Puntamika

Trip Start Jun 09, 2010

Trip End Jul 22, 2010

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Where I stayed

Youth Hostel Zadar

Flag of Croatia Zadar, Croatia
Wednesday, July 7, 2010

We got up bright and early this morning to take our 2 hour bus ride to the airport, and then our 2 hour plane ride to Zadar, Croatia. Finally, we were here! After landing, we took a couple buses to get to our hostel, which was on a little peninsula of Zadar called Puntamika (I just love that name). Our first objectives: claim a bunk and hit the beach. We immediately changed into our beachwear and headed about 10 minutes down the street to a little sliver of beach. It was pretty busy for being 5pm, but we found a spot nonetheless. The water couldn't have been more perfect considering how hot it was outside! We floated easily because of the amount of salt in the water. We definitely had to shower off afterward-there were bits of salt caking on our skin when we got out of the water, but it was so worth it! That night, we ordered Croatian pizza (which definitely rivals with Naples' pizza) from Pizza Taxi. And yes, a guy came to deliver it on his bicycle (the pizza was in a little warm box on the back of his bike). We enjoyed the pizza and some Croatian beer while watching Germany's next World Cup match against Spain. Unfortunately, this uneventful game ended with Germany out of the running for Weltmeister.

During the night, Lisa and I were convinced we were getting attacked my the same little biting fly that kept hopping back and forth between our bunks. Each of us woke up in the morning with at least 20 bug bites all over our arms and legs. And as an added bonus, I also got a lovely bite on my eye, which was swollen shut when I woke up. Bring on the Benadryl.

Today we took a trip to the Plitvice Lakes, a gorgeous National Park in Croatia. Many of my German relatives had actually visited Plitvice- some over 30 years ago- and told me how beautiful it was. I had read about Plitvice and seen pictures, but it was nothing compared to the beauty I saw first-hand. The whole park is a series of flowing waterfalls and lakes. A walk through the park and you are treated with the most beautiful blues and greens you've ever seen. The water was so clear, you could see the hundreds of fish that lurked below, looking for food. We ate lunch with a great view of the lake and backdrop of the lush greenery behind it. We walked around for a few hours, never getting bored with the beauty of the park.

After heading back to Zadar, we decided to walk around the old town to get some dinner and, of course, gelato. I had calamari and a glass of wine; Lisa had a Croatian crepe. We had some of the most beautifully presented gelato. It was pretty good, but still did not compare to Italy's gelato.

Before going to sleep, I sprayed myself down with a healthy dose of bug spray. Bring it on, biting flies.