Split/Zadar/Plitvice/Zagreb - Days 142-145

4 cities in 4 days...needless to say with all the moving around, I've neglected my blog a bit. Plus I was having a little Couchsurfing crisis with people not responding or saying they can host and canceling at the last minute.

On Thursday I caught a morning bus from Split to Zadar, another town on the Adriatic coast about 3 hours north. Good thing my host in Zagreb had to go out of town last minute, or otherwise, I wouldn't have even stopped in Zadar. It is a gorgeous little town; no big surprise there. It is built on a natural peninsula and juts out into the sea in an almost perfectly rectangular shape. Like other walled cities, there are many historical sites like gates, churches, monasteries, etc...but the coolest thing for me was a modern structure called the Sea Organs. They're staggered steps built into the sea side in different configurations with holes, and when the waves crash again them, they sound different notes like a organ. So they're entertaining and utilitarian at the same time, and also an ideal place to watch the sunset. 

Friday saw me rise early to catch yet another bus from Zadar to Plitvice to see the famous chain of lakes. It is a famous national park with turquoise lakes in different altitudes that cascade into each other. I had no intention of visiting but then someone showed me a picture and plans were altered. Plus it was conveniently located between Zadar and Zagreb, my next location. The only problem was working around the bus schedules. I arrived in Plitvice a little before noon and stored my luggage in a local hotel. Sidenote: The only complaint I have about Croatia is that people charge for everything and will flat out say "no" without any expression on their face when you ask for a favor. The lakes were amazing as expected and the boardwalks and trails were well-marked and accessible. I was prepared for strenuous hiking in 85 degree weather but the park tram did the hard work for us by driving us to the top and allowing us to walk down. So I spent 5 hours in the park and caught a bus by the side of the road to Zagreb. 

That's really when the "fun" started. A lady on Couchsurfing agreed to let me stay with her for Friday evening but when I called her after arriving at the bus station, she was convenient out of the city and wouldn't be back until after 10pm. Okay...no problem, I can deal with that, so I waited in the center. Per her instructions, I texted her after 10pm - no response. After waiting another 30 minutes, I called her only to discover that her phone was turned off. At least the city is still in full swing at 11pm so I wasn't alone or in any danger. Thankfully, I had a backup guy who kindly took me in at after 11pm. Today I found a "I'm  SO SO SORRY" email from her. No worries lady. 

So Zagreb is really nice; probably one of my favorite capital cities. I generally don't like them because they're often too large and sterile, but Zagreb is very walkable with a nice old town. I've been walking around all day discovering "upper town" with its old streets and architecture and also "lower town" with the shopping and large administrative buildings and museums. There is also a heavenly ice cream store that I've already visited twice in 12 hours. 

Split - Days 140-141

Made it to Split - quick and painless. The bus ride took about 4.5 hours and hugged the Dalmatian coast the entire way. Unfortunately I've developed some sort of automatic reflex to being on buses and was asleep for about 80% of the ride despite my efforts to stay awake and appreciate the scenery.

I'm traveling north along the Croatian coast and plan to stop in a few cities and then Zagreb, the capital. Split is a really cool town with Roman influences and a beautiful old town as well. It is overshadowed by Dubrovnik, and for that reason, I might even like it a bit more. The city walls aren't as imposing so it seems as if the residential neighborhood naturally flows into the old city with its shops and restaurants. The streets and buildings are also less pristine, but that's what gives it character. And I'll take character over perfection any day.

My host is a Croatian guy named Mladen, and coincidentally, his roommate's name is also Mladen. So I'll be spending the next couple days here with Mladen squared. I have to say Mladen #2 is pretty darn good looking and at the moment I'm helping him pick out different outfits to bring on his vacation this weekend. And he's not shy about changing in front of people...

Dubrovnik - Days 137-139

They don't call it "The Pearl of the Adriatic" for no reason. Dubrovnik's perfectly preserved old town almost seems unreal, and my first throught when I stepped in was "Are you serious?" Everything is immaculate and clean and the streets are so polished they literally shine. It's like a brand new cultural theme park except it's been around for hundreds of years and even partially destroyed 20 years ago.

The only downside, and a major one at that, is how much the old town has positioned itself for tourism. There are over a dozen religious structures, museums, historical houses within the 2 km long city wall, and everything requires an admission ticket. Plus every establishment is either a restaurant or souvenir shop with staff outside rattling off menu items and prices. They're merely doing what they have to do for a tourist town - make enough money during the summer season to get them through the winter. However, it's sad to think that this was once a functional city with bakeries, watchmakers, cobblers, etc...

