First Crossing

First crossing

Another day with 2 swims. And another cold morning.

I was awakened about midnight by some terrible screaming outside. It sounded like someone in great distress. Finally, I went to the window and shined my flashlight toward to area where the noise seemed to be coming and was AMAZED at the amount of light it put out! It's just a teeny little thing and everything lit up like I had a spotlight. I shouted out and the voices immediately quieted down and stopped shortly. Then the church bells rang midnight to send me off to dreamland.

The harbor was calm in the early morning which boded well for swimming.

On the boat trip out to our first start point, our guides pointed out where we'd be, with maybe a crossing today.

The morning swim was absolutely beautiful with incredible stone formations under the water, all overgrown with marine plants and many groups of fish, but all small. For the first time I just fell into a rhythm and swam joyfully; it was great. Then to top it off, right at the end of the swim, there was a group of larger fish.

By then the sun was out and warm and I experienced only minimal shivering on our trip to lunch.

Our lunch stop was a small island, one with a few houses on it. With time on our hands we walked over the top to the other side IN THE WARM SUN. I had a great conversation with one of my fellow Trekkers, Kat, where we shared our mutual excitement and love of triathlon and racing. A couple of kindred spirits.

After lunch we chatted, some people did yoga, and others just napped. Very relaxing.

Then we got the good news: our FIRST crossing. Just a couple hundred meters out there was a small island which we'd swim past the across a channel to a second island. The boat went out and dropped off the orange hat group, then returned to the harbor to drop off the yellow hat group, then further back still for the pink hats.

Away we went with instructions to stay together in our groups.

It was really fun to swim, swim, swim across and to see the opposite shore gradually become more and more distinct as we neared.

Upon reaching the other shore I felt tired but eager to continue and boarded the boat somewhat reluctantly.

Once aboard there was the changing ritual then a long chug back to Prvic Luka with lots of afternoon left.

After my hot shower and gear maintenance, I headed to the market just up from our hotel only to find the door locked. Faced with that, I reluctantly turned back and ended up striking up a conversation with a local who was sitting out on his stoop drinking beer. I ended up talking with him for some time (and actually having a sip of whatever potent liqueur he was drinking along with the beer!). 

Our conversation covered many topics and his English made it all possible. As I was about to leave to return to my room, he slipped inside his apartment and came out with 2 pieces of currency from the Yugoslavia days. I don't know what the currency was denominated in but the 50,000 had a picture of Tito and the 100 had a picture of a man riding a horse. And he gave the the 100! Now I have a super souvenir of my trip.

It turns out that the store was probably closed all day because today is Croatian Independence Day.

Another good day: a great coastal swim, our first crossing, and meeting Robert as I returned from my attempt to visit the market.

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