March 22nd, 2007 | categorizilation: all categories,Croatia
I have been kidnapped by the great folk in Makarska.
I tell you, they won’t let me leave.
But what a great bunch of people. If the clouds clear up good, then we might go for a slog up the big mountain behind Makarska. 0m to 1750m is a solid ride. Rain rain go away…
Ivo Raivc from Makarska Kronika has kindly given me the photos he took the other day for the article about my journey. Here is a selection:
It’s not often that I get photos of me on the bike. So that is quite enough for now. Thanks to Ivo Ravic and Makarska Kronika for supplying the photos.
March 21st, 2007 | categorizilation: all categories,Croatia
Rain, rain go away…
Still here.
And because a blog post is never any fun without pictures:
My first ever proper photo taken with a digital camera:
Taken on 2 Nov,2003 – Boy in festival in Karatsu, Japan
Currently most popular photo on my Flickr photosharing album:
(357 views, 29 favs, 14 comments)
Taken on Jan 10 2007 – More icy beard madness in eastern Turkey (-20 degrees daytime temperature near Oltu Town)
Forgotten photo I
Kindly taken on October 13, 2006 by Barbora – A chance meeting with Barbora and Petr from the Czech Republic in the Wakhan Valley near Yamchun, Tajikistan
Forgotten Photo II
Kindly taken on July 23, 2006 by Katy – Rob is all enthusiastic with no idea after arriving in the Pusan Ferry Terminal, Korea
Forgotten Photo III
Kindly taken on July 23, 2006 by Katy – First 200m of cycling on the 14degrees journey (cycling away from the Pusan International Ferry Terminal in Pusan, Korea)
March 21st, 2007 | categorizilation: all categories,Croatia
Today’s distance / 今日の走行距離: 23.49km
Average speed / 平均速度: 10.8km/h
Time on bike / 走行時間: 2h 10m
Total distance to date / 今日までの積算距離: 24.19km (plus 9700km)
Ascent / 上り: +600m (average ascent speed 8 metres per minute)
Descent / 下り: -600m (average descent speed 18 metres per minute)
Look Mum! I’m in the news!
Well, the plan was to carry on to Split yesterday. However, there were other forces at play, it seems, and I ended up spending the night last night in the Makarska Bicycle Club club rooms.
As I was about to leave Makarska, I stopped at a kiosk to buy bananas. A gentleman riding his bike stopped, and asked where I was from and where I was going, and was generally interested in my bike. This gentleman was Nenad Zidic, the president of the Makarska Bicycle Club (http://bk.makarska.8m.com/). He invited me for a coffee, and being in no particular rush, I accepted. He speaks good English, and we chatted for a while, before he pulled out his mobile phone and called the local newspaper, the Makarska Kronika (www.kronika.hr).
The reporter and photographer arrived in 5 minutes, and proceeded to take photos and notes on my trip. The resulting article came out today in the once a week publication of the Makarska Kronika. Good fun.
So today the plan was to catch a ferry across to Brac Island, cycle the 60kms to the other side of the island, then catch another ferry to Split. But the weather looked iffy, and who can refuse an offer of staying in dry, warm clubrooms for as long as I want. So I decided to stay the day in Makarska, and leave tomorrow if the weather has started behaving itself again.
I spent some time an internet cafe that actually had reasonable prices. Only 1.20 Euro an hour.
In the afternoon I met up with Roko, a younger member of the bicycle club, for a blat up the mountain behind Makarska. The area is called the Biokovo Nature Park, and a sealed road goes all the way up to the top of Mount Biokovo (1750m). We didn’t have time to go all the way, but had some fun along some back roads on the way.
On a good day I can imagine that the ride to the top would be fantastic. The road up to the summit was originally built by Napoleon apparently. Makes you feel small…
So yeah, Makarska is all good. Great place with great friendly people. And a town square that looks like the one out of the movie Chocolat.
March 19th, 2007 | categorizilation: all categories,Croatia
The day is not quite over yet, in fact it has just started as I sit here in the internet cafe in Makarska. I figure I should get to Split today. So just a quick update for today.
