Modes of Transport - true Intrepid Travel --Croatia.

I am sure if we all think back over some of the journeys we have made, we will have a funny, exciting or hair raising story to tell about a method of how we got from point A to point B.

Its so true when people say, its not just the destination but the journey to get there which is part of, if not all of the adventure and joy of travelling!

Do you have a weird and wonderful story about how you got to the place you were trying to reach?

If you do - I would love to hear it!

 Please share!

Here's one of my most interesting and great memories of a destination reached!

SPLIT - CROATIA

Croatia - Split to the  Village of Bogdanovic 

This is my father's childhood family home and in part, mine too. Let me set up the mood -Its 1990 and my first overseas journey. 

I am travelling with my cousin Marina and we both have very limited understanding of the Croatian language. We had been already travelling on this journey for 3 months so we're pretty relaxed, in the whole 'go with the flow' vibe that comes with long travels.

We are in Croatia  just before the War started and we are trying to reach my family village which is in the mountains inland around  45 minutes by car from Split.
Imagine millenniums - this is before mobile phones! My Grandfather, Uncle, Aunt and cousins were aware we were coming only by telegram (yes - they had no land line phone) and - if you don't know what a telegram is (no, not Instagram) ask someone over the age of 45.

Anyway, we were travelling from the Island of Brac which is a Croatian island just off the coast of Split so we have already caught a ferry. Now we are asking around the city centre and finally find a bus that we think is in the right direction. It's Summer,  high 30's and with back packs .....

The Harbour at Brac'

Modes of transport - My Uncle Fiat and catching the Ferry from Brac' to Split

We are bumping along through  the outer suburbs of Split when the Bus conductor tells us to get off and get a train .. so we do...
Now, find the right train and, off we go..
We are not to sure, so we ask the conductor which station we should get off to reach our 'selo'  (Croatian for village)  Bogdanovic. The Conductor, in response  begins to walk up and down the train asking everyone on board if they know my uncle!! Not the village name - just the family name.  So finally this old guy, approaches and says ' yes' he knows our Uncle and will assist us to get there.

We do not know this guy  - so we just think - OK we do not have too many other options so we follow.  About 15 minutes later the train stops in the middle of nowhere, no station..just on the tracks and the conductor urges us to get off and go with this complete stranger. So... we do!

We jump down onto the tracks and find we are in the middle of nowhere - no houses, towns just bare hot mountains and lots of rocks..

So we follow this guy and after a short walk (and few whispers of  ' what the hell are we doing?!) reach his home, it's a house and some barns.

The Mountains by Tractor!

So now what?/ We see this cute guy relaxing in the sun when the old man yells at him in Croatian  - and I have no idea whats going on but we get the feeling he is telling his guy to take us to our uncles house.


So Cutie goes round the back of the house  and comes back with a motorbike! Well after assessing the situation of two females with two back packs, he works out that this is not going to work, so he goes back around the house again and comes back with a tractor and trailer!!

Bogdanovic

So - this is our mode of transport to journey to my ancestral home!.

Cutie throws a plank of wood across the trailer to make a makeshift seat and on we get!.
 This is one of my most happiest memories I have of travelling,  riding in the back of this tractor trailer thought the baron Dalmatian mountains with a total stranger to my uncles house.

Lets just say the look of surprise and shook on my uncles face (that I also had never met before) was 'priceless".

Ferry, bus, train and tractor - in one day is pretty well done I'd say.

And I think there would not be too many people that would be so free today to travel as we did then. I try to hold onto that 'intrepid' style of travel as much as I can as I go though life. I think it keeps you 'young' and believing in the good nature of people everywhere.

If you have a story - we would love to heard so please share!