Dubrovnik

Montenegro

On the right is the Church of Our Lady of the Rocks in the Bay of Kotor.


Just outside the Old Town.


The Cathedral of Saint Tryphon in Kotor is one of two Catholic cathedrals in Montenegro. It is the seat of the Kotor Bishopric currently led by Bishop Ilija Janjić.



Budva is a coastal town in Montenegro. It has around 15,000 inhabitants, and is a centre of Budva municipality. The coastal area around Budva, called the Budvanska rivijera, is the centre of Montenegro's tourism, and is well known for its sandy beaches, diverse nightlife, and beautiful examples of Mediterranean architecture. Budva is 2,500 years old, which makes it one of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic sea coast.

Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina

From Dubrovnik, we took a day trip to Mostar in Bosnia-Herzegovina. On the way, we stopped at a tiny town. Bosnia-Herzegovina is noticeably poorer than Croatia.



Stari Most (English translation: "The Old Bridge") is a 16th century Turkish bridge in the city of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina that crosses the river Neretva and connects two parts of the city. The bridge was destroyed by Croatian Defence Council units during the War in Bosnia-Herzegovina, at 10:15 a.m. on November 9, 1993. Consequently, a project was set in motion to rebuild it, and the new bridge opened on July 23, 2004.

At its peak, the bridge is roughly 20 meters above the water.

It is a tradition for young men to jump from it as a right of passage. While we were there, a couple of local fellows would wait until 20 people had put in 1 Euro each. Then he would jump. It is a difficult jump, not only because of the height, but also because of the frigid water.



The history of the Catholic Church St. Peter and Paul dates back to the Ottoman era. It was built in 1866, but totally destroyed during the war in the early 1990's. The new church, with a much higher tower was erected on the foundations of the old church in 2000. A Franciscan monastery can be found just next to the Catholic Church.

Islands of Hvar and Korcula

The next morning Reza flew in and we set off to the Island of Hvar, along with another 2 of Anatole's friends.

One afternoon we rented a tiny boat and headed out to sea for a 3 hour tour, 3 hour tour.

Looking back on the Island of Hvar. The Castle sits atop the hill.

We docked our boat at another small island and had a great dinner. Nearby was an interesting table.

Some beautiful flowers near our rented apartment.

A view looking down from the Castle.


We spent 2 days on Hvar, and then left to spend a night on Korcula. Here is a traditional performance.


Korcula is a smaller, quieter island.


Off again the next day for Dubrovnik.

Plitvice Lakes National Park

In riding through Croatia, there are still signs of the war.

We stopped at a memorial in a small town, where the villagers had stopped "The Great Serbia."

Carlos has his turn at driving.

A brief stop to view some streams running under homes.

Some camping that night. Dinner is BBQ, South African Style. The fire had been lit first, only to later figure out how to attach the legs to the burning hot pit . . . Locals in background look on in wonder.

David shows us his dance.

Now everyone is doing it.

The next morning we went to Plitvice Lakes National Park. It was simply amazing! The best way I could describe it is as a cross of Hawaii and Yellowstone National Park. If anyone is going to Croatia, I would highly recommend a visit to this park. I wish I had had more time to spend there.











After Plitvice, we headed south to Split. It is a dramatic landscape change from a colder climate with more vegetation to a hotter, more desert like environment. There was one mountain tunnel we went through, upon which exiting it looked like a different world.

I spent Friday night here in Split and met up with Anatole and his sister.