There really isn’t much that can be said against our time in the region, although I dont think anyone would complain if Croatia either instilled a diet/workout ethic or made some of the beaches a bit more “clothed”…

(Don’t forget to check out the Eastern Europe Photo Gallery here)

Favorite moments:

• Sarajevo
• Seeing Morgan
• Pastries
• Baltic Music
• Movies in Budapest
• Beautiful beaches & coastlines

Not so great:

• Expensive lodging!
• Cold sea water
• Seeing naked people (not of our own free will)

Total Money Spent Per Person: $849.06

Average Per Day Costs Per Person:

• Lodging: $18.89
• Food: $11.04
• Transportation: $12.70
• Misc: $4.54 (movies, wine, park entrance fees, supplies, etc.)

Total Average Per Day, Per Person: $47.17

Number of Days: 18

It’s July 4^th and we’re on a train to Sarajevo, Bosnia. At home, our friends and families are celebrating with cookouts and reunions, enjoying a great American day. Today, we feel a bit homesick and definitely out of the loop of the goings-on in our motherland. For us, there will be no grilled burgers, cold beer or fireworks but it was a good reminder of the cost of freedom to experience July 4th in a land where the scars of war are still so evident.

Out the window and into the world

As we roll into town we see the effects of the recent war on everyone: the obviously still shell shocked homeless men wandering around the town square, the leg injuries are constant reminders of the thousands of landmines still in the hills around the city, the sallow faces who look happy today but with memories that cloud their faces when they expect no one to notice. The buildings still hold the bullets and scars from the fighting they stood witness to.

The old tram car

Bullet scars in the streets

But among these blatant scars and holes there is remarkable modernity, obvious signs of forward progress and regaining of financial wealth. Inside the unremarkable store fronts are posh restaurants and chic bars, clothing stores feature the latest styles in their unblemished glass windows.

In the streets

The contrast in this city are overwhelming, curiously inviting. The people we have met even just so far are incredibly kind and helpful, people who are marked with a severely battered, violent past who simply can not stand anymore anger, hatred and fighting. They are tired and ready to keep moving forward. This attitude is largely the reason why Sarajevo is now so safe and crime so low.

Wow, Croatian food is not normally a top world cuisine but the pastries here are just out of this world! Definitely stop in at one of the many bakeries and feast on some of the delicious goodies they offer. Our favorites tend to be the blackberry, cherry and chocolate ones. My mouth is watering just imagining them!

Traditional Dancers not dancing

In Zagreb right now there is a national heritage festival going on. In the city square there are small troupes of dancers and musicians who sing and play and dance in traditional costume according to their heritage.

Dancers...Dancing

We watched several of these groups: the Hungarians, the Polish, the Czechs, and so on. When we had our fill of that, we came across a very sweet smelling market with loads of flowers, fruits and vegetables, cheeses, a few clothes and various housewares.

In the market

As we made our way up and through the market, we saw a large beautiful cathedral under reconstruction. In the courtyard in front were more heritage singers and dancers and a few tourists eager to have their photos taken with someone in costume.

It was a rainy morning and we used the time to get to Zagreb from Zadar. Zagreb is a very big, very traditional looking eastern European city with lots of great architecture, colorful heritage, and sketchy looking guys. It is a damp, dreary day and after strolling tentatively around the city square, we decided to head back to the hostel for a day “in.”

In the park

Since Morgan has to leave on a late flight tonight, we had to head back to Zadar this morning. Saben and Lin checked into the hostel and then we spent a warm sunny day at the beach. The water is still quite cold but it is just as clear and blue as the famous pictures of Croatia suggest.

Ice cream tends to be where the action is

When our appetites got the best of us (it’s hard work lounging on the beach, you know), we went for something less than traditional but still a favorite of nearly every country it seems: burgers and fries.

Morgan doesn't like mayonnaise on his french fries

Before we knew it, it was time for Morgan to be at the airport. It was hard to believe that the last few days have gone by so quickly! Even so, we had a really fun time while he was here and it is pretty awesome that he flew half way around the world just to come visit us!

And the sun sets on another day

Sightseeing in Sibenik. Very interesting and famous cathedral, a lovely old city, and dilapidated remains of the old castle walls. From the high walls, much of the city is visible but most spectacular is the view over the sea. It was a warm, clear blue day and we were able to see the nearby Kornati islands and boats of all sizes zipping through the azure water below.

