I have been traveling for many years with several trips to new places every year. Like most Americans, the thought of hitchhiking is always negative. It’s almost like telling someone I am staying in a hostel and getting the “you’re going to die” reaction. Hitchhiking is not exactly on the same page as far as that example goes but it does make sense. Hitchhiking actually was a common thing to do in American many years ago but unfortunately murders and the press gave the travel option a bad rep.
As far as this trip goes, two months so far in Europe, I have strayed away from hitchhiking pretty strongly. Ever since I landed in Istanbul, I have been on a pretty intense couchsurfing binge. And ever since I landed in Istanbul until now, the heart of Romania, every single person has suggested hitchhiking. Each person has tons of hitchhiking stories and so far almost all of them are fantastic with the occasional one or two weirdos. Some of these couchsurfers even try strongly persuading me. But my response has always been no.
Crossing into Romania was a ridiculous trip on it’s own and really pushed me to include hitchhiking as an option, even though I still refused to. Romania was the country where I finally used BlaBlacar, a rideshare app used to help drivers get some cash flow for empty seats on a long or short commute. I used it four time across Romania and had incredible experiences. But still, I won’t hitchhike. It wasn’t until one week into Romania, in Turda returning to Cluj where I considered it. I felt confident in doing some hitchhiking. But as soon as I put my thumb out, a intercity bus came. And right before, a bird shit on my chest. That’s definitely not a good look for hitching a ride.
A rideshare to Sibiu, and two trains later I find myself in Brasov, the infamous city at the foot of the mountains with a beautiful town center. Everyone told me I should visit Brasov because they loved it and can agree and see why. It’s a beautiful big town close to the mountains. Fortunate for me it was nice an cool, especially good for a nice break from the direct sunlight. On one full day, I used it wisely to visit both the Bran castle and Rasnov fortress.
I wasn’t too impressed with Bran since it looked so small and overpriced, not to forget overcrowded with annoying hoards of kids. After walking around the castle on the road and a nice walk around the small village museum, I felt really confident about hitchhiking, especially since I had no clue where the bus picks you up. So I walked north towards Brasov at the edge of town, found a spot to be seen well, and after a month of fear, i killed that fear by putting my thumb out to drivers. Not even 15 seconds later, a Romanian man in a heavy duty pick up truck pulled aside to pick me up. I can remember so well, how happy he was to pick up a smiling tourist, who he later found out to be American which made him even happier.
This first experience was a short 11 KM, 20 minute ride basically from village to village. But it was incredible and broke my long fear of hitchhiking. What made him even happier was that I was his first hitchhiking ride. Despite the language barrier, he understood me, and saw how honored he felt. It was an incredible ball of happiness between two strangers who became friends for 20 minutes. Fortunately he was stopping to get a haircut in Rasnov and dropped me off at a good walking distance from the Fortress. I shook his hand, said thank you in Romanian, and taught me some words in Romanian. It was an amazing connection between us and can see how many people have such great stories with hitchhiking. Of course you have the one or two awkward situations, but regardless it an incredible experience making friends on the road. I discovered another means to travel. 🙂 Yay me!
December 2016 : As I reflect on my amazing 6 month journey in Europe, I am forever a changed traveler. Since that time in Romania, I have hitchhiked about 50 additional times in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania, and finally Greece. One mishap being on a not so traveled road and another in mainland Greece where hitchhiking has died. Otherwise, I have had some of the best experiences meeting amazing people while also saving money. It has changed my world of travel and expect to continue hitchhiking wherever I go. 🙂 Thanks to Romania and thanks to that awesome dude in the photo below! 🙂
Bosnia & Herzegovina is a country in southern Europe in the Balkans. It borders just about all of Croatia to the north, east, and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro in the south. Once a republic of Yugoslavia, the country is fully independent but with an very unfortunate recent history. In fact, the past 100 years haven’t been so…awesome. From the assassination of Austria’s archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo which started WW1, the cross roads of fascist attacks during WW2, and the tragic scars of the Bosnian War during Yugoslavia’s breakup in the 90’s.
