CROATIA ZELJAVA AIR BASE - ZAGREB DAY 295 + 296 166 km 7- 10 -23

ULAZ  BROJ BUNKER

Went back to the bunker early and the place was all set up with tents and command post doing a joint operation with Bosnia and the Red Cross were there. So the guy tells me I can't go in , so I explained that I had come all the way from SA and needed to see it so allowed past. Met so.e of the Bosnian volunteers and got a cap from the guys and got the scoop on what was going on.

They had a police block beyond where I stayed the night so no civilians were there so was very fortunate but then the head honcho came over and asked me to leave and so I left and went to the aeroplane and put my sticker on it and left for Zagreb which was about three hours away.

Took the  road #1 which is a meandering road through the countryside. Then came upon a horrible accident and the road was shut ,so found another road around and 4 km further on the same road there was a horrific accident with a petrol tanker in the bushes and it rammmed an oncoming tiny car which was destroyed and all chalk drawings on the road , not good. Took a long detour to get back on # 1 and into Zagreb and found my hotel easily. Yesterday just before the turn off to the bunker the road was also closed with a two car crash and the entire back wheel and assembly were lying in the road and the other car ended up 40m off the road ,but didn't appear there were any injuries.

Was very strange having three accident scenes in 24 hours, when does that happen ?

The room is very nice room and bathroom, spacious and clean and gret location.

 ZAGREB      DAY 296    8-10-23

Lazy day just walked around town, had some curry and rice and caught up on washing and Iraeli news.

    Catching up on my daily notes.

CROATIA SELINE TO ZELJAVA AIR BASE. DAY 295 233 km.

SALINE to ZELJAVA AIR BASE   6-10-23

Got all my camping gear packed up and left at 8am and then stopped at the supermarket for my breakfast and some coffee.

Met a German girl there that was studying some maps ,so went and ended up chatting for forty five minutes. She is solo on her first trip for four months through the Balkans and she steered me to some places I need to see. Great to meet a single female out there on her own, there are a few but not many, we exchanged numbers etc. and then headed up the coast.

Rode about 60km north on a really curvy section of coastline and then headed inland  and climbed up to 3000ft over a pass and to the air base.

Got to the bunker and they were setting up for a civil defence training at the entrance to the bunker so I snaked my bike by and got to ride inside the bunker which had several passages and went on forever, got kinda scary, but went down all the tracks I could find, they are all the same but I am always hoping to see something different. Thoughts of a puncture crossed my mind and that got me heading for the exit. Without a light in there you will never find your way out, let alone stumble into a trench and that will be it, cause evryone just walks a hundred meters and then heads back, why I don'tknow.

Anyhow I got back to the entrance and parked my bike for a photo shoot and by then they cordoned off the entrance, so made it just in time. They begrudgingly held up the tape so I could pass under, no sense of humor. The runway is half in Bosnia and Croatia with concrete barriers across on the borderline, but just went around the ends of them to get into Bosnia. There are still landmines all over the place and you can see where they have taped off areas that have been cleaned or are being cleared of landmines along the runway.

Found a real nice apartment about 3 km away and it was only 3pm ,so enjoyed the afternoon by tightening my chain and sitting in the garden. Had the most delicious Trout and trimmings and a pumpkin pie, all homemade by the most welcoming and friendly owners. 

    A memorable meal for sure.

CROATIA - SPLIT TO SALINE DAY 293 233 km.

SPLIT TO ZADAR TO SELINE.     233 KM.

Hugged the coastal road all the way up, but it is not as spectacular as the road from Dubrovnik to Split but had it's moments.

     SPLIT HARBOUR.

    SPLIT.

     Zadar.

    Campsites, on top of each other, not a blade of grass.

CROATIA DAY 292 348km.

MOSTAR TO SPLIT.   AIRPLANE BUNKER AND LOST MY GARMIN IN REACH TRACKER.

Just outside Mostar is an old abandoned aeroplane bunker that I was able to locate. Rode through it on my bike, but people have dumped garbage all around unfortunately. Must have been 350m long by 30m wide, not to exciting but kinda neat to see.

Then headed for the border which took three minutes with no costs involved, then rode SW to the Croatian ocean road, which is magnificent with huge solid rock mountains to one side and the crystal clear water on the otherside.

Missed the ferry to Havar Island by three minutes ,so bagged that idea as the next one was hours away. Found a mountain pass that I took and after an hour or so noticed to my horror that my Garmin In Reach was not attached anymore, gone. I had not yet got a sim card so had no internet, came across two German guys having lunch alongside this remote road. They helped me and got hold of Rob and Charmain in SA and he sent me the coordinates and it was at the ferry building ,50 km back.Shot back there on the coastal road but it wasn't laying around and the ticket office was closed. Asked at the restaurantnext door but no luck. Then the ticket man showed up to open up and there it was in the office. Couldn't believe my luck, now Charmain can track me again, which is not always a good thing. 

Continued up to Split along the coast arriving later than I had hoped, got a sim card  €13 for 7 days 3GB and 2K minutes.

Was a pain to get into my room but finely managed and what a lovely room it was.

Walked to the yacht harbour for pizza and beer, was here two years ago, same month.

   

    Door opens a bit and you squeeze by.