Croatia - Day 2

Travel diary, Day 2

The second day we spent in a corner of paradise on earth - the national park PLITVICE LAKES. It is a network of interconnected lakes in the embrace of an almost primeval forest. On the entrance tickets a bear proudly displays the park's symbol; the UNESCO mark confirms that the park is included in the world's protected natural heritage, along with a greeting to every visitor: Dobrodošli.

The view is beyond words - countless large and small waterfalls, a turquoise hue of water, shoals of fish and flocks of ducks crowding around the walkways...

Involuntarily arises the desire, like DiCaprio's character in the film "The Beach," to plunge into this crystal-clear water, which looks more like a swimming pool than a naturally formed body of water.

And this is certainly not an aquarium where mature fish bask in the sunlight within arm's reach.

Walking along the wooden boardwalk for visitors that stretches along almost all the lakes, one's gaze glides ceaselessly across the smooth surface of the water, occasionally peering deeper to discover remarkably wondrous, primeval, untouched worlds.

Enveloped by nature's astonishing beauty, one does not notice any irritation at the large, noisy tourist groups that stream past ceaselessly, never allowing a single moment alone with nature. Croatian, Polish, Russian, Italian and even Latvian can be heard. What can you do - August, the tourist season. We wonder what it must look like here in winter. In the brochure we brought along there is a photograph of one of the waterfalls frozen solid, transformed into a chandelier of icicles. Beautiful!

Although after several kilometres on foot one feels no fatigue at all, we decide to try other modes of transport - little ferries or railcars on wheels, which incidentally run on biofuel. Real thought has been given here to how to protect the forests and lakes from pollution.

The water in the lakes is constantly renewed and circulating, as if poured from one vessel to another. The lakes draw their coolness and clarity from underground springs, and their swift flow from two rivers in the mountains with meaningful names - the White River and the Black River. Just like the rhythm of human life, which depends on good, pleasant, happy moments and on sadness and pain.

In any case, this is a place to rest body and soul, absorbing the energy of earth, water and light. A place to return to (if only in one's thoughts).