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Published: July 16th 2011
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Emerging from the comfort of our air-conditioned apartment it was obvious we would be in for a really hot day for our drive to Bosnia & Hercegovina. We have chosen this country as our next destination primarily for the cost of the hotel. Another reason is to see for ourselves a small portion of a country that was on our TV screens nearly every night for a number of years during the Balkan Conflict.
Driving south the scenery seemed to be a continuation of what we had seen north of Trogir: grey rock, scrubby vegetation trying to stay alive, and turquoise sea. There were far more towns on this section of coast and each one trying to entice the tourist to stop, swim and spend. Unfortunately it proved impossible to stop, let alone spend, as every available parking space was taken. Part of this coastline is called the Markarska Riviera and it is easy to see why. At one point we took a road down to the waterfront, a task only the brave or foolish should attempt. We proved to be brave. At one point there was loss of traction and the smell of burnt rubber as we negotiated a sharp
corner followed by a steep bend only to be confronted by a car coming towards us with nowhere to go. After some deep breaths and a bit of touch and go we retraced our route back to the highway unscathed.
Further along the coast we tried again, this time with more success. The town, Drevnik, was below the highway, on the waterfront. Parking was easy and we found a very nice ice cream parlour where we indulged in a delicious fruit salad ice cream sundae. Our hostess brought out our sundaes and said with a very pleasant smile, “This is Croatian hospitality”. The sundaes were delicious and it was true Croatian hospitality. We just didn’t want another pizza or sandwich, especially in this heat. Arriving back at the car the on-board thermometer was giving an outside reading of 44°. The poor AC unit was really working overtime today.
In every town people were out on the highway with little signs advertising their apartments. Business must be hard at the moment. The recession in Europe must be taking its toll on these small businesses.
Further south there were signs of abandoned homes and some quite lush vegetation, especially around the Neretva
River. This time, crossing the border was a serious business. First the passports needed to be handed over. Next the Immigration officer wanted to see the Green Card for the car. For the second time since arriving in Europe we got a stamp in our passport. It should be interesting during the next three days because we plan to cross the border back into Croatia to visit Dubrovnik. How we will get on will be interesting because there will be two border crossings each way if we take the main highway. Perhaps it’s the yellow road tomorrow. Watch this space.
Our hotel apartment is in Karaotok National Park. We have a lounge and bedroom, air-conditioning and a fridge. What luxury.
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