1. You can rely on the bus system
The bus system in Croatia is called Libertas, and you could practically set your watch by checking it against when the buses arrived at the bus stop. Buses were prompt, the schedules were accurate, and it was never hard to figure out which bus you needed to be on. I'm fairly sure all the bus lines ran by the Pile Gate at Old Town.
2. Go to the pizzerias
I know when Americans think of pizza, we usually think of Papa Murphey's or Pizza Hut, but Croatian pizzerias are nothing like that. You can get pizza there, but you can also get traditional food and (if you're an adult) good local wine. (Side note: local food/wine is much cheaper than Americanized food or drinks. That also surprised me.) The best thing I can liken them to is how Pizza Hut is now (or are they still?) serving buffalo wings as well as pizza- I guess buffalo wings are pretty traditional American food, right? The wings are probably cheaper at Pizza Hut than they are at Buffalo Wild Wings, though.
Croatian pizzerias are kind of the same way; they have traditional food, but its much cheaper than the other restaurants, and, frankly, they give you much bigger servings. Which brings me to...
3. Restaurants charge you for EVERYTHING!
I don't just mean they charge you for water and french fries. They charged me for bread. They charged me for ketchup. There was even a place where they charged me to put milk in my coffee. EVERYTHING!
4.1. Pretty much everyone there speaks English...
They speak it really well, too. In fact, I don't remember a single person I couldn't communicate easily with. Most people I spoke to also spoke Italian, German, and even French.
4.2. ... but they use words a little strangely
The two that stick out in my memory are yes, please and lady.
Yes, please is not necessarily a request. I heard it used in places where phrases like, "Are you ready?" "Can I help you?" or even, "Do this now," would be more appropriate. For example, when I was at a restaurant waiting to order, the waiters would come up and say, "Yes, please." Or when I was ready to pay, it was, "Yes, please." Or when I was in line for the Walls, the vendor said, "Yes, please," when I went up to give him the ticket.
I heard Lady a lot, and apparently, that's what they say when they mean, "Miss." As in, "Miss, are you ready for your bill?" or "Can I help you, Miss?" That one confused me for a while.
5. Water. Bring it. Always.
Dubrovnik is between some mountains and the Adriatic Sea. It's sunny, windy, and extremely hilly. You will need lots of water, especially if you're walking. The idea of flat ground seems to be pretty foreign to Dubrovnik - even the Old Town was built partly on a hill, so between the hiking, wind, and sun, you will need lots of water.
6. It's pretty safe
Granted, I was in a very touristy part of the world, but I never once felt unsafe. True, I never went out after ten at night, and I never went to any back alleys or anything, but unlike Rome, where street vendors follow you around and you know there are lots of pickpockets out, Dubrovnik was generally safe, even for a woman traveling alone. Nobody followed me, nobody leered weirdly at me, and nobody encroached on my personal space, even if they were selling something. Nothing was stolen, and I never felt unsafe.
7. Now would be a good time to go
If you wanted to see something Roman, but didn't want to go somewhere where not many people speak English, there are lots of pickpockets, and everything is a sprawling distance apart, Dubrovnik might be an acceptable substitute. All the people trying to sell me tours told me that they were trying to attract more American tourists - let me say that again, they are trying to attract more American tourists - so all the places, museums, etc. are pretty reasonably priced. Take, for example, a seven-hour boat tour for only $35, traditional lunch and local wine and other drinks included - that is a steal. You can see the pictures from that tour on an earlier post, and tell me if you don't think it was worth the $35.
The way it is now, the exchange rate favors Americans, and (according to the tour guides) they want more Americans there anyway. The people are nice, it's easy to get around in, and Old Town is spectacular (as you will soon see.) Definitely, if you get a chance, take a trip to the Pearl of the Adriatic, Dubrovnik.
No comments:
Post a Comment