So far in Croatia I've learned a very important lesson: there are sun goddesses and then there are the rest of us. People watching in Croatia points out very quickly those who were made to lay at the beach and those who weren't. Those who were effortlessly glide around in the 100 degree heat, with their golden tanned skin, looking strait out of a magazine, without so much as a bead of sweat on their bodies. Those who weren't proudly wear a bright red skin hue, sport lines of white in every which direction, have sweat dripping down their faces, and are constantly applying sun cream to any exposed body part. Stacia and I (especially me) fall into the latter category. Shocking, I know. Actually, we may even make up a whole separate category on our own. Shade chasers. Rather than attempting to get any sun (because we know it will be an insta-burn situation) we constantly chase shade under our Gillian and Granny hats as we've so lovingly named them. One day at the beach I got a little over zealous and stuck my legs out in the sun. Big mistake. Here I am, two days later with heat rash. My days as a potential sun goddess ended as quickly as I hoped they would have begun. Just my body's way of reminding me that I'm related to Casper.
Apart from the blistering heat, Croatia has been amazing so far. We flew into Zagreb and slowly made our way down the coast to end up in Dubrovnik (where Stacia would leave me to fly home). Our time dodging the sun has included:
- Plitvice Lakes National Park - What an amazing park! We started at Entrance 1 and saw the big bright blue and green colored pools, lakes and massive waterfalls near the start of the park (along with thousands of our closest friends). All along this park you walk on board walks, allowing you to really feel right up close to the falls and the surrounding nature. We continued further into the park and after a boat ride across one of the middle lakes we made it to the upper falls and lakes. This ended up being our favorite part. A lot less crowded, we were able to hike along the water - seeing more pools and waterfalls on our way - on a shaded dirt path until we reached the end of the park. It was so beautiful! The color of the water was so bright and clear - it felt like we should have been on an island somewhere.
- Mostar, Bosnia - One of Stacia's coworkers is from Bosnia and he suggested we head over to Mostar, which is just over the border. I am so glad he suggested it! Coming into town it was evident there was a recent war, with several of the buildings still in ruins. Arriving in Old Town, we felt like we were in a whole other world. We were surrounded by small white stone alleyways filled with restaurants, shops and vendors. They were bursting with colorful lights, jewelry, rugs, and clothing - most with a heavy Middle Eastern and Turkish influence. Stacia and I both agreed we could have spent a lot of money at those little markets. We visited the Old Bridge (Stari Most), which suspended over the bright blue/green water of the Neretva river and connected the two parts of Old Town. Divers stand at the top of the bridge (at 78 feet high), convincing people to pay them money to jump (and it works). The bridge was originally built in 1567 and stood intact until it was destroyed in 1993 during the Croatian-Bosnian War. After the war, the bridge was reconstructed using some of the original stones (divers found them in the water below) and the original building techniques. It was spectacular. It is considered to be one of the most impressive pieces of Balkan Islamic architecture. In addition to loving Mostar, we also really enjoyed the drive. We drove through beautiful green and white rock mountains with Mediterranean looking houses (white exteriors with red roofs) spattered on the hillsides everywhere.
- Hvar Island - Known for it's parties, beaches, and yacht goers, we figured we'd be right at home in Hvar. While in Hvar we got some beach time (which for us meant plopping down under an extra large umbrella ensuring not an inch of skin got any sun). We ventured to a small beach near our airbnb and after a lost-in-the-desert-searching-for-the-beach situation accidentally taking us through a dump, down people's driveways, and near (luckily) fenced in boars, we made it. We also scored our best friend for the next two days - our extra large leaf hut umbrella with an excess of shade. It was glorious. A highlight in Hvar was watching the sunset from the top of the castle which overlooks the island and has a great view of all the yachts coming in and out of the harbor. We even hiked to the top with a bottle of wine! We loved the little town of Hvar, where most of the buildings are made out of white limestone and have colorful shutters and doors. Really a place to live the island life!
Highlights:
- Plitvice Lakes National Park - a must see in Croatia! Beautiful waterfalls and lakes.
- Mostar - totally unexpected and definitely worth the side trip from Croatia!
- Hvar Town - this little island (while a little fancy for us) was so adorable.
- Hiking up to the Castle in Hvar - a relatively easy hike with a great view!
- Leaf Hut - this guy really was a highlight.
Lessons Learned:
- I was not made for hot weather.
- When traveling, practicality often trumps fashion.
- The roads in Croatia are quite nice but they definitely pay for it - we paid a lot of tolls. They seem to be more reasonably paced drivers here though - and there are actually lines on the road!
- Wine in Croatia is really cheap and really good. Yay Croatia!
- There are a lot more Americans here than in the other countries we've been so far...and a lot of British as well.
Thanks for reading!
Plitvice Lakes National Park.
The Old Bridge in Mostar.
Sunset view of Hvar.