We Finally Reach Croatia

Thank goodness both of our flights on Sunday morning were on time and glitch free. We arrived in Dubrovnik in perfect timing to catch a taxi to the harbor and board the ship. The taxi ride was exactly as I suspected it would be - terrifying. The experience of the Croatian roads came flooding back to my memory with every twist and turn of the narrow roads that seem to float magically on the side of the cliffs. And why everybody feels the need to pass each other on these roads in beyond me. Where do they have to go so quickly around there? To the beach? Is it that urgent? I was just happy that we were going to be spending most of our time traveling by sea. That seemed much safer to me. Remind me of this should the crazy idea of a motorcycle tour in these parts ever cross my mind.

It started to rain just as we reached the harbor so our first hour on board was spent unpacking and settling in. The ship was gorgeous and much better than I expected. It was built just last year so it was modern and the craftsmanship was truly impressive. I was worried about taking such a similar vacation to one we already did because I feared I would constantly compare the two. Would the second trip measure up to the first? It would be hard since the first time it was damned near perfect. So far the comparison was working in my favor because I never expected such a new and beautiful ship. Bonus!

When the rain stopped we strolled around the harbor just long enough to realize that Croatia does not use Euros, like most other countries in Europe. This was sort of a PITA to have to get different currency and try to figure out the exchange rate in my head every time I wanted to buy something. Vacations shouldn’t involve math! We walked along the shops until we found a bank machine to get ourselves some Croatian currency which is called Kunas. For some strange reason I could not get this through my head and every single time I tried to say the word it came out “Kahunas.” We got a good laugh out of it every time, but I can only imagine how embarrassing it would have been should others have heard me.

The next morning we sailed out of Dubrovnik and headed to Montenegro. The seas were calm and we had to make a pit stop at the border crossing. The weather was perfect until we pulled into Zelenika, the port where we were to have lunch and start biking. We were now in the “Black Mountains” and they seemed to be cloud catchers. They are so high up that the clouds always collect around them as they pass along the sky. I was not too happy and was convinced I would freeze without direct sunlight. My heart sunk further as it started to sprinkle during lunch, but we really lucked out and the sun actually came out as we were munching on dessert. As it turns out I worried for nothing. I was quite comfortable and the ride into Kotor was quite enjoyable. This is one part of the trip that I was looking forward to the most. Ever since Karlo described the high cliffs that surround the bay I just had to see it. The ride was mostly flat and mostly following the shore. Unfortunately, my rear tire was also flat mid-ride, but help swooped in to rescue me and I was back in action in no time. So good to have a guided tour! We rode to the mouth of the Bay of Kotor where we boarded a ferry for a short trip. This is where the ride really started to get beautiful as we pedaled into the city. It was spectacular with views of the high cliffs that surround the city in every direction.

Once in town we had a lovely guided tour of the “old city” and it was fascinating. It appears that there are both Italian (Venetian) and Hungarian roots there. We got a little history lesson, strolled around taking photos and had a nice romantic dinner in one of the town squares. It was so quaint and relaxing. Or maybe I was just really tired and the foreign beer was really strong.