Bye for now <3 p="">
Monday, June 5, 2017
Plitvice Lake National Park, Croatia
Just going to leave theses stunning pictures to describe my day. I took a transfer from Split to Zagreb (the capital) with a stop off in the National Park.
Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
I did a day trip from Split to Mostar. This has come highly recommend by friends and other travelers that I have met along the way and I have to say it didn't disappoint. The tour I did was very small, only about 8 of us, and the tour guide was great. He was so informative and shared some history about the former Yugoslavia and the wars. The former Yugoslavia now consists of Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The wars lasted from 1991-1995, and ended a bit earlier in some of the countries. During the war many soldiers and civilians died, and many people today are still vastly affected by the wars as they were only 25 years ago. The population of Bosnia and Herzegovina 3.5 million with 50% Bosniak, 30% Serbs, and 15% Croats. There are two major religions in Bosnia and Herzegovina 51% are Muslim and 46% are Christian.
First we stopped at Porcitelj with stunning views of the mosque and the river, then we continued on to Mostar. Mostar is known for it's old bridge which was built in 1566, the bridge divided the two religions-one side is the Christian side and the other side the Muslim side. Still to this day the bridge divides the religions. Unfortunately during the war the Croatian's destroyed the bridge so that the Bosniaks could not use the bridge. It was reconstructed with some of the original stones and finished in 2005. In 1995, there was a mass genocide of more than 8,000 Muslim Bosniaks after several years of ethnic cleansing campaigns and the largest amount since WWII. This unfortunate event got foreign forces involved to help end the wars. The bridge is 27 meters high and men jump into the river below to prove their courage, now locals lump for money. All around you can still see the damage from the wars, chucks missing from buildings from shrapnel and whole areas demolished. Once the synagogue is finished being built Mostar will be one of the only areas in the world that has a mosque, synagogue and church are all within 1km.
After Mostar we were able to get back on the air con coach, it was 30C (86F) today and they said this was mild, as most days in summer get up to 50C (125F)! We went to Kravica Waterfalls next and got to have a dip in the chilly water.
Great day and highly recommend if in this area of the world to stop into Mostar.
Bye for now <3 nbsp="" p="">
First we stopped at Porcitelj with stunning views of the mosque and the river, then we continued on to Mostar. Mostar is known for it's old bridge which was built in 1566, the bridge divided the two religions-one side is the Christian side and the other side the Muslim side. Still to this day the bridge divides the religions. Unfortunately during the war the Croatian's destroyed the bridge so that the Bosniaks could not use the bridge. It was reconstructed with some of the original stones and finished in 2005. In 1995, there was a mass genocide of more than 8,000 Muslim Bosniaks after several years of ethnic cleansing campaigns and the largest amount since WWII. This unfortunate event got foreign forces involved to help end the wars. The bridge is 27 meters high and men jump into the river below to prove their courage, now locals lump for money. All around you can still see the damage from the wars, chucks missing from buildings from shrapnel and whole areas demolished. Once the synagogue is finished being built Mostar will be one of the only areas in the world that has a mosque, synagogue and church are all within 1km.
After Mostar we were able to get back on the air con coach, it was 30C (86F) today and they said this was mild, as most days in summer get up to 50C (125F)! We went to Kravica Waterfalls next and got to have a dip in the chilly water.
Great day and highly recommend if in this area of the world to stop into Mostar.
Bye for now <3 nbsp="" p="">
Saturday, June 3, 2017
Sail Croatia
Next stop was island hopping over 7 days. Sail Croatia came highly recommended so I looked into them, and it seemed that the Explorer cruise was going to be my best option, it's geared towards young professionals and young at heart. Due to my schedule I decided to do Dubrovnik to Split. The boat I was on was called the Melina and it had everyone from early 20s to 60s on it. Most were around 30. I shared a room with a New Zealand girl who is traveling for 9 months! We spent most days together on the islands exploring. There were a lot of couples, some honeymooning, and a big group celebrating several birthdays. The majority of the boat was South African, but there were also Australians, New Zealanders, Americans, and Chileans onboard. Each day they fed us breakfast and lunch and would stop for a few hours so we could swim in the Adriatic Sea. It's early in the summer season so the water was very 'fresh'. I stayed in a below deck cabin thinking early in the season it would't be too hot, I was wrong. The "AC" they have blew luke cool air and the room was very muggy, it was very noisy down there when the engines were on, I think it's worth the little bit extra $$ to stay above deck.
Day 1: We left Dubrovnik and headed tot he first island, Mljet National Park. It was very tiny town with only a few options for dinner, with spectacular views of the sunset.
