Dubrovnik

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Saturday August 3 – As if we knew what to do at 5:30 in the morning. We got up even earlier than before and headed out at 5:20 to the bus stop near the apartment to catch the bus to the main bus station. We waited for a while, but the bus did not come, and we were not sure we should wait all that long, so we decided to walk over instead. It wasn’t that hot yet, so it wasn’t a big deal. What made me the most nervous was the possibility of getting lost. It just shouldn’t be that hard to find our way around, yet we constantly had trouble finding our way in this city. I don’t know why. We took a route we weren’t sure about and went through the palace, but it was closed from the entrance we were going to. Not a big deal, as we went out a different gate and that was fine. We made it to the bus station with no worries and even got there early. We waited for our bus, which had started in another city, and it arrived surprisingly close to the time it should have. There were many people waiting for a seat and people already on the bus, so I took Tina’s bag to check and had her get on the bus to get us seats. Luckily the bag guy helped me first, and I paid the fee for our bags. When I joined Tina on the bus, she was sitting on the side of the bus that we thought would have less direct sun, but way in the back. I know she can start to feel sick in the back, so I asked her if she wanted to move up to the seats towards the front that were free, although they would have more sun. She did, so we moved there. By the time we pulled away, there were many people left standing for the ride. I’m glad we got the seats. We left around 6:25am and our bus arrived in Dubrovnik at 11:30. Along the way we stopped many times for people to get on and off, both at bus stations and randomly. We even had to go through a make-shift passport control when we got to Bosnia. I didn’t realize we would even cross the border, since we were staying in Croatia. But it turns out that Bosnia has a little piece of coast line. We also stopped there around 10am for 20 minutes, which was great, since there was a bathroom. I’d had to go since we got on the bus, so this was a good thing indeed. My only concern was that the mother of the man we rented the apartment from was waiting for us at the bus station at 10:45, and it didn’t seem like we would be able to meet her on time. We didn’t, of course, but fortunately she still let us stay long enough to buy our onward bus tickets back to Split before we headed away. She is the only local I’ve seen covered in sunscreen and dripping with sweat. Everyone else is wearing jeans quite comfortably in this oven.

I had hoped for a car to the apartment but it was more of a guided walking tour vertically up a cliff to where her apartment was located. We chose this apartment partially because we would be near the bus station when we leave again on Monday and because it had good views of the coast. Somehow that didn’t translate in my mind to also requiring more steps than the Empire State Building. It is a good 10 minute bus ride or so from the old town though, so we would only have to climb them once a day when we came home, as there was no real chance to come back during the day. At the apartment, she showed us around. It was not nearly as nice as the place in Split, but it’s still great to have our own place. It has air conditioning, but only in the living room. It was the same in Split, but in this apartment it was already warmer in the rest of the place. She offered us some homemade cherry brandy, and I declined, but Tina tried it and said it was really thick and syrupy. Everyone seems to make their own alcohol here. The guy in Split gave us a bottle of homemade wine that Tina is taking home with her.

Once the woman was gone and we got settled in, we finally decided to make our way over to the old town. She had given us instructions to take the bus, but there was nothing written and we weren’t positive. Add this to the fact that we weren’t sure about where we lived yet and had no map where the location was marked, and I was kind of nervous. The bus came and we got on. Two and a half dollars poorer, I was on my way to the old town. I looked around very carefully, trying to memorize details so that we would know where to get off the bus when we came back. The old town is walled, so it was pretty easy to be sure where to leave the bus. Plus, it was at a cable car station that also went up the hill behind us, so that was easy to spot as well. We found the stairs with the help of a girl working at the “info office” in a little shop, and started down. It was midday and hot as hell.

I don’t know if it is a sign that I have been traveling too long, or if it is just the heat, but I was not immediately struck by how amazing the old town of Dubrovnik was, which apparently you should be. I think it was just the heat. It is hard to enjoy yourself when you are hot, directly in the beating down sun, and sweating up a storm. And that is definitely how I felt. But, we walked around and took our pictures and sat in the shade when we could. I found that when we sat in the shade and took our time and took it easy, it was much better. I’m just not a good relaxer, in general, so that is not always easy for me to do.

The old town really is impressive, and it is old. The shiny limestone streets date from the 1400s, and I was walking on them! The city walls were of a similar age, but many of the buildings are a bit younger, as they replaced ones that were destroyed in an earthquake in the 1600s. Either way, another really old city. We saw a lot of churches, and along the way, five different brides. I got their pictures – I am the best bride stalker. We walked around, had lunch, and then continued our walk. At some point we got ice cream – the best ice cream I’ve had in a while. It may also have something to do with it being the most expensive ice cream I’ve had on this trip as well. Have I mentioned how Croatia is so totally expensive? I am almost out of Croatian money now, but will borrow some of Tina’s and pay her back in dollars. Everyone wins! (Actually, that didn't happen. I had to take more money out of the ATM).

We sat on the main street in the shade against a building, eating our ice cream and then we saw a couple people trying to step up on this step and put their hands out flat against the wall along this spot that looked like a dark angel. We also did it, of course, and it was pretty funny. There was also a little girl there who did it very well and was able to stay up there. So well, in fact, that she seemed to need to prove her balance by removing her shirt while she was up there. Hilarious. Kids often swim naked here, which I haven’t seen at home for years but think is quite natural. But here she was in the street. Pretty funny.

