Tuesday , May 15 in Plivitca.   We were up early to have breakfast  (which for many Croatians is coffee and cigarettes!).   After Monday’s very long drive from Plivitca, we decided to join a tour to the lakes.  A very wise decision, as it simplified getting around the lakes and seeing a great deal in four hours.   The promised sun did not come out until the end of the day, but it did not rain and we were able to see numerous waterfalls tumbling out of the earth.    

The water in the lakes is crystal clear and pools of trout can be readily seen from walkways and bridges.   All the water comes from underground and is clear and clean.   Croatia takes their parks very seriously and Plivitce National Park (one of eight national parks) has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979.   They very strictly enforce their strong belief of care for the environment and tourists can only visit by walking on wooden (for the most part) pathways and bridges built so close to the waterfalls that on occasion it seems very possible that the waterfall would wash us away as we gingerly and as rapidly as possible crossed over to the other side.   At one point we saw a cave that was 80 meters long and did not have enough air to support life.   Another cave is a protected site as two insects living in it are found nowhere else in the world.  As trees fall and plants die in the forest, they are left to decay and continue the life cycle.  Fox, birds, otters, and bears abound, but as our guide said they are wild and stay away from tourists.   

The smallest water was about 2 feet (or less) and the largest about 256 feet tall, which is about the same size as the Fallcreek Falls in Tennessee –  the number  of falls makes Niagara Falls pale in comparison to the Plivitce Lakes experience.  If one could visit only one place in Croatia, a trip to Plivitce Lakes would be worth the time and the price of the ticket.  A full tour of the lakes takes 3 days plus a few hours.   We spent 4 hours in the national park and walked 18 kilometers or about 11 miles—every step exciting, energizing, and exhilarating.   --  And we all woke up the next morning ready to start all over again – but first – some great Croatian coffee.

Enough said.   Please see photos, which pale in comparison to the experience.  It would take a much more experienced photographer than me to do justice to the experience.