Bosnia certainly was not the place to be in the early to mid 90’s as war tore the nation to shreds from mass genocide to a politically segregated nation. But 20 years later, Bosnia forever remains in my memory as an amazing voyage. Here are some of the reasons why I highly recommend you add Bosnia & Herzegovina to your travel plans.
The sights
When people think of Europe, at least people I know, they think of Western European cities like London, Barcelona, Paris, Rome, etc. While I give credit to those cities, so many people miss out on even better gems that forever remain in the shadows. The Balkans (excluding Greece) is an pure example of a region that remains in the shadows. While Croatia does get a fair amount of tourism, the rest of the Balkans seems to be an adventures paradise.
Sebilj Sarajevo
Bosnia is surely one of those places that blew me away. Mostar is the most popular tourist destination in Bosnia, but I had only heard about it from browsing away at the Balkans. Mostar is home to the world famous Stari Most/ Old Bridge, a picturesque Ottoman built arch bridge connecting a town divided by a river. But aside from this town, I was blessed to see many other bridges, buildings, rivers, and mosques that were just amazing. You can have turkish style Bosnian coffee in a Cafe in Sarajevo and hike in the mountains another day. Walk old Ottoman bridges to rowing in one of the many lakes. Go riverrafting on the river and take in the sounds of the call to prayer from a ___
Food & Drink
They don’t say that Bosnia has the best Cevapi in all of the former Yugoslavia for now reason. After eating Cevapi in every republic (except Slovenia), Bosnia does in fact have the best Cevapi, I’ve ever had. But aside from that, I’ve spend a much time in a number of bakeries picking out delicious Bureks and Zeljanicas
When you think of beer, Bosnia probablt wouldn’t be the first place you think of, but the beer isn’t too bad. I’ve tried the mainstream drink Sarajevsko, brewed in yes, Sarajevo as well as ___. Even tried some wine made near Mostar in Hercegovina.
I’ve had my share of coffee in the few months that I had started drinking it. But
Cevapi
Burek with chicken
Coffee
Bosnia coffee remains in my memory as one of the most delicious I’ve ever had. Bosnian coffee is very very similar to Turkish coffee, served with a džezva but prepared slightly different. And Bosnians prefer to call it Bosnian coffee, not Turkish.
The Culture
The people I met seemed to all have pride in their country and their identity. At least in the Federation, which is the only Canton I was in during my time there. The other is the Republika Srpska and a small region called Brcko in the north. The music I heard on radios everywhere sounds like much of the rest of the Balkans, especially in the former republics, but Bosnian music certainly has it’s own touch.
What I loved about Bosnia a nation is it’s diversity. The war that occurred in the 90’s was not only just about Croats, Bosnians, and Serbs controlling a region, but religion was an issue. Aside from the war though, Bosnia was always known to be a diverse nation. Walking around Sarajevo, you can see a mosque, an orthodox church, and a catholic church within a small area. You can hear ordinary church bells ringing as well as the call to prayer in one day.
The Geography
The geography of Bosnia is beautiful! Seeing the height of the mountains upon arrival was a huge suprise for me. I honestly had no idea Bosnia has big mountains. In the winter it is possible to go skiing or snowboarding. Hell, the winter olympics of 1984 took place in Sarajevo (You can walk the former bobsleigh tracks). There are many rivers where you can go whitewater rafting and lakes to go kayaking or rowing, something I did on Jablanica jezero.
Jablanica Lake
The History
Bosnia was once reigned as a wealthy kingdom in the medieval times and later on was swallowed into the Austro-Hungarian empire. Sadly Bosnia saw some serious rough times since the early 1900’s. War has ravaged this country three times and while the number three may seem like such a low number, those three times put a serious hurting into the nation. The Bosnian War was the worst of it all and was like the climax in a movie. From mass genocide in Srebrenica, mortar shell attacks and sniper fire in Sarajevo, to ongoing fire and shelling in Mostar and just about every city in the country. I’ve met people with war artifacts and physical scars on their bodies. Bullet holes still riddle buildings and signs and destroyed buildings still stand. But despite the negative past, the nation has moved forward with some form of progression. Thanks to tourism especially. Despite the negative recent history, talking to locals about their personal experiences is a hell of an experience on it’s own.
