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.