Welcome to Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik kicked off with a hike up a steep hill to our hostel and at least three flights of stairs leading to the reception area. However all things started looking better as we met the family that operated Dubrovnik Backpacker's Club hostel. We were welcomed with ice cold water and a welcome shot, homemade peach schnapps. The office was literally the family's living room area which was wide open as it connects to the kitchen, and dinning room. Immediately I felt at home and after seeing the clean air conditioned room, I had a good feeling that I was going to have an enjoyable time in Dubrovnik.







The heat had really gotten to a lot of us at hostel and most people wanted to have a chill night. So we all gathered in the common area and watch Casino Royal. We managed to pick up a straggler, Cecily. She was also staying at the staff house on Korcula while finishing up her open water certification. And Kate was also staying at our hostel. I had met her briefly on the train from Zagreb to Split, in Korcula and now she's also here in Dubrovnik, small world.









The second day Mark, Catherine, Cecily (both Melbourne), Aaron, Sean and I all take a bus and venture out to the old town. Old town is located in a round peninsula shaped island. There is a wall that encloses the historical buildings. Within the walls there are businesses, restaurants, one of the world's oldest pharmacies, and even a hotel. The streets of old town is made of large slabs of rock and it is smooth to almost resemble marble in some places. We all take the wall walk that lets us see all the views around the edges of old town. Needless to say, it was really hot and we took plenty of rest stops in the shades. The good thing is that there is a big water fountain area in the middle of the town and cool drinkable water run out from several sprouts. People line up to splash their faces with cool water, take a drink and fill up their bottles.









The tops of the roofs are all various shades of orange that show the weathering of old age. There are round domes that remind me of pictures of the islands of Greece, minus the white and blue colors. There is a cathedral in the center. The walkways between the building are really narrow. There are clothes on clotheslines which tells us that there are actually people still living in this area of town. Swarms of swallows glide above. I'm not sure why they are out in the middle of the day as it is super hot, but these birds actually continue flying around well after sunset.