Dubrovnik

August 11th
Dubrovnik, Croatia

I’ve been looking forward to today for a long time. Maybe not especially today, but certainly looking forward to Dubrovnik, which I’ve never heard a bad thing about. After switching out of my IPM duty, I was off the ship and ready to begin my Croatian outing.
The weather was, yet again, perfect - another 90 degree day, cloudless, and still more than welcomed after months at the North pole. I didn’t really have much of a plan for the day, but just to walk around and enjoy the city at my own pace. After a little walking, I soon found myself traveling toward the waterfront where I would be sure to get some great pictures. As one thing led to another, I was soon walking through a nice park and getting some amazing views. When I approached the end of the trail, I was greeted by a wall - apparently part of the fortifications that ran through the city area. In the center of the wall was an opening, obviously what used to be some sort of walkway through it, but had now been blocked with bricks and large stones. Me, being the untamable explorer that I am, wanted to know what was on the other side of the wall and why I was being kept from it, so I climbed it. After finding the right set of hand and foot holds, I was up the wall in no time looking at that which someone didn’t want me to see…pretty much nothing. After a series of jumps, I was on the ground on the other side, met by an overgrown forest area, an old set of stairs, and no obvious way out. It was about at that time that I looked down at my hand only to notice my fingers were covered in blood. I guess, in the process of climbing the wall, I slit the tip of my right middle finger and it was doing its best to let me know about it. Knowing how much fingers bleed, I figured the cut couldn’t be too bad and let it dry up as I continued exploring…unsuccessfully. The forest was relentless and wouldn’t let me pass, where as the old staircase led me to a cliff, another less than promising alternative. Then I found a cleared out area littered with glass bottles and beer cans, probably some teen hangout. This meant one of two things, either there was an easier way in to where I was that I just couldn’t find, or I’m a total pansy considering a bunch of teens, most likely drunk and high, are also able to climb this wall without over dramatizing it in a blog entry. Instead, I’ll argue for a third option: Croatians must be unbelievably agile in any physical/mental state…or were smart enough to bring a ladder. Regardless, the only remaining option was to go back the way I came, so defeated after 30 minutes of unfruitful curiosity, I prepared for my descent. As I stepped to the edge in order to ascertain another set of holds, I found the likely culprit to my now blood-encrusted finger, a tiny green shard of glass…jerk. I blew the glass out of the areas I was sure to be placing my hands and, with no abundance of grace, made my way back to the original trail. I was alive, though bleeding, but no longer trapped by my own ridiculous excursion. At that point I started walking back to the city where I’d be safe from, well, myself.
I spent the last part of my free time in the old part of town, a highly fortified area, almost like large castle, and gorgeous. The streets were lined with small stores and ice cream shops, interrupted only by the occasional thin alley way with an ascending staircase that didn’t seem to stop. I enjoyed my walk through the area, unharmed, got some green apple ice cream (recommendation from the girl at the stand), and made my way back to the ship to celebrate my successful escape from the city.
I think I was going to write more, but I got distracted (for 4 days) and now don’t remember how I was planning on finishing the entry. I know I had to get back to the ship for a rehearsal, and I’m pretty sure I remember the guest being really annoying and from Scotland. Anyways, there’s my day, the whole gruesome tale…or what I remember of it. Thanks!