After rain came more rain.
Sunshine was limited for both the participants and the organization. The participants quickly learned to pack their things in time, eat breakfast and get on their motorcycles for the next stage. Particularly due to the weather conditions, the participants needed more time to complete the stages. But also as an organization it was really a matter of timing when we could build and dismantle the finish and organization tent.
From camping Plana & Bar 66 we left for the Croatian coast with a beautiful view of the Adriatic Sea and its islands. The temperatures also slowly started to become more pleasant and it looked like we would finally have a dry day.
The participants' route also partly went along the Croatian coast. Enjoying the dry and sunny weather we had at that time. But this would prove to be a false sense of security towards the rain later in the day.
Slovenia was already a country that won my heart in terms of beauty, but the nature of Croatia perhaps managed to do this even more. Especially when we drove into the mountains with the bus near Karlobag via the D25. Even with the bus, this road was a pleasure to drive and then at the top you were treated to the beautiful view over the Adriatic Sea for a last time.
The finish of stage 3 was going to be at Eco Camp Rizvan City. It didn't take long after building up the finish line before the first participant arrived. A former participant of the Africa Eco Race who even decided to help us unload the buses with all the belongings of the participants who used the transport service. An example of brotherhood and helpfulness that this mini society had.
Yet it did not take long before the threatening rain clouds appeared again. We quickly tore down the finish and organization tent. Hoping to have everything back on the bus as dry as possible.
The evening started again with a lot of fun, live music and wonderful stories of the adventures the participants had during the stage. From changing a Ténéré 700 into an MT07 to wondering how to keep up to the pace of one of the older participants who showed an example of high-school off-road riding with a fully loaded T7. It turned out that the person in question had already participated in the Dakar Rally 5 times in the past.
And don’t worry. The custom MT07 was patched up again by the passionate Yamaha service team into a full-fledged Ténéré 700.
The days are long which ensures a good night's sleep. Before I had even really put my head to the pillow, I had already left for dreamland to recharge my batteries for the next day.
Stage 4 would take the entire mini society more inland from Croatia. The nature is truly impressive. The combination of lots of greenery with rugged rocks ensures that you are always amazed at how beautiful nature is in Croatia.
But the area also has a confrontational side. As a child I grew up with daily news about the Yugoslav war. Every day we saw the fighting, the terrible images of destroyed houses, the many injured people and of course the famous blue helmets. Because it was a present day, the images were considerably more impressive than, for example, the images of the Second World War. Especially for a young child.
Now driving inland you can still see the amount of damage/scars left behind by the Yugoslav war. After all, the war lasted until 2001. Although the war in Kosovo, for example, lasted until 2008. The remains can still be found everywhere. Which makes sense. In the Netherlands we are still cleaning up remains of the Second World War. That war was almost 80 years ago.
But Croatia is busy developing. The population is investing in their future and that is clearly visible. Investments are also being made in preserving historical heritage. Including the impressive fortress of Knin, which dates back to the 9th century!
We enjoyed the route again from the bus, but we were soon chased by literally thundering rain clouds. Arriving at Camping Peruča, we first took shelter in the tent that the campsite had already placed. The rain was coming down in torrents. It took a while before we had the opportunity to set up the finish and organization tent, but once everything was in place we could enjoy it again.
The campsite is located on Lake Peruča. A large water reservoir created by a dam with hydroelectric power station built in the 1950s. The lake is fed by the Cetina River, which has the famous Eye of Croatia as its source. A source with a depth of up to 155 meters. The water is really crystal clear. Various participants therefore looked for a spot with a view over this beautiful water.
The finish was almost in sight and the weather forecast for the last stage seemed positive. But that's for the last part of this blog.
EN 
NL