Croatia Sailing Trip

Day #1
We checked into our boat (The Petrina) at 11am and at 1pm we set sail for Hvar. On the way we stopped for a swim and then got into Hvar town at about 6pm i think. We were one of the last boats to arrive which meant we were right at the back of the line of boats. Because of this we had to trek across 8 other boats to get to the dock. By the end of the week i was used to this but been the first day and all i was still a bit shaky jumping from one boat to the next.
Our Busabout guide, Isobel took us on a walking tour of the town and then we had a few hours of free time. Me and Ewen got a quick dinner and then climbed up the hill to the Spanjola fortress to check out the views over the town. After this we met up with the rest of our group and went to a bar called Kiva for some free shots and some dancing.

Our room for the next 7 days
The death stairs leading to our room
Coming into Hvar
The fortress above the town of Hvar
Hvar
View on the walk up to the fortress. It's difficult to make out but our boat is the one with the crooked beam on the mast
Ewen on the walk up to the fortress
View from the fortress
Me in the prison in the fortress
Free shots at Kiva Bar
Kiva Bar
Ewen about to do a Tequila Boom Boom
Pretty excited!
You put a helmet on and the bar tender hits you (pretty dam hard) on head a few times with your shot of tequila and then you do the shot

Day #2
Ewen's Birthday!!! Celebrating Ewens birthday was a little difficult as he wouldn't let me tell anyone it was his birthday but i think i did OK. after breakfast he opened all his presents and then we spent a few hours sunbathing, reading and swimming when the boat stopped mid morning. After lunch we arrived in Mljet (which was my favourite place we went to over the week). Mljet is famous for its national park which features two salt water lakes to swim in. We took a smaller boat over to St Marys Island which was in the middle of the larger lake and had a look at the monestry then we got the boat back and went in search of a secluded spot to do some swimming, we ended up finding a great little spot at the smaller lake (even the smaller lake was enormous).
That night we had a Captains Dinner on the boat and then everyone had a pretty quite night. we went and a had a drink at a beach bar with a few people from our boat and then went for a walk to see the sea urchins.

Ewen gazing out to sea on his birthday

Ewen chilling out on the boat

Birthday balloons!

One of the lakes in Mljet

Ewen on the little island with the monestry

Ewen having a swim

Our awesome swimming spot

Having a swim

Action shot

Our Captain, Tony

Day #3
After a mid morning swim in the ocean we arrived into Dubrovnik just after lunch time. After a walking tour from our Busabout guide we had free time until 4.30pm. Me and Ewen had a look through the shops and then sat down by the ocean watching some local kids playing a bizarre form of soccer/tennis and another group playing water polo.
At 4.30pm we did the wall walk with the group from our boat. These walls are the most complete set of fortified walls in the world. the views were incredible! The walls have surrounded Dubrovnik since the 7th century and before 1991 they had successfully repelled all attacks.
We had a group dinner at a seafood restaurant over looking the water. Me and Ewen both got lamb which kind of made going to a sea food restaurant pointless but oh well.
After dinner we all went to a bar where drinks were served to you in buckets. Me and Ewen didnt stay here long, it was so crowded you couldn't even move let alone dance inside and people were spilling out into the alley way making even that hard to walk around in. Our drink was really nice though! We left and went for a walk around the town before catching the public bus back to our boat.

The walls of old town in Dubrovnik

Apparently it is considered good luck to run up to this section of wall, lift your top and press your stomach to the wall and then kiss the wall. only our tour guide was game enough to do this

Kermit

A street in Dubrovnik

View from the walls

View from the wall

One of the greatest inventions on earth

 This is what bars are like in Croatia, all the action happens in the alleyway outside the bar

  Bucket Cocktail

 Our boat, The Petrina

Day #4
Today we went to Marco Polo town otherwise known as Korcula. Marco Polo was supposedly born here, you can even pay to visit his birth place (we didn't do this). In Korcula they have a town that they claim Marco Polo lived in and you can pay to climb up and have a look inside, the odd thing about this is that tower was built 300 years AFTER Marco Polo was born...
After a guided tour around the place we were left to our own devices. We decided to spend our time swimming and looking around the shops. We had another group dinner (although this time only 6 of us turned up) at an Italian restaurant and then had cocktails on top of a castle turret while watching the tail end of the sunset. Once i manage to get some photos uploaded you will see that Croatia is not huge on the whole OH&S issue. On the top of the turret you could sit on kind of bench seating running around the edges. behind you though were large wholes that dropped right down into the ocean with no safety barriers what-so-ever. After our cocktails we went to a different bar, this one with nice safe couches and had a few drinks and did some dancing before heading back to the boat.

This is how they get your drink order up the castle turret

Day #5
Today we sailed to place called Makarska which was full of markets and water sports. After a quick look through the markets (where Ewen got himself a foam sword that squirts water) we decided to go Para-sailing. We got to do a tandem one which was great and we opted for the longest/highest one possible, 400m high and 15 minutes up in the air. The views were incredible but 400m is a very very long way up! The boat looked like a little matchbox boat and in the photos a guy on the boat took of us you cant even see us, all you can is our parachute! It was definitely worth it!
That night we went to a bar for some free shots and some cocktails and then after that we all headed to a club called Deep which is inside a cave, they even have spots where you can go swimming in the ocean if you want to. This was pretty cool, we didn't go swimming but we had a few drinks and then wandered back to our boat.

Ewen about to jump off the side of the boat

A statue you are meant to rub for good luck

All ready to go

up up and away

Club Deep

Day #6
Today we ventured into pirate territory, Omis. The town is famous for being heavily involved in pirate activity 1000 years ago. Omis Pirates ruled the Adriatic Sea for more then three centuries until in the year of 1420 the whole of Dalmatia, except Omis, fell under rule the of Venetian Republic, the most powerful naval force of those times. Surrounded by the enemy and left completely alone, the Pirates of Omis managed to defend themselves for 24 years. In 1444, Omis fell into the hands of Venetia and that year marks the end of piracy on Adriatic Sea.
When the Venetians took over they build a large fortress on top of a hill over looking Omis. Me and Ewen attempted to climb to the top (it takes an hour and is straight up), it was the hardest thing i have ever done in my life and stupidly we didn't really prepare ourselves. we wore proper walking shoes but talk hardly any water and after about 40 minutes we were both wrecked and i started to get dizzy and feel really sick. we sat and rested but i didn't feel any better so turned back, later we found out that we were only 10 minutes from the top which was pretty shattering!
That night was our pirate party where everyone got dressed up and we had some drinks on the boat.

Its a bit hard to make out but the castle is up on that hill. this was taken about half way through the walk

Ewen, Jason & Adam on Pirate night

Arrrrgh

Day #7
We spent the first half of the day in Omis, i used the time to go on the internet while Ewen used the time to sleep. We left at about 11am and then stopped halfway to Split for a swim before lunch. we all took advantage as this was our last swim stop for the cruise. We arrived into Split at about 2pm and Isobel took us on a walking tour of the town. We then came back to pack our bags and sat around on the boat talking before going out for dinner.

Finally i worked up the courage to jump off the boat, i look like I'm doing a dance mid air

Ewen with his dinner

Child's ride Croatian style