Dubrovnik, I'll See You In My Dreams

My girlfriends and I had planned our trip to Dubrovnik, Croatia back in February, and have dreamed about it since. Thursday morning rolled around much quicker than I thought it would, but I couldn't wait to get on that plane. One of the owners of the Backpackers Hostel picked us up at the airport. Bless him for putting up with our giggling and picture taking. As we drove along the winding coastline, he pointed out the views and even stopped at an especially beautiful view to allow us to get out. He picked oregano, rosemary, and even salvia up from the ground to let us smell. The hostel was very cozy, Milka made breakfast and dinner every day while her sons supplied the touring and advice. (Her husband supplied the endless toasts at each meal).

I could not wait to get to the seaside and we walked toward the water just before sunrise. As we walked down the hill we could see the sun's reflection on the water and the view was absolutely breathtaking. We were officially on vacation. It was a nice evening to sit around with the girlfriends who I had made here in Prague, in the very place we had been looking forward to going.

We had declared Friday a beach day. We had met some great people at our hostel and our group of 4 grew into 7 as we headed through Old Town and to the beach. I tend to get excited when it comes to swimming and I was wading in the water before most of the group had even put their things down. The water was cold, but the clearest I have ever seen. I was able to see the bottom even when I couldn't stand, so I floated and splashed around with my friends. The shoreline was compiled of little pebbles instead of sand, so we could lay on the beach with our feet in the water without towels. I got in and out of the water, collected pebbles & sea glass, and talked & laughed with my new friends until an eerie fog rolled in. We saw it coming from the distance and I imagined a pirate ship coming in with it. Milka, the owner/manager/cook/mom of the hostel cooked a huge dinner of mashed potatoes with cod, seafood risotto, and tons of bread. The table was crowded as we all talk about our day, travels, books, and even sang a song or two.

The hostel offered a pseudo-wine tour on Saturday for a good price, so after our homemade breakfast we packed into the van and set out. The first stop was the botanical garden where there are plants from all over the world. The aroma of the flowers and the humming of the bees made this one of the most peaceful places I have ever been. It was sunny and warm and had the most beautiful view of the ocean. We continued our wine tasting at a seaside restaurant and a family-run winery.

One of the highlights was meeting "Indijan," a farmer sent to exile during the Communist regime. Upon his return he decided he was sick of being "screwed" and started the first self-serve wine shop. He now sat on the roadside wearing an old hat and green crocs, laughing and joking with his neighbors. We weren't going to make it all the way home before the sunset, so our guide stopped at a small cove where we could watch the sun go down. I was walking through the water and suddenly something was coming towards me - I screamed when I realized it was an octopus heading my way. I can't remember the last time I moved so fast - if ever. When I was a safe distance away our guide stuck his hands in and grabbed it. Before I knew it I was holding the octopus outside the water, trying not to drop it as its legs wrapped around my hands and arms.

On our last day we took a ferry to the island of Lokrum. The island is filled with peacocks and lookout points to the Adriatic. Maybe two of the seven of us had proper footwear for the walking on rocks (no, I was not one of the two prepared). The best part was a salt lake on the island. Again I waded in without waiting for anybody. We were the only ones there and it seemed like a made-up place with the cave and cliffs. Before I knew it I was scaling the surrounding cliffs to jump in. They were not extremelyhigh, but there was something so special about jumping into that glassy clear water with your new friends cheering you on. A few of us swam into the cave, where the water was so deep those who tried could hardly reach the bottom. In here we found a starfish, unlike I had ever seen. It was a bright red color and looked like a cartoon. It was really awesome to hold, as if it had been there for us to find. We spent the rest of the day laying in the sun and hiking around the island taking in the view, but when I got into bed that night, I couldn't stop thinking about that lake.

On our last night we went to Copacabana Beach. Our group had grown to 10 at this point and we sat in a circle, drinking our wine and talking and laughing. There was a unique camaraderie between the group that had formed. We knew it would be our final hours together before we all left to go our separate ways (Prague, Paris, Bari, Split...). We stayed as late as we could and walked slowly back to our hostel, exchanging contact information and promises to keep in touch. The trip was amazing for so many different ways. I was in paradise with some of the most wonderful people: Dubrovnik, Croatia was unforgettable.