Zagreb, Croatia

In Zadar we stayed in a local residential area, a nice change from the previous week’s touristy city centers.  The seaside town was quiet and we laid low in the rainy weather.  There wasn’t much to see but enough to explore on foot.  A showery day was spent at the public library and an under-whelming Museum of Illusions.  

Another bus ride took us inland (central Croatia) to Plitvice Lakes National Park – a trip highlight.  We started exploring the Upper Lakes first.  The water was exceptionally clear and vibrant emerald/blue – we could see the lake bottom, which seemed really crazy as we had never seen such a unique sight.  The walking paths (often, very narrow with no handrails) were crowded but manageable (the selfie brigade was in full effect).  Stunning waterfalls cascaded over limestone rocks as we strolled through the series of lakes and lush greenery.

Park entrance accommodations were exorbitant so we picked a place a few miles down the road, not knowing there was no public transportation available in the very rural area.  Luckily, our host offered to send her dad “Lazy Bear” to get us in his metallic Ford.  He spoke very broken English and after dropping our heavy backpacks at the house, he drove us 10 miles BACK to town where the restaurants were located.  He was a champion and waited for us to eat dinner so he could drive us home because it was starting to rain.  He directed us to the only grocery store in his broken Croatian accent “Grocery store 2KM on road or 300M up hiking trail.”  The choice was clear and we stocked up on junk food (very limited healthy options). For our walk down the hiking trail we had two fully loaded cardboard boxes (Costco style): no grocery bags in this town.

Lazy Bear drove us home in the rain and Ken bonded with his Croatian father figure.  He didn’t even work at the B&B, but was just doing his daughter a favor!  So often people see us as “walking ATM’s,” try to scam or take advantage of our ignorance, or are annoyed by tourists.  Not Lazy Bear.  He genuinely valued Ken’s humor and was a truly hospitable and fun-loving individual.

Our second day at the park we visited the Lower Falls; unfortunately, a portion was closed for maintenance so we only hiked about three hours.  We met a nice Italian couple that loved American football, while we ate our packed lunch (salami sandwiches) and waited for the boat to arrive.  Ken made a fatal error and regretted not bringing his coat, as he froze on the boat ride.  

 

We decided to hitchhike (or walk 10 miles) to our B&B.  No sooner had we decided than our host (Lazy Bear’s daughter) came up behind us, “Hey guys!”  She gave us a ride and we couldn’t believe our good fortune.  That evening we took a beautiful evening stroll down our country lane.

 

The next morning Lazy Bear drove us to the bus stop.  He assured us the bus would pick up at a specific stop, even though it was not the stop listed on our bus ticket.  We frantically paced, ready to flag down the bus, expecting it might pass us.  Lazy Bear waited with us to ensure we got on our bus.  An absolute legend!

 

The bus ride to Zagreb (Croatia’s capital city) winded through the hills and Everett got car sick.  I had to hold his bag of puke in my lap for the final 45 mins.  Unfortunately, we accidentally booked a smoking apartment, so the place reeked.  We also think an animal may have peed on the rug so it wasn’t too pleasant a smell.  We opened all the windows to air the place out.  The city and the apartment were actually really cute.  We considered ourselves lucky for not having any lodging issues before this minor one, so we made the best of it.

The capital city had a totally different vibe than its famous coastal counter-parts – endless graffiti, local shops, tons of outdoor café seating, a little bit grimy, indoor cigarette smoking, and well, “it’s a real place.”  We’ve only been here one day.  This is not a touristy city and we are appreciating its raw authenticity.

 

In case you are counting, we had our fair share of issues this week: vomit, stinky apartment, and being stranded, but we keep finding solutions and continue to thrive.

The joy of traveling is in the people we meet (Lazy Bear), not the destinations.

 

Homeschool Question of the Week: Where was Nikola Tesla born?  Yes, you’re right, Croatia!  

 

Bonus Picture: Ken hard at work.

Split, Croatia

Never blindly trust Google Maps.  We love you, but sometimes you are very wrong.  Case in point, in Hvar we wanted to go from the ferry terminal to our hotel.  We trusted the online map and proceeded to climb 1,000 steps up to a church, only to then descend 1,000 steps back down the other side.  All the while Everett was literally hopping on one foot, given his injury.  

Host: Why are you coming from that direction?  Us: We are coming from the ferry.  Host (looking confused): The ferry is in that direction (points in the opposite direction that is FLAT).  Us: Damn you, Google! 

