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Published: July 21st 2011
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After a little overnight rain we woke to a beautiful clear sky. Our accommodation at the guesthouse in the hills above Samobor has been wonderful. But today we must move on as we have an appointment with the border guards on the Croatian-Hungarian border on our way to Pécs.
During our travels we endeavour to stay off the toll roads for two reasons, money and boring driving, so our drive today meant taking the scenic route through the centre of Zagreb. From what we saw it was not really a city where we would spend time sightseeing. Some of the older buildings had the grim exterior of the Communist era. The trams on the other hand were very modern. Perhaps over time the general appearance of the city will become more appealing.
Tito was known for making sure the major roads were of a high standard. The main road in and out of Zagreb had a concrete base and the car vibrated along for some kilometres. Denture wearers would need special glue to stop the rattle inside their mouths.
We drove through vast regions of maize with occasional wooded areas. The little towns were looking quite poor and
unlike many of the towns we have passed through the houses were brick and not yet plastered and painted. Perhaps plaster and paint is a luxury beyond some of these rural towns. Most houses had large barn-like structures attached to the rear, maybe for their animals or storage. We made one stop to take photos of the storks nesting on power poles in one town, much to the delight of a bemused family.
After spending all our surplus kuna on diesel we headed for the border excited about what we would see in Hungary and full of anticipation of a warm welcome for two friendly Kiwis. What a let-down. After getting our passports stamped by the Croatian border guard we drove the very short distance to the Hungarian border post. At this point ours was the only car on the road. We stopped and were greeted by three cheerless officials. We handed over the passports and they all muttered “New Zealand”. With those friendly words we thought we would be waved through. Oh no! “Turn off your engine”, in sign language. “Any alcohol, cigarettes, pets?” “Only two bottles and four cans of beer”. Then it was instructions to get out of the car and open the boot. The customs official was happy. But what about the passports? Phone conversations and shouted comments in the little office were not encouraging. The queue of cars behind us was growing by the minute. One agitated man must have had an appointment in the nearby town so he flashed his ID card and started to walk. After about 15 minutes we were informed there was a computer problem (probably couldn’t find New Zealand). After almost 30 minutes the cheerless one emerged with stamped passports and ushered us on our way.
The drive to Pécs took us through flat wooded areas passing place names quite unfamiliar to us especially in the local language. Arriving at our hotel was no bother and after settling in we headed for the nearby shopping centre for some money, food, and milk.
Our final experience of the day was a much needed haircut for both of us. One of us just gets a clipper cut. That was easy, in about five minutes all the hair was on the floor and the next cut will be at Christmas. The other member of the party needed to spend more time explaining with sign language and eventually the young woman knew exactly what was needed and got to work. The experience was enjoyable and both haircuts satisfying. After we left the staff must have had a great laugh.
Tomorrow we take a short walk and explore the old town centre, one of the reasons for choosing Pécs as our first stop in Hungary.
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Manisha Chopra
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Brilliant
Loved your blog so much. Beautiful description of your journey very simple yet sophisticated. Especially your journey to the border.