OK I have put off everything and moved on. Moved on from the past and live in this moment. I do this and I am sorry to all that might actually care about hearing the rest of my trip. I am in Innsbruck, Austria right now enjoying the company of new and old friends. The weather is bad and has been for the past while. Ideas of climbing and getting out and about have been damped. So I cook a lot and even try to learn a little German although I think that is maybe a little bit of a overstatement. Jumped down to Italy last weekend for a couple climbs but basically a driving tour. Great time though and nice to experience Italy a bit more than I have in the past. But I am done, done traveling around and being a nomad. Figuring out the next place to sleep or just orientating myself. There is always a time for everything and when that time ends it is over.
Croatia, simply easy with moments of amazement, joy, boredom, and wondering. I found this leg of my trip to be normal. Challenges were always part of everyday, but the normality of how I had became use to the lifestyle on my Kayak brought boredom to me. Simply put I guess I needed something to go unplanned creating a diversion to nothingness. I am not saying I know it all and I have arrived, but I had a system that works for me. This normality brought me to the point of what I wanted to enjoy and with that, ended my trip.
Zadar-Cres, 100 miles, 42 hours, Monday-Friday(plus 2 hours on Saturday) and many islands!
I started the Croatia trip in Zadar. Zadar http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zadar is a medium size town (90,000) located about central coastline as Croatia is situated on the Adriatic. I spent a few moments in Zadar in 2008, mostly just a transfer with a great night of sleep in the local bus station with the homeless. This time I found a hostel to sleep at. I am not super keen on hostels in general but this one worked. I had my own room, but the key plus was the close access to the water. Not arriving until later Saturday night my plan was to slowly Sunday set up my boat in a relaxed matter making sure everything was all good in preparation for a morning start on Monday.
Sunday happened with good progress, Monday morning my boat was launched into the Adriatic sea. Many ideas of how much I wanted to push myself and or how relaxed I should make my trip. Realization came in to effect though after a nice 2 hour jaunt across the first channel ending with a much wanted coffee break at a small town on the first island. Coffee was and has always been a weakness to me but it became my pleasure activity. My day did not end though with that first stop. I was eager to get back on the water as always when I was on land. A love hate relationship you might call it but my boat was my home. So I was off, back to the rocking motion of the sea and the endless strokes of my paddle. The wind always comes up in the afternoon and sure enough it did that day too. As I have learned you can never call the day until you are asleep at night.
Wind wind wind in my face! Yes I should have set sails and went Southeast but no I wanted Northwest. Of course the day went by, I paddled, paddled listening to music and spacing off into my own little world I knew so well. One game I played was a talking to.....well not myself but "you" or anyone I could think of. Yes they were one way conversations but I though they were useful in a productive matter. The only problem was that "you" would never have a say, but that's OK I had it all figured out. Basically that's it that was my day and all the others. I am trying to think of what really happened that day but like most days I just paddle and sail, there is not much to it.
Nights are nice, but also lonely too. I found myself a place to sleep after about 20 miles of paddling that day. I saw my first sea turtle that night, dead! Dead on a beach full of garbage. I was disgusted with the garbage ashore and floating in the water. This was not the first place to see this destruction to the environment. You will find garbage on all the remote beaches. Beaches where locals or tourist do not have the need to go to. No one cares and the tourist agencies would never shown the reality of it. So there I was in a heap of garbage cooking dinner. Again my expectations were defeated. Monday was done, I fell asleep.
Tuesday was great, very productive. Bright thoughts are always in the morning. Small breakfast and coffee to start the day. No wind across the water enabling a fast pace on the mirror like surface. A sense of remoteness and reality of what and where I was came on me when in the distance I could see four dolphins swimming. Moment to moment throughout this trip brought me joy or sorrow, this moment though was joy and with a total desire to be in that moment only.
Throughout the day I paddled and paddled like always. I had a couple of small crossings. I am always careful when crossing open water even though I am getting use to it. This carefulness brings me safety and concentration givings me something to do. 2PM and again I was drinking coffee at the port of a small town. I had some idea of the area I would be sleeping that night and it was not too far from where I was. Coffee and a walk around town mainly to spend some time and again I wanted back on my boat.
