Ljubljana to Portorož...em...Komiža

7.7.2012 – 0100 CET

Time to invade Komiža. Last check-up of the personal equipment for the mission ahead. Everything was a-ok. Hopped downstairs and waited for pickup. Pickup was late, but that was to be expected. When Jaka finally arrived in his gangster white Renault 19, it was time for operation Tetris, part 1. After that we zoomed towards peterP arriving there still somewhat according to the time table (0205). Operation Tetris, part 2.

The second part took us longer than expected (a bit of the delay blamed on the confusion on which house is pETER's), so we departed southwards at 0225. Way behind schedule, but hyped on expectations and low sleep quotas.

I being the most rested took up the co-pilot’s position, with Jaka driving the first leg. Slight problems right at the start, the tank was empty and there were no bloody gas stations for miles. Running on fumes we put on some levitating music to help as along the road (Eloy – Carried by cosmic winds). Yesss, gas station ahead and with it our first pit stop. We made it as short as possible, for a gnawing doubt about our time frame was already growing in the Perči & Perči Consulting company. With our tank filled up, Jaka stepped on it (a bit) and we zoomed southwards once more.

Kilometres and songs were being put behind (Magnifico – Ljubljana-Portorož) us as we approached the Slo-Cro border where luckily the lines weren’t too long and we passed in no time, stopping shortly to get our equipment list blessed by the officials (raised eyebrows at the estimated value of 7k €, but we lowered it to 4.5k € and all was fine, go figure). Somewhere along the way we realized our car’s name is Čalamadé (chopped up salad made from paprika and onion…don’t ask)

We made a second pit stop and performed a change of drivers aboard SS Čalamadé. I took the wheel as Jaka was overcome with fatigue. Trying to catch up on time I sped up our journey a bit and we are making good progress, yet peterP remained sceptical. But that did not deter us from being jolly in general and having a good time on the journey, chit chatting and singing and moving to our own soundtrack (despite the white noise due to old radio technology). 

While the night was upon us, the temperature was fine (17°C), but half an hour after the sun went up our dear white Čalamadé turned in to a furnace from hell (27°C +). Yet we endured and zoomed onward, closer and closer to our first goal, Split, buoyed by our morale boosting music (AC/DC – Thunderstruck). And ‘lo, behold, there before us the sea and the city of Split. Whoops, a wrong turn in the city centre, backtracking, losing time, nerves thinning. But we did not cave in, we pressed on ever downhill towards the sea line and the ferry.

On a sharp left turn in the harbour we ejected pETER at the ticket booth while me and Jaka drove a couple hundred meters onward to quickly take up position in the ferry queue. Nervous moments as the line of vehicles moved towards the maws of the steel sea beast, but peterP appeared just in time. We boarded the ferry as the pen-ultimate car. Phew, made it. 

With the car parked inside the belly of the beast, we released a collective sigh of relief and maed our way to the top deck, where we plopped down half dead, but satisfied. peterP provided a delicious meal of cold pasta with home-grown vegetables, which we gladly devoured. As the ferry made its plodding way towards Vis we rested and chatted to pass the time (almost a 3 hour trip). Once we started entering the port of Vis we excitedly leaned over the sides to take in all the beauty the approach offers. And then down in to the belly again to board our trusty white, four wheeled steed. Whoosh and off we went towards Komiža, which didn’t really take us long (10 km ride). The view as we descended was damn pretty (you’ll get the pictures later, hard to take one while descending down the hill in a car).

As soon as we were situated in the hotel we went to the “centre” to meet up with Dalibor and Dinko (two of the mentors) and there we also met Dina, one of the students from Rijeka. Dalibor and Dinko showed us the space we’ll be using and then we parted ways, which for us meant a free afternoon. Guess what we did? Slept? Yeah, that too, but later. First we went to take a dive in the clear waters of the Adriatic sea, which felt damn good after all the travelling and equipment lugging.

After a good nap and dinner we met again in the centre in the evening, this time with more students and additional mentors (haven’t really been introduced to all of them yet, so names and all that will come later). After some more equipment lugging the VŠU team + Dina went for another swim under the shinning moonlight. Yep, little joys of life.

And now I’m finishing this blog at 0135 and will finally be off to bed. Quite an eventful 24 hours I’d say. And tomorrow there will be new adventures awaiting.