Republika Hrvatska

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Republika Hrvatska - The Dalmation Coast, August 26th - September 25th, 2009

After leaving Budapest we decided to start exploring Croatia in the capital city of Zagreb. During our stay in Hungary we were completely spoiled by having our own apartment and having to return to the hostel life proved to be quite difficult. It was made even harder by being in one of the worst hostels we've yet stayed in on this trip. Six person dorms in a room better suited for two, no room to even unpack, and hot as hell. Clearly the only way to deal with the situation was to drink beer for dinner and mingle in the beer garden! Over our 3 night stay in Zagreb we experienced some of the hottest temperatures of our trip yet, nearly 40 degrees. This made it impossible to tour the city during the day, so we managed to see most of the city in the evenings. Originally our next destination was Zadar, but we quickly noticed that there were no hostels available online. Not wanting to be left without a place to sleep, we switched our plans and headed to Rijeka instead. Only after making our booking at the Art Hostel in Rijeka did we find out from the locals that it is not necessary to make reservations along the coast. Upon arrival there are several people offering rooms and apartments seconds after getting off the bus. Lessons learned.

Rijeka is the principal seaport of Croatia, located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea. Rijeka was also the place we got our first taste of the beach bum lifestyle. Unfortunately the water was freezing, so we only stayed two nights...onto Zadar!

In Zadar we got completely spoiled when we found our very own three bedroom luxury apartment with full kitchen, balcony and bathroom. During our 5 days in Zadar all we did was work on our tans, sleep, eat and drink. Finally a vacation after so many months of traveling.

Split was our next destination and definitely the most beautiful so far in Croatia. John, Dan's cousin joined back up with us after leaving for a wedding in Poland. He returned with a bottle of Vodka and to my delight, a huge Hungarian salami! Thanks to a stop over in Budapest. We lucked out again with a great apartment and beautiful weather so we ended up staying for 10 days! Ah the freedom of no timeline. Again we spent endless days relaxing on the beach, dancing at beach clubs, and cooking fresh seafood from the local fish market. We ventured away from the beach only twice in Split, once was to take a ferry to Supetar on the nearby island of Brac, the other was to rent scooters and explore the Dalmation Coast a little more closely. We ended up going to Trogir and Omis, a few of the nearby towns, all of which are destinations on their own. We also managed to go up and see the fortress at Klis, one of many fortresses which are scattered all over the area.

When the weather finally got cloudy and cool we decided it was time to take the bus to Dubrovnik for a couple of days. The weather improved considerably so a couple days quickly turned into 8. We scored another great apartment right above a pizzeria in one of the busiest party alleys in Dubrovnik right in the center of the old town. Needless to say sleep was nonexistent until about 3am. Dubrovnik's stunning architecture, spectacular churches, tiny winding streets, and museums are all surrounded by intact city walls, which run uninterrupted for 1940 meters encircling the city. One of the most popular tourist activities is walking the entire length of the city walls offering panoramic views of the old town surrounding beaches, nearby islands and crystal clear waters. Absolutely breathtaking.

Tanned, relaxed and rested we continue our journey in Montenegro.

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Photos

Rijeka
The beach! Finally!

Split
So this is where Santa Claus spends his summers.

Supetar, Brac Island
Browsing at the local market.

Dubrovnik
Like an enchanted fairytale.

Dubrovnik
As seen from the hills above the city.

Dubrovnik
Seen from the top of the mountain.