(no subject)
Day 17 - 23 October 2008
The people on the ferry started being very loud before daylight. I couldn't tell if they were still up late or up way too early. Apparently it was the latter situation. The sun started rising and we could spot land in the distance. It was that time. I exited the port and walked towards the bus station to find a place to change money since the one in the port wasn't yet open. The one in the bus station fortunately was. I change $100 and got a little over 500 kuna. Easy enough to remember--it's 5 to 1. I left the bus station and went to find a place to eat breakfast. I stopped at a restaurant and ordered tea. I then realized it's hardly a restaurant, but more of a bar open all day. They offered 3 food items: a sandwich with cheese, a sandwich with ham, or a sandwich with smoked ham. Then an elderly couple sat down to drink coffee with their own breads bought at another location meant to be enjoyed here. So, apparently it's not an insult to go to a place with hardly any food and BYO. I drank my tea and walked through the morning market with all the fresh fruits and meats. No prickly pears and the pomegranates were cracked like there was a major drought. I walked back to where I'd seen a bakery and got two croissant-like things dusted with powdered sugar for 6 kuna. I sat to eat and wait for a bus to the old part of town. I got on and it was 10 kuna. More expensive than my breakfast. I got into the old walls and went to where my "hostel" is supposed to be. I had the right area, but since there is no sign marking it, I didn't know I was in the right place.
The street next to this seemingly nonexistent hostel
I went to the tourist information and they'd never heard of it. He directed me to the travel place with an accommodation desk and she'd never heard of it. She told me that maybe since it's called "Old Town Dubrovnik" that it's supposed to be the Stari Grad Hotel since "stari grad" in Croatian means "old town." I went there and it was a 3 star hotel. Not the right place. I saw my Aussie friend and she suggested finding the address online. I had it in my email so I went to an internet cafe. It had been 2 days since I checked my mail and there was a lot of crap. I got the address and the guy's cell phone number and went to where I had been. There was still no one there, so I went back to information and he let me call for free. I got a hold of some woman and she told me someone would be at that door to meet me in 10 minutes. In less than 10 minutes, this guy was there to meet me. He took my larger back pack and showed me the way to where I'd be staying. It's across the old town up against the outer, western wall. If I weren't only on the first floor (second floor to us Americans), I'd have a great view of the Adriatic. My room is actually a bedroom in this guy's house. Up on this floor with me are his kids. It's a little weird, but comfortable and about $50 for 2 nights to have a private room.
I showered and felt SO much better. I headed out to explore the old town. I poked out to where the guy told me was the public "beach" out a small iron gate in the walls about 50ft from the door of my house.
The island of Lokrum I'll be going to tomorrow
North. Obviously a very well fortified city
South. Damn tourists
The "beach"
Just inside the outer walls
The best place to catch the sunset
Working my way toward the aquarium
Ruins of Postijerna. They were searching for the church of St. Thomas and Benedictine nunnery first mentioned in historical documents in 1234. These walls are the remains of residential buildings, including a palace, that were destroyed in an earthquake in 1667.
I went up and walked the top of the city walls, all the way around. It's beautiful here!
The harbor
The walkway on the walls
Sveti Ivan (St. John's Castle) to the left
Bell tower next to Sponza Palace and city hall
Dominican Monastery to the right
Harbor again
St. Dominic
To the NE
Bell tower belongs to Mala Braca, part of the Franciscan Monastery
From the highest point in the walls at the NE corner
Another fortress on top of the hill
Enjoying the view. I met some Thai people and they are just as awesome as other Thai people like the ones in A-1 Thai. They took my picture but it looked like crap so I took my own.
To the N, outside the walls
Likely destroyed or just later hit by mortar rounds about 15 years ago, judging by the crater and discoloration extending from it.
Fort Lovrijenac--fortress and theater--to the right on the cliff
Standing over the Pile Gate, the main entrance to old town, looking down the main street
Fort Lovrijenac
More ruins
Fort Lovrijenac and a small harbor
"Anno 1834"
Defense
The window with the closed white shutters in the middle was my room
Postijerna from above
The harbor from ground level
I went to the Aquarium afterward and just wandered around the town for a while.
Turtle!
Octopus!
