Monday 4th May, 2015
My alarm went off at 4:15am, and I hesitated to get out of bed. With the bus leaving at 5:30am, missing it wasn’t an option. So, with reluctance, I crawled out from under the covers, conjuring excuses to crawl back in as Jack and I packed up and prepared to leave Vela Luka. I felt a swirl of emotions. I was sad to leave, but I also looked forward to sleeping through the four-hour journey and, of course, I was excited about arriving in Dubrovnik.
I woke just as the sun was rising, the bus winding its way down the hill toward the town of Korčula, which was 40 minutes away from Vela Luka. The closer we got, the more I yearned to jump off the bus and explore. "Why didn’t we come here before?" I kept asking myself.
In Korčula, we boarded a ferry to the mainland, which took just twenty minutes. After that, we had a two-and-a-half-hour bus ride to Dubrovnik so I sprawled out across the backseat for another nap.
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| Old Town, Dubrovnik |
We arrived in Dubrovnik around 9:30am, and it was a 25-minute walk from the bus station to the city centre, so we decided to make our way on foot, which turned out to be a bit painful. My backpack felt much heavier than I remembered; I felt super unfit, and the heat was intense.
A quarter of the way there, we thought about taking the bus, but after waiting at the stop for about 20 minutes, Jack and I both agreed to keep on going. Of course, the bus zoomed past us just moments after we decided to continue on foot—classic timing!
After trudging down a long road that felt like it lasted an eternity (half an hour, to be precise) and dodging traffic at a busy intersection, we finally reached the city centre. The imposing city walls loomed before us, encircling the entire Old Town.
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| Walking along Stradun, Dubrovnik |
We were staying at Hostel Ana, conveniently located right in the heart of Dubrovnik, just a few steps from the famous main street of the Old Town, Stradun. Ragib, who was running the hostel while the owner was away, welcomed us with Turkish coffee and his adorable dog, Lou. Ragib was a fascinating character; he had some quirky tendencies but a genuinely kind heart. He was incredibly friendly and seemed to take great joy in helping others. Whilst we sipped our coffee and cuddled with Lou, Ragib suggested that we visit the city walls of Dubrovnik (also featured in Game of Thrones). After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Jack and I set out to explore Dubrovnik and its well-preserved history.
We paid a small entrance fee of 50 Kuna (approximately £6/€7) and began our two-hour walk around the walls. However, we ended up taking double the time, opting to go slow and soak in the experience for as long as possible. Throughout our journey, we could see Dubrovnik from every angle, the blue waters of the Adriatic Sea, the island of Lokrum in the distance, a fort perched atop green rolling hills, and the sea of orange rooftops leading us back down into the city centre. I could have stayed up there forever, lost in the distant horizon and the world beyond.
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| View of the Old Town from the city walls of Dubrovnik |
Once we finally finished exploring Kings Landing, we meandered along the harbour below. The surrounding architecture was elaborate and intricate, with Baroque churches, well-preserved walls and Gothic palaces.
On our way back to the hostel, we were sidetracked by a gentleman selling day trips to the Elaphiti Islands for 30 Euros each. I had been eager to hop between these magical islands during our stay so we handed over our money without a second thought.
The boat trip was definitely worth it, especially since it included drinks all day (yes, even alcohol), a fresh seafood meal, and visits to three different islands. It sounded perfect! I wrote a separate post about it here.
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| Beautiful door way, Old Town of Dubrovnik |
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| Maze-like cobbled side streets, Dubrovnik Old Town |
Dinner was pretty sh*t. Frozen pizza and bland, buttery pasta, but as we had just paid 30 Euros for a boat trip, tonight the budget was the boss.
Dubrovnik was quite lively at night. The winding, cobblestone streets had come to life with laughter and candlelight, and on almost every corner was a local musician or an entertainer. And just like our trip to Vela Luka, I felt like I was on holiday. Jack and I stopped at a bar on the harbour for a drink. It was cheaper than every other restaurant we had passed so far, and it also had an excellent view of the sea, so we stayed for a glass of wine and some people-watching. As time passed by and the day came to an end, we decided to go back to our hostel and say goodnight to Dubrovnik.
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| A quiter town centre in the morning, Dubrovnik |
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| The harbour in Dubrovnik |
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| A very random statue in Old Town, Dubrovnik |
Monday 5th May, 2015
Jack and I checked out of the hostel early, as we wanted to see Dubrovnik before the crowds took over. After breakfast at a cheaper restaurant outside of the old town, we headed off for our boat trip to the Elaphiti Islands.
Click here to read my post on the Elaphiti Islands.
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