 

Hvar Town… according to the Internet (and confirmed by locals) is a July-Aug debauchery summer resort town… but we arrived in the off-season.  The quaint town was gorgeous but slow and empty (again, Google kept directing us to “open” restaurants but they were boarded up for the season).  On our last day, we spent an afternoon at the local library doing school as we had four hours to kill before our ferry arrived.  The turbulent winds arrived and we frantically paced the ferry dock fearful that our catamaran would be canceled.  (The back-up option would have taken 6+ hours of backtracking multiple ferries, whereas our direct route was only 40 mins).  Ken went into the ferry office for an update so often that he annoyed the desk clerk.  Eventually, we did take off and the blustery winds frantically carried us across the straight to Vis Island.  

Vis was more beautiful than Hvar, but even slower if that’s possible.  Everything was closed except: one pizzeria, two bars (filled with indoor smokers), and one under-stocked grocery store (except, on Sunday, when even the grocery was closed for Croatian Voting Day).  

Officially Closed Grocery Store

Highlight: The view from our place could not be beat (Best AirBnB at only 80 euros).  We have seen many oceans but the water of the Adriatic Sea here was the bluest we had ever seen.  So even though we named the place “Ghost Island,” we 100% want to return in the summer when it comes alive.

We boarded the ferry to Split and sailed along huge gray rock mountains.  Take that back, NOT a ferry: A colossal ocean liner / cruise ship that carried 1000+ passengers and 300 vehicles (to us, A Carnival Cruise).  A few hours later we arrived at the seaport of Split, the second largest city in Croatia.  We high-fived each other: “Yes, people are here!”  Findings: top notch European food, vegan lattes, charming shops, Roman ruins, a lot of cigarette smoking, and a wonderfully walkable maze of streets in the town center.

The Roman ruins (e.g., huge palace from the 3rd century) gave us ample opportunity to explore the ancient architecture as we strolled through the city (note: “Roman Empire” added to this week’s 4th grade history lesson).  It was so picturesque; a film crew was actively filming on the street corner outside our apartment.  Inspired to get back in running shape, in the mornings Ken ran through the Marjan Forest (an uphill 10K with switchbacks – accompanied by weird looks from locals, who apparently run the route in the opposite - downhill - direction…Google, fool me once shame on you…).  The people of Split were pretty relaxed and English was widely spoken so language hasn’t been much of an obstacle.  We definitely enjoyed the mix of Balkan and Western cultures and now understand why this beauty attracts so many visitors!  

Opinion: if you’re visiting Croatia in the off-season, visit Split (10 out of 10) not the islands (very empty)… If you’re visiting during the high tourist season, we might avoid Split (likely over-crowded) and visit Hvar/Vis (peaceful beauty).  

Kotor, Montenegro

On a rainy morning we left Tbilisi on Turkish Airlines enroute to Istanbul, where we were able to enjoy a long layover.  Our Priority Pass allowed us access to a lounge that was over-the-top, definitely the swankiest we have seen!  Unlimited Turkish food?  Yes, please. 

 

Next, we flew into Tivat, Montenegro, which is a beautiful coastal town on the Adriatic Sea.  Although we originally planned to fly to Croatia, we found a cheaper flight into Montenegro.  We are so thankful to visit this gorgeous place!  Another unexpected country to love.  We arrived to warm blue skies, few tourists, and a cute apartment in the fortified Old Town.  The cab ride from the airport to our hotel was a huge price gouge but, well, I guess we are in Europe now?  (The buses weren’t running since we arrived too late in the evening).  Nonetheless, we were so thrilled with the weather and the gorgeous views that we didn’t care.  We have been discussing non-stop: how did we not know about this place???  Is it a hidden gem??  

What to do?  First, laundry.  These were the only instructions on the washing machine… 

Next, we wandered the cobblestone streets and happily ate over-priced gelato-pizza-wine and experienced major sticker shock (18 euro for a sandwich??).  Ken climbed the 4,000’ vertical ascent up the “Kotor Walls.”  What a view!

Most of our days were spent at the seaside kid’s playground with a kid’s zip line of enthusiastic riders - pleasantly surprised to find so many kids (both locals and tourists).  Everett made friends and, fortunately, a few spoke English.  Several boys invited him to the basketball court and they spent the afternoon playing.  At the end, Everett, walking barefoot after the game, unfortunately, stepped on a glass bottle.  So much blood everywhere!  I called Ken in a panic and he ran our medical kit over a mile from the hotel to the court where Everett needed medical attention.  What a hero!  The kids were some of the kindest we’ve met – shout out to Montenegro!

Ken is now a sherpa with his backpack plus Everett’s; our poor kid is hobbling along like a champ though.  We rode the bus a few hours north along the coast to the border of Croatia.  The border crossing was simple and soon enough we found ourselves at the bus stop in Dubrovnik, Croatia in the 80-degree sunshine.   Wow, the city was gorgeous and we had major FOMO realizing we should have spent a few nights exploring.  Instead, we hopped onto a 3.5-hour ferry to the island of Hvar.    