Katedrala Velike Gospe (Assumption Cathedral)
Dubrovnik Museum
Sponza Palace/City Hall
I did some shopping and spent WAY too much money. I bought my mom some lavender soap, a big thing of lavender oil, and a thimble that says Hrvatska. I bought my sister a little flip flop magnet that says Dubrovnik. Lastly, I bought a hanging tile thing with a silly looking, multi-colored fish on it for I don't know who. I stopped and bought linner at an Irish pub. I had a chicken burger (ground chicken) and some peach tea that was pretty good. Everything in this city is expensive! I thought it would be cheaper here, but I guess since it's so touristy it's just as expensive as being in a place like Athens. I spent all of my $100. I haven't spent that much in a day on my whole trip, so for the rest of Croatia I have to be frugal!
I went to the Franciscan Monastery after calling Jose. (I paid 50 kuna for a calling card that lasted about 20 minutes. Not very cool.)
Big Onofrio's Fountain/Sveti Spas (St. Spas)
Sveti Spas/Mala Braca (Franciscan Friars Minor Monastery)
Inside the Franciscan Monastery. They had a small museum inside with old jewelry, chalices, etc. They also had a couple holes in the walls from artillery shells and they labeled them with the dates.
Courtyard
Orlando (yes, the hostel email was correct, if you look under his skirt, you can see his jewels)
Sponza Palace
Small Onofrio's Fountain
Cathedral
Poet Divo Frana Gundulic's statue in Gunduliceva Poljana (Square)
Up toward my house and St. Ignacio from Gunduliceva Poljana
Church of St. Ignacio (Jesuit)
On my way home for a bit
After that I went out by the old port and spotted my Aussie friend again. She was having a Croatian beer bought by a boat owner trying to entice her to go on the island hopping tour tomorrow. She invited me to sit and I tried the Croatian beer Favorit. It's nothing special. The sun was setting and getting cold so once it was about dark, we headed to our rooms. She's in the other part of the city so I took a few photos of the buildings all lit up nicely and came back to my room.
Cathedral
Museum
City Hall
Locals
St. Ignacio
Down to Gunduliceva Poljana from St. Ignacio
The owner (Antonio is his name, I think) took my information to turn in to the government and said I could pay him 270 kuna tomorrow. I'm going to put that money in a separate pocket so whatever is left of the 500 kuna I took out of the ATM is my budget until I get to Split. For now, I enjoy a bed!
The people on the ferry started being very loud before daylight. I couldn't tell if they were still up late or up way too early. Apparently it was the latter situation. The sun started rising and we could spot land in the distance. It was that time. I exited the port and walked towards the bus station to find a place to change money since the one in the port wasn't yet open. The one in the bus station fortunately was. I change $100 and got a little over 500 kuna. Easy enough to remember--it's 5 to 1. I left the bus station and went to find a place to eat breakfast. I stopped at a restaurant and ordered tea. I then realized it's hardly a restaurant, but more of a bar open all day. They offered 3 food items: a sandwich with cheese, a sandwich with ham, or a sandwich with smoked ham. Then an elderly couple sat down to drink coffee with their own breads bought at another location meant to be enjoyed here. So, apparently it's not an insult to go to a place with hardly any food and BYO. I drank my tea and walked through the morning market with all the fresh fruits and meats. No prickly pears and the pomegranates were cracked like there was a major drought. I walked back to where I'd seen a bakery and got two croissant-like things dusted with powdered sugar for 6 kuna. I sat to eat and wait for a bus to the old part of town. I got on and it was 10 kuna. More expensive than my breakfast. I got into the old walls and went to where my "hostel" is supposed to be. I had the right area, but since there is no sign marking it, I didn't know I was in the right place.
The street next to this seemingly nonexistent hostel
I went to the tourist information and they'd never heard of it. He directed me to the travel place with an accommodation desk and she'd never heard of it. She told me that maybe since it's called "Old Town Dubrovnik" that it's supposed to be the Stari Grad Hotel since "stari grad" in Croatian means "old town." I went there and it was a 3 star hotel. Not the right place. I saw my Aussie friend and she suggested finding the address online. I had it in my email so I went to an internet cafe. It had been 2 days since I checked my mail and there was a lot of crap. I got the address and the guy's cell phone number and went to where I had been. There was still no one there, so I went back to information and he let me call for free. I got a hold of some woman and she told me someone would be at that door to meet me in 10 minutes. In less than 10 minutes, this guy was there to meet me. He took my larger back pack and showed me the way to where I'd be staying. It's across the old town up against the outer, western wall. If I weren't only on the first floor (second floor to us Americans), I'd have a great view of the Adriatic. My room is actually a bedroom in this guy's house. Up on this floor with me are his kids. It's a little weird, but comfortable and about $50 for 2 nights to have a private room.
