Sunken Yachts

We're not used to public transportation, that much is clear. We tried really hard to maintain our optimistic and positive outlook on life through the long and chaotic lines of Ryan Air although we were both struggling. We got through another long line passing by customs into Croatia and changed some money, only to wait with 40 other people for the bus that was supposed to come in 10 minutes and whisk us into the city center.

We waited and waited for well over an hour. Several people jumped the bus line and shared a taxi together, taking them one step closer to the promise of the clear Croatian sea. Several more people did it too and we looked on with increasing envy. Finally we shared a taxi with 2 other American girls who were "backpacking" their way around Europe by way of B&B and hotels; they had 7 pairs of shoes stored in their packs, each. 7 each. They had just graduated from high school.

Once we got to the city center we caught a bus over to our haven, Villa Lippa. It's a modern house that was split up into 6 apartments. Our apartment takes up one half of the top floor and we have two balconies. Everything is white and airy with tiled floors and french doors. White curtains billow in the wind and there are sliding blond wood floor-length shudders that can be slid in order to block out the sun without blocking the view.

We dumped our stuff and ran to the market for fresh fruit, bread, and wine and then off to the beach by the yachting club, a 10 minute walk south. The "beach" area is a short collection of rocks before it plunges into the clear, cold, blue ocean. The small jagged rocks are brutally hot and sharp and make entry and exit from the water one of the least graceful acts ever.

Zadar seems to have the quiet laid-back vibe of a beach town but with an underlying desolation. Old wrecked yachts act as diving boards, gray stuccoed structures have missing roofs, buildings outside of the 2-building financial district don't rise above 3 stories with the trees not getting much higher. They are currently revamping the quick post-war concrete rebuild that occurred in the 70's (I think) and the Sea Organ and the Sun Salutation are at the forefront of that effort. The Sea Organ below is amazing! It's so calming and just fabulous. There's an explanation of how it works at Wikipedia.

Croatia's lovely and makes the flight and non-existent bus worth while.