Preparing for swimming adventure
I trained for several months to build up my
stamina for my Croatia swimming adventure. Part of my training was to do
some open water swimming, so I went to Nassau in The Bahamas for a week.
Swimming and tourist adventure in Eastern Europe
This trip centered around a swimming adventure in
Croatia with Swim Trek, a company based in England. It was suggested to me
by Allan Benn, one of my fellow bicycle riders on the 2009 Africa trip. He
lives in South Africa. On my swimming trip, as I usually do, as long as I
was in the “neighborhood” of Croatia I expanded my visit and played tourist
for another two weeks.
I flew to Split via Frankfurt two days early to give
me time to get over jet lag.
Croatia is located on the east side of the Adriatic
Sea across from Italy. It is one of seven countries that came into being
after the dissolution of Yugoslavia. (Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Serbia,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and Kosovo)
On my total vacation, I visited Split, Prvič,
Makarska, Mostar, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Budva, and Keszthely.
Croatia’s history, like all of the European
countries I have visited, is one of conquests, invasions, and
periods of peace interspersed. In this part of the world, it included the
Illyrians, Romans, Slavs, Turks from the Ottoman Empire (over 400 years!),
Hapsburgs, Nazis, Communists, Serbs, and on and on. Why can’t people leave
other people alone! And why do you want my property! And just because my great
grandfather insulted your great grandfather doesn’t mean you have to kill me
for it. Honestly!
In all the places I visited, I would see men sitting
around at a sidewalk restaurant or bar drinking coffee and smoking, and they
would talk, talk, talk, as if they had nothing else to do.
To visit one of the places
below, click the appropriate button on the upper left side of this page.
Nassau
The Bahamas
This page has 35 pictures
May 2010
Split
Croatia
This page has 24 pictures.
July 2010
Prvic
- Swim Trek 
Makarska
Mostar
Dubrovhik
Kotor and Budva
Keszthely