Satoshi recently asked how much things are here in Croatia. Here is a run down on the last few shopping sprees:
Oranges: 7.99 Kuna/kg (1.44 USD)
Bananas (seconds): 3.65 Kuna/kg (0.65 USD)
Walnuts : 59.99 Kuna/kg (10.35 USD)
Dried apricots: 34.99 Kuna/kg (6.30 USD)
125g box of Jaffa cakes: 5.99 Kuna (1 USD)
180g drinking yoghurt: 2.09 Kuna (0.37 USD)
600g fresh baked bread: 6.50 Kuna (1.17 USD)
Gouda cheese: 54.50 Kuna/kg (9.80 USD)
Dried ham salami (YUM!): 149 Kuna/kg (27 USD)
Chocolate pudding 200g: 2.70 Kuna (0.48 USD)
I haven’t been cooking pasta or other things lately, opting for bread and other ingredients for quick meals instead. This means that I am spending about 50 to 60 Kuna per day here in Croatia (about 7 Euro, or 10 USD) for food. My main costs after food, actualy, my only cost after food, is internet. The place I am at now is 24 Kuna (4.30 USD) an hour. I just have to accept it, but it’s hard after spending the last 7 months sometimes only paying 0.50 USD per hour!
The weather forecast for the coast is not good. 80% chance of rain for the next four days. Rain, rain, stay away…
For the time being however, things are looking good for today. I will make as much ground as I can while the weather is good.
March 18th, 2007 | categorizilation: all categories,Croatia
Today’s distance / 今日の走行距離: 110km
Total distance to date / 今日までの積算距離: 1232.86km (plus 8400km)
Ascent / 上り: +1150m
Descent / 下り: -1085m
More of the same today. More of the same amazing scenery.
A highlight for today was the 9kms or so of Bosina that I cycled through. This coastline is not all Croatian. There still remains a little sprout of Bosnia that you need to go through. There are border controls and everything. Unfortunately I didn’t get a stamp in mz passport. I forgot to ask for one. In general, this 9km stretch didn’ seem as developed as the rest of the Croatian coast. Many more buildings under construction.
It was a long day today. One of those days when I was thinking of the future. Too much of that carry on is bad for the mind, I decided. From mid afternoon onwards I listened to the radio on the small radio thing I got in Istanbul. That kept me going for the rest of the day.
I arrived in Gradac at dusk, and went for a wander along some of the walking tracks, looking for landmines to throw stones at, until I realised that I wouldn’t be able to see them. Probably more effective if I just rolled along the ground on my stomach lengthwise…
March 17th, 2007 | categorizilation: all categories,Croatia
I suppose I might as well let the cat out of the bag.
www.villagecamps.ch
I spent most of the day sorting out application forms. All going well I will be a summer camp counsellor this summer in Switzerland, facilitating summer activities for children and teenagers. If there are still places available, and I manage to get one, then I will be spending up to two months there. I heard about Village Camps from an ex-workmate who had worked at Village Camps in the past.
As for what this would mean for the 14degrees Off The Beaten Track journey, it would mean that it would be just part of the adventure as a whole. I’ve always had an interest in outdoor education, and Village Camps would give me a chance to really get to grips with it, and get some proper experience in the area. The 14degrees blog would continue uninterrupted.
Ideally, I would spend one season at Village Camps, and then carry on to England. Once again, I would be cycling in winter. Ugh.
I finally left Dubrovnik at 4pm, and cycled for about 15kms to a small beach, where Nick and his father were fishing for squid. They had been there for 6 hours, and had caught nothing. I must have been the lucky charm, because as soon as I arrived, they caught five squid in a matter of an hour.
I’m not usually very emotional when it comes to fish dying, but squid are a different matter. They just lie there, watching you with their big, knowing eyes. Their skin pulses with brown dots, like miniature arouras, coming and going in gentle waves. The colour however slowly fades as the life in the squid fades. And all the time, those eyes.Those eyes. Watching. Pleading…
Nick seemed happy enough though.
I slept under the eaves of an old building near the beach. A calm night. Nothing stirred except those squid eyes, burned into my mind as I wafted off to sleep.
March 16th, 2007 | categorizilation: all categories,Croatia,Montenegro
Today’s distance / 今日の走行距離: 60km
Total distance to date / 今日までの積算距離: 1122.86km (plus 8400km)
Ascent / 上り: +970m
Descent / 下り: -930m
Dumb speedometer. I think the sensor is to blame for the fact that it no longer registers speed. Will try to get a replacement somewhere along the road somewhere…
The ride around the bay of Kotor is really quite pleasant. Rather pleasant indeed. Great Sunday drive stuff. Quaint old towns, quiet marinas…
From the border of Croatia, the road passes through relatively uninspiring inland farmland until it hits the coast. For about 25kms, I was thinking that all the hype about Croatia wasn’t living up to itself. I did however meet the third touring cyclist I have met so far on this journey. Sandra from France is cycling to Mt. Kailash in Tibet. Jolly nice to meet her.
The uninspiring farmland continued. Then I hit the coast.
