Last trip with Baba

A 20,000 km bicycle tour returning my fathers ashes to China

BUSTED!! Plitvica National Park

Posted on January 18, 2014 by bodhitree

You must pay a fine! You have no respect for park rules! You think that just because there is a road that cars and buses travel on means that you can ride a bike here…. Look, there is a sign, look read the sign! Either you pay or we will call the police (First encounter with Croatian Forest Rangers, Plitvica National Park)

First Violation: Camping in a National Park
Second Violation: Riding a bike on paved roads

Moss covered trees climbing out to the water

After a fantastic day of hiking around waterfalls and lakes, and thoroughly enjoying Croatia’s most popular national park, I returned to my campsite to find two angry Croatian Forest Rangers. These guys were big, buff, had shaved heads and were pissed off. I had broken 3 parks rules; camping (not allowed in Croatian National Parks), cycling (Not on forest paved roads) and forgetting to pay the day fee (I admit that I am guilty of this). I tried to reason with them, thinking that they were just trying to get a bit of cash off me, but I quickly learned that they were serious when they pulled out the carbon copy ticket book. All the red meat and rakija in their blood would not let me go without paying a fine, and I got off to a bad start by not giving them my passport, rather having them use my expired California drivers license as identification (Better safe than sorry, they could have been cons). First they wanted to charge me 800 kunas, then we reasoned to 600, finally I got them down to 400, but tried to get away with 200. Bad idea!! Authority is power, and when your job sucks (being a Ranger in the winter season), you enforce. OK!! 400 kunas, close to 80 US dollars for camping and cycling in a National Park!! WTF!! The worst part…… I had to pack up all my gear and head out of the park after dark and was warned that if I tried to camp again within park boundaries I would be fined again. With this sort of treatment you would think that I was starting campfires or trying to mug a bear, all this for peacefully camping in nature. Sometimes it is obvious that there is nothing you can do, the more you fight the more you sink and this was the case. Well…. what to do, I tried to make the best out of it. I pedaled out of the park in the dark, and felt a bit hopeless, but found a nice guest house about 10 km down the road. I am now staying with a Asian Chief who specializes in hand pulled noodles, I guess things could be worse.

I think most would break the rules to camp in nature like this

All seven lakes lead to a waterfall

Paths between lakes and waterfalls, I hope my 400 kuna fine goes to maintenance of these

Paths between lakes and waterfalls Plitvica National Park

(Earlier this week) Leaving Pula, I pedaled through the darkness to an open field, and slept under a clouded sky. Unaware at the time, I slept near a rooster coop, and awoke quickly to a premature cuckadoodledoing every hour between 2 to 6 am. I packed up at first light, and spent a long day cycling in the rain. Damn, in my time off I have become accustomed to leaving in doors and having a roof over my head during a storm. With nothing to turn too, I found sanctuary in the hood my rain jacket, that was until the wind picked up. I pedaled through Rijeka and had a very close call in a tunnel at the south end of the city. Riding on the sidewalk in the tunnel I slipped, skid and totally biffed it, grabbing onto whatever I could I ran into the wall to keep from falling into the busy street! Cars honked, and the sound of brakes echoed in the tube. I pushed my bike from there on and coughed-in the putrid air.

International Diplomacy:
A Nigerian, Palestinian, and an American all under one roof having a great time

Village outside of Rijeka between storms

Cevapi, greasy sausage links and onions between two Croatian pancakes

Just outside of Rijeka I found an empty park near a Pizza parlor, and set up my tent in a non-stop downpour. Everything was soaked, and I slept naked in my damp sleeping bag. I could smell the crusty bread and garlic coming my way from the restaurant and for a few hours I could hear the waiter calling to the chief “Malo Pizza, (Small) and Veliki Pizza (large)”. Another night of cabbage and bread but I spiced things up with a little tomato sauce.

Spring is coming, flowers remind me that it won’t be cold forever

Big waterfall, Plitvice NP. I immediately felt small and futile against the roar of water pouring forth in front of me

The rain continued all the next day, and after cycling some 60 km I departed the coast at the city of Senj, and climbed into the interior. A deep canyon, sliced through the ocean cliffs, and I pedaled with undaunted strength through a terrible head wind. I used my international diplomacy techniques (mentioning the names of famous Croatian Athletes, offering Rakija, then open my arms wide and gesturing sleep) to befriend a farmer, and he let me camp in has backyard. All night my tent swayed back and forth in the strong, cold mountain winds.

