1. 10. 2007, DAN 7 - Mrko razpoloženje v Zadru

Jutro je bilo bolj optimistično, ko je skozi drevesa končno posijalo sonce in začelo sušiti slano na najinem šotoru ter rastlinju, ki naju je obkrožalo. Strah pred minami je počasi bledel. Boljše volje sva se pognala proti Zadru.

Optimizem pa naju je kmalu zapustil, ko sva opazila, da naju do Zadra loči bistveno več, kot sva sprva pričakovala, pa še neugoden veter nama ni prav nič pomagal porivati v dolge in naporne klance.

Cesta je postajala vse širša, bolj umazana, promet gostejši. Kmalu nama je še števec kilometrov zaradi šibke baterije dokončno odpovedal in ni nama preostalo drugega, kot da se ustaviva nekje in kupiva novo. To pa ni bila edina baterija, ki je ostala brez energije; po enem tednu na poti je odpovedala tudi baterija fotoaparata, tako da je ta dan ostal nedokumentiran, v škodo ljubiteljev fotografije.

Ko sva se približala večjemu nakupovalnemu centru Metro, nama je bilo jasno, da mesto ne more biti več daleč. Tam sva nakupila nekaj hrane in baterije za najin števec kilometrov, za katere se je kasneje izkazalo, da so neuporabne, saj so bile za malenkost prevelike. Po lastni neumnosti sem torej zapravil denarja za nekaj burekov. Poleg tega me je Azra takoj oštela, saj sem kupil baterije znamke Duracell, katerih proizvajalci so eni izmed najhujših pri testiranju svojih izdelkov na živalih.

Šla sva naprej in ob vstopu v mesto pojedla pozni zajtrk.

Zadar se nama je prikazal takole: gost promet, nestrpni vozniki, ter mrki obrazi mimoidočih. Primanjkovalo nama je vode in niti malo si nisva želela prosjačiti zastonj vode v mestnih barih. Negativne energije, ki jo oddajajo neprijazni pogledi in geste natakarjev, ko jih prosiš, da ti napolnijo plastenke sva se že naveličala in sva se temu skušala čim bolj izogibati.

Šla sva skozi staro, zanimivo mestno jedro, ki pa je kolesarjem precej neprijazno, saj so ulice ozke, pa tudi na stopnice sva nekajkrat naletela. Tako sva kolesi, v slalomu mimo ljudi, porivala na roke. Srečevala sva turiste, stare, mlade, domačine in domačinke v urejenih, modernih oblačilih, s pridihom sodobne obsedenosti – kapitalizma; »če danes nisi urejen, ko hodiš naokoli, si pač klošar«. Vsaj tako sva se takrat počutila. Kot klošarja z vozički polnimi šare. Kolesi sta bili najini vozički. Bila sva oblečena v prašna oblačila, z nekoliko blatnimi kolesi, pa še z brisačami, ki so se sušile na zadnjem delu najinih koles, zataknjene z elastikami. Imela sva občutek, da naju ljudje gledajo z negotovostjo in s prav nič prijaznimi obrazi. Kot da sva dva brezdomca. Še enkrat, po dolgem času sem se spomnil, zakaj se doma v Sloveniji vedno toliko obremenjujem, s tem, kaj oblečem.

Še enkrat več sem se torej spomnil, kak svet sva z Azro za nekaj časa zapustila v Sloveniji, ko sva se odpravila na to najino potovanje. Potovanje, na katerem se res naučiš živeti in ceniti malenkosti, ki jih doma zaradi vsakdanje rutine niti ne opaziš. Četudi so tam, na dosegu roke. Govorim o nasmehu neznanca, iskrenem pozdravu, občutku toplega sonca na koži, vonj svežega jutranjega zraka in še bi lahko našteval.

Ko sva torej takole kot dva brezdomca romala po mestu, sem sicer pogrešal nekatere stvari, ki jih na poti nisem imel. Nekajkrat sem pogrešal dom, udoben fotelj, kavo takoj po kosilu… vendar sem bil zadovoljen, da se lahko sedaj za nekaj trenutkov ustavim in pogledam v množico ljudi, ki hitijo po opravilih, zaklenjeni v vsakdanjo rutino. Dvignila sva se in vse to videla iz ptičje perspektive. Bilo je osvobajajoče. Upal sem, da bom to izkušnjo prenesel domov in živel lepše, bolj umirjeno. »Bomo videli čez eno leto«, sem Azri večkrat povedal z nasmehom.

Tako sva se po nekaj krogih sicer lepega, vendar majhnega in dragega centra kmalu naveličala in se odpravila na lov za mladinskim hotelom. Želela sva se stuširati in uporabiti internet ter tako najti najinega gostitelja ob nadaljevanju poti proti Dubrovniku. Našla sva mestno knjižnico, kjer so sicer imeli Internet, vendar skrajno neprijazna knjižničarka je Azro takoj opozorila, da je uporaba interneta rezervirana samo za člane knjižnice. Tudi plastenk nisva natočila tam, saj naju je po tej neprijazni gesti odvračalo, da bi to storila.

