Dalmatian Coast

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It's been so hot around here that even the palest of white people are starting to resemble me. To remedy this utterly unacceptable situation, I decided to head to the coast and get seriously working on my tan. So, here I am, sporting bug-eyed sunglasses, slowly sipping on my martini, lazily wading around the turquoise water off the Dalmatian Coast .... ok, not quite, but if you're heading this way, that is what YOU should be doing 😊
In yet another attempt to save on accomodations, I booked a room outside of the old town. My difficulties in discerning distance or topography off of google maps meant that I didn't discover exactly HOW far out of town it would be until I embarked on my fun-filled uphill climb from the bus station....with my luggage... in the blazing heat. A good forty minutes and a few wrong turns later, I let out a prayer of thanks when I finally reached the intended destination. This joy, however, only lasted as long as it took to open the gate and gaze upon the steep staircase looming ahead of me.... did I mention I had luggage?
Once I lugged myself up there, though, I was met by my lovely hostess, Ruza, who greeted me with a tall glass of cool water. Ahh... much better already. Ruza is a local Dubrovnik resident who offers a few rooms of her terrace-apartment for rent in the summer. It's a nice bit of change from the hostel scene to have my privacy back with my own room and access to a real bathroom. Besides, Ruza and her mom are real gems of people, imparting me with advice of what to see and do with my time there.
Entering the Old Town of Dubrovnik, I was actually surprised to find the promenade fully lined with souvenir shops, ice cream shops, and high-end restaurants. For me, these trappings, complete with the onslaught of tourists frequenting them, added an aritificial flavor that took away from truly appreciating the historical aspect of walking through a medieval town. Despite the Disneyfied-aspect of the town itself, the vista from the city wall was spectacular. Unfortunately, with my limited time, I didn't get a chance to explore some of the less frequented islands off the coast.
Also, my time in Dubrovnik was mostly spent roaming the family/couple-centric area on my own - the one drawback of renting a room in an apartment being that you're not bound to meet fellow travelers. Still, Dubrovnik offered its own little package of experiences to me, from interactions with a few people that ranged from great, not so great, and... just plain weird, to providing me the opportunity to break out my bathing suit and go for a quiet morning swim.
After Dubrovnik, I set off for an over-night stop at Split. Checked out a little of the Diocletian Palace... really cool to wander around in but again, strangely commercialized with similar trappings of Dubrovnik. Did check out a "tribal" dance performance... discovered that this apparently includes Indian dance class forms such as Kathak 😊

PS... also my first time being exposed to Swedish male belly-dancers - definitely an acquired taste... one I don't think I'll acquire any time soon.

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Photos

Dubrovnik
Entrance to Old Town

Dubrovnik
Along the city wall

Dubrovnik
Town of Dubrovnik outside city wall

Dubrovnik
Walking along the city wall

Dubrovnik
View of Lokrum island

Dubrovnik
Swimming off a cliff in Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik
Ruza's mother :)

Split
At the hostel....

Split
This hostel is a three hundred year old building that has been passed down the family of this lovely Croatian man. Here, we're standing outside, by the street sign that bears his family name.

Comments

[Tory]

hmm
I want to see the Swedish male belly dancers!!!