Highlights
Ferry adventures
Laundry Love
Mail Fail and Boris
Learnings
I don’t want to complain about the heat - but since the locals do - good lord it’s hot
It said get to the ferry 30 mins before - being an hour before was best especially for the long ride
Take time to draw, or write, its these little moments that there is actually time to see and enjoy what’s all around you
Alright - I’m on a train to Florence right now - and Canada is asleep so I’m hoping I can sneakily update my blogs.. I’m now - 5 days behind - oops. Not like anyone but my mom is reading this anyway xo Love you mom. #1 fan.
I will say that I’ve been writing things down in my notes everyday just not online so - I will still speak as if it’s the day of - I know - somewhat cheating right. But it’s my blog 😘 I make the rules!
My last day in Split, really this is a travel day and typically on travel days I don’t schedule much. It always takes longer than I had initially planned and being in a foreign country not knowing what the hell im doing half the time - I like to be early for my travel departures. This comes in very handy today.
My only two goals today - laundry - and mail this damn box of stuff home. Oh? I haven’t told you about my ... box? Lol I think I mentioned that I had packed up a bunch of things to send home when I was in Diklo, and since then it has been the bane of my existence. I’m beginning to resent this box. It should in fact have a name... a resentful one. Maybe Aaron? 😂 ok no, let’s go with Boris. Boris the Box of Bane.
So, Boris and I venture off to the land of laundry and find thankfully a lovely Croatian woman who runs the laundromat. Me, Canadian sweating profusely trying to arrange my life, opens up my bag and gives her as much as I can fit in the basket. She graciously, maybe sympathetically, allows me to leave my back pack and even offers to babysit Boris but him and I are off on a different mission, to send him across an ocean.
I find the post office - not far actually, and quickly learn from the other not so lovely Croatian women that I cannot send Boris away since he has wine packaged up - apparently this is an explosive and not safe for travel... alright - explosive wine you caught that right? Me too. Maybe I should have called the box Aaron afterall - can’t be rid of him. Ha! Jokes. But seriously... maybe if I’m still single in 10 years Aaron call me up. I have a hunch you are reading this.
Back to Boris - I’m devastated. They hand me some pamphlet highlighting what I can and can’t send, and once I translate it (since these nice women did not have an English version for me...) it says nothing about alcohol. I go to my trusty friend - the google. Here I find information regarding alcohol and that specifically mail which includes alcohol of a certain % and in certain quantities is not permitted.
I’m not going back to fight with Croatian Post Clerks... instead I have come to a resolve that Boris will stay with me for now. Fucking Boris.
After all that - I put Boris in luggage storage at the Ferry where I am to depart at 330. I make my way through the Dalmatian Palace one last time to find myself a well earned lunch. I find just that. BEST omelette I have had yet. Superb in fact. I meant to draw while I was sitting here but I think I ended up just sitting and relaxing - or no I filled out postcards! Yup that’s right - who knows when the heck those will get to Canada - made sure they were non alcoholic.
I skip back to my laundry friend and pack up all my clean clothes - yay! Here I did draw, I was about to rush down to the pier and thought - what’s the rush it’s only 1. I took my time - perhaps dreading picking up Boris, and also stoped for a beer on the pier. The ‘pier’ is basically a long bus station that happens to be on the water. There are actual piers where you catch the ferry’s as well but for now, this area is just one big pier.
Chug my beer - drop the postcards - pick up Boris from the luggage day care - and I’m still early. The ticket says be 30 mins early - I’m more like an hour but hey I already see people out there so I’ll join them. Did I mention that the actual pier is just a cement slab of death? In the street you have cafes, bars, and of course one million souvenir shops all trying to sell you the exact same things. But where the actual boat is? You walk out into the +40 heat which radiates from the cement to stand in line with no shade. They wonder why travellers are grumpy. It has been the most interesting learning of my trip perhaps that I actually seek shade now - I would have laughed at you before this trip if you told me I would be doing this. Usually I’m seeking the sun...