Now it was about 6pm so we decided it was time to go up on the city walls, the biggest attraction of the old town. If you give them a full month’s salary and the rites to your first born child, they will let you stroll around the walls and take amazing pictures. We had waited so long because it was so hot. I’m glad we did, as there was a little bit of shade at some points and not just glaring hot sun. But the views were spectacular, worthy of any offspring I may suddenly develop. It took us almost an hour and a half to go around the two kilometers, taking pictures and enjoying the views.

To end up, we found the real info office, asked some questions, went to the grocery store, bought tickets for the bus (and found they were cheaper than buying them on the bus, amen) and then waited for the bus home. There were tons of people leaving then and we were so lucky that the bus pulled up and stopped exactly in front of us. We got the front seat, for a better look for the apartment stop on the way, and that’s when it hit me. We were on one way streets and it was not going to be as I’d planned. I thought we would know two stops beforehand where to get off based on a grocery store we would pass. Then it became clear that due to the one way road system we would pass our apartment before my landmark. As fate would have it, we stopped first at the main bus station, where we arrived, and then took the street we had walked on before going uphill. Somehow we managed to alight at the right stop, and from there began our steep path home. So proud I could find the way home! Oh, the things that amuse me. Tina slept on the living room futon with the a/c and I slept in the bedroom with the fan. But being all European now, it was fine and actually cooler than my bedroom at home will be when I get there next week. It was a good day.

Sunday August 4 – See Lokrum post

Monday August 5 – So the trip is nearly over. Today Tina and I headed back to Split, in order to catch onward travel home. We slept in and ate breakfast and then just relaxed until the 11am check out time. At 11am we met Vedran, the guy who rented us the apartment, sunscreen-covered mom in tow. From there we went back to the restaurant we ate dinner in last night and had pizzas for lunch. There weren’t many restaurants around, and it was within walking distance of the apartment and the bus station, so it was fine. At 12:30pm we walked to the bus station and got on the bus after a luggage drop when the bus showed up. Originally we thought we could escape the heat of the day on the bus, but it did not quite work out that way. The bus was hot the entire way and it was a terrible 4.5 hours to get back to Split. We occasionally talked to the Dutch couple next to us, but I mostly read and Tina tried to sleep as the ride was making her feel bad. We stopped at a rest stop for 10 minutes and got an ice cream, and that helped cool me down for a bit, but not for too long. When we got to Split, I bought a ticket to the airport for the next morning and then we walked to the hostel I was staying in to check in and drop off our bags. Once that was done, we walked around and looked for a restaurant for our last dinner together. We ended up at the same place we had eaten one time before. I got the mussel pasta and splurged on a drink with mint, ginger and lemon. Quite good, but smaller and more expensive than Tina’s beer. After dinner I got an inferior ice cream and changed my money, and we walked back to the hostel after watching a street performer. From there, we gathered up Tina’s things and I walked her to the train station to begin her epic journey home. She had the bus ride in the day, an overnight train to Zagreb, and from there a 9+ hour train to Munich where she would spend the night and then fly to the states the next day. So basically two full days and one night of travel to get home. I saw her off and then walked back to the hostel.

I stayed in a two person dorm, figuring this would be a good option before my flight, especially because it was affordable in a city that wasn’t, and it was close to the bus station, where I would take the bus to the airport in the morning. It wasn’t as smooth as I thought. I got the upper bunk, and saw that I had a roommate already, though I never met her. She was out when I first arrived, and when I came back she had gone out for the night. I showered and got ready for bed and read a little before calling it a night. Problem was that the hostel was small and I could hear everyone until 11:30pm, when they went out to drink. They were loud and annoying. But I slept ok until 2am, when they came home. My roommate came in and turned on the light, realized I was there, and turned it off again. She proceeded to come in and out until 3am. Meanwhile, I could hear all the loud talkers back from the bar again, and that was even more annoying. My faceless roommate finally came to sleep at 3am, and brought a friend with her. Luckily they just slept, but I realized at that point that I wasn’t going to sleep again that night. I got up at 4:45am and got ready and at 5:30 I left.

At the bus station, I found that my bus was not direct and I could change to one that was, but had to upgrade my ticket. That would have been fine, but I had already changed my money, and the money changers were closed, so I couldn’t do it anymore. It was fine. I got to the airport at 6:40am. It took a while to go through the baggage drop off line at EasyJet, but then another counter opened and I was the first to notice, so it was quicker. Security and passport control were also quick and then I had some time on my hands before the flight. As I waited , there was an annoying family crowding around me. Happily, they also sat directly behind me on the plane with a baby who cried the entire time. That made for a pleasant hour and a half. Then they were on the airport bus with me. Finally, I escaped them at passport control. I picked up my bag and headed home.

When I got to the apartment, I met my new cat Elisa, who seemed to like me immediately, and said hi to my other cats, Mars and Venus, who looked at me and then proceeded to sniff my backpack for the next half hour. Home sweet home. I’m excited to be home, but of course sad to go back to work next week. At least I am giving myself a week – usually I just come home the day before work starts again. It will be nice to recover from my vacation. Oh - and I lost four pounds in these five weeks eating so much ice cream and pizza. What a relief!

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Comments

[Mike]

Welcome back
Always heard good things about Dubrovnik and the bride-stalking tourist women there.

[Home and Away]

It's been great following your travels...
and look forward to more next summer.