Split is a limestone clad coastal city featuring a near perfect combination of ancient history and contemporary luxury. A bustling promenade beside the splashing Adriatic welcomes you into the old city, lined with outdoor restaurants and gelato shops. Yachts of all sizes float in the harbor. Alleyways no wider than your shoulders snake through the sand colored city, making it nearly impossible to find your way anywhere on the first try.
My hostel was a needle in a haystack. After wandering in circles for a half an hour, an old woman in a shop took pity on me and led me through a back alley, up some stairs, and straight to the front door.
The Split Downtown Hostel is modern and clean, with great Wifi and a fully equipped kitchen. The best part, however, is the balcony that overlooks a square. I spent many nights here, watching tourists and locals heading to the beach or dinner or the bars. It was a sanctuary above the chaos.
After dropping my bags, I headed straight for Martha’s Veggie Fusion. I’d been reading about it all morning on my bus ride, and my mouth was watering for falafel. The restaurant is entirely vegan with a menu that is comprised of dishes from all around the world.
When my falafel hankering was satisfied, I decided to once again get lost in the city. It was a thousand times more enjoyable without a 15 pound mass strapped to my back. I couldn’t put my phone away. Every street was a work of art that needed to be captured with my iPhone camera.
When I tired myself out, I hit the grocery store hard. I needed something other than pasta with tomato sauce. And Split is an expensive city, meaning I couldn’t afford to eat out every meal. I found cheap beans, zucchini, rice, and salsa and checked dinner off my to do list.
I cooked in the hostel kitchen, which was situated next to the balcony. The double doors lay open, letting in a cool breeze. The sounds of the hustle and bustle from the tourists wandering the street below floated in. A few other backpackers worked around me, preparing their meals.
When I had cooked enough rice and beans to feed an army I stored the majority in the fridge, and then took my dinner to the balcony to join some other travelers. We chit chatted easily, relaxing in the salty ocean breeze.
The next morning, I stepped into my bathing suite and a sundress, and then headed out for some beautiful views. If you walk far enough down the promenade, you’ll reach a set of stairs that takes you high up onto a hill that gives you a birds eye view of the sprawling city. You can go even higher if you want to see further out, but I was satisfied after the first portion of the 20 minute ascent up the stairs.
When I reached ground level again, I headed to the beach to get my dose of vitamin sea. I noticed a pair of familiar shoes on the girl walking a few feet ahead of me. She had been on the balcony eating dinner the night before. I ran ahead to catch up with her. At first, I couldn’t tell if it was her or not. I trailed behind, trying not to seem too creepy. I noticed that she kept looking back as well, but neither of us said anything until finally we both pointed at each other and said at the same time
“Aren’t you–“
We descended into laughter. She was the girl from my hostel. Her name was Anna and she was from New Zealand. We walked together to find a place on the sand to lie out. We chose a lovely spot on a sand strip that jutted out into the ocean. It was serene.
Anna was quiet, but she loved to read. We spent the majority of the time switching between reading our books (I had finished To Kill a Mockingbird and moved on to The Girl on the Train) and swimming in the water.
The sun reached its highest point and we were blistering. We had run out of water and the Oreos that she brought. It was time for lunch.
I’d told Anna about Martha’s Veggie Fusion, and she wanted to try it. I was happy to go back and try the burrito bowl. Croatia definitely doesn’t do burritos like America does. But it was the thought that counts.
After lunch, we showered off the day and decided to do a walking tour. Split doesn’t allow free tours, so we each paid around 10 USD. I loved learning about the history of the ancient city, so I didn’t mind paying.
The best part of the tour was that Anna and I were the only ones participating. We had the sweetest old lady walking us around and telling us all about Croatian history and what it was like to grow up in Split.
The old lady was so wonderful that when the tour was done, I signed up to do a tour of Plitvice Lakes National Park with her the next day.
We cooked dinner again that night, and then had drinks on the balcony with some British businessmen that were staying at the hostel for work.
I woke up early the next morning to meet my tour guide for the national park. Plitvice is similar to Krka, however this park allows you to swim in one portion of the lake. I was eager to jump into the turquoise blue water.
The shuttle to the park took about two and a half hours. I slept the entire way. The park was equally as beautiful as Krka, but had even more tourists. The first stop was the lake that allowed swimmers. I shed my clothes and climbed down the rocks into the water. They didn’t warn us about how slippery the rocks on the floor of the lake would be. I fell within seconds of being in the water. When the day was over, my legs were covered in bruises.
The water was refreshingly cold. I had purchased a waterproof case so that I could bring my phone in with me and take pictures. I started talking to a girl who was also alone, and then we spent some time taking photos for each other.
After you swim, you start the hike on foot through the waterfalls. A boardwalk leads you through the forrest and over rivers.
I stopped at some picnic tables halfway to eat leftover beans and rice for lunch. When the hike ended, I still had an hour until my shuttle left. I laid out in the sun in a desperate attempt to tan. I was still as pale as I had been when I left New Jersey a month before.
After returning to Split, I decided to treat myself to a little shopping. My clothes were getting super worn out from overuse, and I needed something new.
I bought a pink sundress from a Polish woman at a street stall. It was only $10, so I should have known not to trust it. The straps of the dress ended up snapping within an hour of me wearing it the next day. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.
I got dinner from a cheap vegan street food restaurant called Vege vegan street food restaurant. I ordered quinoa with veggies. My dinner was so healthy that I decided my body needed gelato to counteract the quinoa.
I ordered coconut and strawberry gelato, and then made my way to the square at Diocletian’s Palace where there was live music. I watched joyfully as couples slow-danced in the street. In that moment, alone in Croatia, I felt completely content.
When I returned to my hostel, I went to bed early knowing I had a bus to catch the next morning.
Up Next –> Dubrovnik, Croatia aka A Game of Thrones NIGHTMARE
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Jet Lagged Gianna 
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