Touchdown Split

Leaving Dubrovnik airport sans luggage, it appeared we would have to take a 4-6 hour bus ride to Split. We took two taxis from the airport toward the bus station and told our cab driver about our plan. He said, "Bus to Split is too long. I have a friend who has a van..."  

He called his friend, holding cell phone in one hand while steering, shifting the stick shift, and crossing himself after completing each hairpin turn with the other hand. There was some negotiation over price but we quickly agreed to a 2.5 hour van ride, getting us in around 9:30pm. 

The drive was beautiful. 

We briefly entered Bosnia and found border control there and upon reentering Croatia to be very lax. At both stations, our driver initially said we would need to show our passports, but once he told the border agents we were "English", they just waved us through without checking anything. 

It didn't take us long to unpack our carry on luggage, and we were outside eating dinner before we knew it. Our setting was part ruins and part "new" construction. Great live music played in the background from an ancient nearby courtyard. We went to see the musicians after dinner and they began singing the "Hallelujah" song, by Jeff Buckley. It captured our feelings about finally getting here, and Dan and I sang along. 

And then there was gelato.