I showered and felt SO much better. I headed out to explore the old town. I poked out to where the guy told me was the public "beach" out a small iron gate in the walls about 50ft from the door of my house.
The island of Lokrum I'll be going to tomorrow
North. Obviously a very well fortified city
South. Damn tourists
The "beach"
Just inside the outer walls
The best place to catch the sunset
Working my way toward the aquarium
Ruins of Postijerna. They were searching for the church of St. Thomas and Benedictine nunnery first mentioned in historical documents in 1234. These walls are the remains of residential buildings, including a palace, that were destroyed in an earthquake in 1667.
I went up and walked the top of the city walls, all the way around. It's beautiful here!
The harbor
The walkway on the walls
Sveti Ivan (St. John's Castle) to the left
Bell tower next to Sponza Palace and city hall
Dominican Monastery to the right
Harbor again
St. Dominic
To the NE
Bell tower belongs to Mala Braca, part of the Franciscan Monastery
From the highest point in the walls at the NE corner
Another fortress on top of the hill
Enjoying the view. I met some Thai people and they are just as awesome as other Thai people like the ones in A-1 Thai. They took my picture but it looked like crap so I took my own.
To the N, outside the walls
Likely destroyed or just later hit by mortar rounds about 15 years ago, judging by the crater and discoloration extending from it.
Fort Lovrijenac--fortress and theater--to the right on the cliff
Standing over the Pile Gate, the main entrance to old town, looking down the main street
Fort Lovrijenac
More ruins
Fort Lovrijenac and a small harbor
"Anno 1834"
Defense
The window with the closed white shutters in the middle was my room
Postijerna from above
The harbor from ground level
I went to the Aquarium afterward and just wandered around the town for a while.
Turtle!
Octopus!
Katedrala Velike Gospe (Assumption Cathedral)
Dubrovnik Museum
Sponza Palace/City Hall
I did some shopping and spent WAY too much money. I bought my mom some lavender soap, a big thing of lavender oil, and a thimble that says Hrvatska. I bought my sister a little flip flop magnet that says Dubrovnik. Lastly, I bought a hanging tile thing with a silly looking, multi-colored fish on it for I don't know who. I stopped and bought linner at an Irish pub. I had a chicken burger (ground chicken) and some peach tea that was pretty good. Everything in this city is expensive! I thought it would be cheaper here, but I guess since it's so touristy it's just as expensive as being in a place like Athens. I spent all of my $100. I haven't spent that much in a day on my whole trip, so for the rest of Croatia I have to be frugal!
I went to the Franciscan Monastery after calling Jose. (I paid 50 kuna for a calling card that lasted about 20 minutes. Not very cool.)
Big Onofrio's Fountain/Sveti Spas (St. Spas)
Sveti Spas/Mala Braca (Franciscan Friars Minor Monastery)
Inside the Franciscan Monastery. They had a small museum inside with old jewelry, chalices, etc. They also had a couple holes in the walls from artillery shells and they labeled them with the dates.
Courtyard
Orlando (yes, the hostel email was correct, if you look under his skirt, you can see his jewels)
Sponza Palace
Small Onofrio's Fountain
Cathedral
Poet Divo Frana Gundulic's statue in Gunduliceva Poljana (Square)
Up toward my house and St. Ignacio from Gunduliceva Poljana
Church of St. Ignacio (Jesuit)
On my way home for a bit
After that I went out by the old port and spotted my Aussie friend again. She was having a Croatian beer bought by a boat owner trying to entice her to go on the island hopping tour tomorrow. She invited me to sit and I tried the Croatian beer Favorit. It's nothing special. The sun was setting and getting cold so once it was about dark, we headed to our rooms. She's in the other part of the city so I took a few photos of the buildings all lit up nicely and came back to my room.
Cathedral
Museum
City Hall
Locals
St. Ignacio
Down to Gunduliceva Poljana from St. Ignacio
The owner (Antonio is his name, I think) took my information to turn in to the government and said I could pay him 270 kuna tomorrow. I'm going to put that money in a separate pocket so whatever is left of the 500 kuna I took out of the ATM is my budget until I get to Split. For now, I enjoy a bed!