Day 2: My birthday! Mljet National Park, hired bikes and wandered around the massive lake taking in the views of the turquoise water. We then floated down a narrow passageway with a strong current that took us from the small lake to the big one. So fun! We then got back on the boat and headed to the next island. Stopped off for a swim stop, where the water felt really good after your body went numb. haha. We then docked in Korcula, the birth place of Marco Polo. Something we found as the week went on was that even though boats are going it's not "high season" yet so many of the tourist attractions are closed. We were able to wander the old village and see the outside of Marco Polo's house, however couldn't go in. That evening we went out to a local bar for some drinks and to celebrate me entering a new decade. The lovely crew gave me a ice cream cake with lunch and the whole group sang me happy birthday. :)
Day 3: Vela Luka. This town, like most of the other ones had stunning terra cotta roofs and white brick/stone buildings. There is a cave at the top of a hill that they have found bones of humans that date back to the Mesolithic Period. The cave was nothing spectacular, however the views of the town from up the hill were spectacular. That evening we decided instead of paying for a sit down dinner we would get meats and cheeses and have a picnic in the park.
Day 4: Vis. After another swim stop, we moved into the port of Vis. A bunch from the boat were going to hire scooters and ride around the island. I've never been on a scooter, but my FOMO (fear of missing out) was fierce so I decided let's figure this out. Best decision ever! We hired the bikes for 3 hours and rode from one side to the other. We saw stunning views of the ocean, the towns, and rode through vineyards. One of the girls made an executive decision to stop off for wine tasting at a random vineyard on our way across the island. The couple who owns the vineyard were so nice and friendly and brought us a white, rose, and red to try that they grow and bottle on site. I for years have been trying white and rose wine hoping to eventually find one I like, well the day has finally come and I found a rose that I liked! I liked it enough to buy a bottle! Once back in town the group headed out to dinner, passing another wine tasting place on the way to the restaurant, we just had to stop in for another tasting. This day, from beginning to end was just the best, and really enjoyed spending the day with the group of South Africans and Australians.
Day 5: Hvar. Hvar is swanky, it looks posh. So many celebrities holiday here, and I could see why. No star sightings while I was there. The day was spent wandering the town, then hiking up to the fortress for stunning views of the city and harbour, then a night out on the town. Hvar was the first "big" town we stopped in, known for a good nightlife. The majority of the boat went out together tonight and danced the night away. Fun fact, actually not so fun fact, people can smoke inside restaurants, bars, and clubs in Croatia.
Day 6: Stari Grad. This town is on the same island as Hvar, but has a very different feel. Very small and has some very brought buildings. We had an excursion that day, out to a winery were they make their own wine, olive oil, and meats. We were able to sample a bit of everything. That night we had captain's dinner, however the Captain had a family emergency so it was a Captain-less Captain's Dinner. After the previous night out I ended up having an early night, but not before I wandered down to see about the dancing street several people had mentioned. It was cute, but I was too tired to do more than have a quick look.
Day 7: Split. Our last night we docked in Split. We had the afternoon to wander the town, this place looks more like a metropolis compared to the small little towns I've been in the past several days. Did some souvenir shopping, and wandered the old town. We all met up for farewell drinks and then had our last night on the boat. Check out was the next morning at 9am.
Next stop: Split, Mostar, Plitvice Lakes, Zagreb.
Bye for now <3 3="" p="">
Day 1: We left Dubrovnik and headed tot he first island, Mljet National Park. It was very tiny town with only a few options for dinner, with spectacular views of the sunset.
Day 2: My birthday! Mljet National Park, hired bikes and wandered around the massive lake taking in the views of the turquoise water. We then floated down a narrow passageway with a strong current that took us from the small lake to the big one. So fun! We then got back on the boat and headed to the next island. Stopped off for a swim stop, where the water felt really good after your body went numb. haha. We then docked in Korcula, the birth place of Marco Polo. Something we found as the week went on was that even though boats are going it's not "high season" yet so many of the tourist attractions are closed. We were able to wander the old village and see the outside of Marco Polo's house, however couldn't go in. That evening we went out to a local bar for some drinks and to celebrate me entering a new decade. The lovely crew gave me a ice cream cake with lunch and the whole group sang me happy birthday. :)
Day 3: Vela Luka. This town, like most of the other ones had stunning terra cotta roofs and white brick/stone buildings. There is a cave at the top of a hill that they have found bones of humans that date back to the Mesolithic Period. The cave was nothing spectacular, however the views of the town from up the hill were spectacular. That evening we decided instead of paying for a sit down dinner we would get meats and cheeses and have a picnic in the park.
Day 4: Vis. After another swim stop, we moved into the port of Vis. A bunch from the boat were going to hire scooters and ride around the island. I've never been on a scooter, but my FOMO (fear of missing out) was fierce so I decided let's figure this out. Best decision ever! We hired the bikes for 3 hours and rode from one side to the other. We saw stunning views of the ocean, the towns, and rode through vineyards. One of the girls made an executive decision to stop off for wine tasting at a random vineyard on our way across the island. The couple who owns the vineyard were so nice and friendly and brought us a white, rose, and red to try that they grow and bottle on site. I for years have been trying white and rose wine hoping to eventually find one I like, well the day has finally come and I found a rose that I liked! I liked it enough to buy a bottle! Once back in town the group headed out to dinner, passing another wine tasting place on the way to the restaurant, we just had to stop in for another tasting. This day, from beginning to end was just the best, and really enjoyed spending the day with the group of South Africans and Australians.
