A Blue Cave in Croatia, Dives in Mostar, and the Son of Zeus

More than being Italy’s neighbor to the right, Croatia is a country of more than 1,200 islands and is nestled by the aqua-blue waters of the Adriatic Sea, which flows into the Ionian Sea and ultimately into the Mediterranean. Many of the beaches are rocky and the water is very salty, 33% salt on average. While swimming I felt like I was either bobbing or my legs simply floated to the water’s surface! Its beaches and coastal community are so picturesque that there is no wonder why it’s a popular destination for Yacht Week. It has been a wonderful base location for my month-long program with Remote Year.

Island-hopping for Breakfast

When the islands called our names, my fellow Remotes and I responded with an island-hopping adventure! To avoid the Saturday crowds, around 7 a.m., our group boarded three speedboats and jetted off with wind blowing in our hair, seawater misting our skin, and the sun smiling in the vibrant blue sky–it felt like something out of a movie. The trip took us well beyond Split to Vis, Šolta, and Biševo. We swam and goofed off in the salty water. The water alone was fun, but the day held several other highlights.

Channeling My Inner Adventurer

On the island of Vis, we explored an abandoned WWII submarine tunnel. In what felt like minutes, but likely took less than 60 seconds, we escaped the heat of the sun to walk through its sequence of dark, concrete-walled rooms.  As we used our phone flashlights to navigate, I felt like Indiana Jones! Although, I did half expect the ghost of a soldier to appear and remind us of the tunnel’s military past. The tunnel also served as a diving ledge for the daring among my fellow travelers. Fun Fact: Vis was also the film location, and stand-in for Greece, for the movie Mama Mia 2.

We swam along the coastline of Šolta and a couple of my fellow travelers explored a shipwreck that was located in the waters near our boat. The current was gentle and it was easy to glide from one point to another. While lounging, our thirst was quenched with the help of an enterprising local man who whips up cocktails in his boat, and has been dubbed “The Mojito Man”.

A Blue Cave?

The showstopper experience for me during island-hopping was actually our first stop of the day. The island of Biševo is home to a cave where the water illuminates blue. Entering the cave reminded me of taking those first hesitant steps into a haunted house. Our boat slowly drifted into an opening so small that we had to squat down to avoid hitting our heads. When we rose, there was a collective gasp as we took in the soothing, yet eerie glow of the blue light. I scanned the cave in awe. This waterlogged Blue Cave is a naturally occurring phenomenon that was known only to local fishermen until 1884. The water glows a ghostly blue due to the way the light reflects against the white sand below the water. 

Remote Year has been pretty good about offering a couple of cultural awareness activities as part of our experience.  Since I miss the ballroom dance classes I took in Memphis, I signed up for a session where we were taught a traditional folk dance. Like many folk dances, the movements tell a story—this one was a boy meets girl-girl dismisses boy-boy wins girl-they live happily ever after. However, the guys in the Remote Year group opted out! So, in the class, I did the moves of the woman and my partner, who is also one of our program leads, learned the man’s steps. It was a good time! Our instructor spoke of teaching actor Pierce Brosnan and the Mama Mia2 cast traditional dances, a sure sign of his expertise in Mediterranean folk dances. How do you think we did?

Dives in Mostar

I added a new country to my “visited” list and am now at 26! I spent the day in Mostar, which is located in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Mostar is a UNESCO World Heritage site and it’s claim to fame is the Stari Most (literally translates to Old Bridge), which was commissioned in 1557. At first glance, Mostar’s Old Bridge reminded me of the Rialto Bridge in Venice. It stood proud for 427 years before it was destroyed in 1993 during the Croat-Bosniak War. The rebuilt bridge opened in 2004. 

A bridge of such distinction and age must come with a wacky tradition, don’t you think? The tradition of jumping off Stari Most dates back to 1664. Local lore says that as a rite of passage, a boy of 16 must jump the roughly 70 feet from the bridge to provide his manhood. If he does not, his life will be a failure and he will be unworthy. Yikes! 

These days, you will find trained professional divers trying to entice passersby to give money toward a bridge jump. I saw a diver take the plunge, and it was a sight. The anticipation is nerve wracking, but all of us spectators took delight in the show.  

The Son of Zeus

On Friday, I went to check out Trogir, another coastal town, and “suburb” of Split, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While in Trogir, I was introduced to Kairos, a Greek god and mascot of sorts for the city; his image is all over Trogir, even at a chocolate shop. Kairos is the youngest son of Zeus and in Greek mythology is considered to be the personification of opportunity and happy, favorable moments. My introduction to Kairos was timely as I recently had a couple of days when I found myself not really leaning into this unique nomadic experience that I am living. The story of Kairos was just the boost that I needed. I picked up a sterling silver pendant of Kairos to add to my charm bracelet. Kairos will be my reminder to seize the moment and not overthink!

Sobering Reminders of War

In all transparency, until recently, my knowledge of Bosnia, and Croatia, stemmed from years of news reports related to it being a warring region, and later one that was climbing from the depths of destruction toward rebuilding. I felt and saw the imprint of communist leadership and we were cautioned about how the topic of the wars remains divisive and deeply personal. Although I am sharing fun and interesting highlights from my travels, there were indeed sobering moments when I was confronted with the horrors, loss, and destruction of the armed conflicts. My guide in Trogir served on the front lines and when we stopped by a small memorial listing the names of the fallen, he pointed out his cousin, a couple of friends, and a classmate. In Mostar, there are re-inhabited storefronts and apartment buildings that bear the scars of bullet holes (image below). My guide in Mostar spoke of how he came home from school one day and was greeted by 15 fleeing relatives who sought “safety” in his family’s 2 bedroom apartment. They stayed for months.  

Remote Year Checkpoint

My Remote Year experience is now at its halfway point. In the beginning, a month in Croatia felt like so much time. Although it is swiftly moving along, I am being intentional about not doing too much. I take time to smell the roses and appreciate the loveliness around me–pomalo, which in the local dialect means to take it easy, no stress, slow down.