I’m writing this aboard a bus taking us back to Split from Krka National Park, 1 hour late, in seemingly neverending traffic lol We have been in Croatia for 24 hours and safe to say, almost every transfer between places has been a physical and mental drain.
Putting aside all the logistical struggles, it’s been nice to finally have a bit of time to relax under the summer sun. My body seems to be agreeing with this weather because the cough I contracted awhile ago now seems to be dissipating 🙂
We got to Hvar 2 nights ago and were hosted by a lovely old couple in their guesthouse. It was very warm and personal – they even gave us a bottle of their homemade cherry brandy! They were really proud to show off their wildflower garden and homegrown grapes and fruits, it was just adorable. Hvar is a buzzing party place, but being sleep deprived from Prague the night earlier meant that we were happy to have a relatively quiet night in town. Made it to Carpe Diem bar, but unfortunately didn’t go to the beach club. Oh and food has been delicious so far (and large)!
The view from our room
Yesterday we embarked on a cave tour around Hvar with the guys from Ilario’s Hvar Tours. It was a really good day out exploring the islands. Aside from the advertised highlights of the trip, the Green and Blue caves, we also got to explore some secluded caves, sail through old military hideouts and do a little climbing and cliff jumping. the real highlight was the tiny hidden caves that we had to dive under to get into – the hollow sounds of the waves echoing through these caves was both eerie and mesmerising.
Monk seal cave
The Blue Cave, much like many major tourist hotspots, was an overrated experience compared against the other smaller places we got to see during the day. We were very lucky our tour guide rerouted our itinerary to avoid the crowds (which would’ve resulted in at least a 1 hour wait). It’s quite regulated by the Port Authority – after paying the entrance fee, you jump on a little boat operated by the authority, float through the cave for around 5 minutes and then go back out. For anyone interested in going there, note that no swimming is allowed. The cave itself was really beautiful though, and luckily I managed to get a shot that did it some justice!
The blue grotto
Speed boating around the islands was lots of fun. In particular, the adrenalin was rushing when it came to our transfer from the island of St Clement back to Split at the end of the day, with 2 lightning storms closing in on our little speedboat. It was a major relief that we were in experienced hands as the waves were getting pretty crazy! Eventually our little boat couldn’t beat the storms, so our skipper docked at the island of Milna and shouted us all drinks while we waited for the rain and lightning to pass. Ilirio’s Tour group really did take good care of us throughout the day so they definitely deserve a shout out!
Today we went to Krka to see the famous waterfalls, another item that’s been on my bucket list for awhile. After travelling 3 hours on a stuffy bus in the 38 degree heat, it was heaven to swim through the freshwater lakes by these amazing waterfalls.
Which leads me back to this point, on the bus returning to Split and looking forward to getting into our air conditioned apartment. It’s been a hectic few days but the amazing sights have made it all worth it. Cheers to you, Croatia!
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