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Published: July 13th 2006
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We had been looking forward to this trip for 6 months. We had high expectations.....and they were all met. Warm weather, cheap seafood, and swimming in the clear Adriatic Sea at exotic islands - What more can you want? Read on........or just look at the photos!
Wednesday 7th June 2006 We assembled the troups at Luton Airport at the usual early hour that is required for cheap flights. This time we were flying with 'Wizz Air'. Needless to say the name of the airline didn't instill a lot of confidence, but beggars can't be choosers! The team (all of us Aussies) consisted of UK dwellers - Lauren, Nicole, Lauren O'Conner, Simone, Chelsea, Ryan, Mel and Us. Also joining us was Nicole, Jenny and Jason who were all on holidays from Aus.
We arrived in Zagreb (Croatia's capital) in one piece and made our way to our hostel accomodation. We were based here for 2 nights before catching the bus down to Split were we were to board our boat for 7 days. The first order of business was to head into the city centre for some exploring. High on the agenda was food and an alcoholic beverage, which set
the precident for the next 10 days.
First impressions - Zagreb as a city was fairly dull, but we found the Croatians to be lovely people.
Thursday 8th June 2006 Today we found a more appealing aspect of Zagreb as we stumbled into the older quarter where the city had more character and some attractive buildings. We also explored the awesome food markets with mountains of fresh produce, along with some botanical gardens. Mel and Jenny had done some research on good local restaurants and found us an awesome place to eat. The traditional food was superb. The other locals in the restaurant (which was quite small) were a little taken aback by 12 loud Aussies taking over the place! However, we got chatting to the older couple having dinner next to us and before long we were swapping gifts and sharing drinks. They even bought us all traditional desert to try! Such friendly people.
Friday 9th June 2006 We headed off early on our 6 hour bus trip to Split which was relatively painless. The bus and the roads were surprisingly good. As we pulled into Split we caught our first glimpse of the Adriatic Sea
Debrovnik
Overlooking the Old Town from the City Wall and the massive boat harbour. Spilt is Croatia's 2nd largest city after Zagreb and is built between the Sea and a mountain range - quite impressive. After re-fueling on pizza we checked out the Dalmatians Palace built in 300 AD (located right on the main street). We were able to climb the bell tower which afforded some great views of the city.
Saturday 10th June 2006 The day had come to board the boat and we were all very excited! Final preparations were made - sunscreen, lilos, hats, etc. After locating out modest rooms on board (some more modest than others!) we met the crew of 3 - Capitain, Filip and Cook - who would look after us for the next 7 days. They welcomed us with a quick run through the rules, a couple of dry jokes, and a stiff Croatian traditional drink which tasted like rocket fuel!
The boat itself was named Mihovel - a wooden boat about 25 years old which could sleep 24 people (see pics). We discovered that our boat was part of a mini fleet of about 10 boats of various sizes that followed the same route and schedule as us. This
The Crew!
Lauren, Nicole, Chelsea, Mel, Jenny, Loz, Ryan, Rach, Jason, Sim, Nicole and Justin meant there were pleanty of people to meet and party with at each stop. Our first stop for the night was Makarska, a quaint town located on the mainland a few hours south of Split. After a brief walk and watching the sun set we found a restaurant for some seafood - this was to become the routine!
Sunday 11th June 2006 We docked at the island of Mljet in the afternoon. This island had a massive National Park, an inland lake, and a benedictine monestry from 12th century - cool!
In the evening the capitain had organised a boat party - a BBQ and all you could drink from 8 - 12pm. The night turned messy towards the end with Ryan going skinny dipping and getting sea urchins stuck in his hands and feet. If that wasn't enough he woke up on a different boat the next morning and had to swim back to ours the next day! Some of us had somehow 'caught' sea sicknesss the next morning....and a few heads were sorely drapped over the side of the boat.
Monday 12th June 2006 Today we arrived at Dubrovnik. Described as the jewel in Croatia's
crown, we were not disapointed. The old town was amazing, with its towering city walls being the main feature. We spent 2 hours wandering around the wall and even managed to watch Australia beat Japan in the world cup in a small pub on top of the wall. We topped this off by having a drink on the cliff outside the wall while watching some cliff divers, followed by a seafood dinner by the water.
Tuesday 13th June 2006 The next day most of us decided to hire scooters to explore Dubrovnik. Unfortunately Jenny's ability to ride a scooter were somewhat lacking and hence she and Niclole became closley aquainted with a lamp post! Fortunately this all happened at a relatively low speed and both the girls escaped with just a few bruises. Later that day we set sail to Sipan where we had a relaxing walk inland through the forest and up a hill with fantastic views.
Wednesday 14th June 2006 Today we moved to the island of Korcula - the birthplace of Marco Polo and where he began his famous voyage. We indulged in some afternoon cocktails at a bar ontop of a turret (formally part
of the defensive perimeter around the town) while watching the sunset, followed by dinner and more drinks on the beach while star gazing.
Thursday 15th June 2006 Today we swam at a nudie beach (however we remained in our clothes!) and played twister on the top deck of the boat. Some more sunbaking was in order before arriving at Hvar - a somewhat trendy island that attracts the rich and famous. The million dollar motor yachts in the harbour were a dead give away! We climbed the hill directly behind the town to visit an 14 century palace which again had amazing views of the island and the Adriatic Sea.
Friday 16th June 2006 Our last day! How time had flown. We made some friends on the way back to Split - a pod of dolphins came swimming alongside the boat - wonderful!. The Capitain stopped at a beautiful beach near Bol for one last swim before heading back to port where we unfortunately had to bid fairwell to Mihovel and her crew.
Saturday 17th June 2006 The morning was spent in Split doing some shopping and savoring our last swim in the increasingly warmer weather. Today
the mercury topped 31 degrees which was the hottest day yet. By the afternoon we were quite happy to board our airconditioned bus to head back to Zagreb. We bid fairwell to the others (except Mel who came with us) who were staying in Split for 1 more night.
Sunday 18th June 2006 Our last day in Croatia! Today topped 33 degrees so we stuck to the pubs to keep hydrated! Our last act in the country was to watch Croatia play Japan in the World cup. Needless to say the locals were not happy with a draw. Unfortunately the time had come to end our journey and fly back to London with good old Wizz Air.
All in all Croatia was a fantastic place to visit - great people, warm weather and fantastic food and drinks. What more can you ask for? The experience was made all the better by having such a great bunch of people to travel with - thanks to you all for making this an awesome holiday! Until next time........ Lots of love to you all.
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Sharon
non-member comment
It looks amazing!
Hi Guys The photos look amazing - it's a place that I have on my "to-do" list and by the looks of things something I should have done while over there. Things back on this side of the world are much the same but it was great to chat to you recently and catch up on all the news. Rach - will have to try and catch you on the phone next time. JK - hope you had a great birthday - hope my birthday wishes were passed on. Hope to chat again soon. Take care and safe travels. I look forward to your next adventure. Shaz