Po daljšem premisleku sva pristala na to, da greva v bližnji Internet Caffe, se prijaviva na Hospitality Club in tam opraviva svoje ter se še istega dne odpraviva naprej po cesti ter s tuširanjem še počakava.

V Internet Caffee-ju sva zopet doživela nesramnost, tokrat s strani natakarjev. Prepričana sva, da sva bila zelo vljudna do njih, vendar nekako nisva mogla razumeti od kod vsa ta negativna energija. Nekaj nama je govorilo, da se čim prej odpeljeva iz tega mesta in greva dalje po najini poti.

Še vedno nisva imela vode in sitna kot sam hudič sva svojo jezo utapljala v pedaliranju. Končno sva se pripeljala izven mesta in ob cesti so se začele pojavljati hiše, tako da sva izkoristila prvo priložnost in najine plastenke so bile polne. Kako zanimivo je bilo opazovati razliko v razpoloženju ljudi izven mesta. Takoj se najdeta nasmeh in prijazen domačin ali domačinka, ki ti z veseljem napolnijo plastenke, ob tem pa te radovedno sprašujejo »Odakle ste?«, »Kuda idete?« in zelo pogosto jih slišiš reči »Pa da, vi ste mladi. E kad sam ja bio mlad… « Verjetno ni potrebno poudarjati, da je tako vedro razpoloženje nalezljivo in ti hitro zleze pod kožo, še posebej, ko po grlu zopet steče sveža voda.

Vredno se je ustaviti in pokramljati s takimi ljudmi, četudi te čas preganja, saj prav v takih trenutkih "alkimist" najde svoj zaklad.

Še vedno sva se morala stuširati in ko sva se vozila mimo neštetih avtokampov na najini desni, naju je prešinila ideja, da bi se v enem prešvercala… toliko, da se na hitro stuširava in odrineva dalje. Našla sva primeren kamp in prav z lahkoto sva se stuširala. Sicer naju je vest pekla in sva vseeno preverila na recepciji, če lahko uporabiva njihove tuše. Bila sva pripravljena plačati, vendar nikjer ni bilo nikogar, razen turistov, ki so počivali v svojih premičnih domovih.

Opravila sva svoje prav lepo počasi in z užitkom ter spoznala mlad par iz Kamnika. Dokler nisva bila pripravljena na odhod, sva z njima še malo poklepetala.

Dan se je začel prevešati v večer in začelo se je iskanje tabora. Vozila sva se in vozila, se peljala mimo mnogih oljčnih nasadov, v katerih bi se sicer dalo lepo kampirati, a so bila vsa primerna mesta preblizu prometni glavni cesti. Zadnje, kar sva si želela, so bile težave z lastniki nasadov ter s policijo. Tako se je na pokrajino kmalu spustil mrak in zopet je bilo potrebno uporabiti čelno svetilko ter odbojno srajco. Kar nekaj časa sva pedalirala po mraku in približala se je ura, ko je bil najin biološki sistem pripravljen na spanje. Saj ni čudno, ko pa sva že en teden vstajala ob šestih zjutraj, ob osmih zvečer pa sva že spala. Odločila sva se, da bova noč preživela v sobi, a dobila sva več kot to.

Triintrideset kilometrov od Zadra, na začetku skoraj štirinajst kilometrov dolgega Vranskega jezera, sva z veliko pomočjo uslužbenke na bencinski črpalki našla apartma, za skupno ceno 20EUR, kar je bilo zelo ugodno. Sezone je bilo res konec. Poleg odlično urejenega in prostornega apartmaja s kuhinjo in kopalnico, naju je skrajno prijazna družina postregla z govejo juho in mesom s krompirjem, za kar niso hoteli ničesar v zameno, le najino družbo ob pitju rakije. Bili so res od sile. Povedali so mi, da so gostili že veliko Slovencev ter da so tudi oni precej razočarani, da imamo Slovenci in Hrvati tako velike politične razprtije.

Ko sva na roke oprala najine cunje, sva se mrtva utrujena odpravila spat. Po enem tednu se je zakonska postelja še kako prilegla!

Ta dan sva opravila samo petdeset kilometrov, saj sva v Zadru izgubila kar nekaj časa.


READ THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION BELOW

1.10.2007, DAY 7

Bad mood in Zadar

The morning was more optimistic when the sun finally started to shine trough the trees and dry off the frost that accumulated on our tent and the surrounding trough the night. The fear from the mines slowly faded away.

We headed towards Zadar in a good mood but the good mood left us pretty soon when we realized that it will take longer to get to Zadar than we expected and the wind did not help at all when we had to push our bikes in to long and unpleasant slopes.

