Via Dinarica 2015: Day 6 - Mojkovac & Biogradsko Lake (24th June)

link to wikiloc.com

Day 6, up and away by 5:25am. After 500 metres I hit a perfectly good landrover track that meant the grassy wilderness was over and I was descending into the land of Katuns and mad barking dogs.

I was pleased to find a hosepipe and tap where I could get a good drink and fill up my water bottle. Then it was a just a question of marching the 26km of track and road to Mojkovac.

There were a few scattered showers, but by the time I reached Mojkovac it was warm, and I could strip down to shorts and T-shirt for the first time on the trip.

I crossed the River Tara and wandered into Mojkovac in the vague hope I might find a shop or something. Things didn't look too promising. All I could see was some sort of service station / bus stop that appeared to have a cafe and kiosk. Anyhow, I really needed to sit down after hiking for 5 hours, so grabbed a table in the cafe and ordered cheese & tomato sandwich and 2 cans of Coke.

Meanwhile, a local taxi driver followed me in and started raking through my maps, with ash dropping from the cigarette in his mouth, and asking me where I was going next, and offering me 'good price for taxi'. I told him I hadn't decided yet, and anyhow I'd be walking, which he didn't seem comprehend. So he waited, and waited, hoping I would capitulate, but I held my nerve - and even bought some chocolate at the kiosk - before walking past him again, and tried to give him a suitably contrite smile and wave as he glowered back at me.

And he wasn't the last taxi driver I had to deal with. At least 3 or 4 more stopped and hooted, and generally tried to cajole me into their taxi as I walked down the highway towards Biogradska Gora National Park.

I actually reached Biogradsko Lake fairly early in the afternoon, so wasn't sure what to do. I pootled around the visitor centre asking the lady what you called every stuffed bird in Serbian, which killed about 20 minutes.

I did briefly contemplate continuing up the trail, but it started raining heavily, so I thought I'd be better off camping in the car park, where there was some shelter with a big wooden roof over a picnic area. So at least I could lay all my kit out the tables to let it dry.

I then went for a wander around the lake, before picking up the broken glass in the car park to pitch my tent.