Houston to Paris then on to Zagreb...

May 14th -16th, 2009

An overseas flight can always seem a little longer than they really are, depending on LOTS of conditions (i.e. crying babies, snoring passengers, a blockbuster list of movies you have been waiting to see, and so on...). Due to a few of the above listed reasons, we landed in Paris feeling very dazed. The airport was quite the whirlwind adventure that I'd suggest most people stay away from if you have a connecting flight.

Recipe for Paris Airport escapade: Take 25 people + 1 high speed van ride + change of terminals + passport checkpoint + security checkpoint + 3 airport officials guiding us to our necessary places + 1 crazy bus ride + no time for a potty break + 1 puddle jumper to Croatia = a Paris airport experience not soon to be forgotten by anyone in our group! ;o) Most of us were speed-walking or running the entire way just to keep up.

The flight to Zagreb was quiet, smooth and we were finally lulled into a 30 minute power nap before landing. Our energy reserves had been given just enough of a boost to keep us going before the exciting injection of "vacation mode" hit our bloodstream.

We met our tour guide, Tony, and loaded onto the bus that captained by the trusty driver Marinko. They were both native Croatian gentlemen that would become part of our "Family" for the next dozen days.

After a short ride into the city we were received by literally thousands of high school seniors that took to the streets on their last day of classes. Tony told us that this is something done every year and the students are marching/protesting for free college education. Most of the kiddos just looked happy to be out of the classroom and were yelling, blowing whistles and having a "good ol' time" with their friends. It was an intimidating, yet intriguing, sight to see...

We arrived to our hotel, threw our belongings into our rooms and met back in the lobby for our first (but not our last) guided city tour.

Zagreb is a beautiful place to visit and was filled with the hustle and bustle found in every large city. We visited the square, historic monuments, churches, the park, etc... and we welcomed a refreshing afternoon rain on our way back to the hotel. It's too bad most of us were in a state of "walking coma" to really soak up all Zagreb had to offer because there was definately more to have be seen.

We enjoyed a nice quiet dinner at the hotel, a much needed good night of sleep and a tasty breakfast before departing on a 6 hour bus ride to Sarajevo in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Our Honeymoon had officially begun...with 2 dozen other people in tow. ;o)

The Song of Sarajevo...

May 16th-17th, 2009

Sarajevo is an amazing city! It was such a unexpected surprise to witness so much life in a place ripped apart by war, destruction and tragedy less than 15 short years ago. Our small hotel, tucked directly behind a mosque, furnished us with a room that had an "eagles eye view" of a very significant area. By peering out our bedroom window we looked upon the very hillside that housed the tanks that constantly delivered bombs, shells and terror onto the very city we were enjoying so much.

Our local guide informed us that 300 grenades were detonated on the "average" day. She was only 6 years old at the start of the war and spent days on end without even seeing sunlight. It was visibly obvious that the mental wounds of war had not yet disappeared when she fought back tears when asked how she had moved forward after the disaster.

Her strength was present in her silence...

The current population in the city is over 70% Muslim and the Mosques are in such sheer abundance it seems as if they were literally sprinkled throughout the city like pixie dust when looking at the skyline. We were lucky enough to have one less than 100 feet outside our hotel. One of the fondest memories was listening to the song of evening prayer by countless other Mosques echo throughout the city. It was enough to give anyone goose bumps.

No matter what, or who, you believe in...there is a certain privilege when you are allowed to experience another form worship that is completely foreign from your own. It can prove to be a very raw and humbling moment. It was one I will personally never forget...

Sarajevo, much like our guide, has been scarred by unimaginable events that will never be forgotten. The overwhelming life found in both the people and the city reminded us that even in heartbreak and hostility, love and growth will be found. Time will help it surface...

Croatia has how many islands?

May 17th - 19th, 2009

To be exact, as well as shocked, we learned that Croatia has 1,185 islands! Ok, so maybe they aren't all "inhabited" (only about 66 are) but it is still impressive right? We sure thought so... Knowing that we would soon be given the opportunity to dip our toes into a new ocean, leaving Sarajevo was a little easier. Not much, but it still did the trick.
We arrived into a very different environment than we had departed from earlier that morning. The city, called Mostar, is located in a picturesque valley of the Herzegovinian mountains. It has been long known for its old Turkish houses and the Old Bridge named Stari Most. It was first built back in 1565 but was just recently rebuilt after being completely destroyed in the 1990 conflict. It is the emblem of Mostar and rightly so. We were lucky enough to witness some very brave visitors jumping off of it into the river. It was a very long drop but apparently quite an honor and privilege to do. Unlike those crazy, uh I mean "brave jumpers"...most of us came to the conclusion that we were quite content being without honor and privilege if it kept us off the ledge of that bridge.
After a fun and boiling hot afternoon in Mostar, we departed just in time to dodge afternoon rain showers and we headed for the coastal town of Dubrovnik. The Adriatic Ocean was calling our names!!!
Dubrovnik is a beautiful place but the real treasure of the area was within the old city walls. Cobblestone streets, red tiled roofs, and distinctive medieval aged buildings were just some of the highlights of Old Dubrovnik. It is a town of museums and festivals, taverns and restaurants, & a big blue ocean with breathtaking bluffs. It was nothing short of delightful with a heavy emphasis on the Mediterranean influence.
On the flip-side, our hotel was about as far from "charming" as you can get. Let's just say that flip flops were a necessity both in the room as well as the shower...at all times. With a few late night card games, nightcaps and some laughs with friends...all was well with the world; flip flops or not.
We explored and appreciated this 7th century coastal city with wide eyes and a new knowledge for yet another little piece of the world. We may not have landed on any of the 1,185 islands yet...but boy did we have an amazing view of a few them from Dubrovnik.

