Travel diary, 1st of August 2016, Čiovo - Trogir, Croatia

I've kind of forgotten or just don't have time to report from my trips around the world, cause of the many other activities I perform along the way, so I often come back to my experiences which happened sometimes even few years ago...

But, on the other hand, these travel experiences are still hot & quite unique so it will probably be interesting to read about it even now!

About the beginning of my trip I wrote already here - in an article which I could call "part 1": https://steemit.com/travel/@careassaktart/travel-diary-summer-2016-30th-of-july-jadrija-croatia

After my Pag & Crikvenica experiences, I went further down to the South & I passed a lot of cities, towns & some islands too, so here's a text I wrote on the 1st of August 2016 in my travel diary:

I woke up in dawn. Very early. The Sun was slowly rising in the East. Its rays were hardly coming through the dense, bushy treetops of the high pine trees. I still felt a bit lazy like I didn’t get enough sleep last night. But I think I slept pretty fine hanging & swinging in the hammock. No police or any other service came to tell me anything about me sleeping in the forest. Anyway, I didn’t set up a tent so I think I wasn’t breaking any laws.

The day before I came to this location during the daylight to scout it out before I took a decision of sleeping at the site. I realized it was a really nice place to sleep over the night… It was just maybe 5 m from the sea!

I was also playing on the seafront in Trogir. Strangely, even thou it was full of people walking back & forth, I didn’t make a lot of money. Most of the walkers were admiring the huge, gigantic yachts & sailing boats coming in the harbor so they didn’t even notice me – a small, insignificant man with a drum – in comparison with the monstrous man-made sea giants… It was very strange for me, this behavior. I don’t understand what is so special in those riches’ boats, but I don’t judge them. I guess they have never seen such things so it was more interesting for them to observe the ships then myself playing the djembe.

After playing, I went for a dinner, a dose of Internet & straight to the forest, which I scouted earlier that day on the island Čiovo, to sleep… I was exhausted!

I’m now drinking a 2nd coffee in the tiny bar-restaurant in Okrug Donji, close to the forest where I slept & I’m writing this diary. People who work here are very nice! They charged my phone & gave me some free cakes with the coffee. Asked me a lot of questions about my look & my interests & occupations – I guess in this touristic village they don’t see often this kind of hairy, unshaven, colorful passengers… Joking with me all the time – nice people! The bar was called “Didina dika” which means “Grandfather’s Pride”.

Before I came to Trogir, between Pag & Trogir, I stopped in Zadar for few days to visit one of my best friends ever, who hosted me for free each & every time when I was there! There’s an even more interesting detail: In the time I stayed in my friend’s house, I was the only man there who spent time with her mother & grandmother. Except of hosting me, they fed me every day with hot, fresh vegetarian meals! This level of hospitality is unbelievable & it’s almost impossible to express my gratitude! I spent 3-4 days here at Maja’s family house. I tried my best to do something in return at the time so I was buying the watermelons often for all of us & some other refreshing summer fruits cause it was so fucking hot, & I helped around the house if my help was needed at all & if I could…

During my stay in Zadar, I wondered around a bit towards Nin – it is one of the old cities where Croatian kings were crowned. Exactly on the day when I have visited Nin, a famous Croatian folklore ensemble held a free full evening show so I sat down for a dinner on the terrace of the nearby traditional Croatian tavern with a perfect view on the show & ate some veg risotto. They had great wine & olive oil & the people working there were very nice & pleasant. The whole evening was perfect!

In Trogir, people working in bars & restaurants were very unpleasant & unpolite, treating customers like cattle, seeing only money in them, working like robots – that’s one of the bad sides of Croatian tourism. Nin experience was much more friendly & warm & more humane. I spoke with waiters normally & even some personal stuff! They were relaxed & it seemed like the really like & enjoy what they do. In Trogir the staff was nervous, like they hate the whole world…

I passed also through Murter, Tisno, Vodice & Šibenik. Murter was really nice - I played djembe on the small square close to the sea & interacted with a lot of children & their parents who were dancing around me & tried to play too! Only the few domestic redneck commented on my look from the distance. Nevermind the bollocks!

Same night there was an electronic music festival in Tisno which is already famous for the parties & fests hosting some of the world top producers & DJs. I called the two crazy girls who were rocking hard those days & I knew them from before from back home – Marina & Stela – the best hostesses I know! & I also knew that they were in the area at the time of the festival… Of course that we met & went for the party & of course we entered for free cause they knew all the tricks! We danced a bit & had a good time but I’ve experienced much better parties! This was nothing special!

Soon we went to Vodice to sleep in the pine trees park next to the beach – the girls were still my guides… All I have to say about Vodice: It’s the worst place to be during the summer season in Croatia! It is worse then Novalja or Trogir, much worse! Avoid it at every cost!

[//]:# (!steemitworldmap 43.497741 lat 16.218525 long Didina dika (=Grandfather's Pride) d3scr)

I have already posted some texts, photos & videos from my 2016 trips & they are available on the next links:

- Tapan performance in the cave Vela spila on island Korčula:

Photos & text: https://steemit.com/portraitcontest/@careassaktart/another-travel-photo-post-connected-with-the-tapan-performance-in-the-cave
Video: https://steemit.com/travellingstories/@careassaktart/hqaenrav

- Some of the last moments of the trip in Macedonia:

https://steemit.com/killerpix/@careassaktart/the-end-of-summer-2016

PS

I apologize for not taking some more photos at the time but in my future posts about these travels from the 2016, you will surely be able to see more photos from the places I visited back then...

If you like viewing my posts with photos & videos & reading the following texts, follow me please to get more!

All the comments, resteems & upvotes, are welcomed & appreciated!

Thanks for your attention!