Pictures and video

Enjoy...

A short video slideshow

Melissa's Croatia pix

Stef's Croatia pix

Katie's Croatia pix

Parting thoughts

As I said in an earlier post today, once we consolidate our photos we'll post a link to a ShutterFly album here so you can all see them at once. We have some really cool photos that weren't even posted and I've only been posting my own. The other girls have some more.

I'm sitting here drinking tea at 8:30 in the morning trying to figure out how to sum up our trip, or at least my own. The thoughts in this blog are mostly my own and I don't think the postings have really truly captured what we experienced individually or collectively. I'm not sure our words or photos ever will. There are so many small moments from the trip that only the five of us will ever appreciate and they make me smile now thinking about them.

It is a truly great thing to be able to travel somewhere, anywhere with 4 good friends... to have those friends period. And friends that are so diverse in their backgrounds, their experiences, their expectations, their strengths, their wisdom, their meaning to you, what they bring out in you. All things that combined made this trip probably one of the best things that I have ever done. How lucky were we to be able to do this with each other? To jet off thousands of miles away to experience such a trip is just so fantastic! I don't say that to make you jealous (although I would be on the other side without a doubt) but to give you pause for a second to reconsider something you've told yourself you can't do, or shouldn't do. Why not? Isn't now the time?

The trip also made us all realize how lucky we are in so many ways that we take for granted. If nothing else, I want to remember the feeling we had when waking up and looking out our window and seeing the vastness of the sea and realizing what we were doing together. Katie even said on our last day together when the sky was clear blue, the air was crisp and the sun was shining and we were all happy... that wouldn't it be great if we could bottle this feeling and take it home and open it up on days we were feeling blue or glum? Wouldn't it indeed.

Thanks girls. I will never forget this trip and it wouldn't have been the same without each of you.

Budapest to NYC

So yesterday was probably the longest day we had throughout our trip. Our flight from Budapest was supposed to leave at 11:55 local time (5:55 a.m. here). We ended up leaving about an hour later and the trip took a little more than 9 hours. Pretty much the only mode of transportation we didn't take on the trip was a train but we now have some good stories about traveling. So our connecting flight in NYC out of JFK was supposed to leave at 5:10 and we didn't land until about 4:30. Needless to say, we missed that flight and Malev Airlines arranged for us to take another flight to DC at 7:30 only it wasn't out of JFK but out of LaGuardia about 30 minutes away. So we had to take a cab to the other airport and check in there. Lucikly the guys at the counter were able to get us on the 6:30 flight and we were all excited about that. The fact that our itineraries changed so close to the flight caused us all to be 'tagged' for extra secrity screening and we all had to have our carry on bags checked and get patted down and waved with a metal detector. Stupid me, left my lip gloss in a side pocket and it was confiscated as one of the liquids we couldn't bring on the plane. Damn. Cari and Jill got theirs through because they were IN their bags. Go figure. Our feeling though was that if that was the only thing lost on the entire trip then we were doing good. You have to understand that we spent a good 2-3 days at Internet cafes reading up on all of the things going on here in the States after the thwarted terror plot and it was kind of surreal in a way. We expected a lot more hassle than what we encountered and have to give credit to the folks who are standing in the way of such things. I would rather a longer line and a bit of a headache than another attack. All in all the experience was much better than I thought it would be.

We got back to Reagan around 7:30 and Cari's hubby Matt picked us up. Thanks Other Friend! So we're back and it almost doesn't feel like we left. Cari and Jill are going to work today, although I have no idea how they are going to do it. I feel a bit off today and sluggish but that'll pass soon enough.

Bird's eye view

The first two pictures here are of Split on the way leaving Croatia. Notice how much of it is actually surrounded by water. Did we tell you that instead of leaving Split to go to Dubrovnik to catch a flight to Budapest, that we bought another ticket and just left from Split. Saved us a 5-hour bus ride and was pretty cheap. Mom- we all said goodbye to Bubba as we were in the air leaving Crotia.
The last picture is of Budapest from the air. Did you know that Budapest wasn't alwasys one city, but a long time ago was Buda and Pest (prounounced Pesh) and was split by the Danube? That's about all the history I know. ;-)
These are the last pictures I took of our trip. Kind of sad to leave but so ready to come home. I'll try to post some more random pictures in a separate post and later we'll send out a link to a ShutterFly album once we have them all together.

