The Balkans Trip - Slovenia and Croatia - July 15th

Today was the first time I was going to cross the border by car on my trip - Slovenia to Croatia. I wanted to clear the mountains early and reach the crossing. I didnt know how long I had to wait at the border. Woke up at 5:30 and started driving by 6:15. Didnt have breakfast at the farm.

The was a continuous beep from the car once I started driving. Checked the front panel to find the reason but none of the red lights were on. Stopped the car and started it multiple times but the beep would start within a minute after starting to drive. Was very confused and wanted to open the manual that I had downloaded. The beep was very similar to the one heard when you dont wear the seat belt. Suddenly noticed a panel above the music system. Had a red light on the sear belt of the passenger in the front. Strange! The culprit was my food bag

Decided to put the seat belt for that too.

Passed the mountains and reached the highway. Wanted to fill fuel and this time chose a company by name Petrol! Didnt want to take chances with OMV again. This has multiple filling stations with 4 nozzles - couple of them were Euro diesel and the others were BMB. I decided to check this time and asked the lady standing there eager to clean the windshield. She couldnt understand any English and called a guy from inside. This guy could speak English well and I asked him the difference. He told that this car needs petrol which is called benzine here! He also explained the difference between the BMB 95 and 98. Chose the 95. He asked if I was from India and told he knew an Indian by name Krishna Prasad. Bought a sandwich with mozzarella and tomato for breakfast.

Reached the border at Bregana. Just 5 to 6 cars in front of me. First there was a guy in a cabin who asked for my passport and looked for the Schengen visa. This was the Slovenian exit control guy. He gave back the passport and suddenly asked for it again. Realised that he hadnt stamped it. He put an exit stamp and asked if the car was from Slovenia. Told him yes and he let me go. A few meters ahead there was another guy standing outside. This was the Croatian entry guy. He took the passport, found the schengen visa and asked where I was going. Told him Plitvice and Dubrovnik. Asked if for tourism. Told him yes and he stamped it as well.

Parked the car after immigration and realised that the currency exchange office is on the Slovenian side. Went walking into the exchange office and changed 200 USD to Kuna. Started walking back to my car and one of the immigration guy walked towards me and asked me for the passport. Found the entry stamp to Croatia and let me go.

Started driving and soon reached a toll booth. Had read that in croatia we need to pay tolls on the highways. They were accepting both Euros and Kuna at the toll stations. Got the feeling that the Kuna was a better option compared to the exchange rates on Euros.

Reached the hotel by 11:30 - Villa Lika. Had seen the entrance 2 to Plitvice lakes on the way. The hotel guy was very friendly and the room was very nice too. Kept my bags in the room and the host explained how to reach the lakes. I had also read on the internet that there are 2 entrances and around 8 suggested routes - 4 from each entrance. I had around 6 hours and had decided to take route H from entrance 2. The guy in the hotel suggested the same. He also told that I could have dinner at around 8 in the hotel. I told him to prepare something vegetarian.

Reached entrance 2 and found a parking space. The place was very crowded and had to stand for around 20 minutes in the queue for the ticket. The first step in route H was a bus ride towards the upper lakes. This is a lake system with around 16 lakes at different altitudes - each one feeding into the other by means of small waterfalls. They were also divided into the upper lakes and the lower lakes with a huge waterfall at the end.

The water was blue and extremely clear and the views were just amazing!

Route H also included a ferry ride across one of the larger lakes and I reached the end of the route by around 6 pm. I really didnt expect to see such beautiful sights!

Drove back to the hotel and went for dinner around 8. Bread and homemade cheese. Rissotto with spring onion and red wine. The meal was simply delicious

The Balkans Trip - Slovenia - July 14th

Woke up late at 7:30. Lots of sunlight into the room and the view from the balcony was ...

Went down for breakfast. Told them no meat and just bread. Brown bread, jam, honey, cottage cheese, coffee. This was a lot better than the dinner. All things were homemade or locally sourced.

Drove down to the nearest town - Solcava. There was a tourist info place called Rinka tourist center. The lady there suggested to take a drive down the Solcava panoramic road and then visit the Logar valley. Started the drive along the panoramic road. The view points were clearly marked.

Also in one of the view points there was a stream which is apparently rich in iron and has healing powers and very healthy. Tried to take a sip and has a very weird taste!

