See the hot spots around The Balkans In 60 Days – Stop 12 Brac – Supertar, Bol, Croatia

21-22/8/2018 From Split, I took a large ferry to go to the popular island of Brac. Passengers fully loaded the ferry. I was eager, my spirit soaring. I felt like I was in my big yacht and my fans invited onboard. We came ashore at Supetar, greeted by clear and calm waters, glittering shades of gemstone green under the sun. I quickly stored my luggage in the storage locker near the harbor, then strolled along the shore to explore. The beaches were quieter than most others, and less crowded, but still predictably alluring.

21-22/8/2018 从斯普利特我下一站到另一知名布拉克岛(Brac)。船坐满乘客,在Supertar靠岸。迎面又是尽清澈的水, 如绿宝石在阳光下闪耀。我三两下手脚把行李储存后拔腿快快走了一圈。看点虽然少点,但也不容错过。

阳光普照,海水的呼唤,我难于抗拒,打算尽兴的玩, 玩到过瘾。

My next destination was Bol on the other side of the island. But Bol was not quite ready for me—this being peak season, they couldn’t accommodate me in a room fit for a penny-wise explorer. I eventually found an Airbnb host online, only half an hour from Bol, so I took a public bus to Donji Humac. It was up on a hill, in a hill village, really. The host was not around when I knocked, and the windows and doors were shuttered. A few cottages were busy machining and carving tombstones. There were scarcely any passersby—it was graveyard quiet. When I approached a lady on her balcony, she quickly withdrew into her house, as though she had just seen an apparition in broad daylight. Jilted, I decided instead to proceed to Bol, come what may. Only a couple of locals walked past, but none could enlighten me on the bus schedule; it will come when it felt like coming. So, I waited at the bus stop, totally lost, not knowing when the next bus was coming, if at all. After more than two hours, by then about 4 p.m., I could hardly contain myself when the bus rounded the bend to rear its head. That bus stop would forever be cast in stone in my memory. I could have spent a night there, my flesh savored, my blood licked, and my bone marrow sucked dry by wolves. I have traveled to innumerable countries, countless places, and have received nothing but hospitality and unforgettable gestures. But this time, I was really desperate. Thanks, Donji Humac, for the welcome. Thanks for the memory.

本打算乘大巴到岛的另一端,名气较大的Bol 去。但恰逢高峰,订不到合适房间,就网上订到一个叫 Donji Humac 的地方。网上说离 Bol 只三十分钟,大巴把我停车站卸下后,原来这地方在山坡上小农村,我大包小包拖着找住宿, 那房东玩起躲猫猫,没在,我索性拿起包袱干脆往Bol 去。山郊行人稀少,语言不通,也不好助,无法问话,只能停车点瞎等。当时已下午四点多,心急如焚,眼看就要在停车点过夜,被饿狼饱享我这块瘦肉,啃我骨头, 吸我精髓, 让我死无葬身之地,孤魂背着背包飘游他乡,如何是好?焦心苦等两小时多后,公交像玩具车般姗姗到跟前,这才有救了。我会记得这地方, 这车站,和无助的回忆。去过无数国家,无数地方,通常都会有人跳出来拔刀相助,这次恐怕运气要用完了。想起这地方,感到人情酸溜一面。

I finally arrived in Bol. When I caught sight of the beaches, the beautiful waters, I immediately forgave Donji Humac. It was a long summer day; the sun was fading away reluctantly. Unsurprisingly, yet another beauty, another series of inviting and seductive beaches.

You cannot experience the full essence of Croatia sitting on a tour bus. You have to let your walking do the talking. There is so much to take in, but you want to go close up, imbibe the air, the smell of the sea, bask in the happiness of the holidaymakers.

终于到Bol了。此时正夏,昼长夜短,太阳还柔情照耀着。眼前一看美景,Donji Humac 多深的伤害了我的感情,我都原谅了。果然又是一系列的美滩,怎么一路看来这么多处海滩,无一不是清澈见底的。

到克罗地亚,还不好只坐观光车走马看花,还要一滩一滩的走。 这些海滩是克罗地亚全民庆祝生活的天地,游客也受邀参与。这里没有礼节,只有奔放,是居民是游客,已没分你我,大家共聚一滩。

这里第一晚又是使人陶醉的傍晚。

On my second day in Bol, I walked on another side of the seafront. The beaches seem to be always busy with people, as though these were their own backyards, and they were here for a dip during their lunch break. The sun worshippers lay face up, motionless. I swear I could have tripped over somebody, being short-sighted. Melanoma, UV rays, the ozone layer, totally out of mind, it seems. They just wanted to look good, feel good. They didn’t even bother wearing sunglasses. I think they wanted their eyelids tanned as well.

It seemed like outdoor landscaped swimming pools were everywhere, each accessible to any Tom, Dick, and Harry, Chin, Chong, and Wong. Anyone could just wander in. There was no entrance, no entrance fee, no bungalows, and no hotels on the water’s edge. They were for one and all. The sun was free, the breeze was free, the beach was also free, and the country was also free. You are entitled to feel these beaches belong to you, in your backyard, and your neighbors and friends are invited to the party every day. Croatia is a very lucky country.

第二天往Bol 海岸另一侧走,到处都是漂亮自然海滩, 好像都在各家后院。海滩总是不少人,人气旺,大家都在享受他们的海滩。晒太阳时,丝毫不动躺着,正面对着猛烈太阳,也不带墨镜。全身晒得黑乎乎,两只眼皮却洁白我想会很吓人的。但这样玩不伤身体吗。我们亚洲姑娘皮肤保养却不是在太阳下,而是在明月下,两眼挂上两片黄瓜,近视眼反而居高,太不公平了。

来这里旅游住宿比最近路经的几国城市都贵。我想以后克罗地亚人不需费劲,整个国家好像到处都是个室外景观泳池,单靠海滩就有饭吃。这里不设门卡,不收费,张三李四,亲朋好友, 或猪朋狗友,无所谓,都欢迎。你一年的劳累, 一年的气,一年所酿成的白发,一年的失意,一生遗憾,这些海滩一游,阴阳平衡,心平如镜。

Click this link to read the next stop – Hvar, Croatia

Click this link to see all the stops on this trip

The stops on this trip:

  • Prague (Czech)
  • Pilsen
  • Cesky Budejovice
  • Cesky Krumlov
  • Salzburg (Austria)
  • Vienna
  • Bratislava (Slovakia)
  • Ljubljana (Slovenia)
  • Zagreb (Croatia)
  • Plitvice
  • Split
  • Brac
  • Hvar
  • Dubrovnik
  • Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
  • Sarajevo
  • Kotor (Montenegro)
  • Perast
  • Podgorica
  • Shkoder (Albania)
  • Komani Lake
  • Tirana
  • Berat
  • Prizren (Kosovo)
  • Pristina
  • Skopje (North Macedonia)
  • Ohrid
  • Sofia (Bulgaria)
  • Rila
  • Plovdiv
  • Varna
  • Bucharest (Romania)
  • Brasov
  • Sibiu

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