Croatia: Licitar Heart & Pickpocket In Zagreb

Zagreb, August 2013

St. Mark's church in Zagreb

I can't believe it's been 5 years since my Balkan trip! I can't believe there's still tons of stories from my previous trips that I haven't post here. I should really find a way to cure my chronic procrastination! Any tips, guys?

My parents, sister and I were exploring Slovenia then travelled through the stunning Plitvice National Park, Split and Trogir. Spent a couple nights in Dubrovnik where we found a nudist beach in Lokrum Island during a boat tour. Moved to Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina before finally arrived in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia.

a quiet morning

We started the Old Town walking tour early in the morning to avoid the unbearable heat on midday. Seriously, summer in Balkan can be harsh! Also it was the peak of summer holiday so the town got really crowded as the sun reached its highest point in the sky. At 9AM most of the shops haven't started their business yet. So we wandered around Lower Town until Upper Town where we visited the beautiful St. Mark's church. It was a perfect time to observe the local people doing their daily activities. Even if you don't have a goal, a long walk through the streets of Zagreb always brings discoveries.

Fun fact: Did you know that Croatia is the homeland of the tie?

beautiful dog! 😍

Dolac Market in Zagreb

If you love traditional market like I do, you shouldn't miss Dolac Market. The farmer's market is located in Gornji Grad - not far from Zagreb's Cathedral and the main square. People from all over the city come to this market to get groceries and other fresh product, specially on weekends. The vibrant red umbrellas agains the colourful products they sell there instantly caught my attention. I enjoy being in the middle of chatters and negotiation that buzzing around me. It's gotta be one of the most colourful sights in Zagreb! Even if shopping is not your thing, there's some cafes and restaurant which is a great spot to absorb the vibe of the town and to experience local flavours. Or like I did, scouring pretty traditional handmade stuff and souvenirs. Dolac Market opens everyday from 7AM until around 1PM.

handmade Croatian embroidery and lace

Licitar Heart

While wandering around the city of Zagreb, I've seen this pretty intricately decorated red heart with a little mirror on the centre - almost everywhere. Being a super curious cat, I just had to stop at one of the stalls and asked the seller what's all the hype about. The name is Licitar hearts and it's an interesting part of the old Croatian cultural heritage. Though the real Licitars are actually made out of gingerbread. Traditionally, instead of roses, it was used by young men to express their love to the girl they fond of on Valentine's day. Suddenly my imagination run wild and I visualised this romantic scene...

👱 : "Ahem! (nervously presenting a Licitar heart to the girl). Dear Walawuluwili (or insert any preferred names here)...errr....I...I...really like you. Would you accept this heart of mine?"
👸 : (hesitant but eagerly accepting the Licitar. Her cheeks turn to rose colour as she smiles).
👱 : "That face you see in the mirror is the most beautiful girl in this universe and my most favourite things in the world besides noodle and gelato."
👸 : "Awwww! That's me! It's my face in the mirror!" (blushing even more)
👱 : "Of course it's you! I would have died if it was the face of the Evil Queen in Snow White!
Walawuluwili, would you be my girl?"
👸 : "Yes, I would! I like you too, Baraburubiri (or insert any preferred names here)". 💏 💏 💏

...and they lived happily ever after...or until they fight about what to eat for dinner.

Okay! I should never write a romantic piece ever. Horror stories definitely suit me better.  

Croatian souvenirs 

So yeah, it's corny but sweet. It's sweet but corny yet I still smile when I look at this Licitar hearts.

The colourful decorated cakes of sweet honey dough dated back to Middle Ages when food crafts became widely popular. It represents a special sign of devotion and attention. Nowadays they are sold as souvenirs in various form such as plates, bells, jars, fridge magnets, and else; as well as to decorate Christmas tree and wedding favours for guests.

Croatians are very proud of it, specially after Licitar heart was listed on the UNESCO list of Protected Intangible Cultural Heritage. It's still given as a way of showing affection to the loved ones. 

a bizarre collection of keepsakes from failed love affairs

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral 

Before leaving Zagreb, we managed to visit the Neo-Gothic styled Cathedral of Zagreb. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary which dates back to 1217 was formerly known as St. Stephen's Cathedral, located in Kaptol Square. Its twin 108 metres (354 ft) high spires soar over the city and made it the tallest building in Croatia.