So my first day here was spent exploring the old city and dodging a particularly touchy restaurant owner. My host told me that's a favorite summer pasttime for older Croatian men. Of course it is. There are thousands of fresh scantily clad girls everyday, so leave me and my oversized cargo pants alone. On the way back to the host's home, I ran into a Slovakian guy two doors down who asked me if I knew of anyone renting rooms. He had just crashed his motorbike and needed a place to stay for the night while his bike was being fixed. I'm couchsurfing with my host Mare but she rents out rooms in the summer as well, so I figured I'd let her decide and he could wait with me in the meantime. Mare is a lesbian (all the rainbows and gay themed decor clued me in) but she "doesn't mind straight people" and I was hoping she's not a man hater either. But everything worked out well. I made dinner for us, we chatted and drank a bottle of homemade Croatian wine, she ended up letting him crash for free, and he was off the next day. And now I have a contact in Bratislava when I make my way there in a couple of weeks :)

Yesterday I wanted to make a day trip to Kotor, a town in Montenegro about 2.5 hours away but discovered the public bus schedule was no in my favor. Even with the earliest departuring and latest returning bus, it would have only given me about an hour and half in the city. I was keen on escaping the hoards of cruiseshippers for the day and decided to take a much shorter trip to Cavtat, a small town only 20km from Dubrovnik, and the public transportation was easy and cheap. While Cavtat is still a tourist town, it's less crowded and has some nice bathing areas that are hard to find in the Dubrovnik old town. I can't think of a much better way to cool off than eating a pistacchio ice cream and dangling your feet in crystal clear water. 

To finish the day with a bang, I hiked to the top of the fortress overlooking Dubrovnik city. There is a cable car that goes up but I wanted to save some money and get exercise as well. The decision was made as I was eating a jelly-filled donut. A couple of people have told me not to walk because the trail is not in good condition with loose rocks, and I read on a message board that it's imperative to stay on the track because there are still landmines. Then someone else responded the landmines are not a problem, but just watch out for the snakes... And what do you know, not outside of ten steps, I spot a snake by the trail head. No idea what type but it wasn't too long and didn't look poisonous; I decided to soldier on. 45 minutes later and a couple shades darker, I was on top. And I didn't see any other snakes on the way up or down, and obviously no landmines.

Today is my last full day and the plan is to take a quick ferry ride to Lokrum - a nearby island, and maybe enjoy the old city once again in the evening.

Mostar - Days 134-136

I had never really heard of Mostar until I read more about Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it turns out to be a really important city - both in the context of war and travel. It is a small town in Herzegovina; southwest Bosnia that was pretty much devastated during the war. Today, it is a really popular tourist town because of its proximity to Dubrovnik, and many visit on daytrips, especially those from Adriatic cruises. Due to the town's small size, the influx of tourists during the summer is painfully obvious. There is only one street through the center of old town and usually swamped with retirees fresh off the bus (new definition to FOB?). And tons of Asians for some reason...

The most well-known landmark is the Stari Most or old bridge. It was built by the Ottomans and completely destroyed during the war in 1994. There is a little bookstore right off the bridge that shows footage of its destruction, and it's heartbreaking to watch. However, the story has a happy ending because the bridge was restored in 2004 and is now UNESCO protected, and crazy locals continue to jump/dive off of it as they have in the past. The water in the river Neretva below is a beautiful shade of green but near freezing in temperature with a strong current, so diving and even swimming is extremely dangerous. It is still a bit early in the season for divers, but I was lucky enough to catch one during my stay in Mostar. It looks deceptively easy but my host said with no trace of humor in her voice, "DO NOT jump off the bridge" as if I was really going to try. Apparently there are tourists and locals who die every year, and it doesn't help that many of them were drunk at the time... No need to tell me twice; I have a fear of heights anyway.

Yesterday, I made my way to Dubrovnik, Croatia after a 3 hour bus ride that took us from Bosnia to Croatia, back to Bosnia, and back to Croatia - 4 passport checks. At least they don't bother with stamping anything so it was quick and painless. I arrived in the early evening so haven't really had much time to explore but from what I can tell, it's going to be amazingly picturesque and probably filled with more cruise ship tourists on day excursions.