Went a bit further and off the panoramic road and reached the Austrian border. Saw a family there and the guy asked where I am from. Told them India and then Bangalore. The guy didnt know Bangalore but had heard of Mumbai. The family was from Canada but the wife is a Slovenian. They were surprised to see an Indian there.Guy spoke a bit about the strict border control in the previous regime.

Decided to get back into Slovenia and followed the marked road back to Logar Valley. Had to pay 7 EUR as an entrance fee for cars. Drove all along the valley to reach the Rinka waterfall at the end.

Met another EU family and the guy asked where I am from. Told him India and he was surprised to see one here. Told usually Indians go to the west - places like Swiss. He had visited India in 1998 and had visited Bombay, Goa, Varanasi, Pondicherry. Told it was a very strange experience and especially without the internet it was a challenge!

Started the drive back through the valley.

Was very hungry. Didnt want to eat at the farm. Walked around Solcava a bit and found a supermarket. Got some bread, jam, honey and yoghurt. Spent the afternoon in the room. Paid the farm lady in the evening. Chatted a bit and asked where I am from. Told her India and she hadnt seen an Indian in the valley till then. She expected Indians were visiting Ljubljana, but not these mountains. Told her we have the himalayas here and the mountains were much larger. She knew the himalayas and told that long back a lot of Slovenes have gone climbing there. Organized and sponsored by the government. But not these days - have to pay on your own and is very expensive.

Had cup noodles for dinner. Google Now indicated that there is heavy thunderstorms in the Robanov Kot valley. Not a drop of rain though. 

The Balkans Trip - Slovenia - July 13th

Woke up a bit late - 7:30. It was Monday and I had to exchange USD to Eur. Found out from the hotel reception that there is a post office in a tech park nearby - a couple of minutes drive and opens at 8am. Was there by 8:15 and looked for it. Finally found it after asking around. Lady at the counter rejected around five of the 20 USD notes telling they were damaged! Anyway exchanged the rest. Checked out of the hotel.

Started driving towards Postojna caves. Was a bit apprehensive at first on whether seeing some caves is really worth the time. Anyway decided to go. The entry into the caves was only through guided tours - in various languages. Had around 30 minutes before the tour and just walked around. Bought the ticket for the caves and a castle nearby.

The first part of the tour was a short train ride into the caves. Was awestruck within the first couple of minutes. The caves were not what I had imaged at all! The cave system is around 24 kms long and the temperature is a constant 10 deg C. The train ride took around 20 minutes and within the first few minutes started seeing stalagmites and stalactites. The lighting was done perfectly to just focus on these structures and not illuminate the whole area. We went through tunnels and a system of caves to finally reach the starting part of the walking section.

The english speaking guide was very good and explained the whole area well. Apparently the stalagmites and stalactites take 100's of years to grow by 1 mm and take a very long time to actually form a column. The air within the caves is supposed to be very good for the lungs and the humidity is at 100% and is very good for the skin. Apparently people who lived in caves had flawless skin and a more youthful look. At a certain part of the caves the guide also turned off all the lights to show us the actual darkness that exists there!

There was even a huge hall at the last cave and weddings and concerts take place here! The whole tour lasted 90 minutes and the whole scenery and the guide kept us entertained.

Drove to the Predjama castle from here. Also looked very unique and beautiful. The facade is the castle and behind it is a large cave system. Went in and explored all the rooms.

Went to the Skocjan caves next. Also a guided tour which started at 2pm. Had to walk for around 10 minutes to reach the entrance. Unfortunately no photography was allowed. The caves did not have as many stalagmites and stalactites as Postojna - they were apparently destroyed in an earthquake, but this time the scenery was very different. This cave system had huge canyons inside with a river flowing at the bottom. And a lake as well. The walk was along the canyons and the river within the caves. Very tempted to take pictures but couldnt. And I guess nothing would be seen in the pics as well.

Finished the tour and went outside. Noticed that fuel was low. Went into the nearest town and entered a petrol station - OMV. Had only two pumping stations and parked the car in one of them. Noticed that the pillars on both of them only mentioned diesel. Also there were only a couple of filling pipes at each station and they only mentioned diesel. Was very confused! Went into the shop and tried to ask for petrol. The guy didnt speak any english, but he mentioned diesel and didnt understand the word petrol. After a couple of tries he came out to inspect the car. Opened the fuel cap and examined the nozzle. Again told diesel and I tried to tell petrol. He then asked if its benzine. I told him petrol again. He didnt comprehend the word at all and confidently filled diesel. Now I think it was diesel that he filled! I thought maybe the Slovenians call petrol as diesel and I had no idea what benzine was! Anyway I paid for it and started the car. It started as usual and it also went ahead. Drove to the next destination - Piran. This was a city on the coast with an amazing old town jutting out into the adriatic. Found parking in a mlcp near the waterfront. Went into the old town and climbed the city walls to get the view.