The original construction of the Cathedral was damaged during the Tartar attack and and a fire in the 13th century. However the fatal destruction was during the Great Zagreb Earthquake on 9 November 1880. The deadly earthquake struck Zagreb at 07:03:03 which damaged the cathedral beyond repairs and the cathedral clock stopped working. Today the clock is mounted on the defence wall outside the cathedral and always show the time 7:03 as a remembrance to the disaster. 

interior of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral 

Grave of Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac

We were walking around the grave of the former archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac amongst a group of visitors when I felt that someone was watching me intensely. You know, the strange feeling you get when you're being stared at though we can't see them? I took a glance around the church and noticed a group of three women sitting on the front pew were whispering to each other while pointing towards us. I shrugged off the suspicious thoughts and assumed they were just amused about how different our looks compared to other visitors. 

I was walking with my sister just a few metres ahead my parents when suddenly I heard my Mom screamed her lungs out. If you have met my Mom in person, you'll noticed that she has a overly powerful voice that will put Freddie Krueger Mercury to shame. Her 'AGGHH' sound echoed off the quiet church and I looked back in shock. I thought she fell down or something. I ran towards her and saw the trio women that stared at us earlier were standing too close behind my Mom. With startled face, they tried to move away from my Mom calmly. Obviously Mom's voice drew lots of attention to our direction. Two security guys were approaching us along with some curious visitors.

"I felt a tiny movement in my handbag as they walked very close to me!" Mom showed her handbag that already being unzipped. I could tell from her face that she was shocked too. The security rushed to the trio who nearly reached the exit door and stopped them right there. I came closer as the women were questioned by the security. But they kept saying "No English, no English!" then continued in French. They tried really hard to act calm but we could easily noticed a glimpse of panic on their face. Another visitor, a middle aged guy approached us and said something in Croatian to the security. Apparently he saw them doing the deed earlier. After a while, one of the security told me that we may leave and they escorted the pickpocket to the office to take further action.

Zagreb

My family and I then sat in a bench in the church yard, trying to grasp about what happened earlier.

"Can you believe we were almost pick pocketed inside a church!" I exclaimed as my parents nodded in disbelief. "And you know, Mom...for a second I thought the church was about to collapse because your voice is more harmful than an earthquake!" We laughed softly as we stood up and walked towards our bus. Such an amusing way to end our road trip around Balkan countries. That day we left the beautiful city of Zagreb with a not so beautiful experience. Nevertheless the precious memory will stay in our heart for a very long time and will put a smile in our face whenever we remember it. Shit happens on travelling, let's just laugh it off and keep walking. 💋

A post shared by Debbzie Leksono ✈️ (@debbzie_leksono) on Jun 14, 2016 at 5:12am PDT

Croatia: Dubrovnik Caught In My Lens

Dubrovnik, August 2013

Dubrovnik

I was writing an article for magazine the other day about summer holiday destinations. And while sorting out the pictures I realised that there are a bunch of Dubrovnik pictures I haven't shared in my blog. Yes, I've written about the nudist beach but of course this city has much more to offer other than that.

Dubrovnik - the pearl of the Adriatic is becoming more and more popular in recent years. It's not difficult to see this coming though. Beautiful beaches, great weather, bustling night life and charming Old Town are some main reasons why millions of visitors flock to the city. As for me, strolling around the Old Town is definitely my fave thing to do.

Okay then, without further ado here's a photo essay of the fascinating Dubrovnik...

cruise port

such a charming city

ancient city walls

the Old Town

Dubrovnik cable car

view from the top of Mount Srd

Well of course my pictures don't do justice to this stunning city. I made a promise to myself to be back again one day. And hopefully you'll get a chance to visit it if you haven't. Don't miss out the cable car ride to the top of Mount Srd. Because I'm pretty sure that the view will blow your mind away :)

Croatia: Plitvice National Park & A War Museum

Plitvička Jezera, August 2013

"Look! There's so many houses with bullet holes in its walls!"

My eyes widened and gasped as I looked out of the bus window. I was on my way to Plitvice National Park and was passing by the town of Turanj. I've already been warned that I would see a lot of ruins of war during my road trip in the Balkans. But not until I saw it myself that I felt my heart sank.

one of the ruins

countless bullet holes in the wall

Croatian War of Independence Museum

Turanj is a historic outpost south of the Austro-Hungarian fortress of Karlovac which was established in 1582 and became particularly important during the Croatian Homeland War in 1991-1995. The bus stopped for a while to allow us to have a quick visit at the Croatian military museum. There's a ruin military base which is still clearly showing signs of combat damage from the war, just like many other houses in that area. Along with an aircraft wreck, they also display a collection of armoured vehicles used by Croatian army during the war.

wreckage of a MiG-21bis

I walked around this small open air museum with indescribable feelings. Perhaps I was just being oversensitive but it felt like I was thrown into the wartime, hearing all the screams in terror and sound of barrage of bullets and bombs exploding. I got goosebumps all over my body because of the weird vibe so I decided to continue the journey. It's just so sad to think that people who live in that area have to witness this everyday thus remind them over and over again about what happened during the war.

