We couldn’t want for better conditions on our second day in the park; with gorgeous sunshine and a very comfortable temperature, it was like someone had turned the colour saturation up on the world; everything that made yesterday’s scenics impressive seemed even more vibrant in the sunshine. Topped up by solar energy (and a healthy helping of coffee and strudel), we set off to explore the lakes on the opposite side of the park.

Making our way past the lower lakes, it was a gentle stroll up to the rest stop where we paused before deciding our next move. Everything up until now had been easy going, with boardwalks defining the trails around the major features. However, the park map showed a route around the huge Proscanasko Lake in a broken outline, away from the regular tourist-friendly trail which peaked our interest.

Setting off again, we got some curious looks as we jumped from the boardwalk and started clambering off into what seemed to be relatively thick forest. What we had discovered though was a less trodden but still well defined trail right next to one of the prettiest lakes in the whole park that found us wading through thicket and shallow streams rather than tedious tour groups.

We had traversed half the circumference of the lake before the trail met with the road, and with it a lack of clarity of where to go next. Walking in what seemed to be 1km the wrong way and seeming to be lost, we took matters into our own hands and attempted to head back in the right direction by heading through some open fields.

Turning out to be increasingly deepening marshlands, we doubled back to the road; with sodden feat and on the verge of disillusionment, we got a ray of hope by seeing two well equipped tourists ride by on expensive bicycles; heading off in the opposite direction, we soon found ourselves again by the lakeside and on the right path back to base, arriving home just in time for the weather to change it’s mood.