My first impression of Croatia was dislike, though now in retrospect, I think my dislike had more to do with the twelve hour overnight bus ride and the ensuing sleep depravation that accompanies such a journey. I would like to go back under better circumstances to see if my view changes.

Essential facts

Formed from the implosion of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, Croatia is still a nation in formation, though some of the rougher edges have been smoothed out.

The national language is Croatian. Before the war, the same language was called Serbo-Croatian, but since the hatred between the two groups this term is strictly forbidden now. Despite the semantics, the only real difference between the two languages is weather it's written in the Roman alphabet or Cyrillic - a legacy dating back to the split between the Western and Eastern Roman Empire - not co-incidently the present Croatian-Bosnian-Serbian nexus. The monetary unit is the Kuna, which had been kept artificially inflated by the Tudjman regime to keep prices high. The situation has improved recently, but prices are still higher then they should be.

Though the war, especially now with Milosevic gone in Serbia, is only a memory - ordinance may remain. Stay the hell away from it, and don't wander into abandoned areas or rural fields - there's a good chance that mines remain, especially in areas like the Krajina which saw the heaviest fighting.

Getting there and away

Strung along the Adriatic, an oddly shaped piece of ethnic gerrymandering.

Getting to Croatia is now much easier then it used to be. Ferries run to and from Italian ports like Venice, Ancona, and Bari to various destinations along the coast. Trains run into Zagreb from Ljublijana, Budapest and various other Eastern gateways. With the collapse of Milosevic, further connections should be available via Belgrade. Internally, ferries ply the full length of the Adriatic, while bus and train connections are good between major points.

Split

The second largest city in Croatia and the heart of Dalmatia, I can't say I enjoyed my (albeit limited) time in Split. As alluded to above, the bus ride put me in a dour mood which didn't help, nor did the timing - March of 1997 when the country was still recovering from the recent war. I'd be willing to give Split around chance.

Attractions

The number one attraction by far is Diocletian's Palace. The structure, built as the retirement home of the Emperor Diocletian between 295 and 305, is widely regarded as one of the most imposing Roman ruins in existence.

Unlike most ruins, the palace has been integrated into the old town, "traditional" ruins like the Temple of Jupiter (right) interspersed with the living quarters and walls turned into shops, cafes, and private homes which teem with activity.

Much of the palace is in a decrepit state, which creates an image of medieval squatters. After the Palace, the attractions grow rather sparse.

The statue of Gregorius of Nin (left) is a rather imposing figure. It was done by the same sculpturer, Ivan Mestrovic, that did the Indian series of downtown Chicago - the similarity of style is noticeable, if not the subject matter. The Adriatic coast is one of Croatia's major attractions in and of itself, though the beaches (below) around Split are poor, it can be a good base to head out down the Dalmatian coast or into the islands to do some proper beach bumming.

Food and Lodging

There were virtually no budget options available when I was there, all of them housing Croatian and Bosnian refugees. Apparently the situation has gotten better, but is still tight. You might try one of the toothless hags who loiter around the bus station - they'll offer you a room if you hang out there more then five minutes. The only restaurant I ate at was right near the bus station complex - it reeked of urine, was expensive and the food was vile. Stay the hell away.