Canyon Nevidio, exploring Montenegro

It’s sunny morning and we are in Shavnik, which is as I can notice, small place, but real miracle of mother nature, beautiful and could be placed in the pocket of God. The boy, who we met later, gave us instructions how to get to the start point, which is few minutes away from where we were. We came in the place named Poscenje, inebriated with the beauty of everything that surrounded us. The cook had familiar accent and when I asked him where he was from, he told me that he came from Loznica. That accent belongs to certain people that I deeply love, but I have not seen for a long time. We were sitting on wooden bench, under the cane roof. Beside us were beautiful small bungalows, Poscen lake for which we were not sure if one could swim in it, but it looked so beautiful, especially on hot day. Soon, breakfast was served with doughnuts and honey as the best. Mmmm, that brought my childhood memories and made me feel as child again. The day before i would be careful with food, because i would have wanted that all that weight simply disappear, but that day i took one because, anyway, i was going canyoning.

Finally, we went on. Bojana, me, few more girls and guide Rajko, who was very fast, but also very careful at the same time. The sight I saw at the beginning of our little adventure was even more beautiful than rumors. In the place where river get lost in the strangest way, there you will find the last found canyon in Europe. Words are my passion , but I have to admit, when it comes to this place, they are just not enough, at least not mine words.

Even with all that beauty, canyon was very cruel in the fight with all of us who was trying to get through. As much as we were getting through it, it was getting through us too.

Temperature of water caused screams with each entrance, never mind we were in such a good suits. Entering the canyon i was making my way through the aisle which was less than a meter wide. The first few meters never came in the touch with the sun lights, because of the rocks that were stuck above my head – wild and cruel, but beautiful nature.

I heard Bojana : ” Jack! Jack!” Yes, the water was icy as the one when Rose called Jack in Titanic, with a significant difference, we weren’t shooting in the pool.

The canyon has no mercy, cuts and scratches, than impress and than all over again. The first jump. I held my nose and I let myself fall into the icy, turquoise water. Not scary, but it is unusual. After so much time in the room I went into the canyon before I went for a walk. I love all my crazy and unusual ideas.

I felt good. I kept asking Bojana: ”Do you feel this?” I wanted her to feel the same as me. I looked behind me, she was there, I was surprised how calm she was. I thought she will be scared, but she wasn’t, so I was thrilled. Time was going so fast. Fast swimming between the enchanting narrow passages, to pool out as soon as we can, from the icy water in which the body loses strength and sleep overtake us, than few steps on dry, catching the sun’s rays and power for the next part.

The water was clean, but colored because of rock that was around and through a thin gap I saw a piece of heaven. I didn’t see my foot, so it went down into the hole. I hurt my knee. It didn’t hurt much, but it hurt irritating. I continued, adrenaline didn’t allow the knee to slow down. On the next few jumps, there was whispering ”is this the highest one?” Shake of the head and sighs of fear, but no one thought that’s a bad idea, on the contrary. Then the moment came for the highest one, I looked down, turquoise water, framed by cliffs. Seven meters bellow me, but from my perspective it seemed a lot more. It took me a second to pull myself together, perhaps to count to ten, but the guide was trying to help me, pushing me a little. But he did it wrong, when I was already going to jump, so I rotated in the air and I fell in the water right to the face and stomach. I floated in the icy water, no air, and completely unable to move my arm at least. However, I felt the water ejected. In contact with air, my lungs were aching for air, trying to breathe as much as possible, but I felt like it wasn’t enough. However, after few minutes everything was fine. Everyone around were frightened and those who stayed behind me, they went down the ladder. My face was completely blue, my body was in pain and I was freezing, but we continued. I felt exhausted, I barely walked through the water and It was so hard to climb the rocks. I complained Bojana that I’m loosing concentration, but she said: ”No, you can’t!”, just what I told her about twenty minutes earlier.

Again straits, swimming, rapids and then I realized I was standing at a new jump and I was shocked. But a few seconds later, after I looked around, I realized that was the most beautiful one. The water was warmer. The air was warmer. And the plants were around us. I closed my eyes and jumped. I enjoyed the moment, A bit of swimming and I realized… the end. I was happy because I was exhausted, but also so thrilled. I soaked up the sun’s rays, vomiting energy. Photo for the end.

We climbed for an hour at an incredibly steep mountain, through the woods and then descended down the little road, to the start point.

We are happy. I’m happy.

Jutro je i Sunce nam zeli dobrodoslicu u novi dan. Nalazimo se u Šavniku, koji, primjećujem, jeste nešto najmanje sto sam ikada vidjela, ali je divan, čudo prirode, skupljeno u jednu šaku.

Dečko, koga kasnije upoznajemo, preko telefona nam daje instrukcije, kako da stignemo do početne tačke, udaljene par minuta vožnje. Stižemo u mjesto Pošćenje, opijene ljepotom svega sto nas okružuje. Primjećujem poznat naglasak i pitam kuvara odakle je. ‘’Loznica’’, odgovara. Radosna sam jer je to naglasak nekih ljudi koje volim, a koje nisam dugo čula.

Sjedimo na drvenim klupicama, pod krovom od trske. Pored nas su predivni, mali bungalovi, Pošćensko jezero za koje nismo sigurne da je za kupanje, ali tako lijepo izgleda, pogotovo na vrelom danu.

