Vis - Croatia

I swatted down about fifty or so spider webs with sizable spiders as I made my way up the overgrown trail number 4 marked with red and white paint. The going was a little slow and I checked for ticks along the way. I found one before it could dig in.

After a little over an hour the trail turned into an old dirt road. I continued on up to a high point with an old building and lookout. I took a couple of photos before finding overgrown trail number five which led me back to the village of Vis on the Island of Vis.

I arrived on Vis via a 2 hour ferry from Split on Sunday afternoon. Today is Wednesday. Upon arrival I inquired at a tour office disguised as Tourist Information. A common practice worldwide. Anyway, I was looking for a place to stay.

The first place I looked at was a self contained room adjoined to a house. It was quite nice but the owner was not very hospitable and seemed to care less if I stayed or not. I didn’t have a good feeling about it so I went back to the tour operator disguised as Tourist Information. The girl who was helping me was very nice and spoke good English. She called around. While she was doing that a guy by the name of Mario interjected his advice. He appeared to be the owner of the business and spoke some sort of very good British English. I would come to find out he’s lived in London and Australia. Anyway, he seemed more than happy to help me find accommodation.

Well, it just so happens he manages some vacation rentals and offered to show me a place I would be very happy with. A short drive took us to the village of Kut and a nice little villa with a one bedroom apartment. Fully contained with balcony and everything I need to make it home for awhile. I figured I could keep busy with island activities for a few days and negotiated a rate of $40 Euro a night. The nice thing about early season in Europe is that businesses are eager to make money and would rather have someone than no one occupy their rental. By just turning up and asking around you can usually negotiate the best rate. Often times you might pay half or less than what you would in July or August.

Vis was a strategic Island for the Yugoslavian military during the cold war and it was closed to travel until the mid 1990’s. Since then it’s been discovered and is a favorite for Yachties who dock their boats overnight, side by side, on the long water front. Loads of charter boats pull in for the evening then leave in the morning. Judging by evening accents there seem to be a lot of North Americans on the charters.

So, back to the hike. It was ok but I can’t say I was too excited by it. The bike ride I did on Monday was much better. Vis is a good Island for cycling. Nice roads and not a lot of cars but be ready to ride up and down hills. Since I don’t like busting through brush and swatting spider webs I’ll take up the bike again tomorrow.

Yesterday I joined a group tour with a guide on a small Zodiac type power boat. It was me, the guide, and 4 college aged kids. One was a couple from Hong Kong studying in England. The other two were friends. One from Barcelona and one from Mexico City who looked like a young Mark Anthony.

The highlight of the trip was a visit to the locally famous Blue Cave. It’s a cave where you enter from the sea through a small entrance and the water inside is illuminated underneath by the light outside. It’s very beautiful but very popular and a bit of a racket as you have to pay a fee to enter. However, it is very well managed. They keep the lines and ticket booth around the corner at a small bay. You pay and wait your number for a ride with a small group in a small boat. You only get about 5 minutes in the cave but for a short bit we were the only boat with about 12 people. Not too bad but I can’t imagine what it’s like in July.

For the rest of the tour we stopped at a couple of beaches. I snorkeled for awhile which was ok because the water is nice, clear and blue but it’s not Thailand or the Caribbean with all the wacky fish and stuff. I probably could have left the snorkeling gear at home.

At the end of the tour our guide showed us where the Yugoslavian Military hid their submarine. It’s a large cement bunker built into the side of a small island just offshore from Vis. We motored in to take a look inside. Pretty cool.

Just like that I’ve already been in Croatia for a week. Split was a nice city with a nice appeal and I liked where I stayed. The day trip to Krka National Park was good with some unique waterfalls. And Vis? It’s undoubtedly a beautiful place but I can’t say I’m finding a real connection with the Island. Part of it is that I really haven’t connected with the Croatian people too well. A few have been very friendly but for the most part I find Croatian's to be a bit abrupt and a little stern. Kind of hard. It’s definitely not Italy or Greece for that matter. I think part of it has to do with some language barriers but mostly I think they are the type that take awhile to get to know and soften over time. Some cultures are like that. Or, maybe I’m just seeing one side of Croatia at the moment.

