Between now and the end of our trip, change would come quick. I had the chance for one last run in Zadar before the early drive to the Plitvice Lakes National Park and our overnight stay. It wasn’t easy to sleep though, and I found I needed to rest just that little bit longer meaning I’d only got enough time for a couple of miles.

With breakfast over, we joined the others and began our journey north. My head had the dull ache of not enough sleep, and my throat felt dry - I hoped I hadn’t caught the cold that appeared to be moving around the group. It seemed likely though even if initially I blamed it on the aircon.

After ninety minutes we stopped in Jasenice as a washroom break. At this one they were supposed to be providing sanctuary to bears, but other than the stuffed ones in their dining room they only had the two. Both of them looked miserable in their small enclosures. It’s amazing they could get away with this mistreatment under the guise of protecting them.

A little later we arrived in Grabovac to drop off our bags and headed back to the Plitvice Lakes National Park. It was almost midday by this point, but the entrance we used is one of the lesser used ones due to how well it’s hidden. This meant there wasn’t quite the same queue as the others.

A path from the entrance led us down to a boat station, where after a short queue we took one across the lake to the other side to begin our first hike. This took us passed many pools, and many waterfalls - mostly small ones.

When we reached the first of the big waterfalls we found we had to queue to photograph it as so many people were taking selfies in front of it. I think it’d have been nice to have done a slightly longer exposure photograph to create a flowing, ghostly effect; but the boardwalk around this section of the park would bounce with every step of the constantly passing tourists.

Whenever we came across a crossroads, we’d wait to ensure all of the group knew which way to go. We all moved at different speeds, and stopped for photographs at various points so this was Vlad’s way to ensure we didn’t get lost.

This first hike finished with the same boat station we’d started at. This time we had a much longer wait for the boat. Instead of taking it back to the beginning, we took a longer boat ride to the far end of the park where there is a seating area. We had twenty minutes there for lunch, so sat on the grass and had a picnic. There were food places around here, but we’d been advised they were overpriced and not very good. Most of the group went to sit in smaller groups that had formed over the past few days - it seemed rare for us to all stick together.

Once the time came to carry on we began our second and final hike of the day. This one started at the top of a waterfall and gave us chances to take photographs on the way down. The path wound around the side of huge pools of water and eventually reached a dead end with a viewpoint for a large waterfall. This one was a little crowded, but it being on solid land meant I could try a longer exposed photograph at last.

Again the New Zealanders in our group were a source of frustration. They’d been told that people could not swim here, and the reason being was that the park could not risk high quantities of sunscreen getting into the water and killing fishes. They took this to mean that sunscreen is toxic to humans and shouldn’t be used at all. It took a lot of effort not to question them on this.

With a group photo taken in front of the waterfall, we retraced our steps to the last fork and the other path out of the valley, and out of the park. In some ways it reminded me of Agua Azul in Mexico - some green waterfalls not too far from Palenque; but in other ways there was a slight American feel to it. I’m not quite sure what it was - maybe it was reminding me of Yosemite or Zion.

Before our evening meal, we had a couple of hours to spare in the accomodation. Instead of putting that time to any good use, I decided I’d close my eyes for a while as the lack of sleep and the dryness of the air in that last hostel had got to me. It’s possible I’d been out in the sun too long as well.

The evening meal was a group one with a set menu - we’d had the option of just the meat course, or the full menu. As there was only HRK20 between the two it made sense to try it all. This started with a vegetable soup, then salad, and then the meat course. The meat had been slow cooking for several hours whilst we’d been hiking so was now incredibly tender. There was a pork chop, a sausage that reminded me of a Brätwurst, and a chicken leg.

For dessert we had the choice of either plum pie, or cheesecake. I should probably have gone for the plum, but I felt I had to try the cheesecake as I’ve tried them in so many countries now.

At least being in the countryside with nothing for miles, it meant it should be a good night's sleep.