Our last day in Croatia

Okay, so our last night together in Split, we went to Bacvice beach and a few bars in that area. The night was pretty short and pretty uneventful because Jill, Cari and I had to leave the next day. We went to a few open air bars that were really cool and probably would be packed on the weekends. About a dozen people were skinny dipping not too far from the one bar we were at and it was funny watching them in the water. We assumed it was pretty cold since it was around 11 p.m. On the walk back to the centar (the area close to where we were staying) we happened across a guy in his car, ummm, how do I put this... uh, he was having a bit too much fun by himself and just smiled at us as we walked by. There he was sitting in his car, with the door open, parked next to a well-traveled walkway... pervert! But we got a good laugh out of it!

One of the things we discovered to our dismay is that Croatians don't have any late night eataries (etterums). Our only hope was the ONE McDonald's we had seen so we hoofed our way over there (that's the one picture of Katie, Jill and Cari in the lamplight) and missed the doors closing by 15 minutes. 15 minutes! Ugh... There aren't many American fast food joints in Croatia but we did also see a Subway. We talked a bit about how in the next 5-10 years corporate business is likely going to take hold of Croatia's beach towns. Would be a bit of a shame if that happens totally though as many would lose their charm. Again, we were just so impressed with the culture and the history of all of the places we saw.

Anyway, okay now our last day (or half day anyway) in Croatia was Tuesday and we skipped the beach to do a bit more shopping. Jill, Cari and I ended up leaving for the airport around 3. A friend of our hotel owner is the one who drove us and it was interesting to learn when he dropped us off that he is also a chief for the local police force. Driving a cab is his second job. Would that happen in the States? Makes you wonder. We made it through security (or what security there was) and waited for our flight to Budapest.

We got to Budapest probably around 7:30 or so and got picked up for our one night stay at the Mellow Mood Hostel in the heart of the city. Our driver got lost and we took a bit of a impromptu tour of one part of the city... lucikly on the way to Croatia we had about 6 hours in Budapest and were able to do our own sightseeing. So the hostel was probably the least favorite of our accommodations. It was basically like a college dorm and we were all pretty much over it before it started. Cari used her deflated raft to sleep on rather than touching the bed, Jill used her beach towel and I used two sarongs. Wasn't THAT bad but wasn't the Marriott either. We went to the hostel bar and got some beers (40s with 5.3% alcohol) to pass the time. Our flight Wednesday was at 11 so we set alarms and asked for a wake up knock for 7:30. More on Wednesday later...

More pictures from Split, day 2

Pictures from Split, day 2

Our last night together in Croatia

(Will post pictures separately, again-- this is getting annoying!)

So today/tonight is the end of our time together. I leave for Budapest with Jill and Cari tomorrow afternoon while Katie and Stef stay 2 more nights and head to Dubrovnik for another 2 nights. Last night we were all pretty beat and just ended up going to a local Croatian restaurant to taste the typical fare there. We were told to get pastasada-- a meat dish served in a brown sauce made of port, onion and various spices and served with homemade dumplings. We all got the same thing because it was recommended to us by our apartment's owner. Instead of individual servings, the waiter brought what was probably the biggest platter of meat we have ever seen. The table next to us-- a very cute Norwegian couple-- even commented that it looked like a lot of food even for Americans. We thought that was funny. The perception here is that Americans overeat, or rather, that we overdo everything! We have been laughing the whole trip because any soda or beverage you order in a bar, cafe, or restaurant is half the size as what we would get back home. Even some of the beers... go figure.

Yesterday we traveled on the ferry from Brac to Split in the pouring rain and thought we had lucked out when we finally arrived and it seemed to be clearing up. Not the case. By about late afternoon, Cari, Katie and Jill were caught in a tsunami of a storm and came back soaked. They said the streets had flooded so much so that some of the manhole covers had come off. I think it was probably the most rain this area has seen in a long time. Luckily today it is sunny although part of the sky does seem a bit threatening.

Today, the other four went to the beach while I stayed home and putzed around. Whatever rash I have I think would have gotten worse in the sun and heat so I've avoided that as much as possible today. Again, it figures that I'd be the one to develop some gross thing while on vacation. It seems to be going away now though so that's good.

We've spent the last few hours tooling around the city, visiting some tourist spots and shopping. We went back to the old palace and the Cathedral of St. Domnius. We went up into the old bell tower and the view was amazing. Katie and I also went into the actual cathedral as well as the adjacent crypt. It was incredible! In the crypt, we encountered these three ladies who told us we had to stand in this one particular spot and sing or talk and it would bounce back to us. But only in that one spot. Sure enough it did. Much like in the Capitol building in DC... must be the dome.