It’s Cheap
Sarajevsko, Bosnian Beer
One thing I love about much of the Balkans despite it’s western neighbors, is that it’s really cheap. That’s where I guess I take in appreciation in the fact that Bosnia is not the first place foreigners go. Everything is really cheap based on American standards. A decent meal costs 2-3 USD, Bosnian coffee cost me $2. A museum about $3. $1 Beer. Hostel beds under $10. I would talk about transportation, but that’s where I get to my next reason…
Hitchhiking is great
Hitchhiking became a new chapter in my world of travel in the heart of Romania and at the time, I made it happen in Slovenia and Croatia. Eventually did it in Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonian Republic, Albania, and Greece. But Bosnia was hands down one of the best places to hitch rides. I started the hitchhiking journey right off of the ferry in Ploce, Croatia with an incredible woman who stopped with Medugorije and brought me to Mostar. I made it to Jablanica and then to Jablanica Lake with a guy who bent over backwards to help me find my Airbnb. To Konic and eventually to Sarajevo who went way out of his way to bring me to the street car into the center. In regards to the people I rode with, I take you to my next and final reason…
Kind People
It’s always hard for me to answer any questions that starts with, “So whats your favorite BLA BLA BLA?”. Romania for it’s culture. Croatia for it’s coastal towns. Slovenia for it’s green landscape, Greece because it’s Greece. You get the point. For Bosnia, the award it gets, it’s the kindest, most warm and welcoming people I have ever met. Just saying this alone makes me remember and puts a smile on my way. No matter what Bosnians have been through in the past 20 years, they have remained insanely humble and if they would, they’d probably invite you into their home. I met kind people in the hostels I stayed at but befriended most of them in the cars I got into. As I said before, few went way out of their way to take me where I needed to go. And even if they didn’t, I felt as If I knew the driver for years. Listening to traditional music, dancing and singing a long. Hell, as an American, FROM NEW YORK, i was treated even better. Oh by the way, the women are beautiful. If you are a woman reading this, sorry, I have no feedback for you on men. hahaha
New friend I made on a short ride from Jablanica to Jablanica lake
All in all, these are all reason I remember dearly of why Bosnia was amazing for me. With hospitable and kind people, good Coffee, delicious food before or after a nice walk across an Ottoman bridge, good music, and a beautiful backdrop, these are all reasons why you should go. Remember, the war, it’s in the past. And although it’s a hard memory for most to forget, it has made Bosnian’s stronger and even more welcoming for you to come. Enjoy 🙂
Croatia is surely famous for it’s incredible coastline dotted with beautiful venetian towns as well as gorgeous pebble beaches perfect enough to cleanse the mind, body, and soul. People flock from all over Europe during Summer to soak in the sun on the Adriatic. My first time in Croatia was a sizable chunk of my 5 and a half month voyage across the Balkans, spending an accumulative one month in this beautiful country, a former republic of Yugoslavia.
Croatia is an iconic country on this voyage as it served as the open door to this Balkan voyage. Before 2013, I had never even heard of Croatia and was probably one of the many people who only was familiarized with the overly commercialized cities in Western Europe. My first discovery of the Balkans was indeed the Croatian islands, second Croatia’s coastline. Killing my curiosity by dropping the streetview pin man on Google Maps led me to explore other nations. Next thing I know, here I am living a dream in a gorgeous country.
The one place that stands out in my memory is the small island of Vis, a small island in the middle of the Adriatic. Thankfully, I was fortunate enough to learn of this place only a few days before my arrival. A two and a half hour ferry ride brings you to the quiet and peaceful port town of Vis (yes on the island of the same name.). Right off of the ferry you can catch a cross island bus for 20 Croatian Kuna. Komiza is an incredible picturesque seaside town I had the pleasure of calling home for two days. It was the perfect place to simply relax and embrace being on the road for 3 months straight.