The road was becoming wider, dirtier and the traffic was thicker. The kilometer counter went off because our batteries were dead so we had to stop somewhere and buy new ones. And that wasn’t the only battery that was out of business. The battery from our camera also went dead after one week so for all those who love photography, unfortunately we did not take any photos this day.

When we approached the big supermarket Metro, we knew that the city wasn’t far away. We bought some food and the batteries for counter and they turned out to be useless, because they were a bit too big. Which means I wasted some "burek" (pie) money. :) And also Azra gave me a moral lesson, because I bought Duracell batteries because apparently they are the worst when it comes to testing the products on animals.

We headed forward and had our late breakfast before we entered the city.

This is the first glimpse of Zadar for us: thick traffic, inpatient drivers and the impolite faces of some passerby. We were running out of water but we did not want to ask for it in bars. The negative energy that you get from unpleasant looks and gestures from the waiters was something we learned to avoid.

We went trough an old city center which was cyclist unfriendly because of its narrow roads and we bumped in to some stairs too. So we pushed our bikes with hands.

We saw tourists, young and old, locals dresses in modern clothes with a touch of contemporary obsession – capitalism; »if you are not properly dressed in fashionable clothes you are a bum«. At least that is what we felt. Like two bums pushing our carts full of stuff. Bikes were our carts.

We were dressed in a bit dusty clothes, muddy bikes and on top of everything our towels were drying on back of our bikes, stacked with elastics.

We had a feeling that people were looking at us with doubtfulness and unkind faces.

That is when I remembered after a long time, why I put so much energy in what I dress when I am in Slovenia.

I also remembered what kind of world Azra and I left behind in Slovenia when we went on this trip. A trip where you learn to live and to appreciate the small things you don’t notice at home because of everyday life. I am talking about a smile from a stranger, a sincere greeting, a smell of fresh morning air and so on.

While walking around the city I missed some things I had at home like a comfortable chair, coffee right after lunch,… but I was happy I could stop for a moment, look at the crowd rushing to do their tasks, locked in an everyday routine. We rose above all that and saw it from “birds perspective”. I hoped to take this experience home and live nicer and calmer. »We will see in a year«, I told Azra with a smile.

After a few circles of a beautiful but small and expensive city center we had enough and left to find a youth hostel. We wanted to take a shower and go on the Internet to find our HC host while on the way to Dubrovnik.

We found a city library where they had Internet, but a very unkind librarian told Azra that the Internet is for members only and showed her the door. We did not even fill our water bottles there. After some thinking we went to a Internet Cafe, log in to Hospitality Club, find a host and hit the road and the shower would just have to wait.

Again, we experienced unkindness from the waiters in the Internet Cafe. We were polite to them, so we just could not understand where all the negative energy came from. Something told us to go out of this town as soon as possible.

We still didn’t have any water and we threw out our anger on the pedals.

We finally came out of the city and soon we saw houses next to the road so we used the first chance to fill our bottles with water. It was interesting to notice the difference of the behavior of the people out of the city. You instantly find a smile and a kind host, who will fill your bottles with water and while doing that they would ask you: "where are you from? "Where are you going?" And soon after that they would say: “Of course, you are young..oooh, when I was young,…" It is probably not necessary to point out that a happy mood is contagious and goes under your skin quite quickly, especially when you drink some fresh water after your mouth hasm dried out.

It is worth it to stop and have a chat with that kind of people, even if you are running out of time, because those are the moments when the "alchemist" finds his treasure.

We still had to take a shower and while passing a lot of auto camps on our right, we got the idea of sneaking in one of them and have a quick shower and than continue the ride.

But than we felt guilty so we checked at the reception if we can have a shower and of course we were willing to pay, but there was no one there besides the guests having a rest in front of their "moving homes".

We enjoyed a long shower and than met a couple from Kamnik, so we had a chat before we were ready to go on.

The day was becoming darker and so we had to find a place to camp.

We were driving and driving, passing many of the olive grow where we could camp but it was too close to the road and the city. The last thing we wanted was trouble with the owners and the police. It was becoming darker so we had to use our headlamps and repulsive jacket again. We drove for quite some time and were coming closer to a time when our biological system was ready to go to sleep. It was no wonder since we were getting up at 6am for the past week and going to bed at 8pm. We decided to spend the night in a comfortable room, but we got more than that.

33 kilometers out of Zadar at the beginning of almost 14 kilometers long lake Vransko we found a nice suite with the help of a very nice gas station worker. We paid only 20 Euros which was quite cheap. The season was really over. Beside the well organized and nice suite with a bathroom and the kitchen, the kind owner served us dinner which included beef soup and potatoes with meat which only I ate, because Azra does not eat meat.

After a week of camping a warm, double bed felt great.

We only made 50 kilometers, because we lost a lot of time in Zadar.