We just finished eating at a cafe here along the Riva which is a really well-known, and well-traveled area full of cafes, shops, and restaurants. Again, all of the outdoor places are so cool because they are more about the people watching than anything else.

Tonight, we plan on going to the Bacvice beach area to check out a few of the bars and clubs we've heard about. Not sure how happening they'll be on a Monday night and particularly because we're in a city now and not the islands. The islands here are much like Dewey to us in that a lot of the locals go there for long weekends.

We have really had an amazing time together and look forward to sharing more of our pictures and stories with all of you when we get back.

Split Palace/square pictures, day 1

Split, day 1

We woke up at about 6 this morning to make the 7:30 ferry from Brac to Split. Split is the largest city in Croatia, or at least the second largest behind the capital Zagreb. There is an incredible amount of history here surrounding Diocletian's palace that is 1700 years old. Parts of it are now a market of sorts with goods ranging from jewelry to paintings. The cathedral next door allows visitors to go inside the bell tower (by the way, the bells, when they ring, are amazing). We plan to go do that tomorrow as well as probably our own walking tour of the city. Split is our first taste of a big city in Croatia and it is our last stop on our Croatia Tour 2006. Kind of sad really. The time just flew by and we are going to have so many fantastic memories of our time here.
The apartment we've rented here in Split is owned by a New York City-born Croatian and her husband. They moved here about 3 years ago and also own a small cafe around the corner. It is great to talk to someone who speaks and understands English. Conversing with the locals has been wonderful, but there are only so many sign language clues you can give. We've also found oursevlves asking 'how do you say...' in the middle of our own conversations with each other. I think the lack of sleep is catching up with us big time. Burning the candle at both ends will eventually. But we all agree that the exhaustion is well worth what we've experienced.
There are supposed to be some cool bars and clubs in Split so we'll see what kind of nightlife adventures we can have here.
I will try to post some pictures but blogspot seems to be having issues with that for some reason. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Funny that way.

One more Bol picture from last night

Pictures from Bol

Pictures posted separately

Okay, I'm able to upload pictures now but am going to do so out of order, and probably a bit out of context. These few are of our days and nights on the island of Brac in the city of Bol. Bol's beaches are known as some of the best in the world and it the water was just beautiful. Enjoy. I think I have to upload them separately though as blogspot is having issues.

Pictures

We're having issues posting pictures from the Internet cafe here on Brac (Bol). I managed to post a few today but that's it. Will try to post more from Split.

Hope you're all well.

Would write more about our time here yesterday but I'm brain dead. The synapses are not firing.

Health update

Just to share...

Katie has developed a sore throat, and has had it for several days now.

I now have some sort of rash on my legs, arm, and a little on my chest. Gross! Figures... I come all the way to Croatia and develop an allergic reaction to something. I'm using some gel stuff I got at the pharmacy and I can't read anything of the instructions. Oh well. ha...

We all are coming home with bruises, scraps, and whatnot and well... I guess that's the price we pay for having such a fantastic time!! ;--)

Brac

So tonight is our second and last night on Brac and we're all pretty tired from going out last night. Famous last words of 'we'll only be out for a little while' turned into a 5 o'clock in the morning night out. We went to this cool bar near the water complete with flame throwing bartenders. It ended up raining twice while we were there but it was fun dancing in the rain. I highly recommend it if you ever get the chance.

We met some cool guys last night who we had actually first met in Dubrovnik. Again, we're just all so tired that we slept really late. Weather isn't too hot today anyway so we didn't miss much.

We keep getting reports from various friends about the terrorist threat and the impact... super weird. We are now pretty much going to put everything we have in our checked luggage. Guess that means buying wine and bringing it back is out of the question. But we'll be okay. No worries.

Random images from Bol

Thoughts and observations from the Dalmatian Coast

Hello all... it is about 8 p.m. local time and we're now on the island of Brac (pronounced with a 'ch' at the end). It took us about an hour to get here from Hvar. We are loving the fact that every place we've been to and every place we've stayed has been different from the one before it. Definitely giving us some great memories and stories... several of which just can't be shared with such a large audience. ;--)

Anyway, here are some things we've discovered along the way:

People think Americans are rude but some of the people here have to be the rudest we have ever encountered. Not the locals necessarily just in general. There's no such thing as a line... people basically huddle around whatever entrance they are trying to access and rush it when it opens. Think cattle at a dude ranch in the West being herded into one of those gated-off areas. I'm just waiting for someone to 'moo.' I mean honestly...

