Tomorrow morning we will take a beastly early flight in the morning to Amsterdam, officially ending my sojourn in the Balkans. I am sad to leave this area of the world, but it looks like I will be able to come back soon for a conference in Sarajevo in July. I am ridiculously happy about this, and next time I will pack less and plan to see more of the areas I loved (and some of the places I wanted to visit but did not have time om this trip).
Toshi asked me tonight how I feel I have changed on this trip, and it was a hard question to answer, because I have changed in ways for which I have no words. A lot of this journey has been ablout letting go of my need or desire to control things or have things exactly my way. Burker King is wrong: you can't have it your way! and this is actually a good thing, because we can't really control much of anything and we might as well be happy doing what we can to enjoy this precious life that we have here on Earth.
Here are the most meaningful moments from this trip: Wandering in the Sarajevo market as veiled women smile at me, standing on the reconstructed Old Bridge of Mostar with 6 new Turkish friends, delighting in the marvels of the farmer's markets in Bosnian and Croatian towns, and conversing with the locals in the best broken Croatian or Bosnian I can muster while they summon the Engligh words they learned in school or from TV to come to a kind of common understanding. This is the real fruit of life and the reason for living. To find oneself in that human connection and to realize how similar we are, despite our divergent history and the fact that we live our lives a half a world apart. It is a miracle that we can meet in the middle and find ourselves and each other there. .
Me and Anne Frank
Day 1: Amsterdam
Showing posts with label Croatia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Croatia. Show all posts
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Back to Zagreb
We took the bus (at 7AM!) from the small town of Grabovac where we stayed near the Lakes park to the Croatian capital city of Zagreb. It is one of the oldest cities in Europe, but I have to say that I liked everywhere else I have been on this trip much better (sorry zagreb-sad but true-you can't love every place). The ladies here are too fancy and ordinary people are very much "too cool for school." I never like that anywhere in the world from anyone and every other place I have been here the people are much more friendly and open (Toshi said it reminds him of Downtown Crossing in Boston and I agree).
One highlight of the day was that we visited inside the beautiful and incredible Catholic Cathedral, which was built in 1200-something.
Outside there is a very nice fountain with this tall pillar with angels around the base and Mary at the top.
We lit 2 prayer candles. I don't know what Toshi prayed for, but all I felt today was gratitude, so I gave a pyrayer of thanks for everything we have in our very blessed lives. Inside they have a lot of small altars and one of them had a really nice fresco of the last supper.
There is also a ceremonial "statue" (for lack of a better word) of the late Pope (who visited Croatia before passing away and literally everywhere he went they have his photo up-- even the ferries we took had a picture of the Pope riding the ferry!). Anyway, in the Cathedral, this replication of the Pope is laying in state and there is a bit of a coffin-looking thing under him and nice canopy over his "body." He is wearing some kind of fantastic bishop-looking hat. Very stylish.
The best part of the Cathedral was the organ which was simply massive. I wished we could have heard it playing, because it must sound incredible in that space with its high vaulted ceilings (painted with stars- very celestial).
The Cathedral ("Katedrala" in Croatian) has two tall bell towers rising up so high that it was hard to get a photo with the whole church in the shot! One of them was damaged by shelling during the war (in 1994), and it is still under construction now.
These former occupants of the tower are currently awaiting their return to former glory. (I imagine it is expensive to restore it to its former condition, especially because there were a lot of full-size statues and also detailed frescoes carved in to the walls that need to be fixed or resculpted before reattaching them). There is a small gift shop where you can buy tiny pieces of the tower, but we didn't think that was necessary. (I am happy with my little piece of the Berlin Wall).
The best part of Zagreb is the farmer's market which is open everyday and features everything from kitchy stuff to fresh lavendar from the islands to the most tender carrots to tiny tart cherries that only grow in Croatia (and they don't export them either, so you have to come here to try this treat!). We bought some medicinal honey with herbal tincture for sore throats (apparently Croatian honey is some of the best in the world!) from a guy who said he could not speak English well enough to explain to us about the different types of honey. He then proceeded to answer all of my questions in perfect English with a nice lilting accent.