Making our way to Montenegro...

May 19th, 2009

Another early morning departure took us from Dubrovnik into a whole other country…literally.
We drove across the border of Croatia into the Republic of Montenegro and the breathtaking Bay of Kotor. (It is the longest and deepest fjord in the whole of Southern Europe.) By mid morning we were already at our first stop in the town of Perast. A sea side dwelling in a nook of the bay Perast is drenched in history concerning fishing ships, tales of crews lost at sea, and legends dripping with seafaring tales.
Once there, we boarded a boat that would take us a short distance into the bay and delivering us onto a man made island that was home to a Baroque church called “Our Lady of the Rocks” (Gospe Od Skrpjela). Build in 1452, the church was teeming with paintings, religious relics, and regional history. The walls, from floor to ceiling, were lined with silver molds of arms, legs, organs and such. When we questioned the reason for them we were informed that people in the town would bring these plates of silver to the church for the priest to pray over. If your husband had an ailment with digestion or stomach the wife would bring in a silver mold of the intestines. It was kind of strange to see these items hanging all around us but also quite fascinating attaining a little glimpse into how the people facilitated their own form of holistic healthcare. After a tour of the small museum on the back side of the church we were back on the boat and headed towards land.
We were headed away from the bay but not in the North, South, East or West directions…we were headed UP! A narrow road, 2 lanes to be exact, took our little travel bus along sheer cliffs to the top of a very high mountain. From the windows the Adriatic Sea gradually came into view and the Bay of Kotar was getting smaller by the minute. A number of sweaty palms and frayed nerves were present on the bus, especially when the side of the vehicle you were sitting on became an unobstructed view of a whole lot of nothingness below you. I personally was unnerved and frazzled, but Dax was the picture of calm collectiveness.
Once we reached the top of the mountain we were greeted by a very different landscape. Lush open fields of grass were comfortably nestled between the tops of the mountain and dotted with small cabins. To our absolute delight a lunch was planned at a local restaurant smack in the middle of this new area. We arrived and were greeted with delight and hospitality. Our lunch area consisted of picnic tables covered with lovely white cloth, bottles of local red wine, fresh green salads, homemade bread and the most amazing cooked lamb and potatoes. The meal was a mixture of delectable homegrown ingredients sprinkled with the love of the team that prepared it. The effort put into the food was palatable… We were lucky enough to be joined by the local dog, name unknown, but bared a very striking “Benji” resemblance. He was sweet, well mannered and quite the hearty eater. His cuteness abounded and it was obvious he was not a stranger to anyone or their handouts. After offering him a few scraps from our plates, which he had no problem accepting, we held out our last piece of bread. He politely refused. Thinking he was at capacity of fullness, we laughed it off and continued to enjoy our wine and desserts. Not more than a minute later, we observed that our furry little friend had found a new table to introduce himself to. He happily received yet another meal of lamb scraps leading most to believe that a previous meal had never happened. At that moment we realized that our offer of bread wasn’t rejected because he was full, rather because it wasn’t drenched in yummy lamb goodness. We giggled and couldn’t blame him…most of us would have done the exact same thing.
The combination of fresh air paired with an amazing meal and wonderful company made for an almost euphoric mood with the group. We happily loaded the bus and headed to our next destination. In this city among the mountains above the clouds, we felt as if we were in heaven.
We muddled into a small town, the name forgotten, and found ourselves running in a torrential summer downpour. The streets released steam in response to the chilly rain…a small group of us found refuge under a huge restaurant table umbrella and waited out the rainfall.
After we made our way back down the mountain we found ourselves back in a city we passed through before the accent upwards named Risan. A small city tour and ice cream break were had and enjoyed by all.
We settled back onto the bus and headed toward the costal city of Budva, our overnight destination. It boasted 17 beaches and a coast that is over 21km long. A repeat of a “less than desirable” hotel establishment was present…but hey, what’s one more night of mandatory flip-flop usage in your shower going to hurt? We topped off the evening with a great game of spades with Dario and Allister in the lobby…drowning our smelly room sorrows with the rest of the table wine from lunch. Our spirits were filled with love and admiration. We were so grateful for being able to experience such beauty in such a short amount of time. Our honeymoon was only half over…and our excitement of the “adventures to come” was tangible. Croatia was way more than we had expected.