Birthday in Croatia!

---

When you're backpacking, the people you meet quickly become close friends. This is the way it was with the Canadians we met in Sarajevo - we just couldn't get enough of each other! From Mostar, we took a bus to Dubrovnik, a seaside town on the Dalmatian Coast of the Adriatic Sea.

We were immediately greeted by a swarm of women with pictures of their homes, wanting us to stay with them! Fortunately we made Brandon our haggling "captain" and he found us a nice place to stay for our three nights in Dubrovnik. Croatia is more expensive than what we were used to, but the time we spent there was well worth the money! Dubrovnik is a lively beach town, and did we ever take advantage of the beaches! After spending a couple of weeks running around cities, it was so nice to be able to get some rest, sunbathe and swim in the sea! Our four days in Dubrovnik were mostly spent on the beach and we loved every minute of it. We did some cliff jumping, cave exploring and lots of swimming. We also explored Old Town which was extremely touristy and expensive, but very nice. We also indulged in a big seafood dinner on our (pseudo) last night together!

For my birthday, we began by going to the beach (of course). As far as celebrations go, it wasn't too crazy but it was the best birthday in years! This had to do with the fact that we had perfect weather and were by the sea (not to mention, we had great company). The whole week I spent with the other Canadians included some of the most longest laughing sessions I've had in a long time. We all got along very well and definitely shared a common sense of humour 😊. That night, we went to Old Town and met yet another Canadian! His name was Fraser and he was working at one a bar, so we had a couple of drinks there. Erika and Helen insisted on having the special that night (a three litre cylinder of "Sex on the Beach"). Let's just say that it was fun night 😊!

After two more days of beach and Old Town, the nine of us decided to bus it to Split and then go on our separate ways. Helen and Erika have a summer camp job to get to in France and wanted to spend their last days in Croatia on the islands; Mike and Brandon need to be in Zagreb by the 20th to fly back to Switzerland; Greg wants to make his way to Greece, as so does Jessie. We took the same bus to Split intending to go our separate ways...but alas, we had grown too fond of each other to actually make the split (pun unintended). So we spent one last day together in Split. We had heard mixed reviews of the city - some people hated it ("It's too touristy, there's nothing to do") while others loved it ("It's lively and beautiful!"). The group consensus: Split is a worthwhile stop. Sure it's touristy, but it's also lively, there is beautiful scenery and a ton of things to do!

The next day (yesterday), the group actually split up... Probably the worst thing about travelling (because there aren't a lot of negative aspects) is saying goodbye to a friend who you know you may never see again. Fortunately for me, my new friends are Canadian and three of them live a short three hour drive away.

Melissa, Jeremy, Mike, Brandon, Jessie and I made our way to Plitvice National Park. It is home to some of the bluest lakes and most goregous waterfalls I have ever seen! Please, please, please, if you go to Croatia, visit this park! We did a five hour walk through the park and then it was time to say goodbye to them too 😞. I've already made plans to see the Calgarians during Stampede week 😊.
.
I'm now in Brno, Czech Republic staying with one of Jeremy's friends. It has been a LONG nine days and I need some time to recuperate and actually get some sleep. Melissa and I are going to be here for a couple of days before moving on to the great city of Praha (Prague)!

Stay tuned...

---

Comments

[Bennny]

WOW!!!
WOOOOOW Mel! It really seems that you guys are having the time of your life! And the pictures are amazing! Prague is also supposed to be a beautiful city..enjoy the rest of your trip!!! Hugs, Bennny ps. You haven't added me to your e-mail list yet! :-)