Strange trees in the Croatian interior

Thick lycophilic mushrooms grow in the countryside

I climbed through fog, hale and fierce winds all the next day, and at one point the wind blew my spare tire from the rack of my bike. A nice Italian couple drove by picked it up and drove it back to me. “Your American right”? They asked. “Crazy”, they said. It is nice to know that other than being known as the “international peace keepers” were are also known as “Crazy”. I finally arrived within the Plitvica National Park boundaries, but slept outside so that I could load up on supplies for the next few days.

I spent two days walking around the lakes and waterfalls, it was a bit strange that I haven’t encountered anything of this sort in other parts of Croatia

Two loaves of bread, pickled cabbage, ajvar, noodles, crackers, and a local bottle of Rakija. Panniers stuffed, I was ready to enter the park. When I arrived at the entrance there was no one in sight, the guard kiosk was empty and the patrol booth that issued tickets was deserted. I did a bit of off-roading, and managed to sneak into the main park road. There I camped next to a waterfall and the rest is history. Although being hassled by the Rangers I thoroughly recommend visiting the park, it was absolutely beautiful!

The path continues, either in forward or reverse

The path continues, we decide: forward or reverse

Descending to the Mediterranean

Posted on November 19, 2013 by bodhitree

Deserted island beaches of Krk, Croatia

I left Fuzine with a new sense of mind and spirit. My perceptions felt enhanced and I climbed the last pass out of the alps with ease. Colors, smells, sounds, tastes flooded my perspiring body… I am ready to receive the grace of nature and let me find a respite in my quest. The top of the pass yielded a beautiful view of the northern Croatian Coast. I am in a very interesting place; Slovenia is less than 100 km north and Italy is a short ferry ride across the sea.

Decent into the Mediterranean

Fresh bear tracks, Croatian Alps

I have not seen the ocean since Riga, and slowly descending the steep roads I could smell the sea. Temperatures rose and soon I was cycling in sandals, shorts and a tee-shirt. My plan was to avoid the huge coastal city of Rijeka and head toward the island of Krk. A long bridge took me from the Croatian mainland to the largest island in the Adriatic.

I can only image what cycling this bridge is like during a strong wind storm

Difference in culture between Croatia and Serbia is apparent when looking at the currency. Top is Croatian Kuna

The interior of the island had a very similar environment to the Tenaja/De Luz mountains near my home town. Sumac, sage and olive trees grew throughout the interior, and after climbing a small pass I entered the city of Krk. Almost completely deserted, the island is a huge Summer attraction but during the off-season most businesses close or have shortened hours. The island was part of Italy before the second world war and the older generation speaks a crossed Croatian-Italian dialect. Camping, I easily had an entire beach to myself. Following the beach outside of the main town I found a deserted cove and pitched my tent less than a meter from the calm sea. Ice cream can last 5 hours outside the freezer, I had just purchased a small tin for dessert when I befriend a Slovakian business man who invited me to drinks at a nearby bar.

City of Krk at night

The water is cold, but swimmable. The high salt content makes for a good float and my only company that evening and following morning were the fisher man working small boats off the coast. The Croats share a similar feeling to the cold as do the Chinese. While leaving Fuzine a stranger told me “When I look at you, I am cold”, while cycling on the relatively warm Krk I passed a cyclist riding in a Everest summiting jacket! It is no wonder that the beaches are deserted, as the water is probably only a few degrees above freezing to most people.

Pile of olives awaiting the transformation into oil

Leaving the city of Krk, I cycled to an abandoned campground for an evening of meditation. On my out of the city I encountered many people picking olives, and after lending a hand I was invited for a quick tour of an oil mill. 4-8 kg of olives make 1 litter of extra virgin oil.

Olives are cleaned, mashed then centrifuged

These guys even filled growlers!

Sleeping in an abandoned camp ground is a bit creepy, it kind of had a Friday the 13th feel. The evening was overcast but a full moon pushed its way through the clouds and once again I had a completely deserted beach.

Old city Krk

A tropical storm has moved in and it is pouring today. I left the abandoned campground this morning and headed to the more touristic city of Baska. With the rain, Baska feels more deserted, but the city is known for its beaches, it should not be hard for me to claim one for myself tonight. I am warned that the “Bura” (wind from the Croatian Alps) is forecasted in the next few days. On bad days Bura can make the bridge too dangerous to cross, and to avoid an extended stay on the island I will depart by Thursday.

Latitude 45

Looking forward to some oatmeal and banana mash. Bananas and Dalmatian tangerines are the cheap crop on the island but all other produce comes to the island on trucks paying heavy transport duties. It is good to take a temporary break from cabbage. At the retreat in Fuzine there was one particular meal that got my stomach working overtime. The meal consisted of; Cabbage lasagna, tofu stuffed cabbage rolls, and a raw cabbage salad. There was also a raw onion, sprouted bean garnish. Not a good idea before 6 hours of meditation!

