Croatia day 7 : Thor rides again

Well the almighty Thor beat the dustmen to it this morning. At four we were woken up to a massive light show and thunders that shook the earth. Shortly after the heavens opened up, lets just say that when it rains in Croatia it pours.

We tried to sleep and ignore the storm since our black octane 3 tent kept us nice and dry. Though shortly after the wind started and we heard the trickling sound of a river. Looking out into our “west wing” we saw that our Ortlieb bags did their best not to float away. And we also noticed that one of the pegs had come lose.

While complicating what to do we could hear some of the campers next to us re-pegging their tents. So of I went since I had other busting matters to attend too. There were simply no point in trying to keep dry as it was that bad. So pegs and a knock-o’meter in hand I braved the worst of it well it had calmed down a bit by then. To find a few other pegs ready to go, to I pegged all the guy-lines I could and made sure that the fly sheet was nice and taught. Good news is that rain make the hard Croatian soil nice and soft so re-pegging was easy. And then made my way to the toilet block where two other tents was spread out on the floor along with all their gubbins spread about in the dish washing area, with some worst to wear, read soaked, occupant trying to keep their dry bits away from their wet bits. We climbed back into bed and tried to sleep but the rain was very hard and the wind did try to see if our tent could fly.

By 7 we had enough and there was no point in trying to avoid what for sure will happen, us getting soaked to the bone. We mastered a plan pack as much into the bags as possible and make it the toilet block and re-pack there since there was more room and less change of getting wet while moving around the tent and it’s west wing which was still a 1-2″ deep river. Peli did the first bit of running up and down with our gubbings while as sat and packed our sleeping bags and mats on what felt like a water bed. And then I packed up the now muddy and very wet tent, I’m sure it had gained 2-3kg over night.

This is the aftermath of the Great Flood of 2009, the tent still standing, and you can see the “river” running under and around it.

We had our breakfast while standing in the toilet block and shortly made our way to Split. Can you guess what time we left the campsite ?

Since our hotel was en route to Split our plan was to drop of our bags there, but ended up checking in since our room was ready. And double checked that they were ok for picking us up at the bicycle shop in Split. I had a pretty idea how the layout is but no idea on how to do it bicycle so we just followed my nose which took us of the main ring road, come motor way, around Split but right into the industrial area of Split. The road wasn’t too bad and again we were given plenty of space but it is not something I want to do again in a hurry. My general sense of direction was only half a mile of and we found the harbour front and its tourist very easy.

We decided to have a second breakfast when we saw a bakery and somehow a Danish, fruit cake and extremely yummy chocolate cake had fallen into our hands, hey we are cycling tourer’ist after all.

We had a little wander around in Split, yes it have it’s history and looks nice but lack some atmosphere and warmth as both Dubrovnik and Trogir has in bundles.

 

It is said that if you “tickle” this mans foot you will be coming back to Split again, low and behold I did some 20 years later.

We popped our head into the tourist information to get the directions to the bicycle shop and made our way. At the shop we packed our bikes into boxes which I had email ahead for, simply great service at Ciklo Planet. After a little wait our ride arrived to take us back to the hotel, boy are we horrible organized on our last day in Croatia.

Even squeezed in time to dry our very tent, another pad on Blacks shoulder for designing a tent that is easy to put up and water proof in the heaviest storms.

Now time to kick back with a doughnut before dinner time, yes I know
only an hour away, but these doughnuts are yummy.

Click here to read : Croatia day 1 : stress, what is that ?
Click here to read : Croatia day 2 : a marble-ous day
Click here to read : Croatia day 3 : border hopping
Click here to read : Croatia day 4 : a bit drafty
Click here to read : Croatia day 5 : Sunday day of rest
Click here to read : Croatia day 6 : a day of dead ends
Click here to read : Croatia day 7 : Thor rides again
Click here to read : Croatia day 8 : easy delayed jet

Click here to see all the photos.