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It has been some time since our last update, for this we apologise but in other news we have been extremely busy exploring some of the best cities in the world..where you may ask? Ohh we can't tell you, that would ruin the suprise now wouldn't it!! You'll have to read on and find out...
Ok so we last left off leaving Bled bright and early after a big day of extreme canyonning, it was one bus and two trains before we found ourselves in Croatia at the costal town of Split. The following day we would begin our croatian sailing adventure, so with wise heads on our shoulders we voted for an early nights rest to ensure our batteries were fullly charged and re-energized for the week-long party that was upon us. We couldn't resist a sticky-beak around Split though, and after a wander round we found a cool mexian place in Diocletian''s Palace (a Roman monument left in Split) where we shared our burritos and chimichangas with the owners labrador/small horse haha (no jokes this dog would have to have been legally registered as a shetland pony it was that large!!!).
Waking up the following morning we decided to pick up some essentials from the markets around the Palace, and filled ourselves up with a nice breaky (little did we realise we would only shortly be treated to a 3-course lunch on the boat) before checking in on the sailing boat. Festivites on the boat began with a welcome from our tour leader, Mitch (who we found out was actually a werribee boy...when he was a baby haha) who explained to us what we would all be doing for the week...basically swmimming, drinking, sunbaking at a new island every day. Before long the boat took off for our first stop Milna, and we began acquainting ourselves with our fellow sailers over a few light refreshments haha!! Unfortunately we couldn't port into Milna for a few hours so we had to spend our time swimming in secluded bay...damn! How unlucky could we be haha! However tragedy did strike paradise with Adam standing on a sea urchin while swimming around, at first it didn't seem like anything but with pain settling in he decided to consult the boat crew. Their suggestions of a urine foot soak wasn't entirely appealing so Adam decided to be tough like Chuck Norris and ride through the pain (luckily for him he didn't step on the urchin too hard and was only discomforted in that he had to walk with a limp for the week to ensure the urchin spikes didn't lodge further into his foot haha).
Docking into Milna we all headed out for a big group dinner and afterwards continued sampling fine Croatian beverages while boogieing the night away to the tunes of DJ Ney-dog (that's right folks, Adam kept the party going with a fine selection of floor fillers haha).
Waking up a little worse for wear, everyone on the boat had a pretty low key morning. Our destination for Day 2 was Hvar, the Croatian island which plays makeshift home for the rich and famous when they decide to holiday in Croatia...unfortunately we didn't get to rub shoulders with anyone who was even remotely famous though haha. Before docking into Hvar we made our routine daily swim stop, Chloe attempted snorkling with our child-sized snorkling kit, and basked in the sun on the deck. Arriving in Hvar we were promised a sunset over the water with cocktails, with this in mind everyone again enthusiastically set out as a big group for dinner before venturing to the Hula Hula bar. If we can explain this place, close your eyes and imagine a small bay where the trees meet the rocks at the waters edge, in amongst a clearing a huge bar is laid out over the rocks, and lounge set-ups are positioned all over the surrounding rocks. The sun was beginning to set over the water right in front of us, all the while we enjoyed rocking tunes and excellent mojitos...heaven! The night was still young and none of these sailors were tired yet, so we made our way to a local bar where the absinthe was cheap and the beer tower kegs were cheaper and the raijkia (a Croatian alternative to grappa) was even cheaper still. The night continued on with much dancing followed by much sweating, meeting more cool dogs on the street, enjoying pastries from a local bakery and attempting to board some of the most luxurious yachts and mini-cruiseliners you have ever laid your eyes upon haha.
Waking up to the bell to signal lunchtime, everyone arose to our daily 3-course lunch although a few brave souls were up earlier then this to get some breakfast (Chloe included). Our boat was already enroute to our destination for day 3, Korcula. We made our obligatory swimstop shortly after lunch, a seemingly perfect spot for snorkling...unless you start kicking rocks!! Chloe was off snorkling during our swimstop and managed to miss sight of a big rock, needless to say her foot came off a bit worse then the rock did haha. And for the next 3 weeks she proudly donned a penis shaped cut on the top of her foot hahahahahaha. When docked in Korcula, Mitch took our crew on a tour of the island, giving us a brief history lesson and an insight into the nights activities he had planned. For dinner that evening we sampled a range of delights from a buffet, and then enjoying cocktails at the top of an old watchtower. Coming off the back of what were two fairly active evenings, most of the sailors opted for an early evening. Adam and some other boys from Victoria (Brad, Dave and Wardy) carried the party flame for our boat and remained out playing musical/co-ordination/clapping drinking games while watching the World Cup.
