a fabulous dinner at an historic home in Casa Grande (BeDillions). After dinner Lorne steered us to the Thirsty Donkey sports bar where we caught the last period of the Flames game (OT winners) on one of their 28 TV's while listening to the play-by-play on a wireless speaker that was delivered to our table. The pub also featured 40 self-serve beers on tap, unlocked and tracked by a wristband provided to each customer......both are wonderful concepts that I'm sure will catch on quickly (fyi - the ladies moved to the table next to us and requested a non-sports channel with their own speaker). Tubac, an artsy village, was the primary destination when we left Green Valley and we supported the local economy by making several purchases before heading off to Benson and a lengthy tour of the amazing Big Room in the Kartchner Caverns. The beautiful stalagmite (from the ground up) and stalactite (from the ceiling down) formations were impressive enough but the discovery and preservation story about two college students (cavers), who discovered the caverns and then kept it quiet for over 10 years until they could work out a deal between the land owner and the State Parks organization to ensure the caves were protected for future generations to enjoy, without profiting themselves, make this place a must-see if you happen to be in the area (1 hour east of Tucson). No cameras were allowed in the cave so you will have to visit yourselves, or check some on-line photos published by the State Park, to appreciate the beauty of the Kartchner Caverns.

Today we arrived back in Apache Junction where we will complete a few 'moderate' hikes, catch a few more spring training baseball games, and perhaps a round or two of golf.

Initial hike in the Superstition Mountains, a favourite place for my parents to visit when they spent their retirement winters in Apache Junction. The trailhead for this hike was in Lost Dutchman State Park, with the Flatiron summit in the deep background. This is the Basin, a turnaround spot one-third into the trail where many hikers decide they have had enough.

A view from the summit of the Flatiron where I enjoyed an energy snack before heading back down the mountain to the trailhead in the background.

The hike leading to the rock top where Weavers Needle was finally visible.

Weavers Needle where most hikers turn around. I continued to the base of the Needle searching for the "not-very-well-marked" side trail to another canyon where the park ranger advised I could find a different way to return to the parking lot. When i could not clearly find an alternate path I made the wise decision to return the same way since I was on my own.

My lawn view of the L.A. Angels home game in Tempe vs. the Milwaukee Brewers. Even though it was game one of spring training the Angels players were all standing on the dugout steps like it was game one of the World Series.

My I-10 tire blow-out......wished I had taken a picture while it was still on the van since it looked much worse than this with the weight of the van on it, but I had other things (and worries) on my mind at the time. It was a Michelin tire with good tread still on it so I'm still not clear on what caused the minor explosion.

The Skydive Arizona (Eloy) loading spot for the skydivers taxi out to the plane. British and Canadian skydiving teams not only performed aerial exercises before opening their parachutes but after landing (smoothly, on their feet) in a field in front of us, they quickly gathered up their chutes and ran into the re-packing area where specialists re-packed the chutes for them while they grabbed a second chute (already packed) and ran over to the shuttle to catch the next plane out. We were told they were doing 10+ jumps every day. There was also a wind tunnel to practice routines and for wannabees. I shall return.