[15 August 05 - 21 August 05]
Croatia - Rab Otok (Island)
Cousins of mine asked if i would like to accompany them for a two week caravaning trip on Rab Island in Croatia. The whole of Croatia, having once been part of Hungary (its route to the sea before WW2), was a place worth seeing. How could i say no?!
We started our trip one afternoon, and headed straight for the Croatian coastline, crossing borders was no problem, the EU system is great for that. Just flash the passports and go. We travelled through the night through the heart of Croatia & over huge mountains, by noon the next day we had arrived at the port, and had only to line up and wait our turn on the barge. One could easily have mistaken the islands to be sand. But they were actually made of beige rocks, emmence piles of beige razor sharp rocks. Their edge came from the winds constantly blowing, wearing away the edges to fine blades.
The barges were 3 strong, traversing between the approx 10km stretch from port to island port, yet the queue was super long, it curved out of sight behind hills and back and gone again, in only 3 long hours our turn had come. The small port town itself was beautiful, dwarfed by the titanic modern barges. The water was crystal blue aqua, the houses all terracotta coloured roofs & beige walls, & there was an old bathing area to the left carved out of stone. There was a charming feel about the town.
It was apparent once on the island that only the first 5% (80% of whats visible from mainland) of this island was razor stones, after that bushes emerge, then trees, then forests & soil. A civilisation from the wastelands, homes, towns & a city. The island itself is named after the city on it, RAB, which has been long established. And like the port we came from, every home & business had beige walls & terracotta roof tiles.
After arriving at our caravan, in Padova III, we dumped our stuff & headed off. We began by going to the most popular beach LOPAR, on the opposite side of the island.
The beach was very populated, but the view was pretty good. Another island was visible in the distance, it was very tiny, but if you were a good swimmer you could make it.
It was shallow 90% of the way, waist height, but the last bit had a current of medium strength going to the left. Be warned though, there are many spikey shrubs on the island, so if your gonna swim there to climb it take thongs (flip flops for americans).
That took up most of the first day, so after we were all splashed out we headed back to the caravan for dinner, exchanging our Forint for Kuna (Croatian $$$) along the way.
It was a modest abode, a bunk bed with two levels, a double bed & a single that converts to a table for meals. Although little time was intended to be spent at the site, little did we know i storm was on the way to our little island.
The next morning we headed off to see the city of Rab. It has a reasonable sized shelter/port for pleasure boats that come from all round the Mediterranean in the summer.
"The town of Rab was founded as an ancient Roman municipality in the last decades of the 1st century B.C. A deed of gift given by the Emperor Octavian Augustus 10 years before the end of the century endows this already formed urban Liburnium colonial community with walls & towers. It develops successfully, skilfully and fortunately, and the evidence for this is given in the time of Emperor Septimus Severus - "Felix Arba", the only town along with Salona in the Eastern Adriatic that became the capital of the province of Dalmatia." - The Historical Core of Rab Poster
Arriving at the cities market square you are met by a statue, many stalls and an accending staircase. As you procede you come across what can only be called a foodcourt, restaurants, cafes & gelati.
The city contains many narrow paths that twist & turn, with hidden bars & restaurants.
And through these winding mazes you notice towers of old leering over you, kindeling your couriosity, yes they can be climbed, but only at certain times through the day, so be sure to check.
The towers themselves are not defensive ones, they are all attached to a church, or the ruins of one. The views are great from the top, you see the surrounding city, sea & the other towers standing out like shyscrapers of old.
The best views are found from the fourth tower, furthest from the tip or the city or the viewing platform a bit furthur away.
We went back to our caravan after a day of much walking, had dinner, but then returned at nightfall to capture a different beauty of Rab.
We enjoyed another day of exploring Rab, but noticed clouds on the horizon at days end. Unfortunatly that night storm clouds released their precious booty all over our heads & we were stuck in our little caravan, all 5 of us playing cards, for TWO DAYS, and we only knew ONE GAME! But as the rain passed, so did the insanity.
So we once again had freedom & we decided to see other parts of the island, there was not too much to see, but there was an old church we found of interest smack bang in the middle of the island. It had a small stone wall around it, and a small iron topped well, with water.
The next day we set about on our way home & upon arriving at another very long barge line-up we did stare out the window, very much. But i came to gain an appreciation for the beauty of even the desolate areas of the island. And noticed how incredibly large & magnificent the mountains we came over were.
As my gaze changed i hoticed some ruins on a hill top near by so i decided to venture off, the rocks were so sharp they almost cut through my thongs, bare feet, no way. But i made it with only a few scratches, they were good for contemplation, with a windy yet wonderous view. My cousins thought it a good idea to get a pic of me on the way up. Very 'castaway' if you ask me.
Apon returning to the car the queue began to move again and along the way i saw i quite humourous sign, which i think you will like. When it says road ends, it does!
So here concludes my article, it was a great trip, pity it was only one week, i could have got used to the lifestyle, long as it wasn't raining. So i recommend if your going through Croatia (Horvatorszag, in Hungarian), that you visit the beautiful Island of Rab.
