aCroatia is a really interesting country full of new history. It has fresh stories sharp with the edges of war, turned in hands searching for familiarity. Whereas Italia is old history full of stories turned over millions of tongues over hundreds of years, smoothed out like a river stone. To go from a country with so much well known history to one where each new story is a new discovery. I have only been here for two weeks and I am learning so much more about a history that until recently I had no idea existed. A different side of Communism is seen through the wistful look in peoples eyes as they talk of the says when Teto ruled. A nation where unity was pushed is picking up the pieces after this vision was inexplicably shattered. Still very few citizens ‘know why’ the war happened beyond the blackness of political greed. It is shocking for me to come from America where there has been no civil war like this- to hear tales of families living in bunkers for three months as grenades fall from the sky tearing their neighbors to pieces.. And to meet the person who experienced this- someone close enough to my age to be an older sibling and yet so distant. When I had read that the former Yugoslavia had experienced civil war I envisioned it as how most Americans picture war- one nations’ army against the other. Yet there was no Croatian army fighting back, there were only citizens left open to bullets sponsored by countries like the USA. Not all of Croatia experienced war but where it was felt it was hit hard.
This rawness and passioon of new statehood is hidden under the whitewash of tourism in most of the country though. People swarm this baby country with the desire to only see turquoise water and white cities with terra cotta tiled roofs. here in the forest of my farm there is only a clean slate. But even places where there is power in the earth have been grasped by the greedy hand of tourism. Plitvice Lakes is a sad but true example of this. It was almost disappointing. For six months I had building anticipation about this park, I places so much significance on it as one the highlight of my trip. Yet when we arrives there was a stronger feeling of tourism than nature. Yes the falls are gorgeous, the water transparent with walkways like something out of fairy tale. But as I watched people there I realized no one was stopping to see what they were looking at. All they saw were the lakes from the screen of their camera. People would crowd in front of a fall only to take a picture of themselves in front of it. Then without another glance they would move on. There was such a strong feeling of having to prove they were there- to themselves, to others. And yet they weren’t really there, they were never existing in a moment and truly experiencing. So I made myself put down the camera and allowed myself to be where we were- in an overcrowded paradise. Each lake looks like a water filled geostone, those round rocks sliced in half. Near the edges the water was turquoise allowing a view of fallen trees four meters below the surface, encrusted with a thick layer of something that loos like stone. Carp hover below the surface waiting for bugs and bread like herds of starving children. Then sharply the edge of the lake drops off into a bottomless pool of deep blue. We went for a walk beyond the lakes into the near by mountains covered with last autumns leaves in a carpet of red where white stones grow up along side lichen coated trees just letting out their accordion leaves.We spent about nine hours in the park and only managed to see about half of the lakes. It could take a year to fully experience the park by which point I think one would become so overwhelmed with beauty you would go crazy.
It was interesting to move from nature to Croatia’s capitol Zagreb the next day. I have never found myself falling head over heels in love with a city until now. There s a magnificent huge central park, open air markets every day, incredible public transport- and best yet REAL coffee shops!! I say real because I am just used to American style coffee shops with chairs you can sink into, local artists paintings on the wall, some sort of unique style.. It has been hard coming to Europe where the coffee shops feel so bland. For those interested in coming to Zagreb I highly recommend the hostel I stayed at- Buzz Backpackers Hostel. And of course the coffee shops! Divas Cafe and Bar and Booksa, near the historical center. The city is full of a bustling youth culture- gratified boulevards, herds of college students flock the white streets at night, and there’s even second hand clothing stores! After acclimating to Albania’s disorganization and chaos it was culture shock to return to a city as organized and carefree as Zagreb. No longer were Jenna and I the only females out at night! Granted two nights is never enough time to experience any place, but we had to part ways as she was headed to Berlin to fly back to the Sates and I was headed to Rovijn for my next WWOOF host.
So now here I am back to wwoofing- building illegal straw bale houses with people from all over Europe. For a couple of days ever person at the dinner table was from a different country. France, Italy, Croatia, Argentina, America, Britain, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Germany. One table and almost a whole continent of Nationalities! There are about five different houses on this chunk of land just 10km from the sea. The common project at the moment is a theater, currently the largest straw bale construction in Istira. Guests, wwoofers live in caravans scattered in the woods connected by meandering red earth paths. Red earth, blue skies and green trees make up the landscape criss crossed everywhere with low gray stone walls. Walking to my casa and back to the common kitchen is a fight through webs of caterpillars hanging from the trees as they spin themselves cocoons. And the birds!! So many birds, the forest is always singing. I fall asleep to the sound of probably more than ten species of birds and awake the songs of another ten different species. With the incredible weather we’ve been having I’ve abandoned the idea of sleeping inside a caravan and have instead set up a hammock on the second story of an unfinished building near my caravan. I’ve never felt more like a hippy than now. My English is so terrible I should stop writing now- Everyone here asks me for clarification about the meaning of words, or how to properly say something and I can no longer thinks of the answers. They tell me my English is worse than theirs! So forgive me if I make no sense, life is too beautiful to bother keeping up with proper grammar. 🙂 Love you all, hoping to update sooner but don’t count on it! I have to walk to the nearest town for internet in a bar. Not even Facebook motivates me that much. CIAO TUTTI!! Go explore!
A Girl WWOOFing Europe 