eerie romance and some rain

Yesterday morning was one of those things that just cant be touched. I woke up around 6:30 and went out to the front deck to take in the amazingness of the Dalmatian Coast at sunrise. and WHOA. It knocked my senses into high gear. This place is ridiculously beautiful. It is everything I had hoped for and many of you know that this is one of the most important ports to me as far as pre-planning went. Yesterday I spent in Durbrovnik walking around and chilling out in the Old City which is entirely within some amazing huge stone walls. I walked around with my friend Darby from Virginia, my friend Cara from Pennsylvania, and my friend Zoya from Bulgaria and we stopped and had some wine and olives and cheese to get out of the rain that was freezing us up into little ice cubes. We continued on and then met up with a bunch of other kids from our crew to celebrate our friend Mike's 21st birthday over dinner and a few drinks. Dubrovnik is TINY. It was impossible to avoid the other kids from our program but we mingled as best we could/wanted to.

It is amazing to think that earlier today on my drive from Dubrovnik to Split I drove through some of the most beautiful landscape in the entire world. The Adriatic Sea is truly a sight as it is met some fantastic mountains dropping off and dripping with such central european feeling and charm. We stopped in Makarska for a coffee break and at some point along the way I was in BOSNIA as well. How crazy is that!?

I remember being a child and hearing about all of these places because of the wars. I cant believe that I am here right now.

This drive reminds me very much of the Amalfi Coast but somehow it is much more beautiful to me here. Maybe itis because I am experiencing it alone. But this coutnrz really does seem to fit my style. The mountains are so old looking as they fall into the sea. The red-roofed structures seem to fit so perfectly with the very Central European looking flora. The trees even seem to scream ˝im better looking than you˝ (like everyone else in the country). There is certainly a regal air amongst these beautiful landscapes.

Though it is beautiful it is hard to forget that onlz fifteen years ago there was brutal fighting going down in this and other nations in the former republic of yugoslavia. its reallz wild to think that croatia is younger than me! There is definitely evidence of this civil war throughout the countryside.... Also we were really heavily wanred about unexploded landmines. Ive never even thought of worrying about őff the beaten path˝ before.

As beautiful as the country and the mountains and the roadways and walled cities and red-roofs and tiny beaches and orange groves and olive trees and muted colors and brilliant water and palm trees and cragginess and pomegranates are...

the people here are even more beautiful. i could absolutely fall in love and stay here forever. thez are such striking, amazing looking poeple that just a mere gaze can cause even the strongest of us to completely melt because of the placidity, beauty, and emotion in their eyes. Im not kidding either. These people are damn good looking. They are just as interesting and nice to look at as the land ive driven through...

alas...im being kicked out of the internet cafe...hope this is good for now...suggestions for ANDALUCIA anyone? I will be in Sevilla.