Balkans

Day 3 - Sun 20 Sept 09

Split and Mostar

Up at 06:00 for breakfast on the boat (a €5 all you can eat deal), look out to find that we're stationary outside the port of Split. While eating breakfast we start to make our way in. I hand my key in and get ready to get off, but managed to slip over on some diesel on a wet deck. I quickly reclaim my key and change my trousers. I now smell of diesel! Fab!

Split Harbour

Head off the boat and I'm through customs and immigration in a jiffy. The bus station is right opposite, there's a 15:10 bus to Mostar that costs 105Kr. I leave my bag at the bus station left luggage and head into town. It's great as there is no one around (it's still only 08:00). I climb the tower for excellent views of the town and get chatting to a Kiwi who has driven all the way from the UK to here in his Toyota estate.

Have a good poke around the old city and even managed to stumble across a fish market in full swing. Head back to the bus station to rendezvous with Phil. To my surprise he's actually early! He dumps his bag in left luggage and I take him on a guided tour of Split. Lunch was some very nice pizza slices from a hole in the wall.

The rest of the time before the bus left was spent at the beach.

The bus left on time at 15:10 and crossing the border into BiH was easy, we didn't even have to get off the bus. Arrival in Mostar was at 19:00 just as it was getting dark. Luckily we knew exactly where the bus station was and walked down to our pre-booked hotel.

The hotel is something else we're staying in a National Monument that has been owned by the same family for over 500 years. The rooms in the main house are magic, and the whole place appears to be made from wood. The owner is very helpful and spends a good few minutes explaining how to open and close the main door before handing over the key.

After that we walked down into town and over the famous bridge to get something to eat - it seems the main food variety here is Italian. Found a place with views of the floodlit bridge.

Back to the hotel to try and wash the smell of diesel out of my clothes - fail.