Back to Boris, he keeps my place in line while I join the few ‘shade seekers’ (who are mostly Croatians might I add) in the shade being minimally cast by a cube van parked on the pier. Great image right?
Lucky I did get there early since this Ferry to Split was full from what I understand- the Ferry I wanted to take earlier in the day had sold out actually. So I’m one of the first 20 people on? The Ferry makes 5 stops between Split and Dubrovnik so I’m told to sit upstairs, I was going to sit up there anyway thanks - duh. I’m one of maybe 8 up there and I get a primo seat with a plug in! Whoo! Plug ins and travelling are like cigarettes in jail.
The entire boat fills up. No one sits with me. Not upset. I utilized my time on this 5 hour adventure to update my blog and also create my itinerary for the next (and last) week of my holidays.
That’s pretty much all you need to know about the Ferry - other than when I was departing at Dubrovnik a couple British guys were making fun of Boris and poking him... jerks. Boris has become a love hate relationship overnight, I hate him but no one else is allowed to. I’ve come to the conclusion that he won’t leave me so my new venture is to find a suitcase and just bite the bullet - pack it up - and bring it as a checked bag on my flight home. This was always a plan b I guess.
Arrival to Dubrovnik in the dark was not so fun, but not complaining. Not having the early ferry put me behind a bit and now I would only have 24 hours in Dubrovnik. Since it is currently 9pm and I’m just going directly to my hostel which is called... wait for it... KINGS LANDING. Bah! I wasn’t coming to Dubrovnik and NOT allowing myself to nerd out a bit. GOT fans unite! It was also one of the cheapest ones - details. Reading the reviews the owner of the hostel is apparently in GOT as an extra - he prob dies - and does GOT fan tours. Yes, I did try and sign up for this - sadly King Jefferey (the good king) who address me as lady Meagan was in vacation. Rude. I wasn’t going to put more effort than that into seeking a GOT tour in Dubrovnik so, instead I booked something else.
Fun story checking in. The key is in a lock box since I’m a late check in - no problemo! Except when I get there - no key in lock box. Now what - inner dialogue in head asks Boris who slumpily stares back with his frumpy slouch he’s acquired from the moisture. I go to search through my emails for a phone number when - miracle - another patron appears to get into the Hostel. I assure him I have a room booked and he lets me in where I find second gentleman who was just coming to open the door for me! Apparently he was staying here a few nights ago and met the woman who is filling in for King J, but she is on a steep learning curve and he - generously - was helping her a bit. By generous I mean she had his number and was frantically asking for his assistance.
He was in the same room as me (the Red Keep) and so we chatted a bit. Actually we had both been on the same Ferry - and both of us Uber’d to old town lol funny how you can be like ships in the night. He was very nice and showed me a secret door that led to the roof of the hostel!
After all that he noted he had been in Dubrovnik and did not go on the wall but was flying out in the morning around 930? So he was getting up early to explore the wall before leaving. I thought - well that’s motivation to get up early - maybe I’ll join him! Set my alarm, after tucking Boris in his new locker, and went to bed with the AC unit humming in my ear. Tomorrow - Dubrovnik!
Ciao Split!
Found the English version of the mail restrictions myself... I don’t see wine on here!?
Taking a moment to de stress - time is not my enemy, here only I am and I can control myself not time.
Seriously bathrooms have been the best part of my journey - always a new adventure!
Omelette of Heaven - the bacon grease on the bottom of the cast iron... magic - the bread that they don’t toast and just throw into a panini press to make it seem toasted - dream worthy. You’ll notice my iced coffee- moments after delivery - no ice.
My AC unit in the hostel - I went to turn it on and found that the hot air exhaust was just sitting inside the room with the unit lol tried to put it out the window but in the end this is what we did. Front reception was warm - not my problem!
My little Kings Landing Hostel! CUTE! Below ground too so stayed pretty cool. Ugh I should have documented the bathroom - I know - it’s a weird obsession but seriously so funny! This one was maybe 3 feet wide? Under the stairs...
My boat! I mean Ferry!
Found the entrance to my hostel at the top of the stairs thank goodness!
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