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Published: August 20th 2010
Pipaya checking in from Zagreb as the starting point for ˝Off to the Balkans˝ - this time, with Pippa present in spirit 😞 There were no flight attendant-ejecting issues, and though I did not have all the ingredients for Pippa's concoction for a restful sleep on the flight, I made due by compensating with upping the dosage of wine.
However, the remaining leg of the trip was a bit of a process - mainly due to my penny-pinching.
Somehow, while booking, spending 9+ hrs at Frankfurt airport for the subsequent connection to Zagreb didn't seem like such a bad idea. How bad could it be - I LOVE airports. It's a feast of sights of people dressed in their national garbs and sounds of people conversing in all different languages. Most importantly, there's an excitement in the air of people getting ready to set off for their various adventures and others waiting to receive loved ones who have been away. Besides, I'm always complaining about not having enough time to enjoy a proper book... I can read!!
In practice, however, spending that much time in an airport can be quite the tricky affair. Reading becomes a challenge when battling sleep deprivation.
The bigger demon to ward off, though, is BOREDOM. This makes a dangerous situation when faced everwhich way you turn with over-priced tags in currencies of which the conversion factor you're unsure of. You can start to get all kinds of funny ideas of let's say, paying for a tour .... of Frankfurt airport!
Alternative ways to spend your time that don't involve your wallet: Something I accidentally discovered while roaming around in the airport is that in Frankfurt anyway, it's possible to get back to baggage claim and make your way through the arrival gate again. This I did for kicks a couple of times, pretending I just got off a flight to meet people longingly awaiting my arrival. Otherwise, just hang out and watch other people meet their loved ones. Once bored of the arrival gate, make your way to a departure gate to watch tearful send-offs. You can make your own 8-hr romantic bollywood-sized tragedy out of the imagined experience.
Anyway, the lesson learned is that even on a Pippa-less Pipaya adventure, I should run these things by her to balance out my funny ideas.
Quick thoughts on Zagreb:
There were few peeps of the Asian continent
to be seen, whether among locals or tourists, in Zagreb. And by few, I mean there was me and that camera-happy Korean couple.
Not quite so sure what the cuisine here entails. All I've seen people do is have dessert with coffee or beer. I'm not one to question local customs, so the last 24h I've been sustaining myself with nutella crepes, hot cocoa, and marmelade-filled croissants
Croatian women know how to dress. Few women of the pale persuasion dare to wear the colors and prints, not to mention SHOES!!, that Croatian women flaunt... and they pull it off to....
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Pippa of Pipaya fame
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No words to describe.......
I felt it rather vital that I be the first to comment on this most spectacular first Pippa-less Pipaya blog. First of all - I am glad you attempted the Pippa concoction for the restful flight...it sounds like you made a great effort. However, as I am on the precipice of beginning my career in Nutrition - I have to somewhat disapprove of this "Croatian" diet. Do me a favor and question the local custom and have a vegetable here and there =) But of course keep drinking the beer! Its all about balance. I am glad you made it through the long stint in Frankfurt -- I wish I could have been there to try to come up with ways to get you to stop being a penny pincher. Anyway, my love, I miss you tremendously and absolutely LOVED reading about the beginning of your adventure. I am your biggest fan. Next time it'll be back to the non-Pippa-less Pipaya blog!!! <3