Grand room view from my favorite Airbnb
Komiza was also home to my favorite Airbnb to date, crashing in an average sized room for $70, 2 nights. With a comfy bed, a small fridge, and neat computer desk next to a window that opens up to the sea, a sight that seemed to come out of a dream. Walking each end of town only takes about an hour including taking photos and taking in all in. Although Komiza wasn’t too packed with tourists, just about the entire sea front it dotted with rentals. Despite this, a block inwards is where I found the locals, hearing families chat away through their door panel windows, taking slow walks around town. While there are plenty of beautiful sights to take on and off the island like it’s many cove beaches and nearby Bisevo island, where you can take a boat ride to the Blue Cave, I needed a place to simply do nothing and relax. Komiza was that place, to do NOTHING.
After three months of go, go go, Komiza was the perfect place to take things slow and take it all in. The city center is small with a few restaurants/cafes on the water and a small church. Within a short walk are a few beaches to catch rays and the sounds of the calm sea. And if you are there during the Summer, taking a dip in the sea is one of the most refreshing feelings in the world. I highly recommend people to visit Vis island, a place where you can escape commercialism. At the same time, don’t visit, wouldn’t want to spoil it TOO much 🙂
Ljubljana (Loob-lee-yana) is one of those few cities I’ve traveled to that has a charm like no other. It’s a city that I appreciated on a different level compared to most European cities I”ve seen so far. My first impression, was calling it a big, small city. Because it’s not on the sizeable scale such as Paris or Rome, nor is it a city I would classify as small.
The city has a population of about 275,000, thanks to Google, with romanticism like you would see in Venice films, Austrian architecture, graffiti on walls like a large city, the backdrop of mountains like a mini Denver, but the charm of a small city. When I arrived in Slovenia, my first day was quite unusual. Refusing to hitch it across the border, I took a bus to Ljubljana and a second bus in reverse down to Novo Mesto to meet my couchsurfing host. But the first impression riding through the town was just WOW. It made me feel good. Like the town had a certain kind of spirit I connected with.
After Novo Mesto, I refused to pay for a bus and hitched my way to LJ, what I wrote on my sign. My driver was kind enough to treat me to a brew before we parted ways. My stay, was with my host’s sister, who is a local student in the city and brought me into her dorm to stay, sort of bringing me back to my college days in Central Florida. While she was busy, I took a nice stroll around to Metelkova, a Yugoslav barracks turned (I can’t put into words). Lets just say, tons of graffiti ART, ensemble of creative mashups of mosaics and of course metal. Photos explain better.
I say the city has romanticism like a Venice film because of the river that runs through the center with boats passing under the unique Triple Bridge. If you walk from the start to finish of a sunset with clear skies, the buildings look incredible. Fortunately, if you are sunset chaser when the opportunity stands, take a hike up to the Ljubljana fortress in the center of town to catch an incredible sunset over the mountains. You even get an incredible panorama of the Julian Alps not to far to the north.
In short, Slovenia is what I consider a crossroads between western Europe and the Balkans and Ljubljana sits right in the middle of that. Something interesting to experience and highly recommend travelers make a stop. 🙂
Croatia is one incredibly beautiful country and to think it was one massive part of an even larger country, the former Yugoslavia. Oddly, but fortunately, I discovered Croatia via Google Maps. I was sitting at my work desk looking at the central region of Italy and these long islands to the east quickly grabbed my attention and curiosity. A few days later, I fell in love with this newly discovered country, Croatia. A few weeks later, I discovered the Balkans. A few months later I wanted to make a trip to the Balkans. 3 years later, I had the most incredible 5 month adventure in this region of Europe.
Croatia is kind of a big deal in a sense that it opened up a huge experience to me by simply, it’s geography. It not only has many long islands sitting off of the coast, but it has an unusual shape of a country. What I see as far as it’s shape goes is a crocodile with it’s mouth open. Not to forget, the end of it’s bottom jaw is separated by Bosnia, hahaha. Taking it’s unusual shape into consideration, I had to figure out how I would see all of the country in one shot on the same trip.
