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 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