Day 5: Hvar. Hvar is swanky, it looks posh. So many celebrities holiday here, and I could see why. No star sightings while I was there. The day was spent wandering the town, then hiking up to the fortress for stunning views of the city and harbour, then a night out on the town. Hvar was the first "big" town we stopped in, known for a good nightlife. The majority of the boat went out together tonight and danced the night away. Fun fact, actually not so fun fact, people can smoke inside restaurants, bars, and clubs in Croatia.
Day 6: Stari Grad. This town is on the same island as Hvar, but has a very different feel. Very small and has some very brought buildings. We had an excursion that day, out to a winery were they make their own wine, olive oil, and meats. We were able to sample a bit of everything. That night we had captain's dinner, however the Captain had a family emergency so it was a Captain-less Captain's Dinner. After the previous night out I ended up having an early night, but not before I wandered down to see about the dancing street several people had mentioned. It was cute, but I was too tired to do more than have a quick look.
Day 7: Split. Our last night we docked in Split. We had the afternoon to wander the town, this place looks more like a metropolis compared to the small little towns I've been in the past several days. Did some souvenir shopping, and wandered the old town. We all met up for farewell drinks and then had our last night on the boat. Check out was the next morning at 9am.
Next stop: Split, Mostar, Plitvice Lakes, Zagreb.
Bye for now <3 3="" p="">
Dubrovnik, Croatia
After 36 hours of travel and who knows how many time zones I finally arrived in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Croatia was at the top of my list for about 7 years and I was so excited to get there. However, when I arrived at 8:30pm to my Airbnb I showered and went straight to bed.
Day 1 in Dubrovnik was very wet and chilly, but that was not going to damper my spirits. I wandered around the Old Town for several hours down all the little streets looking at the magnificent old buildings. Dubrovnik is a walled city, so "Old Town" is within a 1.2 mile wall that wraps around town, it is 13-20 feet thick, depending on if it's on the sea side or land side, and has several turrets and towers to help protect the city. They starting building the walls in the 7th century and they protected the town for many centuries. In the 1970s the walls became a UNESCO World Heritage site. In the afternoon I took a combo tour of Dubrovnik and Game of Thrones. For those that do not know, Game of Thrones shoots in Dubrovnik, they use the landscape of the city for Kings Landing. It was cool to learn a bit about the history of the city, along with seeing some of the well known scenes from one of my favorite tv shows. (I walked the 'shame' steps)
The next day I took a day trip down to Montenegro. I met a group of Canadians and an English girl and spent the day with them. We went to Budva, Montenegro and then continued on to Kotor. I really enjoyed Kotor and wished that I had more time there to explore the gorgeous town. That evening our little group had dinner and wine together and enjoyed sharing stories about where we have been or where we are going on the rest of the trip. It was a pretty great day.
The next morning I had to wander Dubrovnik again, until it was time to board the ship at 1pm. The next 7 days will be sailing between several of the Croatian islands on my way up to Split, Croatia.
Bye for now <3 3="" p="">
Day 1 in Dubrovnik was very wet and chilly, but that was not going to damper my spirits. I wandered around the Old Town for several hours down all the little streets looking at the magnificent old buildings. Dubrovnik is a walled city, so "Old Town" is within a 1.2 mile wall that wraps around town, it is 13-20 feet thick, depending on if it's on the sea side or land side, and has several turrets and towers to help protect the city. They starting building the walls in the 7th century and they protected the town for many centuries. In the 1970s the walls became a UNESCO World Heritage site. In the afternoon I took a combo tour of Dubrovnik and Game of Thrones. For those that do not know, Game of Thrones shoots in Dubrovnik, they use the landscape of the city for Kings Landing. It was cool to learn a bit about the history of the city, along with seeing some of the well known scenes from one of my favorite tv shows. (I walked the 'shame' steps)
The next day I took a day trip down to Montenegro. I met a group of Canadians and an English girl and spent the day with them. We went to Budva, Montenegro and then continued on to Kotor. I really enjoyed Kotor and wished that I had more time there to explore the gorgeous town. That evening our little group had dinner and wine together and enjoyed sharing stories about where we have been or where we are going on the rest of the trip. It was a pretty great day.
The next morning I had to wander Dubrovnik again, until it was time to board the ship at 1pm. The next 7 days will be sailing between several of the Croatian islands on my way up to Split, Croatia.
Bye for now <3 3="" p="">
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)