What I'm enjoying about Vis is how comfortable I am here regardless of whether or not I’m connecting with anyone. My apartment is very chill and I’ve been sleeping really well. I am able to cook my own meals for the time being which is not always easy to do when traveling. It’s literally like having a home away from home and there’s really nothing to worry about. I am tempted to stay longer but will probably move along on Friday nonetheless. We'll see.

One thing I must no forget to mention is that I have been visiting a beach and swimming in the Adriatic at some point everyday. Now that’s something worth noting. The water is divine….

Split - Croatia

With strong thunderstorms building over the mountains to the east the plane banked a hard left to catch the short runway from the south. We dodged a couple of storms on the way from London but safely arrived in Split, Croatia.

It was a long trip with a 2 hour thunderstorm delay out of Houston. I actually witnessed lightning strike the runway. The flight across the Atlantic was ok but I give United Airlines 5 stars for lousy service. Instead of pushing straight on to Croatia I chose to layover a couple of nights in London. I booked a hotel which turned out to be more like a guest house. The room was very small. However, it was comfortable, quiet, and in a great location. Reasonably priced by London standards.

My accommodation was near Kensington Gardens. Just up from the Bayswater tube station which made it very easy to get to from Heathrow. I spent my time in London roaming around Kensington and Hyde Parks with beautiful weather. I actually caught a glimpse of Prince Harry and Meghan as they were leaving Kensington palace. It was dumb luck and I got a photo. Kind of cool considering all the press they have been getting with the recent wedding.

I arrived two hours late in Split from the London Gatwick airport. Apparently the plane had been delayed in Verona, Italy. Something about a strike. The thunderstorms started shortly after clearing immigration. I hopped a bus to get to the city and noticed the windshield wipers were not doing much but the driver was driving safely and a little slower.

I had already booked 4 nights via the internet before arriving. I figured by time I arrived I Split I’d be spent which was right. Fortunately my hotel turned out to be fantastic. It’s in a great location and a good value. Very nice and clean. Much nicer than my London accommodation at half the price. In general I consider Eastern Europe to cost 50% or less than Western Europe. Naturally the touristy places can command a premium.

Split is an interesting place. It’s quite touristy but still retains a nice appeal. There’s an old town with a portion built by the Romans around 300 A.D. It’s full of shops, restaurants and cafes with the Roman Diocletion palace being the main draw as well as a nice waterfront on the Adriatic Sea. To the north there are some beaches and a forested park that rises up to a small mountain like hill for great views. Outside of the old town it’s a bit rough with plenty of graffiti and garbage.

Yesterday I didn’t get going until noon. The trip over really took it out of me this time. However, I had a pleasant walk up and over the forested park. I then discovered a local place for good traditional food. Stuffed peppers, goulash, potatoes, and salad. That’s what I’ve been eating.

Today I walked 30 minutes for an evening swim at a pebbly gravel like beach. I had finished swimming and was sitting on a low ledge. There were lots of people at the beach but it was not crowded. I heard something to my right and saw a car go off the ledge, across a short bit of beach and into the water. It started to float away. The owner had been chasing after the car and grabbed it to pull it in. A group of guys tried to push it out but with no success whatsoever. Totaled I’m sure. What happened? No parking break? Misjudged backing? Too much sun and alcohol? Good thing no one was in the way.

Well, here I am on another trip. The last two and a half months were spent in Houston working, working and working. I wore myself out. I’m tired. Mostly mentally tired. I felt a bit better today but it will take a few more days to get back into a more regular feeling travel mode. My plans at this moment are very loose. Tomorrow I’ll visit Krka National park for the day. I expect it to be a zoo on a Saturday. Maybe I’ll meet some interesting people.