Part 4 ...
The following day, the weather shifts. The clouds move in and the wind is boss. But that's not enough of a deterrent. Margie decides to give the riding a miss, so the glint in Ivan's eye tells me that he has plans in stall for us boys.
Winds of change
The umbrellas take cover
So we saddle up and head out. His parting words were “Let me show you my back garden” – and chuckled, I had a nasty suspicion that we were in for some real adventure. Boy, was I in for a treat. We headed straight up the mountain that surrounds Split. Could be likened to heading up Table mountain. We charge about three quarters of the way up, mostly on single and double tracks, with rather long steep drop-offs to the right. Suffering from vertigo adds butterflies to my cornflakes but I try to maintain focus. Anyway up we go and all along the mountain heading in a Southerly direction. I must say, the XT660 was the perfect DS bike for that terrain. There were lots of loose stone of varying sizes that needed to be handled. There were some sections that were pretty steep and a heavy bike would increase the chances of sliding. Some drizzle had settled in, so I couldn't use my Drift camera without a waterproof housing – pity because this is exactly what you want to remember. We managed to take a few stills …
Butterflies and cornflakes for breakfast
The views from above - stunning
The feel good moments
That quarry looked inviting
I had a moment or two on the loose stuff, but managed to keep it together.
Right at the top ... you can just make out Split below
The return route took us around the back of the mountain along some barren marbly roads with some rocky obstacles on route. We turned on the taps and switched on enduro mode - I was smiling from ear to ear. We we all alone - and the mountain was ours. We don't need much to make us happy - this was pure Ecstasy.
The odd onlooker
A good ride always has some obstacles
A couple of drenched riders, but the fun factor said up yours to the rain.
The rain we encountered did not dampen our childlike spirit. We had proper fun tearing up his back yard.
It was rather sad parking the bike for the last time this trip, but I knew that I would be back some day to explore this amazing country with Ivan the great.
I couldn't help thinking back to a couple of weeks before our departure. I'd invited a Croatian colleague named .... Ivan of course, an IT Developer, to come and tell us what Croatia's all about - he says "I don't know why you want to go there - it's terrible!". Well you should have seen the looks on my mate's faces they all wanted to cancel their holiday. What a twat! I later learned that he's from Zagreb and that he's never been to the coast. I suppose a bit like asking someone from Bloem about SA if they've never travelled - you're not likey to get a very good perspective.
Later that afternoon Debbie takes us to Split to enjoy some of the older parts of the city. There were some interesting facts about the impact of the Roman empire and particularly Marco Polo, the sea faring merchant that covered these waters. Marco is said to be Croatian, but the Venetians claim otherwise.
The promenade at the waterfront
In the old city
24 Hour sun clock ... not sure how this works at night!
The narrowest road in the world ... Named:"Let me pass"
That evening we have dinner with Ivan, family and friends. We are treated to the famous lamb dish that's cooked in the traditional manner under the dome.
It's Lamb that's roasted and tender with baked potatoes that have soaked up the gravy ... Yumm!
Some interesting facts about Croatia
The Dalmatian Coast Road in Croatia is arguably the most picturesque in the world (and let's not get into a big argument about it!). With views of the Adriatic Sea and islands to one side and picturesque fishing towns, mountains and classical architecture to the other, it's Europe's best kept secret. Even better, it's one of Europe's most affordable destinations.
Serious crime, by European standards, is non existent. Something we dream about. Interesting thing that was apparant was the absence of Black people. You'll find them dotted throughout Europe but virtually none in Croatia. It appears that Croatia does not feature as a destination for Africans or; entry into Croatia is more difficult. I think I saw 4 in my two week stay.
Croatia now joins the European Union after several years of wait. It does so without taking on the Euro, which I believe, is a good thing. Some of the more developing countries that adopted the Euro have suffered trying to adjust. There is fear amongst the locals that the EU will introduce new dynamics which could do harm over time. There is a fairly large divide on the motion to be part of the EU by the locals, but it’s going ahead. It appears that there are some significant benefits that Croatia will get from joining the EU, one of them being tax relief on imports from the other EU countries. This is carries huge value because Croatia is not an industrial country, so most of their goods are imported. I was astounded to learn that Croatia does not have much in the way of manufacturing and that its biggest industry, by a long shot, is Tourism.
The scale of tourism becomes evident when you traverse the coastline. The shipyards are packed with cruisers and sailing boats carting tourists. We prefer the pre or post peak seasons - things can get quite hectic during the peak seasons - July and August. Debbie says that the boats stack sometimes 20 deep in the harbours (linked to each other). That means you have to walk through several boats to get on or off.
Prices are comparable with costs in South Africa, so you don’t feel like you are being fleeced.
Most holiday makers expect decent accommodation, good weather, blue oceans, good food, good service and some interesting places to see all at a reasonable cost. Croatia has that on one plate.
This is the end of the adventure part of my ride report - I hope you got some good insights. The next section will be extracts of our cruise from Split to Dubrovnik and back – quite spectacular, lots of fun I might add, with some stunning footage.
Croatia al a Carte - https://www.croatia-ala-carte.com
Just a footnote about our hosts, Ivan and Debbie. We were made to feel really welcome and at home with them. They are fantastic people with huge hearts. They arranged our anniversary celebration, washed my riding gear with all the mud, stored our gear when we went on the cruise. Wined and dined with us. To top it, Ivan’s got a great sense of humour and kept us engaged all the time. Debbie’s knowledge of the Country is amazing and shared a lot with us. They invited us in their circle and were always accommodating. Anybody looking to enjoy an adventure holiday with a difference, have a chat with Ivan / Debbie – you'll thank me later.
... end of Riding part .... to follow - Boat cruise