Shout out to all the moms who buy snacks in preparation for a long travel day, only to find out someone (!!!) ate them last night, and now we are hungry!

Tbilisi, Georgia

 

It’s our first ex-USSR country, and yes, we’re surprised too.  (Cliff note explanation: We are headed to Europe for spring, but wanted to make a stopover.  We read that Georgia/Armenia are welcoming to Jewish tourists, so we checked flights (Tbilisi, Georgia vs Yerevan, Armenia) and Tbilisi came out on top.  So, here we are.) 

 

Arriving in Georgia (the country, not the state) from Japan was… jarring.  The lady at passport control said NOTHING to us.  Surprised how small the airport was.  Hopped into a Bolt (aka Uber).  Crumbling Soviet concrete apartment blocks.  Graffiti.  Loud honking horns.  Cheese, lots of cheese (Ken went to four pharmacies to find Lactaid).  Fantastic cheap wine.  Crazy looking alphabet.  Rich mix of contrasting architectures with abandoned buildings.  Countless stray dogs (surprisingly, good-natured and well fed).  Staring, so much insistent staring (directed at us).  This mountainous country is a contradiction - a mishmash of European, Russian, and Persian. 

Our AirBnB turned out to be a hidden gem on a narrow street in Old Town, across the street from a Carrefour (grocery) and a funky international food court.  When Maya, the elderly neighbor, let us in, we instantly felt relaxed.  

 

After an invigorating 15 hours of sleep…. The cobblestone streets had a European café vibe but with a distinctive Soviet flair.  Similar to Japan we had significant language issues.  Everett: Why is everyone so angry?  Ken: They’re not angry, it’s just the language.  Shout out to Ken's close friend, Albina, for teaching him that tip years ago. It took us several days of jet lag plus culture shock to adjust.  

 

We rode the Soviet-era cable car to the 4th century Narikala Fortress, but unfortunately it was closed for renovations.  The view of the city and the Kura River gorge below was exceptional, nonetheless.  We strolled the Old Town and took the funicular to the highest point in the city to an old school kid’s amusement park, Mtatsminda Park.  It was empty on a Tuesday afternoon with very dated equipment (built in 1930’s by Soviets!). 

We debated whether to get a rental car or take the train to venture out, but we landed on a car for flexibility and reliability.  What a good decision!  Everett named our Toyota Corolla, “George.” Get it, Georgia...George:) 

The roads were decent; the driving aggressive but manageable (Ken pulled out his inner Los Angelenos).  We encountered so many one-way streets (Google Maps was unusable).  We stopped at a monastery (alongside a tour bus of Hassidic Jews) with a great view of the city below, excited to be on our rural adventure.  

 

The first night of our road trip we accidentally arrived at the wrong guesthouse (in our defense the house numbers weren’t in order and no one spoke English).  Somehow we even were able to check in and pay for our first night at the wrong hotel. No worries, we got a full refund and we eventually found our place, which had a wonderful view of the town cathedral.  

The next day we ventured through very rural villages until we reached a cave system (ruins of a rock-carved town from the 6th century BC).  We ended up at the birthplace of Stalin.  So even though it was the home of a notorious dictator, our guesthouse host, Lia - the sweetest - (picture staying at your grandma’s house) was too endearing to mind the giant Stalin statue on Stalin Ave.  

The countryside was beautiful but in a haunting kind of way – rusted overhead gas pipes, old men driving tractors, crumbling buildings, cows on the road, modern freeway construction, ancient fortresses, and mountains in all directions.  Laundry hanging out, the only sign of life.

Downtown Kutaisi had old world charm and felt like another era.  The food was definitely the highlight, a refreshing homecoming: bread, cheese, beans, walnuts, pomegranates, peppers, eggplant, dumplings, and weird raisin-flavored waxy nut sticks.

We visited an enormous natural underground cave about 80 m below ground that stretches for miles.  

 

Then we made our way south into the mountains (towards Turkey/Armenia).  Our host welcomed us with a bottle of wine.  The wine making heritage in Georgia goes back to 6,000 BC!  Still to this day, they use giant terra-cotta pots that are buried underground.  My new favorite is the red grape, Saperavi.

 

We ate more wonderful food at a local Georgian restaurant, but the waiter was perplexed by us.  Waiter: “Never in my life.  Husband and wife come to my restaurant.  Wife orders wine.  Husband nothing.  Lemonade, are you sure?”  

This morning Everett is at the park with a Russian family staying at our guesthouse.  Everett is excited to have friends.  Small victories.