Uskoro stiže doručak, na vrhu trpeze, priganice i med. Mmmm, kao kada sam bila dijete i kao da ponovo to postajem. Juče bih pazila, jer zelim da ovi kilogrami koji su ostali na meni što prije nestanu, ali jutros ću uzeti jednu, i onako idem na kanjoning posle doručka.

Vodič Rajko, brz, ali pazljiv, ja, Bojana i jos par djevojaka iz grupe, krećemo u kanjon o kom sam mnogo slušala i ono sto vidim je mnogo ljepše od svih priča koje sam o njemu čula. Tamo gdje se rijeka čudno gubi, nalazi se poslednji osvojeni kanjon Evrope. Riječi su moja strast, ali priznajem da često nisu dovoljne, bar ne ove moje. Pored svoje ljepote, kanjon je jako surov u borbi sa svima nama koji se probijamo kroz njega. Koliko mi prolazimo kroz njega, toliko i on prolazi kroz nas.

Ulazeći u kanjon, probijam se kroz prolaz, širok manje od jednog metra, koji nikada nije vidio Sunce, ispod stijena koje mi zaglavljene stoje iznad glave, kroz divlju i u svojoj surovosti, prelijepu prirodu.

Pri svakom ulasku u vodu, i pored odijela od neoprena, njena temperatura izaziva vrisak. Bojana doziva: ‘’Dzek! Dzek!’’ Da, voda je bila ledena kao ona kada Kate doziva Leonarda di Capria u Titaniku, uz značajnu razliku, mi nismo snimali u bazenu. 🙂

Kanjon nema milosti, reže i grebe, prkosi, zastrašuje, pa zadivi, a onda, sve ispočetka.

Prvi skok. Zatvorim nos i prepustim se padu i ledenoj, tirkiznoj vodi. Nije strašno, ali je neobicno. Posle toliko vremena u sobi, nisam izašla da prošetam nego sam otisla u kanjon. I volim sve svoje ludosti.

Osjećam se dobro. Zapitkujem Bojanu: ‘’Imas li osjećaj?’’ Želim da osjeća isto što i ja. Pogledam iza sebe, ona ide, iznenadjena sam koliko je staložena. Pomislila sam da će se vise plašiti, ali nije. Bila sam oduševljena.

Sekundu po sekundu, otkucao bi cijeli sat, koji ne bi smo ni osjetile. Brzo plivanje izmedju zadivljujuće uzanog prolaza, da bi se što prije izvukle iz ledene vode u kojoj tijelo gubi snagu i obuzima nas san, par koraka po suvom, hvatanje sunčevog zraka i snage za sledeći dio.

Voda je čista, ali obojena stijenama koje je nadvisuju i samo kroz tanki procjep vidim parče neba. Ne vidim kuda hodam i noga mi propada u udubljenje. Povrijedila sam koljeno. Ne boli mnogo, ali boli iritirajuce. Nastavljam dalje, adrenalin ne dopušta koljenu da uspori.

Na sledećih nekoliko skokova čuje se šaputanje ‘’da li je ovo taj najvisočiji’’? Odmahivanje glavom i uzdasi straha, ali niko ni ne pomišlja da mu je krivo što je tu, naprotiv. Onda je došao momenat i za njega, pogledam prema dole, tirkizna voda, uokvirena liticama. Sedam metara ispod mene, ali iz moje perspektive čini se mnogo više. Treba mi par sekundi da se saberem, možda da izbrojim do deset, ali vodič pokušava da mi pomogne, gurnuvši me malo. Medjutim, to je uradio pogrešno, u trenutku kada sam ja već krenula da skočim, zato se u vazduhu rotiram i na vodu (ne u vodu) padam licem i stomakom. Lebdim u ledenoj vodi, bez vazduha i potpuno nemoćna da pomjerim barem ruku, kako bih se izvukla na površinu. Ipak, osjećam kako me voda izbacuje. U dodiru sa vazduhom, moja pluća pokušavaju da udahnu što više mogu, ali osjećam kao da to nije dovoljno. Ipak, posle par sekundi, sve je u redu. Svi oko mene su uplašeni, oni koji su ostali iza mene, posle toga što su vidjeli, silaze lestvicama. Lice mi je potpuno plavo, sve me boli i smrzavam se, ali osim toga, u redu sam. Krecemo dalje.

Osjećam se malaksalo, jedva hodam kroz vodu, jos teže prelazim stijene. Žalim se Bojani da gubim koncentraciju, na šta mi odgovara ,‘’ne, to ne smiješ’’, isto što sam ja njoj rekla dvadesetak minuta ranije.

Ponovo tjesnaci, plivanje, bukovi, a onda , preneražena shvatam da stojim na novom skoku. Ali par sekundi kasnije, nakon što sam pogledala oko sebe, shvatam da je najljepši do sada. I voda je toplija. Vazduh je topliji. I biljke su oko nas. Zatvaram oči i skačem. Uživam u sadašnjosti dok me voda izbacuje na površinu. Malo plivanja i shvatam ono sto su vodiči prećutkivali posmatrajući efekat iznenadjenja. Srećna jer mi je kraj potreban posle par sati aktivnog prolaska i toliko oduševljena da bih se sjutra vratila, upijam zrake Sunca, povraćajući energiju. Fotografija za kraj.

Penjemo se skoro sat vremena uz nevjerovatno strmu stranu, kroz šumu, a onda silazimo putićem do početne tačke. Srećne smo. Srećna sam.