Most people I know that go to Croatia, only visit the most famous cities in the country, that is Zagreb, Plitvicka, Split, Zadar, Hvar, and of course Dubrovnik leaving many other incredible places out. How I managed to figure out travel in almost all of Croatia was to come from Serbia. Although I did want to visit these listed historic towns, I wanted to see other less known places, especially with my massive curiosity of the Yugoslavian wars in the 90’s.
North Croatia
Vukovar & Zagreb
Vukovar water tower, a symbol and reminder of what happened here in 1991.
For starters, I visited the Danube town of Vukovar in the north Croatian region, Slavonia. From Novi Sad, I crossed the border to visit this once completely destroyed town. In 1991, Vukovar was not the place to be as it was the crossroads between war. A nearly three month siege decimated the town and killed many people. Although the town has bounced back and caught up with the times, it still has scars throughout with bombed out homes, bullet riddled walls, and a damaged water tower as a reminded through dark times. I’m not the kidn of person to brag, but i certainly bragged about being in this town throughout my time in Croatia. Why? Vukovar is a reminder to many Croatians about strength and perseverance during a time when they were outnumbered by a massive military power. Reminds me of the colonists vs. the British army when America was in beginnings.
Sitting on the Danube River
Bulletholes remain from the Siege of Vukovar
Across Slavonia, I made it to the capital city of Zagreb, small and decent city to spend time in. For the third capital city in a row, it rained miserably and was really difficult to enjoy. But in the two days I was there, I did enjoy decent slow walks around the small city center. Hell, they have a Museum of Broken Relationships there to get out of the rain. It was here where I saw the most streetcars in one place at the same time. Kind of chaotic.
Grafitti near the bus station.
Zagreb city center and beyond
Zagreb city center
The Croatian Coast
Istrian Peninsula
From Zagreb, I made my way into Slovenia for about a week and change before I boomeranged my way back into Croatia. This was by far the most clever way to enjoy all of Croatia. How did I do it? In order to enjoy the Istrian peninsula, I hitchhiked from Portoroz, Slovenia to Bale, hitchhiked from there to beautiful Rovinj where I spent two hours walking around, and finally catching a bus to Pula where I stayed for a night. Long enough to walk around town and see Croatia’s very own colosseum.
Bale city center
Bale city center
Beautiful Rovinj
Rovinj city center
Pula Colosseum
Pula Colosseum
Sunset over Pula
Rijeka
Using Blablacar, I got a cheap ride to the port city of Rijeka, an energized city with a large local crowd and a mountainous coastline. It was here where I put use to my hiking boots, went a few KMs inland and hiked to the top of a mountain overlooking the harbor, a few islands, and beyond. This was by far one of the best views I’ve ever had, and best off, I was the only one on the mountain.
Main walkway in Rijeka
Fortress in Rijeka
Mountain hiking near Rijeka
Atop a mountain near Rikeka
Zadar
Since the day I discovered the Croatian islands on Google Maps, I’ve always dreamed of riding along the Croatian coastline with the most insane views of the islands and this is exactly what I experienced on my way to Zadar from Rijeka. The very islands that basically created this trip in the Balkans is what I was seeing with my own eyes. It was a HUGE deal. I arrived in Zadar with enough time to enjoy the sunset with many other travelers and locals alike in the old town. Sadly, the massive sea organ was not working.
Riding along the Croatian coastline
Riding along the Croatian coastline
Zadar city center
Sunset over Zadar
Plitvicka (Plitvice Lakes)
is a very touristy attraction, but is certainly not something to miss in Croatia. Despite the hoards of tourists coming off of tour buses and rumbling the boards of narrow paths over the water, the park is beautiful with so many interesting and picturesque waterfalls. If you choose not to ride the long boat ride, you can walk a nice path along the water alone without the noise of tourists.
