We are leaving our room after 45 days here in Split, Croatia, and heading down to Dubrovnik for a week. So far I have been super impressed with Croatia and look forward to returning. The water is amazing, warm, turquoise blue and full of life! I was trying to identify some unique aspects of life in Croatia so wanted to share in case you’d like to check it out for yourself. Which you should…
The lifestyle:
Is very carefree and even those who live here acknowledge that things happen at a pace that can be unpredictable. Sometimes people come into work late or don’t come in at all, though we haven’t seen that personally. There is a laisse faire attitude and since we’re at the beach we see the same people hanging out day after day. Just talking, BS-ing and enjoying life. I admire that and hope to live up to that standard!
Driving:
Most of the cars we see are pretty ratty though there are a lot more “nice” cars than we saw in Italy or Spain. Beemers, Mercedes and high end SUVs and no one seems to look differently at others based on what they drive. In all the time here I have seen no “road rage” or anything like that and there is a respect of drivers I am not used to. You’re driving behind someone slower, you wait to pass them and move on. No one gives them the finger or shows annoyance, they just move along. I’ve noticed that on the bikes I’ve rented, too. People respect the bikes, make room for you and I can pass just about anywhere! We can also park just about anywhere and never have I seen a ticket or tow truck! It reminds me of the old west days where everyone took care of themselves, no one hassled other folks, and everyone got along. I see police cars but never saw anyone stopped or ticketed and it seems that respect and common sense go a long way.
Safety and security:
Along with the sense of everyone watching out for themselves, they also watch out for each other. Petty crimes and theft are highly disdained by the people themselves and I’m not sure of how stiff the penalties might be. I leave my helmet hanging from the handlebars of the bike and wonder if it’s safe and so far no problem. I even left a pair of shoes sitting on the seat of the bike for several hours and found them where I left them. Oh, and that bike was parked on the sidewalk of a commercial area which we could NEVER do in the states! I can virtually park this bike anywhere without worry. Weird.
And even though a LOT of beer is consumed here, I never see anyone looking drunk or disorderly. I rarely saw that in Spain or Italy either and alcohol, which is everywhere, appears not to be abused. Those guys sitting in the street start early and beer seems to be the “orange juice” of breakfast! In the six weeks we’ve been here never did I ever hear someone being obnoxious and loud except once. And of course it was a college age American male showing off for the ladies. Whatever…
The people:
They vary, based on age and whether they are natives. This country has only been free since June 25, 1991 (they just celebrated) so it’s not even 30 years. The older generation is very traditional, don’t always speak as much English as the younger ones, and they dress in dark, drab colors and I wonder if they think they still live under oppression. Meanwhile the 30 and under crowd are well traveled, are very respectful and feel comfortable with English.
I wrote an article for the Croatia Week magazine about one of our ferry tours and doing another one on “Croatia on Two Wheels.” We’ve barely scratched the surface of this country and have seen maybe 150 miles of the coastline which is not even half. Our bike ride to Dubrovnik will fill in a lot of that gap! And we haven’t even touched the interior, which is also magnificent with mountains and rivers.
Until a few years ago I didn’t even know where Croatia was and had zero desire to visit. Now that I see how much these former eastern Bloc countries have to offer it makes me want to see even more. Are you interested? Please share your questions and thoughts!