I have noticed that many people criticize their Engligh as a second language when I think it is great, and they won't listen to me when I try to tell them they really do sound great and they are making sense. I guess everyone is a bit self-depricating in this way when trying to use a language that is not natural to them (I always say I only speak a little Spanish and I always insult my skills despite the fact that I have actually been studying and using the language for over 15 years).
One highlight of the day was that we visited inside the beautiful and incredible Catholic Cathedral, which was built in 1200-something. 
Outside there is a very nice fountain with this tall pillar with angels around the base and Mary at the top. We lit 2 prayer candles. I don't know what Toshi prayed for, but all I felt today was gratitude, so I gave a pyrayer of thanks for everything we have in our very blessed lives. Inside they have a lot of small altars and one of them had a really nice fresco of the last supper.
There is also a ceremonial "statue" (for lack of a better word) of the late Pope (who visited Croatia before passing away and literally everywhere he went they have his photo up-- even the ferries we took had a picture of the Pope riding the ferry!). Anyway, in the Cathedral, this replication of the Pope is laying in state and there is a bit of a coffin-looking thing under him and nice canopy over his "body." He is wearing some kind of fantastic bishop-looking hat. Very stylish.
The best part of the Cathedral was the organ which was simply massive. I wished we could have heard it playing, because it must sound incredible in that space with its high vaulted ceilings (painted with stars- very celestial).
The Cathedral ("Katedrala" in Croatian) has two tall bell towers rising up so high that it was hard to get a photo with the whole church in the shot! One of them was damaged by shelling during the war (in 1994), and it is still under construction now. 
These former occupants of the tower are currently awaiting their return to former glory. (I imagine it is expensive to restore it to its former condition, especially because there were a lot of full-size statues and also detailed frescoes carved in to the walls that need to be fixed or resculpted before reattaching them). There is a small gift shop where you can buy tiny pieces of the tower, but we didn't think that was necessary. (I am happy with my little piece of the Berlin Wall). The best part of Zagreb is the farmer's market which is open everyday and features everything from kitchy stuff to fresh lavendar from the islands to the most tender carrots to tiny tart cherries that only grow in Croatia (and they don't export them either, so you have to come here to try this treat!). We bought some medicinal honey with herbal tincture for sore throats (apparently Croatian honey is some of the best in the world!) from a guy who said he could not speak English well enough to explain to us about the different types of honey. He then proceeded to answer all of my questions in perfect English with a nice lilting accent.
I have noticed that many people criticize their Engligh as a second language when I think it is great, and they won't listen to me when I try to tell them they really do sound great and they are making sense. I guess everyone is a bit self-depricating in this way when trying to use a language that is not natural to them (I always say I only speak a little Spanish and I always insult my skills despite the fact that I have actually been studying and using the language for over 15 years).
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Same Same But Different
Our Canadian friends reminded us of this phrase (in wide use in southeast Asia) that describes the state of the world and human existence.
For example, children everywhere chase pigeons.
And little boys play with guns.
Same. same.
But different, because these boys' fathers were slain by guns, or survived by killing others with guns. The games of children take on new meaning when you know these children may well live to see the day when this is not a game.
We wondered why guns are such a popular toy for boys here, when everyone (all the adults at least) know all too well the damage that guns can do.
Well, I said, I can understand why guns are even more romanticized here then in America, because without guns there would be no Croatia.
This country won its independence by fighting for it and dying for it, so it makes perfect sense to me that guns represent ultimate power and authority. It is no different in the streets of the US or anywhere alse where you have to fight to get a piece of safety for yourself and your family in this world.
Gil Scott Heron (one of the fathers of hip-hop and soul music) has a song about how "everybody's got a pistol, everybody's got a 45" and he says very poignently, "when other folks give up theirs, I'll give up mine... this is a violent civilization." And it is true, a gun can keep you alive in this world and keep your children safe. But is is also true that when you bring a gun in to your home, you increase the chance you will be shot by 50%.
So I do not know the answer, and I am in no place to judge these people or the way they raise their boys or how they let them play.
For example, children everywhere chase pigeons.
And little boys play with guns.
Same. same.