Ding ding ding ding ding...it was lunch time again on day 4 and of course the boat was stopped for our afternoon swim stop (wow what a hard life haha!!!). Our furtherest journey for the trip had been underway since the early hours of the morning, but most slept through the gentle rocking of the boat and didn't realise we more then half-way to our destination...Dubrovnik, the so-called 'gem of the Adriatic Sea'.
Arriving in Dubrovnik we parted with the cool ocean breeeze and were welcomed with very warm conditions, probably not the most ideal weather to be walking aroud Dubrovnik on a Mitch-guided tour of the city, but ofcourse we did it anyway haha. Needless to say a pit stop for ice-creams, and finishing the impromptu tour at a waterside bar just out of the city walls (another swim stop ohhhhh yeah!!). As the day drew to a close on day 4, the night came upon us. Dinner in Dubrovnik was a real treat for the seafood lovers amongst the group, with cheap and absolutley amazing seafood platters available for consumption (lucky Adam, unlucky Chloe). Dubrovnik is considered the premier party location in Croatia, and on this particular evening it didn't fail to live up to it's repuatation. The first bar served 3litre cocktail towers or cocktail buckets, while the second bar/club we visited (the Latino club) was where we set up camp for the evening...a mix of dancing (Chloe and her galpal Adrienne tore up the d-floor) and summertime destructions (a delicious drink, the ingredients of which cannot be recalled at this particular time haha).
Day 5 brought with it a relaxing day in Mijet, an island which is basically 100% national parkland. There were basically no bars or clubs, which meant everyone could detox for the evening. Arriving there nice and early in the afternoon gave everyone the opportunity to go off and do as they please, some hired jeeps and cruised the islands, others took bikes, and some were too lazy to even do that and just decided to hang out on a beach and skipping rocks (both of us fell into that final lazy category haha). That evening we were treated to a Capitains Dinner on the boat, which was a massive meat feast..too bad if you were a vegetarian I suppose! Lounging out on the deck shortly after, everyone played a few party games before calling it a night nice and early.
Re-energized from our quiet night in Mijet, everyone was rearing and ready to go on day 6. Makarska was our destination, a pirate themed party was our invitation (wow I'm a poet and I didn't even know it). The entire afternoon in Makarska everyone sought a pirate outfit for the evening's party, following this the ladies all went out a meal together (to talk about how hot all the boys were no doubt) and all the dudes stayed back on the boat to conduct secret mens business (drinking games and a BBQ). Upon the girls return to the boat, everyone got kitted up in their pirate-best and the pirate party got underway. Cool tunes, a game of pass-the-parcel, cocktails were the basis of good times!!! Makarska also provided the most interesting location for a bar, club deep was located inside a cave on the ocean (probably not the safest location for a nightclub).
Day 7 was our return to Split, while we still had the night in the boat docked at Split it was basically the end of our tour :-(
We begun the day bright and early though (way way too early) and headed out for a morning of whitewater rafting. Having had been before in Bali, Adam considered himself a seasoned vetern and was sadly disappointed when the rapids weren't as intense as he had desired. The views were pretty spectacular, and rowing down the river in our boat trying to beat all the other boats was a heap of fun. Also we were allowed to exit the boat towarda the end and float down the final few rapids on our own, that wa pretty pretty pretty damn cool, but banging into random rocks when doing it wasn't as cool haha.
Returning to the boat we begun to make our way back to Split. Of course there was the obligatory swim-stop on the way though. When we arrived in Split, we headed off to go do some washing and get out facebook fix haha. The evening was pretty low-key with most people heading off in their newly formed little possies for dinner. We wnt out with Brad, Dave, Wardy and Adrienne (who are all buddies from back home in good old Melbourne) before meeting up with the group again to hang out one last time at a couple of bars and watching the World Cup.
The following morning brought an end to our tour and we said our goodbyes before heading off to catch a bus to our next destination, Bibinje.
Haha I know your all probably thinking what the hell I've never even heard of that place don't worry neither had we!! that's probably because it is a tiny little town near the larger town of Zadar, it's basically all residental little houses by the water, secluded beaches, it was just what the doctor had ordered after such a busy week on our sailing adventure. The busride there was long, and possibly driven by the worst bus driver to ever exist! But we made it to our weekend hide-away, basically the next two days before our flight to London included, delicious pasta we cooked ourselves, an epic adventure to find an ATM, cove-hopping (a technical term we created to describe our daily activity of moving from one beach cove to the next), sleep-in's and many many games of UNO.
On the Monday morning London was calling, we caught our Ryanair flight, albeit that we arrived way way way to early to the airport and had nothing to do for a fair while before our flight. Now for 2 weeks in the UK...
Sorry for the enormity of this blog update guys, there wa alot to tell from Croatia, and seeing as we have kept you waiting for some time now for the latest update we thought you deserve this little treat!! (well not actually that little...)
Bye for now bloggers
Lots of love, A.Neylon and C.Sirca :-)
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