CROATIA, PART 3: A SPECIAL MEETING (PART 3/3)

La version française est en cours de traduction. Merci de votre patience. 

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But he wasn’t done yet: we had to seal our connection with a special ceremony…

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He invites me to drink his homemade raki. Alcohol and riding is definitely not my favorite equation but … really: I’m going to say no to this man who by now I’m convinced is my long lost father from a former life? We are like two peas in a pod, reunited at last. Of course I will have his raki. That makes him very very happy. 

By now you might be wondering: where is Mike while all this is happening? He is right there, near us. Completely invisible to Copic. I don’t think he ever looked at Mike. And if I had any doubt that my perception was false, I was about to get full confirmation that it wasn’t. He comes back from his little booth with the raki (the Coca-Cola bottle is always a good indicator of origins) and two glasses: one shot glass (emphasis on ONE: Mike is definitely not included) and a normal glass that is already filled with some murky liquid. Slowly he pours the raki in the shot glass. Still smiling. He hands it to me gesturing for me to drink it bottom up. No problem. It’s only 3PM and I am about to get on my bike. Great plan!

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I will do nothing to disappoint Copic. Bottom up it is. As I come back to my senses, he hands me the other glass, which he has been lovingly stirring for a few minutes. I have no idea what it is. I trust him. I grab the glass and swallow its content. After all, what can go wrong: we don’t even speak the same language!

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Whoa: sugar water, a superb complement to the strong alcohol.

You won’t believe it: as I’m sitting down today to write this blog, something else happens! This story just never stops on giving. I open Google Maps to make sure I had all my facts right, and guess what? It turns out we never did go to Una National Park! We went instead to Vrejo Une, which has absolutely nothing to do with Una. Une… Una? Let me tell you: BIG difference! Obviously Copic and I were meant to meet!

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So now, when I go back to see him, I’ll ride another 20 kms to Una NP.

Or not. But this time, I’ll know where I am not.

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