As far as traditional Croatian fare or folklife, we have yet to see or experience much of either. Actually a bit of a disappointment that the places have been so touristy. As beautiful as they've been we haven't gotten much local flavor. A lot is influenced by Italy and Germany. Last night we ate at a German restaurant on Hvar. We tried the octopus salad... so good! It was a mix of chilled octopus, with peppers, potatoes, greens, and a few other things. This trip for us has been so much about trying new things and I think we've been able to do that a lot of the time.

This is the most ice cream eating place I/we have ever seen. People eat ice cream for breakfast at 9 a.m. and for dessert at midnight. Strangest thing ever and I think we're all going to come home disappointed by the ice cream in the States. It is so fantastic here!!!

Europeans in general are so un-self conscious about their bodies it is unbelieveable. A few of us have gone topless twice and I have to say that while it is definitely somewhat liberating, I couldn't help think the whole time that it was wrong and it was something I wasn't supposed to be doing. Maybe that's why the 'foreigners' are usually the ones who are the topless ones. And let's talk about guys in speedos. Over here, everywhere you look there's a guy in a speedo. Nine times out of ten he looks damn good too.

The beaches over here aren't sand. We've only gone to one beach with sand and we had to hire a taxi to take us to it on Korcula, but it was about a 20-minute ride away.

We have honestly not met that many Croatians. More Italians, Brits and Aussies than anything. I think that's because they get these insanely long holidays and can jet all over the place. If only we could be that lucky. We've been doing cartwheels for 8 months in preparation for this trip and it is only two weeks long.

It is very weird not watching TV or even listening to a radio. Our apartment today is the first one to have a TV and we were so in awe of having one that we watched a Spanish soap opera being translated into Croatian for 15 minutes. We didn't have a clue what was going on or being said so we started our own storyline. Ours was actually probably better anyway. Ha...

Bread with oil and parmesan cheese rocks!

Everyone is beautiful here... and while we certainly fit in... we just don't know where to look first.
(I have her permission to say this...) Katie has pretty much fallen in love at each place we've visited but has had to break up with the guys to travel to the next place. Leaving broken hearts all over Croatia...

So far we have 'met' the son of a Croatian singer, an underwear model and a member of the Croatian Olympic basketball team. His name was Vlado... and he was hilarious. Spent a month in Baltimore two years ago and the two things that stick out to us about talking to him are that all he wanted to eat there was meat and all he was being served was crab. "I ask for meat, and you serve me crabcake." He also said that his host family took him to a Baptist church and during the sermon he was introduced by the preacher and the whole congreation starting yelling "Hallelujah!!! to try to 'save' him. Guess you had to hear him tell it in his broken English. One of his favorite American phrases is "I'll put a cap in your ass!". We figure it must have been a rough neighborhood in B'more. Ha ha hah.....

Images of Hvar

Here are a few random shots of us out and about in Hvar.

And yes, we are reading and hearing about the terrorist plot foiled in London and it does give us a bit of a pause. But we are all pretty confident we will be okay. We have been interested to hear all the varying opinions of Americans from other travelers...

Surviving Hvar

Hello all!
So if we continue to keep up our current schedules, I am not sure we'll make it back to the States in one piece. The norm here is to go out until 5 a.m. But then we end up sleeping til noon and miss half the day, but I think we'd all agree that the lack of sleep, no normal eating skeds, etc. has all been well worth it. This has been just an incredible experience. We have met some amazing people traveling on their own or in small groups.
One guy, Dan, from New Zealand has pretty much been doing the same island circuit as us and we've had fun with him. He's the guy with us in the pictures from the beach party as well as the one of the five girls at a bar at night. He's hilarious... and he also is helping run a company called Service Just Got Sexy in London. It basically is a group of hot guys who go to bar events and serve the women cocktails and just up the "eye candy" factor. Here's the site: www.servicejustgotsexy.co.uk
Last night we ended up going to Carpe Diem again, to dinner, and then out to a few of the bars and clubs here. We thought we recognized this guy at the beach party from Dewey or Arlington. Stef went and asked him and turns out he was from LA. His friend then told us he was on the show 'Survivor' several years ago. He was a super cool guy and actually pretty down to earth. He's the one in the picture with me posted in this entry. Last night was a lot of fun and today we're all sort of in a post-party fog.
Jill and I might rent scooters and tool around the island. That would be fun. The weather on Hvar hasn't been that great and last night it actually poured for a solid hour or two.
We'll see how the day goes. Tomorrow we're off to the island of Brac for two nights. Hoping to get some beach time in there as we haven't been able to go here on Hvar.