3PM paddling, I needed to get as close to the north end of the island I was on and camp there that night. Wednesday I had a 5 mile crossing I wanted to get a early start on and the closer to the start of it the better. Just as I though the map was right showing a nice cove with a perfect beach to sleep on. Arriving early that day, maybe 3 hours before dark I was bored. I know I have said it over and over, but when you arrived at these beautiful places alone it really is not that great staring at it alone. What I did need to do was bath. A nice hop in the sea and a little swim around did it for me. I even washed my underwear! Again another sunset and a nice early night to sleep.
Wednesday: the day of the biggest crossing and the best orange marmalade in my life. Early morning after a odd night of sleep being woken up by fishermen throughout the night. The early start proved to be super important. With wind already in my face at 7AM this worried me being on the open water. Weather should always be monitored and I chose to monitor it consistently that morning, given the situation. My idea was to go until I decided the line of risk was getting to close to negative. This decision comes from my belief I use mountaineering. If you never try to go because of the weather then you might never go, just watch yourself and turn around when you need to because the weather could get better.
The fresh early start brought me across the channel in time perfectly, helping me avoid high winds, drink a coffee and eat the best pancake with marmalade I have ever had. Ilovik, a nice port a little off the beaten path. By 11AM again ready to get moving as the day was really just starting. 1 or so mile channel crossing and I was on the last island of my trip! The angle of crossing was great giving me great wind to sail, gust though dampened the help. I was on top of my game sailing but still knowing one large gust could flip me and the angle of the wind had potential to just pull me to sea only stopping in Italy somewhere, I lowered my sail and paddled.
This last island was a big one. I would be on it for the rest of the trip a total of 3 days. Basically I just fought against the wind for the next 9 or so miles. I learned later that day that the wind was about 20 knots and gust up to 35. I think about this and am glad that I was not too far offshore and was able to use the coastline of this island as a slight wind block.
Mali Losinj http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mali_Lo%C5%A1inj , I arrived there around 6PM after a long day of wind fighting. This would be my final destination for the day. I looked at staying at a campground which would have been nice, but I am all about the marinas when staying in town. Marinas are usually perfectly situated near the center of town. There are also other boats there with people with information and company. Another thing is they never charge me to stay there. I believe they do not know what to charge and just forget about it. Sleeping on a dock or my boat has suited me just fine many nights. Arriving at the dock people come over to me and help me tie my boat up always with the question of "where did you come from?" and handing me a beer. It is so funny sometimes, I kind of wonder what people think. I have to say it also become a little annoying. Not annoying to the people who ask about my trip and we enjoy a nice conversation. It is more the people who stare, I do get use to it and have over time. Still though sometime I loose my nerves and stare back at them in the same annoying matter.
The Marina office manager is super nice, he does not care if I stay. He ends up getting his friend the local reporter for the Island newspaper to interview me. That was different too, as I find it hard to explain my trip. Just another story, telling him I have know idea what I am doing and that I like Croatia and such. I can only imagine the picture he took of me. I really looked horrible with sea salt dried to my skin and clothing. That night I enjoyed a nice dinner at a local restaurant and took a walk around. Just walking and looking is what I do as a tourist. I really try to get outside of the central part of town and get a feeling for what it is really like. I know living in Leavenworth that central is a tourist joke and if you really just walk a few hundred meters you can see a little more than some fake German building! My night is not ended though without some great German and Austrians inviting me onto there sailboat where we enjoyed wine and cocktails late into the night. Again a great day of unexpected normality.
Thursday was a regrouping rest day. Do some grocery shopping and then a short jaunt to the next town. I have been trying to cook more on my trip both cutting down on cost, I like to cook and it gives me something to do. The wind direction was sopost to change too so I decided to wait for that also. 2PM I took off rested and full off caffeine from all the coffees I had drank in. Now the winds were really in my favor. Full speed ahead at a modest speed of about 3knots(4mph,5km/h) 9 miles later I arrived in Osor. That was about it. I like this as I was faster and nothing dramatic happened but it was kind of boring.
