Durmitor National Park

Monday, Aug. 29, 2016--Zabljak

Zabljak isn't a very pretty town with houses randomly placed here, there, and everywhere and a town center that grew mostly building by building with no planning.  But the setting of Zabljak is fantastic.  It is the entrance city to Durmitor National Park which begins just maybe 3 km (less than 2 miles) just down the road and provides a curtain of huge mountains as a backdrop to the town.

Today was my day to explore and enjoy Durmitor.  After walking to the station and checking bus schedules for Wednesday and finding out that I have to buy my ticket on the bus (meaning I have to worry that there might be too many people trying to take the bus that I need), I started walking toward Durmitor.

It was still rather quiet.  Most of the tourists here are backpackers.  They are notorious for staying up late drinking and partying and then sleeping in until noon or later all over the world.  It was 10:00 as I was walking to the park.  No one was at the ticket booth when I approached.  It costs only 3 Euros (about $3.35) to enter the park.  I had a map loaned to me by the apartment owner, but I decided just to start with what is most traditional--a walk around Black Lake just past the entrance.

I don't know why it is called Black Lake (Crno Jezero).  It isn't black at all.  In fact, right now it is two lakes because of the low water levels from a hot summer and a ridge of earth that rises out of the water and dries up as the water levels go down.  Both parts of the lake have beautiful aquamarine colors with a bit more blue than green, and the water is so clear.

I only made it 1/4 of the way around the front part of Black Lake when I came to the Visitor Center.  I was the only person there, and the young lady seemed so happy to have company as she was putting wood into the heater to take the chill out of the building.  She suggested a side trip to another, smaller lake that would be 1 hour up and 1 hour back.  I decided to do it, since I wanted to spend time wandering in the park and had no special plans related to where I would do it.

I followed a trail that started beside a small stream.  It took me through very wooded areas as I climbed slowly.  Occasionally, there were sloppy, muddy areas apparently due to spring water popping out of the ground and flowing toward the stream, but at every point like that, either there were rocks that allowed me to cross without getting muddy or wet or people had made a little side trail that went above the moisture.

Since walking and hiking are not a problem for me, I made better time than the guide had told me it would take.  At one point, I saw a bench in the shade, so I stopped and read from my novel for a while.  Still, I made it to the lake in a little less than the projected 1 hour.  I had been alone on the hike (which I really enjoyed) except just for one couple who met me coming down.  But when I arrived at Zminje Jezero, I was surprised to find two groups--one of two young women with a dog and one of two young men.  The lake is small and surrounded by evergreen trees.  There were small lily pads near the shore on the side where I approached.  I walked part of the way around it taking photos, then I started my hike back.

It took only about half an hour for me to get back to the Visitor Center.  I went back inside to thank the young woman for her suggestion, and she seemed quite grateful.  Again, she was alone.  She was surprised that I am from the USA, and told me maybe she sees 50 Americans in a year at the park.

Just a few steps further around Black Lake, there were two rope hammocks swinging between trees and no one around.  I got in the one higher off the ground.  (The other was low enough for children to get in it and might have sunk to the ground with an adult.)  I pulled out my book and read some more.

Eventually, I continued all the way around both parts of Black Lake.  By that time (around 15:00), crowds were entering the park and many young people were starting to sunbathe along the shoreline of the lake.  As I exited the park to return to town, I counted 5 huge tourist buses parked along the curb just outside the boundaries of the park.  I was glad I had mostly had the park to myself up until those last moments.

I had walked/hiked about 6 hours by the time I was back to the apartment.  I got onto the computer for a while.  Then I went out and bought a cevapi sandwich for my dinner--fingerling sausages made from a combination of pork and beef put in a large bun with cabbage salad and ketchup.  I decided to eat it while walking and went to explore a monument I had seen on top of a hill in the center of town.  It turned out to be a monument to those from Zabljak who had died in World War II.

I stayed inside during the evening.  I downloaded photos from my camera to both my computer and to a flash drive.  I read the news on the computer. I read more from my novel.  I was about ready to go to bed when I realized I still needed to write this entry!!