Friday, July 15, 2011

Big Waterfalls

Swimming beneath the waterfall

The first major event of the day was moving from our former hotel in Biograd to our Hotel in Skradin.  We came to Skradin because of the access to a park similar to Plitvice Lakes.  Both parks contain waterfalls created by karst formations. The park is called Krka National Park and lies on the Krka River.  This park had a extra spark of excitement for our family though, due to the fact that swimming was allowed!

After we had settled in to our hotel, we eagerly walked to the boat, that would take us up the Krka River to the park.  We jumped off the boat, excited to swim, and experienced flowing water again.  When we showed up at the park, to our great disappointment, swimming was only allowed in a designated area in the park.  The good thing about that was that the designated swimming area was right next to the biggest waterfall I have ever seen!   The section of the park we were touring was a loop that began and ended at the swimming area.  We ended up jumping in the water twice.   Also, there was an old church from the seventeenth century made from the karst limestone rock.   At the entrance of the park there were local old ladies selling fresh figs, liqueurs and candied nuts.  We bought some nuts and some figs and had a snack to fill us up for touring Krka.

Another interesting part of the park's history was the fact that this river was the site of one of the world’s first hydroelectric plants, first installed in 1895.  This concept was invented by Nikola Tesla.  He was born in Croatia of Serbian decent.  The hydroelectric plant machine had an axle with a water wheel on one end and a magnet on the other.  Water would run over the wheel causing it to turn.  When the wheel turned, it spun a magnet which was surrounded by coils of wire.  When magnets spin inside coals of wire electricity is created.  This electricity was used for the everyday needs of the town’s people.

I am writing from a nice air conditioned room in Skradin.  This will be the last you will hear form me for another 10 days or so.  I am going sailing for a weak and then taking a thirty three hour train ride to Istanbul. 

 Thank you for reading Rohan Geographic
       

        

 
Old lady selling figs

Waterfall on Krka River

Old Church

View of one of Waterfalls

Karst Cave on River's Edge

Me Jumping out of Tree into Swimming Area

4 comments:

  1. Hey Rohan! Your cousin, Kalia, here! Your trip sounds like a lot of fun! The waterfall sounds really cool, and I love the picture of you jumping out of a tree into the swimming area. I hope the swimming area wasn't too crowded! It kind of reminds me of a swimming pool, with some of pool blocked off for people swimming laps, so the open area is really crowded. Have fun!!!

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  2. Rohan,
    Great pictures today of what must have been a beautiful place. Guess what? I had actually heard of Tesla. There is a prize named after him and also a car.
    Have a wonderful sailing trip next week.
    Love, Grandma Doris

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  3. Have fun on the sailing trip and enjoy(?) the 33hr train ride (yikes -- that's a long one!)

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  4. I take that back about an ice cream cone...Better math question. "What are the odds that Rohan is a fish?"
    You will love Istanbul! War is a tragedy but an interesting trip would be down to the Dardanelles...Watch the Mel Gibson (another tragedy)called 'Gallipoli' first if you get a chance.

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