Hello again from Prague. This week has been a wonderful week of cold and rainy, paradise, and some unfortunate situations.
If you don’t know what I’ve been up to, I spend most of my free time running around with errands, sorting out travel plans, and then crying over school work and how wonderful Prague is(what’s new?)
Last Wednesday was Vaclav Havel’s 80th birthday. In short, he was a playwright turned Communist dissident turned President of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic. Although he passed away a couple of years ago, Czechs honor his memory, and did such on Wednesday. He is a hero to many Czechs, a champion of democracy, and I find him an amazing figure. So I went out to pay my respects and explore the event at Wenceslas Square.
The celebration was not only dedicated to Havel’s memory, but also the political philosophies he represented. There was a concert that celebrated European unity, Czech democracy, and protested against the current Czech political situation, and the current wave of extremism and authoritarianism in Europe.
Alas, the language barrier set in, and the words that were spoken became incomprehensible. But as corny as it sounds, democracy and the defeat of Communism was all around. Walking up and down Wenceslas Square, I looked at all the gathered restaurants, the out of place McDonald’s and Burger King, and the kitschy, overpriced souvenir shops. But you could also hear the sound of rock music, and artists and people who were unafraid to speak out. I found that particularly inspiring.
Thursday, I was on my way to Croatia! Yes, I took a 14-hour bus ride to Split, Croatia, and I would do it again in an instant.
While the ride was long, it was a gorgeous ride, especially through Croatia. The bus was overnight, but when I woke up around 7:30, I could catch the haze over the lake and the mountains- a view that is hard to describe.
I guess the luck of weather had to end somewhere, because by the time we got to Croatia, it was cold and rainy. And I was exhausted, which did not help. But I did get to go on a walking tour. Admittedly, I was a little disappointed. The weather was borderline dreadful, and my tour company decided to get one poor guy to lead a tour of around 100 people. Also, people were talking a lot, which was rude. Nevertheless, Split is gorgeous even in the rain! Walking through the streets, you are in one of the oldest Roman ruins in the world! Here you can admire the architectural splendor.
Silly me, but I also did not realize that geographically speaking, Croatia is right across from Italy, and Split was under Venetian occupation for a number of years. You can definitely spot the influences!
I loved learning about Split, and wish I had some time to explore afterwards. However, I had to take a little time to rest.
That evening, I had an absolutely fantastic time! My friend, Nicole and I went to a restaurant with good food, and good views. We were eating in a Roman palace!
I also had my favorite meat, lamb, which made me very happy. And of course, gelato makes everything better.
The next day, we were in luck! The sun was shining, and it was a gorgeous day. I got to witness Croatia in all its glory!
Thank goodness there was good weather, because it became a perfect day to go on an island tour! That’s right, a bunch of Americans got on a boat to an island off the coast of Split. And yeah, the pictures explain themselves.
What a day, and although the water was freezing, I can say I swam in the Adriatic Sea!
After we got back and attempted to sleep for 15 minutes, we were off again! This time, we went to Trogir, a small town right near Split. It was pretty neat, and I got my seafood fix. What better way to enjoy seafood than homemade pasta and mussels?
By Sunday, I was exhausted, but had one more stop. We went to Krka National Park- a prized jewel of Pinterest and Instagram lovers everywhere. I promise, it is actually real, and it did not disappoint. Driving there was amazing as you drove through the gorgeous Croatian lakes. And the small hike down was also very nice.. I only wish we had more time to explore.
Alas, after the beauty, there must come a 14-hour bus ride back. I loved driving through the mountains in Croatia. What a beautiful country that has endured so much.
So how did I feel about Croatia? I had a wonderful time with wonderful friends, and I am thankful. Especially since there would have been no other way for me to experience the Croatian coast if I did not go on this tour. The beaches were gorgeous, Split is beautiful, the history was rich, and man, those waterfalls. But that’s the point. I have realized that one of my favorite parts about traveling is meeting the locals, understanding the culture, and really learning about a place. Croatia has such a fascinating history and rich culture, and I did not feel like I really experienced that. At all. I mean, people were being absolutely inappropriate and rude to our Croatian tour guide. And I spent much of my free time being exhausted. My favorite parts of the weekend were just being with my friends(who made my trip amazing), and spending a brief time exploring the street markets, trying to explore Krka as much as we could, and going out to dinner by ourselves to see the parts of Split we could. All of the sudden, Croatia became alive.
Everyone is different and enjoys different aspects about traveling. I am 20, and this is my first time outside of the United States. So a lot of traveling has been a learning process about myself. I just learned what I want out of my trips, and I am not the right consumer for the specific tour company.
Also, it may be because I’m super bitter that I lost my luggage, and the bus tour said they would help and did nothing about it but could send me 3 emails for me to review my trip. Alright.
Yup, I lost my luggage and injured my knee. And while it’s frustrating and I almost cried alone at a bus station at 1 in the morning, it’s turned out to be ok. Even if I have my bag or not. I have my passport and my wallet, so all is good. Shoutout to my Czech buddy for being the best and trying to track my stuff down with such dedication.
Schoolwork is starting to pile up and opportunities are coming. I am so excited for the coming weeks. And you won’t believe where my study abroad program is sending my class on an all expenses paid trip this weekend. Let’s just say, I’ll get my history and culture fix this weekend. And I am so freaking excited.
Subdivided Out 