I just had my first trip to Europe this summer (written 2005). I landed in Zurich, took the train and stayed in Bosul with friends for a week.
After that I jumped on the night train and endured the 14 hour trip to Budapest.
I had the top bunk in my 6 bunk cabin and suffered from clausterphobia. I knocked out, woke up and enjoyed the scenery from Vienna to Budapest.
Once in Budapest I hopped in a techno blasting cab and sped off at top speeds, twisting and winding through unknown streets and neighborhoods. Finally I was dropped off at the wrong stop in some random neighborhood. With a full bladder and nothng but apartment buildings around me and an address scribbled on scratch paper, I had to find this place. Once there, I had to wait outside the building for the landlord of a friend of a friend to get back from running his errands. Csabay (an 80 year old man) my savior, and the man with the key, spoke no english but gave us ( my boyfriend and me) a big hug and entrance to the apartment of the woman loaning us her place, while she was in Bosul.
Whew!
I was lucky to hang out in this amazing city, but only for a week (check out my Budapest page). I booked a flight through www.whichbudget.com (recommended by VT'er Haldane ) and the next morning I was off to a new country with an open mind and no plans.
I landed in Croatia with a heavy bag on my back, a few key Croatian words, a bottle of homemade wine (from my new friend Csabay), a vague map of the city of Split, and no where to go. I was the only American I knew (aside from my sidekick) and it was one of the best times I've ever had in my life. We walked until our legs hurt but were determined to get as close to that crystal clear sea water as possible. Found a motel room to accommodate the backpacks, grabbed beach towels and wandered through back roads and dirt paths down to the rocky coasts of Croatia. That first jump into the Adriatic sea is imbedded into my memory till the day I die. It was refreshing and warm and held so much more meaning to me than just a fantastic swim. I had dreamed of this moment. Since I was a kid I've had a fascination with globes. I'd close my eyes, spin the globe, and where ever my finger was when it stopped spinning was where I was going to spend my dream holiday. Well I got to do something similar when I was invited to stay in Bosul. I wanted to make the most of my Eurpean getaway. I never really saw myself going to the mainstream destinations like Paris or Barcelona. So, I pretty much closed my eyes and picked a place on my map and that was Croatia. It was mysterious and I had no idea what it was going to be like. That's why that jump into the sea was so important to me.
After swimming we cracked open our bottle of wine, toasted to our adventures thus far and those to come and watched the sun disappear into the sea.
The next morning idecided to catch a ferry toDubrovnick but never made it that far. Iended up hanging out in Korcula for the rest of the time in Croatia. I hopped a plane to Germany a week later and took the train back to Bosul. I got to experience Swiss Day and cook a few more awesome meals with local ingredients and then it was back to the States.
I can't wait for the next adventure. |
email me
add as friend
Comments for bluebug about World