Sibenik and Krka Nat’l Park
From Zadar, I tried my luck with hitchhiking and found a ride in a van turned RV with a Spaniard and Brazilian headed to Split. On the way is the town of Sibenik where I made my next stop. Here is where I found one of the most beautiful city centers in all of the Balkans. The city center is nothing but narrow paths, grey colored walls, green window panels, and orange colored roofs. Welcome to Dalmatia. Krka National Park is like the smaller version of Plitvicka, except here you can swim near the falls. This I did, but my god it was extremely cold. :O
Trogir
Hitchhiking attempt didn’t exactly work out so well, but i took a quick 45 minute bus ride to Trogir where i couchsurfed for the first time with an incredible host. Oddly, Croatia sucks for couchsurfing. Either I am in too many tourist towns or Croatians aren’t too CS friendly. But, here I enjoyed lots of personal time with my host, enjoying delicious Cevapi, laughs, and good conversation about America and the war of Yugoslavia. Next day, him and his girlfriend showed me around the city center sandwiched between and island and the mainland, enjoyed some time at the beach and I made my way to the next city, Split.
Couchsurfing in Trogir
Beach near Trogir
Trogir City Center
Trogir City Center
Split
Split has a lot of hype for a city and personally, didn’t fascinate me so much. It’s Croatia’s second largest city. So it makes it just another big city, only it sits on the coast serving as a focal point of many island ferries. It’s city center is quite nice but due to the “hype”, it’s crowded with tourists and stupid bus tours. This is all in May by the way which is when things get started up. I would kill myself in July.
I got very very lucky to find a couchsurfing host in this busy city who eventually showed me and another guest around on his bike to the high point in Split overlooking the city and islands in a panoramic view. The other guest, a girl from Taiwan, cooked an incredible meal for us and we had a late night conversation about life. Despite my low impression of the city, this experience made up.
Couchsurfing unites travelers 🙂
Croatian Islands
Vis
The Croatian islands was once a dream, and now became a reality. My first island was the island of Vis, an island referred to me by a friend I made in Slovenia and his girlfriend. During this time, it had been 3 months since I started traveling and I felt like I really deserved some vacation time within my, vacation. I stayed in a fairly cheap Airbnb with an incredible view of Komiza and the nearby island. This was probably the most relaxed I had ever been throughout the trip, literally doing almost nothing. Aside from relaxing at a nearby beach, eating at a local restaurant and befriending a family. This was certainly one of my favorite places in Croatia and on the journey.
Hvar
Next stop was the town of Hvar and coming from Komiza that same day, I’ve got to say, I have dissapointed. Hvar is a hyped up tourist town where just about everyone coming to Croatia stops before going to Dubrovnik. When I went, it was jam packed with tourists and the streets were noisy with terrible music from 15 years ago (And people were dancing to the music like it fresh records in a club). I did however spend the evening with two beautiful, sweet Jewish American girls sharing stories and tossing back brews at a local spot with live music. The following morning was much quieter and was much more pleasant to enjoy taking a walk to the Adriatic side of the island and enjoying a nice dip in the sea.
Vela Luka & Korcula
After one night in Hvar, I made my way over to Korcula island, making a 1 hour pit stop in the small quaint town of Vela Luka. I stayed two nights in the historic town of Korcula with a hostel dead center of the city referred to me by a friendly Indian woman the night before. Although it seems as if I keep saying “X is my favorite place in blah blah”, Korcula is def one place I’ll never forget. The home of Marco Polo is a beautiful Venetian walled city on a peninsula that sits in between two islands. The views are insane! I had the awesome pleasure of kayaking in this area, even if the wind was way too strong. The sunsets here were incredible.
Vela Luka
Sunset over Korcula
Kayaking in Korcula
Since Bosnia splits the southern coast of Croatia with a small piece of land, I strategically made my way into Bosnia for about a week and a half. I crossed the waterway to the coastal town of Orebic where I hitched a ride about halfway up the island. From there I caught another ride to the quiet town of Trpanj to catch the Ferry to Ploce where I was able to hitch a ride directly to Mostar, Bosnia :).