Osor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osor was super, a small old town of a few hundred people I would guess. I spent the evening walking around the town and eating out again. The Pizza was amazing and I figured I could eat the leftovers for lunch. That night I slept on the dock.
Friday I went a little crazy even by my standards this day. Wonderful morning in Osor drinking coffee and a bowl of cereal while watching fishermen bring in the morning catch. I'm not sure what is was about this day but it was different. Again perfect sailing, this time even wind at my back. Smooth, and direct with my only goal, to get the the next town for coffee. I arrived at Martinscica a perfect little port with a perfect cup of coffee. Still though these perfect little ports, sunshine, nice temperature and well paradise was I hate to say: not enough for me.
Back on the boat, I had a long stretch to go. Nothing, only super nice beaches I cared not to spend time alone on. Instead I spent the next 8 hours about a mile offshore heading towards the next point. The swells were big, but no wind. Sometimes a boat would come by. I would raise my sail only to warn them of my presents. The stillness made my mind go crazy. I knew like all other days that the day would end but those moments seemed like they would not. I would like to describe what I was thinking then, but that could take along time. Basically my thoughts were all in detail. Detailed as in would go into deep thought about anything and everything. The real funny part is I was thinking out loud and it was fun!
Finally that day did end but like all days it was not over until it was over, this time though I had amazing luck, right at sunset, dolphins! four of them again, I chased down those suckers in a rapid manner. Amazing how much motivation I had as I was not at all all day long until I had something to motivate me. I was cruising trying to catch up with them. Then I started to wonder if I should really get too close to them? I mean what if they flip my boat or something? But why not I figured, I would try and see. I can't say I actually caught up with them. They did not like come up up to my boat and let me pet them or anything but I did get a sense of being close to them. I even tried calling them, I am not sure what noise they made but if I remember right I think the TV show flipper gave me some ideas! The dolphin insadent gave me a good feeling and an up for the day if not the whole trip, I was super excited with the desire to be in that moment only!
My last night on a beach was that night. I did not know it would be but I think it was a note worthy time. I had a nice little fire and cooked some more pasta. A couple sheep came near me and I talked to them a bit. Made me think of the farm and enjoying the company of animals even when there are not people around. A simple night with perfect weather.
Saturday: It is funny to think that was my last day. I woke up at a nice 0700 and did the norm just another day. I had a idea to go tot the town of Cres, which was about 2 hours away. My thought was since there was not much as in the way of town along the coast where i was I would go to Cres and portage my boat over the little mountain so I could start on a different coast line. This way I could see more people and not just more coastline and go crazier. As Always it was a idea and I would just see how it all went.
Paddling and sailing to Cres was one of the most relaxed moments in my trip. I was comfortable being offshore, I was sailing at a good pace and just seemed like I had come to a point where I knew what I was doing. As I said before this is a good thing but then also bad for me. I like figuring out problems and when it becomes too comfortable then it is time to move on. Arriving in Cres pleased me. The locals harbor was super nice as it basically put you central in the town square. With my boat being so small I was able to find a nice spot to park the boat and find out about portaging to the other side of the island.
The conclusion after talking to the most unpleasant tourist office lady was that it was about 7 miles of road. That moment I knew my kayaking tour was over. I had in my mind committed to this portage idea and nothing else. It was an odd feeling. A love, hate, happy, sad feeling. My trip was so full of ups and downs it became normal. I expect so much at the beginning and now at that moment I expected nothing and went with everything.
It was time to pack up the boat and see if I had a place to go. I contacted my friend Dani in Austria and after a few emails I figured out a way to get to Innsbruck Austria. It took about two days, all the connections and waiting. You just have to roll with it though. Run when you need to run to your next connection and wait when you have to wait. How nice though it was to arrive in Innsbruck and greeted by friends. Pretty much everyone I befriended while my earlier times in Innsbruck arrived that night for visiting and drinks. I was a little out of it and overwhelmed, but super happy.
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