Walked to the church and into the old town for a while. 

Decided to start the drive towards the next hotel at around 6:30. I was planning to spend the night in a tourist farm in the Logar valley national park in the northeast region of Slovenia. The Govc Vrsnik tourist farm was in the Robanov Kot valley and I fed the address to the GPS. It gave an estimate of 2.5 hours for a distance of 130 kms. Sounded strange but anyway started the drive. And the car was still going strong with whichever fuel it had!

Entered into the mountains at around 7:30 pm. It was getting dark, there were rarely any vehicles seen and I couldnt spot anyone - only ghost towns! The gps finally took me to a house in a small town and indicated this is the final destination. Didnt look anything like the picture that I had seen on the internet. Went upto the house but was dark. Decided to get back the main road and fortunately spotted 2 ladies on the road. Stopped and went to them with the address. One of them could manage to read and speak English and they knew the place I was talking about! Told I need to go back around 6 kms and reach a bridge. There is a sign board indicating Robanov Kot and will take me into a narrow road into another mountain. Decided to follow the instruction and reached the bridge. Found the road and took it. Was very narrow and a uphill drive with curves. I cant imagine what anyone should do if there is another car from the opposite direction. I could soon spot signs for the tourist farms. I had reached the Robanov Kot valley - between huge mountains. 

Old lady at the farm was actually surprised to see me. She used the phrases "You are here" and "You actually came" multiple times! She of course had the booking and the room, but I guess she didnt expect to see me. Asked if I wanted dinner and I told yes if she can manage something vegetarian. She told will manage and I went to the room to keep my bags. Came back to the kitchen and she offered me some schnapps as a welcome drink. Was a strong drink and I was having that for the first time! 

Then there was some soup, vegetables and dessert as well. Everything tasted very weird including the dessert. I couldnt even recognize a couple of those veg. Anyway managed to eat something and decided I am not cut out for living in a Slovenian farm!

The room was quite ok with a balcony and a view that I guessed I would see only in the morning. Had wifi as well and tried to check on google on what would happen if diesel was filled in a petrol car. Got mixed answers but mostly people told either the car wont start or if it does then it would go for a while and then stop. Decided that I have passed the first hurdle as the car anyway started. Now how far it would go before it stops is yet to be seen.

The Balkans Trip - Slovenia - July 12th

Had breakfast at 4 points at around 6:30. Was elaborate and good. Took an apple for the road. Decided to leave early so that I could reach Vintgar gorge by 8 am. Apparently the crowds build up a lot after 9. The drive towards the Julian Alps was very beautiful

Reached the gorge by 8:30 and that was a good decision. The only other person apart from me was the guy collecting garbage. The water was extremely clear.

Reached a bridge at the half way mark and saw a train go through. The views from the train would be amazing I guess. Walked all the way to the end of the gorge - took around 45 minutes and saw a waterfall at the end.

Walked all the way back and the crowd was building up. Lots of people walking on the narrow bridges, Started driving towards lake Bled. Reached Bled castle and went in. The castle itself is not much but the whole reason to go in was only to see the view of lake Bled and the island in the middle.

All this got over by 9:30 and the only thing planned for the day was the next lake at Bohinj. Decided to check the internet and found that a drive through the Triglav National Park leads me to Vrsic Pass - a high mountain pass across the Julian Alps. Started driving towards the pass

Reached the pass and took a few pics. Stopped a lot of times on the way. Views were just amazing!
Started driving towards lake Bohinj. Lots of people at the lake enjoying the sun.

The Vogel cable car takes you to the ski center on top of the mountains. During summer the ride is useful to see the views of lake Bohinj and the surrounding mountains. There is nothing else to do on the top

Got down from the ski center and started driving to Savica waterfall. The road was really narrow with hardly space for one car. Towards the end a guy in a bike from the opposite side fell right in front of my car. He was too fast and tried to avoid colliding with me. Fell down, but was in full bike gear and was not hurt. Got out of the car to check if he was ok. Everything looked fine. Continued the drive towards the waterfall. Was a long walk as well to the waterfall.

Started driving back to the hotel. Very slow moving traffic along lake Bled. Took nearly an hour more than normal. Reached the hotel and had the same veggy patty and wine