Kayaking in Korcula
Orebic, Croatia
Trpanj, Croatia
Southern Dalmatia
Dubronik & Cavtat
A week and change later, I found a very cheap Blablacar ride by someone traveling from North Croatia through Bosnia all the way down to the southern End of Croatia. I made my 3rd and final entrance into Croatia to the city of Dubrovnik. Actually, since I was expecting an expensive stay and wanted to do my own thing to stray away from travelers who will probably persuade me away from tight budget travel, I stayed about 5 and 1/2 KM away. It was a $72 Airbnb for three nights in a studio with a full kitchen, with an incredible view of many islands up the coast.
Dubrovnik is certainly an expensive and touristy place, but it is without a doubt an incredibly beautiful historic town. I spent the whole day strategically trying to see as much as I could. Starting with arriving at the city center mid day and walking the old town. I managed to find a lone spot to switch into swim trunks and have an incredible cool swim outside of the walls. I took the gondola to the top of the mountain for the infamous photograph of the old town and beyond.
Swimming outside of the Dubrovnik walls.
Walking the Dubrovnik Walls
Lastly, my last full day in Croatia was well spent in the small coastal town of Cavtat. As much as I wished I had brought my swim trunks, I simply walked around the shoreline, people watched, and enjoyed an ice cream in town haha.
My travel day into Montenegro was quite difficult considering I didn’t have many Kunas left and didn’t want to grab any more money from the ATM. Plus I hate buses. So I went to hitchhike. Hitchhiking was a 50/50 experience for me in Croatia and here was a perfect example, except Croatians hate Montenegrins. This goes back to the war. I waited 2 hours near Cavtat for a ride a few KM away. Then waited an hour only to start walking about 6 KM. I gave the thumb a shot for 20 minutes and a Croatian woman gave me a lift to Herceg Novi. She said that Croatian people have their heads up their asses in paranoia and fear. Hey, she said that, not me lol
Hitchhiking out of Croatia en route to Montenegro (trying really hard)
Beauty while hitchhiking near the Montenegro/Croatia border.
To wrap up my voyage across Croatia, this dream finally came true. But it came true in a way I never would have imagined. When I discovered Croatia, I learned about the common travel places first. I almost made a trip to Bosnia and Croatia in a meesly week and a half to two weeks, three of those days spent traveling and glad this never worked out. Being patient has allowed me to see more of Croatia than anticipated. I saw more places, some of which I learned about at home and some I discovered along the way. Although there is much more to see in Croatia, I honestly feel proud of how I did Croatia. Even Croatians were like “wow”.
For those of you who go to Croatia, go ahead and visit Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar, and Zagreb. But do remember that there are wayyyyy more places to see than just those towns. If time is limited, I understand. But take it from me, substitute at least one of those places for a lesser known one. Hell, substitute all of them for lesser knowns places. I can guarantee you, it’ll be worth it. 🙂
Crossing into Romania was a ridiculous trip on it’s own and really pushed me to include hitchhiking as an option, even though I still refused to. Romania was the country where I finally used BlaBlacar, a rideshare app used to help drivers get some cash flow for empty seats on a long or short commute. I used it four time across Romania and had incredible experiences. But still, I won’t hitchhike. It wasn’t until one week into Romania, in Turda returning to Cluj where I considered it. I felt confident in doing some hitchhiking. But as soon as I put my thumb out, a intercity bus came. And right before, a bird shit on my chest. That’s definitely not a good look for hitching a ride.
I wasn’t too impressed with Bran since it looked so small and overpriced, not to forget overcrowded with annoying hoards of kids. After walking around the castle on the road and a nice walk around the small village museum, I felt really confident about hitchhiking, especially since I had no clue where the bus picks you up. So I walked north towards Brasov at the edge of town, found a spot to be seen well, and after a month of fear, i killed that fear by putting my thumb out to drivers. Not even 15 seconds later, a Romanian man in a heavy duty pick up truck pulled aside to pick me up. I can remember so well, how happy he was to pick up a smiling tourist, who he later found out to be American which made him even happier.