But different, because these boys' fathers were slain by guns, or survived by killing others with guns. The games of children take on new meaning when you know these children may well live to see the day when this is not a game.
We wondered why guns are such a popular toy for boys here, when everyone (all the adults at least) know all too well the damage that guns can do.
Well, I said, I can understand why guns are even more romanticized here then in America, because without guns there would be no Croatia.
This country won its independence by fighting for it and dying for it, so it makes perfect sense to me that guns represent ultimate power and authority. It is no different in the streets of the US or anywhere alse where you have to fight to get a piece of safety for yourself and your family in this world.
Gil Scott Heron (one of the fathers of hip-hop and soul music) has a song about how "everybody's got a pistol, everybody's got a 45" and he says very poignently, "when other folks give up theirs, I'll give up mine... this is a violent civilization." And it is true, a gun can keep you alive in this world and keep your children safe. But is is also true that when you bring a gun in to your home, you increase the chance you will be shot by 50%.
So I do not know the answer, and I am in no place to judge these people or the way they raise their boys or how they let them play.
Plitvice Lakes Park
Today we visited the Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia, which is an UNESCO World Heritage Site for natural beauty. I have never seen such incredible water before, or so many waterfalls in one place!
We saw hundreds if not thousands of waterfalls. The lakes were once a single river, coursing through this area... but buildups of rock and plantlife began forming in to barriers/dams separating the river in to partially connected lakes, and eventually created waterfalls cascading from one lake to the next lake!
We walked from the lower lakes all the way to the upper lakes (and we took a boat across the biggest lake, in the middle). We ended up where I am pointing at the end of the journey, and we took a tram back down to the lower lakes, where we met our Canadian friends who drove us home. 
Toshi took over 400 photos (but here are some highlights). The lakes are every shade of aquamarine, turquoise, blue, and green. You can't believe all the colors present in one landscape or the change in colors from one pool to the next. 
The fake worlds created by Disney and other movies try to look like this place, but this is real! (and completely natural)
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Grabovac (small Croatian town)
First I must apologise for any typos or spelling errors in this entry. I had quite a lot of wine at dinner (and tried Croatian beer too- very good, but I have not drank beer since high school- sorry mom- so I don't know what is good anyway).
We are staying at a family home in a very small town in Croatia called Grabovac. It is close to the Plitvice (say that 3 times fast= "Pleet-veet-sah") Lakes Park, which is one of the only UNESCO world heritage sites for natural beauty in Croatia. Tomorrow we will see the lakes, so I can tell you more...
But tonight we had a nice bus ride from Split (the coastline) and the bus drivers forgot to let us out at the town, so we had to walk about a kilometer or more back in to town (as rain threatened to downpour on our heads), then find the hostel (not too hard in a small town, because people recognized the family name of the owners and pointed us in the direction of a large yellow house set back from the main road).
We are staying with a family whose home was destroyed during the war, but their new place was just rebuilt last year and it is so nice!! We have a purivate room with its own bathroom for only $30 USD per night.
We ate dinner with the people who own the house and some cool Canadians also. They cooked up every possible kind of meat on the grill (pork, beef,chicken, čevapčiči-mincemeat "sausage" hamburger, garlic meat, etc), also pasta and salad of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and leeks. We enjoyed the meal and the conversation very much, and after we finished eating, our hosts had the extended family over for a meal as well. We got to see the whole family, and get more of a sense for how regular life happens here. On her way out, Grandma said something to Toshi in Croatian that neither of us understood, but Toshi nicely bowed his head and smiled. She seemed to like that. I think she was hitting on him (but I don't mind).
The people here are so nice and so open, both the other travelers and the locals. It has been so great conversing with everyone and I feel we are really making connections.
We had a nice sunset walk and have been watching some other travelers playing travel scrabble (we are too drunk to play....). It is actually quite a nice spectator sport! (especially for a "word nerd" like me!)
We are staying at a family home in a very small town in Croatia called Grabovac. It is close to the Plitvice (say that 3 times fast= "Pleet-veet-sah") Lakes Park, which is one of the only UNESCO world heritage sites for natural beauty in Croatia. Tomorrow we will see the lakes, so I can tell you more...
