Highlights of Ukraine and the Balkans

..from my blog Spring 2007

Back to Eastern Europe (Budapest, Poland and Ukraine)

Croatia

Plitvice National Park

Leaving Zagreb we landed at entrance 2 of the mountainous hinterland of Croatia, Plitvice National Park, the most beautiful National Park in the country.  After a 2 kilometer walk we round the recommended Sobe in Mukinje (Mukinje 49--Bora).  Get off the bus at Mukinje which is the stop before entrance 2 at the park is coming from Split or Zadar or is after entrance 2 if coming from Zagreb.  From this stop it is only a 200 meter walk up the road and to the left.  Bora has 5 lovely rooms overlooking the park.  You can use her kitchen all for 120pp per night.  She charges the same price for both off season and during high season.  (Mukinje 49--telephone  053/774 -332).

We walked well marked trails, following the 16 crystal-clear lakes on the dramatic descent over 92 travertine barriers and waterfalls aided by bus and boat.  The next day we made our way down the scenic roads down the Dalmatian Coast and the Roman Palace of Diocietion and enjoyed the charms of windy streets and windy boulevards for sea and people watching.

The alarm went off at 5:40am which was enough time for coffee and to catch the 7am bus to the ferry stain in Split from Trogir where we were staying.  AT 7:15 we discovered the information we received about the was was incorrect and we had ferry tickets for the 8:30 ferry.  The only bus was the slow city bus which would take almost an hour to get into Split and then it was a 20 minute walk to the ferry terminal.  We decided to hitch hike.  Our first ride took us to the airport and then we waited a long time before the second ride who took us directly to the ferry terminal.  We got on the ferry at 8:27am.  We found a place to sit and I got us a cappuccino to accompany the cognac which we poured to celebrate our luck and success to be on the ferry.  Arriving at Hvar we found their was no accommodation as the  town was in the midst of a three day festival so we wandered around the town and decided to take the 4pm ferry to the next island.   We arrived on Korcula Island at 5pm and took a bus to Korcula town and are now enjoying a wonderful apartment overlooking the Adriatic.  The woman who owns the Sobe is doing our laundry.  Tomorrow we will have clean clothes as we continue to Dubrovniak and onwards for the last part of our journey. 

The ferry ride and the bus ride took us through some of the most amazing scenery...the breath taking beauty of the island coupled with our cute apartment and our luck in transportation!  How much stimulation can one day hold!

Sarajavo

We arrived from Dubrovnik around 2pm and were scooped up by the Lonely Planet Recommended Hostel, Ljubicica Hostel;who offered us rooms in the Hostel or Sobe rooms. I had read poor reviews on Hostel World about this hostel so was reluctant to stay here. Several of the travelers who we met later described the hostel as a fire trap and moldy so were were happy that we stayed at Sarbour Hostel.

We went to Tourist information who were not able to locate any rooms for us and in fact kept referring us back to Ljubicica Hostel. On the way back to the hostel we saw sings for a couple of agencies right next to the Ljubicaca Hostel and found the Sartour Hostel which is a very clean hostel in a quiet area about 200 meters up the hill from the centre or town. We had a lovely view of the city and a clean room and the shared bathroom was immaculate

http://www.sartour-hostel-sarajavo.ba
Check our Hostelworld.com for options. There are other hostels in town. Of course Ljubicaca is easy as they pick you up from the bus/train station.
We also did a walking tour with Saed, the owner of Sartour Hostel. This tour was fascinating as must for the history of the conflict in the region as the architecture and historical sites such a s the site where Archduke Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated.

As one walks around town one sees the white colored headstones from the numerous cemeteries sprinkled through out the city and the hillside.

We took the overnight bus from Sarajavo to Split and then caught the 5am bus from Split to Opatija where we found a nice apartment forE35.  Coming from Riejka ask the bus driver to let you off at the top of the hill at Volosko which is about 1 1/2 kilometers from the resort area of Opatija.  You can check sobes (rooms) as you go downhill on your way into the centre.   There is also a tourist  information by this bus stop on the hill which can arrange accommodation.  Generally if accommodation is arranged independently it is about 20 to 30 percent less expensive than going through an agency (this is the amount of the commission paid to the agency). There is not much to do in Opatija other than to enjoy the sea views.

  From Opatije we took a bus to Pula where we got off to visit the Roman Coliseum and then we took the next bus as far as it would take us.  Our plan was to go as close as we could to the Slovenian border as we were running out of time.  Each bus station could only give us information as far as Umag (Slovenian border) and after than it seems as if no one had any information.  From the bus driver we found out a bus left for Koper at 5pm from Umag.  At Koper we caught the last bus at 7:30pm to Postojna where we visited the caves, the biggest system of caves in Slovenia.  A train and a short walking tour take you past wonderful formations including 100 foot tall stalagmites and stalactites.

From Postojna we caught a bus to Ljubjana and then changed to a bus for Bohinj to the village of Ribcev Laz where we looked for a room for 2 hours before we let the friendly tourist office place us with the wonderful Anton Preyelj family.   They have rooms and apartments ranging from 11E per person to E45 for a large apartment for 3 persons.   (04 5723 266= or email the tourist office at www.bohinj.sl to reserve a room with them.  Save time in Slovenia and go directly to the tourist office which is not the case in Croatia.

  This was the last night Vi and I were together.  We had the celebratory chocolate purchased in Saravjo, but made in Hungary and cognac carried by us from Ukraine to wish us success for our final travel days.  Vi headed to say good by to family in Slovakia and I to a conference in Ljubljana.