After the rave reviews over Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast, I had to take advantage of low cost charter flights connecting Europe tighter than a well-weaved spider’s web. I decide to fly to Croatia because the photos along the coast are simply unreal. As an after thought, Aaliyah and I decide to visit Mostar and Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is an amazing fortuitous side trip through a country still recovering from a war and findings its own sense of self. This trip is a healthy mix of beautiful coastlines dotted with islands and soulful conflict resolution conversations among shelled buildings.
Sept 26:
We fly into, the second largest city in Croatia, Split, and go directly to Prisca guesthouse. Ivanka, the owner, is right in the heart of old town, smokes two packs a day and doesn’t speak English. We enjoy watching late night cable TV from all over the world because we don’t have a TV at home.
Sept 27:
We go around to see Split’s Old Town. Split has a regular flow of cruise tourists, who typify the stereotypes of over weight, Mid-Westerns, who expect locals to “do it our way.” In Split, we do the Lonely Planet’s recommended walking. We stay long enough to catch our 5pm ferry to Korcula Island. After arriving in Korcula, we are bombarded with ladies asking if we want a room, and since it is low season, we are out number two to one. There are more ladies opening their house to backpackers then backpackers to fill them.
Sept 28:
Korcula island is called a mini-Dubrovnik and just far
enough from Hvar (Lavender Island) to save it’s quaint streets from
cruise tourists. It old fortress wall, is modeled after Dubrovnik. We
spend the first day walking the streets and hiking to the fortress
hilltop look out tower. We attempt to go to mass but Aaliyah chickens
out two minutes before it starts.
Sept 29:
We take a day trip
to Mjlet Island where we hike through the National Park to the small
and big lake containing an island where a Church was build for
religious refugees. Mjlet Island is beautifully picturesque. The tour
was short and expensive from Korcula (350Kuna), but we paid it for the
transportation convenience.
Sept 30:
Starting at 7am, we take
the ferry from Korcula Island to Dubrovnik. Again, presented with a
welcoming party of older ladies asking if we want to rent their room.
It is standard procedure to be asked this, because Croatia has very few
hostels and the existing ones are equally priced to staying in
someone’s home. We stay near the ferry port, about 15 mins outside of
Old Town Dubrovnik by bus. We throw our things down and head into Old
Town for lunch. As soon as we get to the old fortress walls, the unique
high walls, adorned with laundry hung between narrow buildings and
postcard perfect street scenes, floor us. We arrange the three island
boat tour and have the best seafood of the trip.
Oct 1:
We
get up early to make time to walk atop the fortress walls and then met
up for our three island boat cruise. We visit Kolocep Island for 45
minutes, it is small and there is so much more in store; Lopud Island
for 2 hours to allow for beach time; Sipan Island for 45 minutes and
everything in store has been sold out. Each island is small but an hour
is not enough time to venture father than the port and wander up a few
residential streets. I still enjoy my time to relax aboard a slow
moving boat and explore the islands. We have dinner at the same seafood
restaurant we ate at the night before.
Oct 2:
We wake up
early to take a bus from Dubrovnik to Mostar, about a 3-hour ride,
along the windy coastline. As soon as we arrive, we are greeted by a
handful of older ladies offering accommodations. We go to Nina’s Hostel
with Nina and her mom. The room is as simple as a low cost Chinese
hotel. We wake up the next morning to find we have been eaten by bed
bugs. Before being eaten by little critters, we ventured all over the
city with Maja, a tour guild we hire. That evening we invite her out to
dinner and she enlightens us on her impressions of the war. She shares
her father’s story, her memories of the war torn city and her love of
Rob Thomas from 3 Doors Down.
Oct 3:
We take the early
morning train to Sarajevo, about 2.5 hours away. Sarajevo shares the
same gloomy shot out windows and empty buildings of Mostar with one big
difference, it is being rebuilt. New construction is making the rounds
and people have a sense of hope, after all the capital offers better
lives and jobs for high skilled workers. In a country with 18%
unemployment, a job is hard to come by. We take the Tourist information
center’s recommended tour and then take a tour with a tour guild, to
get the historical ramifications. We stood on the spot where Franz
Ferdinand, his unborn child and wife Sofia were shot, which started
World War II. We eat at the famous The Spite House, which was moved
brick by brick from the other side of the river, when the government
bought out a salty old man who didn’t want to lose his house. We head
to the train station for an overnight train to Zagreb.
Oct 4:
Groggy
and barely functional, with a film of plaque on our teeth, we arrive at
Zagreb early in the morning. We have a pastry in the train station park
and head to the Tourist information office for maps. We take the
recommended walking tour through Upper Grad. Hardly able to focus on
the next destination, we get through half the tour and sit down for a
long lunch. We get to the airport for our Wizz Air flight leaving at
4:55pm. We are back in London, dirty and tired, but glowing inside from
an enlightening trip.
Hey Shannon,
It's Sara(skeeter) from HS. I just popped into see how you've been. Wow you are quite the lady of the world. My goodness I envy your travels.
take care
Sara
Posted by: Sara | October 31, 2007 at 10:50 AM