But tonight we had a nice bus ride from Split (the coastline) and the bus drivers forgot to let us out at the town, so we had to walk about a kilometer or more back in to town (as rain threatened to downpour on our heads), then find the hostel (not too hard in a small town, because people recognized the family name of the owners and pointed us in the direction of a large yellow house set back from the main road).
We are staying with a family whose home was destroyed during the war, but their new place was just rebuilt last year and it is so nice!! We have a purivate room with its own bathroom for only $30 USD per night.
We ate dinner with the people who own the house and some cool Canadians also. They cooked up every possible kind of meat on the grill (pork, beef,chicken, čevapčiči-mincemeat "sausage" hamburger, garlic meat, etc), also pasta and salad of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and leeks. We enjoyed the meal and the conversation very much, and after we finished eating, our hosts had the extended family over for a meal as well. We got to see the whole family, and get more of a sense for how regular life happens here. On her way out, Grandma said something to Toshi in Croatian that neither of us understood, but Toshi nicely bowed his head and smiled. She seemed to like that. I think she was hitting on him (but I don't mind).
The people here are so nice and so open, both the other travelers and the locals. It has been so great conversing with everyone and I feel we are really making connections.
We had a nice sunset walk and have been watching some other travelers playing travel scrabble (we are too drunk to play....). It is actually quite a nice spectator sport! (especially for a "word nerd" like me!)
Split ("Splato" for Italians)
Split is the second largest city in Croatia, and it has a beautiful Old Town part, which was originally built as the retirement palace for Roman Emperor Diocletian. So it is very cool! There are beautiful cobblestone walkways, and a small Sphinx imported from Egypt sometime in the 500s.
We visited a very old cathedral, with treasures including the heads (skulls) of saints preserved in silver busts (they have a circular glass hole at the top so you can see the skull inside). They also have an underground crypt ("krypto" for Croatians) where you can light a candle (I lit one for world peace; it seemed appropriate). The goodies from the crypt seemed to have been excavated to upstairs with the rest of the treasures (super old bibles, and tons of fancy funny-looking bishop-type hats). But the acoustics down there were crazy due to the sonty structure and the domes room. Toshi pointed out that the dome is more structurally sound than a flat ceiling would have been for an underground crypt. what a smarty-pants.
Our first night in Split, we ate an incredible fish dinner (shrimp, clams, mussles, calamari, octopus, and 2 kinds of fish: the fish came with heads, tails, and eyeballs on! the waitor actually dissected them at the table and pulled out the bones, etc). We polished off a lovely bottle of red wine from the island Hvar (which we didn't have a chance to visit). I learned that I do like calamari (I was always afraid to try it before).
Also they have enormous shrimp here that you eat like lobster. So I was dreaming about getting more of those shrimp (called "scampi," which I always thought was just a way to prepare shrimp) the whole next day and almost caused a fight with Toshi due to the intensity of the longing for scampi... but we avoided that with a quick trip for some ice cream ("sladoled" in Croatian).
In the afternoon we took a ferry to the nearby island of Brač, which was fun and took only about 45 minutes on the fast boat. The views were splendid, and as you can imagine, Toshi took plenty of photos!
On island Brač, we visited a beach where we sat in reclining chairs and dipped our toes in the water. I bought a new dress with polka dots and it was so nice to wear something new (and something clean!).
After the beach, we searched out a seaside restaurant serving... you guessed it... scampi! And I had a whole plate of them, happily munching away, while Toshi sampled local grilled meats (he liked all but one of them, some kind of fatty sausage). The sun started setting over dinner and finished setting as we took our romantic ferry ride back to Split. It was really one of the most spectacular sunsets we have seen (and boy do we love a good sunset!).
We visited a very old cathedral, with treasures including the heads (skulls) of saints preserved in silver busts (they have a circular glass hole at the top so you can see the skull inside). They also have an underground crypt ("krypto" for Croatians) where you can light a candle (I lit one for world peace; it seemed appropriate). The goodies from the crypt seemed to have been excavated to upstairs with the rest of the treasures (super old bibles, and tons of fancy funny-looking bishop-type hats). But the acoustics down there were crazy due to the sonty structure and the domes room. Toshi pointed out that the dome is more structurally sound than a flat ceiling would have been for an underground crypt. what a smarty-pants.
