Croatia (October 17th - October 21st )
(Split - Makaraska - Peljesac - Dubrovnik)
Distance biked so far: (4,006 km)
After a few days in Split, I was ready to head off again. I used the time to wander the City, plan my route through the Balkans and start looking into how and when to get down to the Middle East. I also spent a lot of time eating and think I eat more when I have days off the bike.
Croatia's capital is Zagreb and is in the north east of this Country of approximately 5 million people. They gained a violent independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 and sustained years of fighting against their Serbian neighbours. It is a very modern country, particularly on the Dalmatian Coast side which borders the Adriatic Sea. The Sea dominates here and Croatia has more than 1,000 islands along its varied and scenic coast. Croatia is not cheap with the cost of living similar to Italy, particularly in the tourist dominated cities of Split and Dubrovnik. The country definitely feels more Mediterranean than Eastern European.
I cycled from Split to Makaraska on Monday and the views were spectacular along the Dalmatian Coast.
As I was leaving Split there was evidence that not everything in Croatia is picture perfect, though it seems that way at times. It has not been that long since President Tito ruled under his Communist Party and parts of the City away from the cruise terminals provided a glimpse of some of the old and run down Communist style housing.
