On Split

I've been up since 4am Minnesota time; such is jetlag.  It's so strange to be home, but I am ecstatic to see my family.  My 15-year-old sister is the only one of my five siblings to be home currently, and our reunion was absolutely joyful.  So it's good to be back.

I will try to backtrack on my trip as much as possible now, though it will likely take a few posts to accomplish.  After Sarajevo, my next destination was Split, Croatia.  I had originally planned to see Dubrovnik before Split, but since I spent more time in Romania than I originally intended, some cities had to be skipped.  Such is travel.  The bus ride to Split was exhausting and when I finally got to my hostel I just wanted to sleep.  After the taxi dropped me off at the hostel, I was greeted by the owner's mother, who informed me (in Croatian) that her son would give me a key in a few minutes and asked me about myself and my trip.  I held up better than expected, conversing in Croatian, but our conversation was cut short when her son came down and checked me into my room.

Statuary

Roman ruins

Ambivalence

The weather was incredibly hot in the sunshine but the evening was considerably cooler.  I went out that evening and discovered Diocletian's Palace, among other lovely sights.  The unfortunate thing about Split was that it felt pervasively touristy and party-ish.  That isn't really my scene and I was even less enthusiastic towards that atmosphere since I was traveling alone.  I avoided the bars and stayed out for a couple of hours around the city center, but eventually travel exhaustion set in and I went back to the hostel.

The next morning I returned to Diocletian's Palace and joined a free walking tour around the ruin.  I learned quite a bit about Diocletian who, according to my tour guide, was the first Roman emperor to retire from office, and he lived out the rest of his life in Split.  The palace was abandoned with the fall of the Empire.  Later, Croatians fled inside its walls to escape attacks by advancing Barbarians in the 5th century and never really left.  For this reason, Diocletian's Palace is the best preserved Roman ruin in the world.

According to my tour guide, Diocletian's Palace will be a filming location for the upcoming season of HBO's Game of Thrones.

Adriatic coastline

I spent some time on the beach before I had to pack up and head to the ferry port.  I had booked my deck ticket in advance for the overnight ferry from Split to Rijeka.  $30 was definitely my cheapest option for transportation, and I saved myself from paying for a room since I'd be spending the night on the deck.

Well.

That trip was certainly an experience, to say the least.  Prior to departure, I hadn't realized just how cold the deck of a ship could become at night.  I didn't have a blanket with me, but I did have a beach towel I'd bought for my brother... (towels aren't very warm, for the record).  I wrapped both of my scarves around my ears and my put hood on, but I finally had to wrap my up whole face to keep out the cold.  My feet were freezing so I resorted to zipping myself (as best I could) inside my duffel bag, which is easier said than done.  Despite the obvious discomfort, I managed to get a few solid hours of sleep before we ported in Rijeka at 7:00am. 

In retrospect, I would highly recommend anyone who plans to spend the night on deck of a ferry to bring a sleeping bag or, at the very least, a real blanket.   I'll certainly be more prepared next time!

My ride (I may or may not have been thinking of Titanic for the entirety of the ferry trip...)

Dalmatian sunset