Our first night in Split, we ate an incredible fish dinner (shrimp, clams, mussles, calamari, octopus, and 2 kinds of fish: the fish came with heads, tails, and eyeballs on! the waitor actually dissected them at the table and pulled out the bones, etc). We polished off a lovely bottle of red wine from the island Hvar (which we didn't have a chance to visit). I learned that I do like calamari (I was always afraid to try it before).
Also they have enormous shrimp here that you eat like lobster. So I was dreaming about getting more of those shrimp (called "scampi," which I always thought was just a way to prepare shrimp) the whole next day and almost caused a fight with Toshi due to the intensity of the longing for scampi... but we avoided that with a quick trip for some ice cream ("sladoled" in Croatian).
In the afternoon we took a ferry to the nearby island of Brač, which was fun and took only about 45 minutes on the fast boat. The views were splendid, and as you can imagine, Toshi took plenty of photos!
On island Brač, we visited a beach where we sat in reclining chairs and dipped our toes in the water. I bought a new dress with polka dots and it was so nice to wear something new (and something clean!).
After the beach, we searched out a seaside restaurant serving... you guessed it... scampi! And I had a whole plate of them, happily munching away, while Toshi sampled local grilled meats (he liked all but one of them, some kind of fatty sausage). The sun started setting over dinner and finished setting as we took our romantic ferry ride back to Split. It was really one of the most spectacular sunsets we have seen (and boy do we love a good sunset!).
Sunday, May 27, 2007
The Adriatic Sea
Here is my best foot forward.... in to the Adriatic!
Other than this lovely moment, the rest of the day it poured rain on me as I walked all around everywhere.
I did get to see several powerful thunderstorms, which I have always loved (I get this from my mother!). I even saw lightening striking the Adriatic! It was awe-inspiring, so I didn't care too much about being soaking wet!
Rijeka reminds me of Oakland... can anyone tell why...
Other than this lovely moment, the rest of the day it poured rain on me as I walked all around everywhere.
I did get to see several powerful thunderstorms, which I have always loved (I get this from my mother!). I even saw lightening striking the Adriatic! It was awe-inspiring, so I didn't care too much about being soaking wet!
Rijeka reminds me of Oakland... can anyone tell why...
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Dobrodošli! (Welcome)
So I am in one piece after my first full day here. 
I am feeling more settled, getting to know the city, and enjoying its many parks and green areas. I read that Zagreb is one of the world's cities with the most parks and greenery. I don't doubt it. They also have part of the city that is purely pedestrian traffic (with cobblestone streets and everything). Outdoor cafes proliferate and everyone flocks to them.
The women here are very stylish, and pretty much all women under 70 years look very chic, with the pointiest shoes and matching expensive handbags. The older women, by contrast, are often dressed in long black skirts, with a black scarf covering their hair except for a small mess of grey-white bangs that stick out over very sun-experienced skin. I saw many older people today, walking around the main square slowly, collecting cans and bottles for the deposit money. I felt very sad to see this, because the young people seem to be in a different world-very stylish and seemingly unaware or undisturbed by the situation of their elders. These women, dressed all in black, deeply wrinkled faces that have seen a life of intense sun and more intense worries, seem like they belong to another time.
Today there was a big party in the main square near the hostel, to celebrate the high school students' last day of school (yesterday) and it was PACKED with jubilant teens, dressed in matching T-shirts from each school. They all had whistles, and were tooting away in time with very loud techno music and dancing all around. It was truly a spectacle (this is the same square where yesterday they had the wheelchair sports and concert; tonight it seems that they are showcasing these racecars for some big European rally/race, which will be the first of these events to be held in Croatia).
It is VERY hot (about 27 degrees C) and sunny here (much warmer and sunnier than Amsterdam for sure), so I am enjoying not having to wear a jacket, even at night. I wore sunscreen and my "cover-up" shirt (white shirt, long sleeves... my father always used to make me wear a cover-up shirt at the beach when I was a kid) today and managed not to get burned! I am sure all of you who are intensely protective of my alabaster skin will be pleased and proud. I am nagging myself about sun/skin stuff in your absence.