Plitvice National Park

After about 2 hours, my bus was finally entering the protected area of Plitvice National Park that extends over 295 square kilometres, making it the largest national park in Croatia. It's also known as the oldest national park in the country which was proclaimed in 1949. It was already noon so before the trekking, I went for a lunch in one of the restaurants to taste some local cuisine. One of them was 'Chicken Under the Bell', I'll write about it in another blog post though :)

people are queueing to see one of the waterfalls

the path

On the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979, Plitvice Lakes are considered one of the most beautiful natural phenomena in the world. In total, there are 16 remarkable cascade lakes which are connected by 92 waterfalls. I can't stress enough how magnificent the views that I got to see. So gorgeous that my pictures don't do it justice. I'm sure this place will be a haven for nature lovers. There are about 1267 different species of plants, 321 species of butterflies, 161 species of birds and a lot more. Visitors also get to choose some activities including walking, trekking, electrical boat, train riding, cycling, skiing and rowing.

electric boat ride

T-shirts by @TravelingID

streams

so pristine

Ticket prices vary between 55 Kuna to 180 Kuna, depends on the season. The one-day ticket includes electric boat rides on Lake Kozjak and panoramic train rides, visitor insurance and VAT. If you ask me if it's worth it? Without a doubt, YES! It would be insane to travel to Croatia without a visit to Plitvice National Park. I even bracing myself against the scorching hot weather to do a 3 hours trekking (shortest route but it's a big deal for a polar bear like me :p).

crystal clear water

Plitvice National Park

In the end my beautiful day was ended abruptly by a sudden storm, heavy rain and hail that made me soaking wet. Plus a rather haunted night staying in one of the hotels in the national park area. All in all, I had such a marvellous experience in Plitvice National Park though. I'd really love to revisit and to explore another routes which I believe nothing less than beautiful.

Croatia: A Secluded Eden (Nudist Beach) In Lokrum Island

Dubrovnik, August 2013

*this post contains some x-rated images, please feel free to leave if it makes you uncomfortable :p 

"Whoa, what's that? A white naked butt?" Rubbing my eyes in disbelief, I then approaching the ship captain to get some explanations. "Hey, Captain! Is that really a naked man standing on the rock or am I seeing a ghost?"

The bearded captain laughed so hard before answering, "You silly young lady, of course he's a real person. Look! There are more of them in that island. It's called the nudist beach of Lokrum island. Do you want to join them, Dear?"

"Nope, not today." I grinned cheekily, whip my camera out and snapped some pictures.

Lokrum island

Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik certainly has so much to offer other than the charming Old Town which could be too crowded during the peak season. It was around midday when I decided to join a boat tour in order to find some quiet moments while absorbing the beauty of this coastal city from the sea. I thought a one hour boat tour around the city and Lokrum island would be a great idea to rest my weary legs.

Covered in pine trees, the island is actually a perfect hideaway to spend a relaxing day for swimming or sunbathing. There are also some sites to explore like a botanical garden and the ruins of a monastery. The captain told me that some scenes of 'Game of Thrones' were filmed in this island. My boat didn't dock in the island so I can't really tell you about it.

sail the boat

city walls

sea cave beach in Dubrovnik

enjoying the sea breeze

After about 15 minutes, the boat was approaching Lokrum island and I noticed a naked man was relaxing on a rock. When it became closer I could see there were actually more than 20 people in the 'so called beach', sunbathing and swimming without any clothes on. Just like what I've imagined about Eden where naked women and men are wandering freely, minus the snake and forbidden fruit. Some of them immediately turned their body away from my boat while others didn't seem to care about exposing their 'you know what'. One guy even swam toward my boat as if he demanded more attention, lol.

nudist beach in Lokrum island

zooming in....zooming in. Okay, enough! :p

a cute tipping box

back to the harbour

boats

Lokrum island and Dubrovnik from above

Next time you are in Dubrovnik, you might interested in visiting Lokrum island and join them if you want to. Or else the boat ride itself was pretty an enjoyable experience. There are numerous routes to choose from the ticket booths in the harbour. For me Dubrovnik is really a beautiful city and I took abundant pictures that's impossible to fit in only one post. So please stay tuned for more post, aye! I promise there will be no x-rated pictures in the next post. Cheers!