Heads around the Cathedral

We spent a fun afternoon exploring the high, narrow streets of Sibenik stopping only to enjoy kebabs for lunch and ice cream in the park.

The Cathedral

The view from the castle walls

The three of us on the Castle walls

After wandering down by the long docks, we stopped at one of the many cafes and had a few drinks until the sun went down.

A few drinks by the dock

We had only an hour or so til the outdoor movie we were going to see started (Valkyrie) and made a quick stop at the by-the-scoop candy vendor. What a great way to cap off a beautiful day!

A good base for visiting the Krka National Park, Sibenik is only an hour or so away from Biograd. When we arrived, we were scooped up immediately by a very flamboyant man with a bad toupee and a cheap room to rent. It was decent enough for a couple nights and after settling in, we set out for “Skradin,” the bus stop for visiting Krka. It was maybe 20 minutes from town and dropped us right at the park entrance.

Path through the park

We walked along the wooden footpaths over the clear, rushing water with layers and layers of thick green foliage surrounding us. The fish were playing in the current and in the dancing sunlight as it shone through the thick tree leaves and into the shallow water.

Lily in the pond

Walking along, we came to the overlook above the main waterfall and lake. The lake is formed into small pools connected and flowing into the ones below it. We rounded the paths and came level with the waterfall, and wouldn’t you know it—there were naked and nearly naked people crawling from the woodwork!

Pretty sure this is work safe

I am beginning to think that Croatia’s motto should be “Any time is naked time!” But beyond the “sunbathers” was a very lovely waterfall, meeting with the pristine looking lake.

The waterfall

As we crossed the bridge from the waterfall view, it began to rain. It rained only lightly at first as we ascended to the other side of the lake. The farther up we went, the more it began to rain and by the time we had put away the camera and made it up onto the road, it was pouring buckets! We had seen as much as we were going to see and had an enjoyable time but decided to call it a day.

Morgan! because you see enough of us

Travel Tip:

Krka National Park is the smaller, sister park of the famed Plitvice National Park. Granted, there is less to see bus it is much easier to access and there are fewer tourists here keeping prices low. The park is very well maintained, clean and beautiful. At the top of the park near the entrance gate, there are a few small cafes serving moderately priced food, ice cream and other snacks as well. For us, Krka was a better alternative to our short amount of time and our very small budget that Plitvice simply could not hold up to. Maybe next time!

In the park, we savored our pastries and passed around the orange juice in the early morning light. Today we spent a sunny, warm day on the pebbley beach of Biograd far away from the loads of naked and nearly naked vacationers and locals.

Beach...obviously

But even so far down the beach (coastline more like it, ha), we still didn’t escape the 3 very large, very tanned and very naked old people frolicking in the water only a couple hundred meters for our spot. Oh, these crazy Croatians. They certainly dislike wearing clothes, from ages 0-60 (and probably well beyond that!).

Saben and Morgan (fully clothed) on the beach

The water is unseasonably cold due to this being the rainiest summer in the last 100 years for Croatia. Lucky for us, we had a mostly beautiful day until early evening when a dark, blue grey sky covered the sun and pushed us back into town and into our rented room for shelter.

Boat down by the dock

The rain did not last long, a nice trait of summer rains here, and we spent a quiet evening by the docks again. It really is a lovely place, great for a relaxing vacation and especially in the evening when the restaurants are packed but the streets are relatively quiet.

Picked up Morgan at the little airport in Zadar before heading to charming Biograd, about an hour and a half away! We’re really excited to have company and glad he could visit us all the way in Croatia!

Lin at the airport

Biograd is a little town with plenty for guest houses, restaurants and a very long but narrow beach. We spent our first day with Morgan lazing about since he has had such a long travel day! We enjoyed the best pizza we’ve had in 6 months for dinner as we sat down by the docks watching the sun slowly go down behind the endless rows of boats bobbing in the sea.

A painfully slow travel day….Eight hours from Dubrovnik and we were the only 2 passengers on board the bus for at least 4 hours (so the driver felt compelled to “take breaks” at least once an hour). Very beautiful views on a very narrow mountain highway that winds back and forth, back and forth til you have nearly lost your head! In Zadar, had trouble finding lodging (just like Izmir). Had to take city bus 3km out of town to the HI hostel (cheap but lame place). Spent evening walking around the beach and throwing rocks in the water while we waited for the sun to set. Lindsey’s brother Morgan will be arriving to meet us tomorrow!