Still following the grain

Anyhow, will be heading back to the Croatian mainland tomorrow or the next day depending on weather. I have a few ne contacts thanks to some new friends from the retreat, and I am looking forward to cycling the fertile Dalmatian coast south of here.

Link

Silently and serenely all is forgotten.
Clearly and vividly all is understood.
When one realizes it, time is limitless.
When one experiences it, one’s surroundings come to life.
(Excerpt from The Practice of Zen)

My last day of riding from Karlovac to Fuzine was difficult. The camp site near the abandoned factory turned out to be worthwhile and I slept a few hours later than expected. Without an idea of what to expect when I arrived at the retreat in Fuzine, I packed up Gaby and started the long climb out of Karlovac. The man who recommended my campsite was not joking when he said it would be steep. To make maters worse, just after leaving it started raining and a strong head wind kept me pedaling even during descents. Finally, after 70 km of steep winding roads I climbed to the top of pass and could see the valley below, Fuzine was only 30 km away

Fuzine, Croatia from above

I arrived, cold and wet, and still had an hour before I was to be at the retreat. The town of Fuzine is situated between a large lake and the highest mountain in the alps, an hour from the capital and 40 km from the Mediterranean. On my last Zen retreat, there were only two meals a day breakfast and lunch, with dinner consisting of a broth or some sort of compote. With this in mind I loaded up on calories and splurged on a full tub of ice cream with bananas before arriving.

Fuzine Lake near retreat center

a large three-story building, that doubles as a hostel during the tourist season. I was greeted inside by the owner who told me that he “once did a 5 day silent retreat and almost went crazy” . He was quiet for a while then said “You will be fine though, I am sure”.

Keisaku, traditional tool used to keep one awake during meditation

I wasn’t worried, back in 2007 I attended a 5 day silent retreat with my father in upper Oregon. The first few days were difficult and my body was in a lot of pain from sitting lotus but mentally was nothing like “insanity”. I was given a nice room overlooking the lake and I met my two Croatian roommates who were senior practitioners.

The retreat consisted of some 26 or so people, and was led by a man named Zarko Andricevic, the leading Ch’an Zen teacher in the former Yugoslavia region. The schedule for the next 7 days was simple:

5am-10pm Meditation

Not all day was spent sitting, there was much waking meditation and yoga but the purpose of the retreat was to quiet the mind and consciously keep focused on the present moment. Several techniques on breath meditation were outlined and Zarko was a really good teacher, who had a lot of insight to offer to my practice. It is truly amazing how much time one spends thinking outside of the present moment, you wouldn’t even notice how much fantasizing and fabricating you do until you try to quiet things down.

View from my meditation cushion, sits were 40 minutes long followed by a walking break

The silence was nothing new compared to being alone in the wilderness, but keeping the mental banter silent was difficult. It was also difficult getting used to not packing up and moving from place to place. With reading, writing and all other forms of “distraction” not permitted there is a lot of time on your hands. I came to enjoy it but from what I observed others felt pretty agitated.

After 7 days of not speaking and or making eye contact, I had completely forgotten that the rest of the practitioners were Croatia! When we all started talking again I was amazed that these people were foreign to me. The retreat also gave me the rare opportunity to get to know someone before speaking to them. How often in our lives do we spend 7 days with someone before making eye contact and speaking to them? I highly recommend a silent retreat for anyone who really wants to know what is really going on inside their minds . If 7 days seems too long, then try a 3 or 4 day retreat. But really the opportunity to find a quiet place, free from distraction to deconstruct the mind is priceless.

During my 7 days here at the retreat I felt as if I were peeling away the layers of delusion, Like peeling an onion. first taking away the skin to reveal the thick first leaf, and then slowly, painstakingly peeling leaf after leaf trying to get to the sprout (my true self) in the center.

Today was the official end of the retreat and I cried with gratitude. We all socialized for a while I couldn’t keep myself from beaming with joy as I made eye contact with my fellow friends. Interestingly enough, I had to think for a while when I told everyone about my journey. Not that I had forgotten about what I was doing here, but it was more like I hadn’t thought about it in a while.

Winter is in full swing here in the Croatian Alps. During the retreat it snowed, and the neighboring peaks are dusted. Temperatures are below zero, and it is time to gear up for Bosnia. With the Mediterranean being less than 50 km away I will sleep on the beaches of Rijeka tomorrow evening, and start the journey east again. I received two donations while on the retreat, thank you to all those who have help support me in any way!

Be well!