I almost cycled on past Dubrovnik, due to the fact that I would have to cycle down there, and up to get out. But just as well that I did go down for a look, as the town lives up to its fame as a beautiful old town.
I cycled around through the narrow streets to the amusement of fellow tourists and locals alike, before making a beeline for the coast to find somewhere to sleep. I eventually settled on a quiet spot of stony beach. I found a large plank of discarded wood nearby, and used this as a ‘bunk’.
Quite nice, and slept till morning when I was woken by the sound of a large cruise ship entering the bay.
March 15th, 2007 | categorizilation: all categories,Montenegro
Today’s distance / 今日の走行距離: 33.67km
Average speed / 平均速度: 5.2km/h
Time on bike / 走行時間: 2h 12m
Total distance to date / 今日までの積算距離: 962.86km (plus 8400km)
Ascent / 上り: +420m
Descent / 下り: -405m
A short blat up and over the small 200m saddle into Kotor, where I spent a few hours at the internet place in the old city.
Toward the end of the day, I cycled out of the city and set up on this small marina for the night. There was not a breath of wind, the bay as smooth as glass. How great it would be to be on a ski behind a boat right now, I thought as I wafted off to sleep.
March 14th, 2007 | categorizilation: all categories,Montenegro,vids
Today’s distance / 今日の走行距離: 63.42km
Average speed / 平均速度: 12.2km/h
Time on bike / 走行時間: 5h 11m
Total distance to date / 今日までの積算距離: 929.44km (plus 8400km)
Ascent / 上り: +840m
Descent / 下り: -865m
Look Mum! I’m on TV!
This just goes to show that you should always repair your trousers when you have the chance, as I did last night, because you never know when you might get interviewed for the TV news.
The ride from Ulcinj to Budva was amazing, as is the whole coast here. Just spectacular. I never expected it to be this dramatic. Massive rocky outcrops (like, outcropping to 1,500m high) drop down to the crystal clear water of the Adriatic, leaving people to build where ever they can. Below is Sveti Stefen. That one took me by surprise.
Churches and monasteries built where ever land was flat enough to allow.
Old olive plantations in Bar had trees up to 2,000 years old.
Now, as I was innocently cycling along, trying to keep my jaw from dropping on the ground due to the magnificent scenery, I was called over to the side of the road by a guy washing his car. He spoke good English, and was impressed with my journey and mode of transport.
“Can you wait for a while here? I have a friend from the TV news who would like to speak to you.” he said, while stabbing his mobile phone, dailing his TV news friend.
Fifteen minutes later, Dado, an announcer on the news, arrived with his cameraman. We arranged to meet in Budva, an amazing small town with an enchanting old section of the town meticulously upkept.
Many many thanks to Dado, who, after hearing that I wanted to stay a night in Budva, offered for me to stay at his place. We did the interview (you can watch it by clicking on the small image at the top of this post), and we arranged to meet up again after he had finished work.
This gave me a chance to have a wander around the old town. The streets are narrow, the tops of buildings, if any higher, seem as though they would meet.
Basically, the coast of Montenegro has taken me totally by surprise. I had been expecting great things from the coast of Croatia, and Montenegro was just another country to pass through to get there. But what a place. A rather well hidden secret.
After work, Dado and I drove to Kotor, a little further along the coast. Kotor is even more impressive than Budva. A massive fiord (the biggest in Europe, apparently – yes, even bigger than any of the fiords in Norway) creates a massive bay, with rocky peaks towering over the town.
Man, if Croatia is supposed to be the most impressive coastline in Europe, then it must be something out of this world.
March 13th, 2007 | categorizilation: all categories,Montenegro
Don’t ask me how to pronounce that town name. Beats me.
Ulcinj is a small but bustling town of 25,000 inhabitants. The local internet cafe is only 1 Euro per hour. Much cheaper than Greece, where in places you’d pay up to 3 Euro per hour.
I was up early as usual, and headed into town to find the internet cafe. I found it soon enough, but it wasn’t open until 9am. I sat the adjacent cafe for an hour, contemplating the absurdity of the espresso coffee I ordered. I mean, there can’t have been more than 20ml of coffee in it. I didn’t actually know what an espresso was. The waiter said “Espresso?” and me not knowing any better just said “Yes thanks.”
I mean, what on earth is an espresso for? What does it do? You can hardly take your time drinking it. Which is what I had intended on doing, waiting for the internet cafe to open. Enough to put in your eye, this espresso stuff is.
I think I’ll stick to the hot chocolate next time. The plan from here is to head towards Croatia along the Adriatic Coast. I am looking forward to the coast of Croatia. I have heard very good things about it…
