Tivat, Montenegro
As we lie at anchor in Kotor Bay,
Montenegro, we naturally compare the sights to those of Croatia. We
left Croatia a few days ago and, already, there are things that we
miss and things that we don't.
The scenery is beautiful. Mountains
line almost the entire coastline with over 1300 islands dispersed
along it, set into clear waters. Forest covers most of the terrain
and some of the land is given over to agriculture, mostly wineries
and olive groves on mountain-side terraces that are outlined by stone walls. Croatia has a
small population, only 4.4 million, so one is left with the
impression of not being crowded; no wilderness but rather land left
empty.
The history in Croatia is ancient and
is reflected in Greek, Illyrian, and Roman ruins that can still be
seen. But it is not a country that was forgotten by time, perhaps
due to the turbulent passage of empires through the Balkans, because
each regime that controlled the land and the sea assimilated rather
than destroyed the achievements of the preceding one. The result is
a beautiful landscape of charming cities and villages isolated by
nature itself. The towns – like Dubrovnik, Korcula, Trogir,
Primosten, Ston, Lastovo - are utterly charming, having been shaped
by the need for defence and the flourish of empires at their peak who
sought to hold their hard won territory. Built of stone with the
labour of generations the old ones crowd an island or sit on a
hilltop or hide in a valley. Each one is beautiful and there are so
many.
It is foolish to generalize about “the
people” of any country. One must keep a proper perspective when,
nevertheless, one is trying to say something about the people in
Croatia. This is a newly minted sovereign nation which only existed
briefly in the prior centuries and was forged during that time by wars among foreign nations and overlords. The country is adapting to
self-governance, shrugging off communist minded inertia, integration
with the EU, and an economy in tatters; the people are a long way from well off. And yet, the wealthiest tourists of the world cruise these
waters in their mega (and mini) yachts flaunting that which the
locals can barely dream of having. This naturally leads to a degree
of resentment and greed among the citizens. But these are well-known
phenomena in tourist destinations throughout the world, so, again,
it's a matter of perspective.
In fact, the worst things about Croatia
are the overabundance of tourists; particularly the cruisers.
Certainly, the vast fleet of charter boaters are to be wary of for
their lack of experience and skill, but, they, at least, are humble
and willing to take the sage advice of a more seasoned mariner. We
truly fear those cruisers from the neighboring countries who have
their own boats who also lack experience and skill, but now are too
proud to admit, as owners, they are clueless in anchoring,
navigation, regulations and courtesy and to take any advice whatsoever.
And they are legion.
We came, barely, to Croatia expecting
the worst in terms of bureaucracy, greed, corruption, and expense,
and nowhere were those expectations met. To be sure there were
traces of it here and there, but where in the world is there not? We
have lived in Croatia for just over a year and we didn't see nearly
all of it, nor would we were we here for another few years. The
country deserves more time, but the world is a big place and time,
for us, is not unlimited.
Branko
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