Speaking of absence.... it does make the heart grow fonder. I am missing family, friends, and Toshi so much, and I am finding myself suprised by the level of longing for each of you who is dear to me, because many of you live a million miles away from me normally.... But that feeling is there, wishing I could show my mom certain things or laugh with my Dad about something that I know he would find amusing. And Zagreb is a very romantic city, so of course I am missing Toshi. I can't begrudge the natives and other travellers their right to be affectionate with their partners, but I am jealous of their proximity to loved ones.
Today I wandered around Zagreb; I wasn't feeling very "high energy," so I stuck to the local attractions and really mostly spent the day doing little walking trips in the neighborhood then returning to the hostel and lying on the couch.I did see the incredible cathedral that I mentioned in yesterday's post during the day, and it was spectacular in the sunlight.
I also walked to the Croatian National Theatre, which is in a very impressive and fancy-looking building near the botanical gardens (which I didn't make it to yet, but hopefully tomorrow or Saturday).
Also, I swear I saw Friar Tuck come out of a little church in town. Spitting image!
I am feeling more settled, getting to know the city, and enjoying its many parks and green areas. I read that Zagreb is one of the world's cities with the most parks and greenery. I don't doubt it. They also have part of the city that is purely pedestrian traffic (with cobblestone streets and everything). Outdoor cafes proliferate and everyone flocks to them.
The women here are very stylish, and pretty much all women under 70 years look very chic, with the pointiest shoes and matching expensive handbags. The older women, by contrast, are often dressed in long black skirts, with a black scarf covering their hair except for a small mess of grey-white bangs that stick out over very sun-experienced skin. I saw many older people today, walking around the main square slowly, collecting cans and bottles for the deposit money. I felt very sad to see this, because the young people seem to be in a different world-very stylish and seemingly unaware or undisturbed by the situation of their elders. These women, dressed all in black, deeply wrinkled faces that have seen a life of intense sun and more intense worries, seem like they belong to another time. Today there was a big party in the main square near the hostel, to celebrate the high school students' last day of school (yesterday) and it was PACKED with jubilant teens, dressed in matching T-shirts from each school. They all had whistles, and were tooting away in time with very loud techno music and dancing all around. It was truly a spectacle (this is the same square where yesterday they had the wheelchair sports and concert; tonight it seems that they are showcasing these racecars for some big European rally/race, which will be the first of these events to be held in Croatia).
It is VERY hot (about 27 degrees C) and sunny here (much warmer and sunnier than Amsterdam for sure), so I am enjoying not having to wear a jacket, even at night. I wore sunscreen and my "cover-up" shirt (white shirt, long sleeves... my father always used to make me wear a cover-up shirt at the beach when I was a kid) today and managed not to get burned! I am sure all of you who are intensely protective of my alabaster skin will be pleased and proud. I am nagging myself about sun/skin stuff in your absence.
Speaking of absence.... it does make the heart grow fonder. I am missing family, friends, and Toshi so much, and I am finding myself suprised by the level of longing for each of you who is dear to me, because many of you live a million miles away from me normally.... But that feeling is there, wishing I could show my mom certain things or laugh with my Dad about something that I know he would find amusing. And Zagreb is a very romantic city, so of course I am missing Toshi. I can't begrudge the natives and other travellers their right to be affectionate with their partners, but I am jealous of their proximity to loved ones.
Today I wandered around Zagreb; I wasn't feeling very "high energy," so I stuck to the local attractions and really mostly spent the day doing little walking trips in the neighborhood then returning to the hostel and lying on the couch.I did see the incredible cathedral that I mentioned in yesterday's post during the day, and it was spectacular in the sunlight.
I also walked to the Croatian National Theatre, which is in a very impressive and fancy-looking building near the botanical gardens (which I didn't make it to yet, but hopefully tomorrow or Saturday).
Also, I swear I saw Friar Tuck come out of a little church in town. Spitting image!
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