NOVEMBER
      23,
      2006
     
    
   
   
    
     
      TRAVEL
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
      @
      8
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Where
      in
      the
      world
      is
      Kristi
      Kelly???
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Kristi
      Kelly
     
     
      Contributor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Okay,
      so
      before
      getting
      started,
      I
      am
      going
      to
      clarify
      a
      few
      key
     
     
      things.
      I
      am
      in
      NOT
      away
      at
      the
      moment...
      I
      am
      home,
      right
     
     
      here
      at
      UPEI.
      I
      am
      a
      fourth
      year
      business
      student
      and
      I
      was
     
     
      lucky
      enough
      to
      be
      able
      to
      participate
      in
      an
      academic
      exchange
     
     
      to
      France
      last
      year
      for
      a
      semester.
      After
      some
      careful
      planning,
     
     
      -
      a
      budget
      and
      a
      eurail
      pass
      -
      I
      literally
      “took
      on”
      Europe,
      getting
     
     
      to
      experience
      something
      like
      16
      countries
      and
      over
      35
      cities.
     
     
      Pretty
      cool,
      eh?
      I
      ended
      up
      keeping
      a
      blog
      of
      my
      travels
      so
     
     
      that
      friends
      and
      family
      could
      keep
      in
      touch
      (and
      follow
      me
     
     
      along
      the
      way)
      -
      and
      little
      did
      I
      realize
      that
      it
      was
      going
      to
      be
     
     
      such
      a
      hit!
      So
      now,
      in
      an
      effort
      to
      share
      perhaps
      the
      most
     
     
      amazing
      learning
      experience
      of
      my
      life...
      I
      write
      these
      articles.
     
     
      Maybe
      they
      will
      inspire
      you
      -
      maybe
      they
      won’t.
      Either
      way,
     
     
      thank
      you
      to
      everyone
      who
      has
      shown
      such
      amazing
      support,
     
     
      and
      here’s
      a
      big
      shout
      out
      to
      the
      ladies
      from
      our
      reunion
      in
      the
     
     
      Piazza
      Joe’s
      bathroom
      on
      Bar
      Wars
      who
      so
      graciously
     
     
      “welcomed
      me
      home”-
      thank
      you,
      and
      keep
      reading!
      There
     
     
      are
      tons
      of
      travel
      opportunities
      here
      at
      UPEI
      in
      each
      of
      the
     
     
      faculties...
      take
      advantage
      while
      you
      can!
      You
      won’t
      regret
      it!
     
     
      “Du-bro-what?
      Dubrovnik?
      It’s
      where?
      Where
      the
      hell
     
     
      is
      Croatia?”
      —
      let’s
      just
      say
      I
      wasn’t
      the
      most
      geographically
     
     
      informed
      cookie
      in
      the
      jar.
      I
      had
      never
      heard
      of
      Croatia
      before,
     
     
      and
      frankly,
      once
      I
      heard
      about
      its
      history...
      I
      didn’t
      really
      know
     
     
      if
      it
      was
      a
      place
      that
      I
      wanted
      to
      visit.
      War
      torn
      until
      around
      a
     
     
      decade
      ago,
      this
      former
      part
      of
      the
      Kingdom
      of
      Yugoslavia
      is
     
     
      now
      a
      country
      in
      its
      own
      right.
      Surrounded
      by
      Slovenia,
     
     
      Hungary
      and
      Bosnia
      -
      this
      country
      has
      history
      and
     
     
      infrastructure
      that
      dates
      as
      far
      back
      as
      the
      middle
      ages
      and
      it
     
     
      can
      be
      noticeably
      seen.
      Though
      Zagreb,
      the
      capital
      city
      of
     
     
      this
      country
      was
      quaint
      and
      regal...
      the
      true
      thrill
      of
      this
     
     
      country
      lies
      a
      tad
      closer
      to
      the
      Mediterranean
      Sea
      -
      in
      a
      place
     
     
      called
      Dubrovnik.
     
     
      As
      our
      tiny
      plane
      began
      to
      land...
      all
      I
      could
      see
      was
     
     
      mountain.
      No
      city,
      just
      mountain
      side.
      I
      gripped
      the
      arm
      rest
     
     
      ferociously
      as
      we
      descended
      and
      I
      prayed
      that
      this
      wasn’t
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Photo:
      Kristi
      Kelly
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Croatia
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Knisti
      enjoying
      the
      sights
      in
      Croatia
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Photo:
      Kristi
      Kelly
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      bad
      idea
      after
      all.
      Really,
      what
      did
      I
      know
      about
     
     
      this
      place?!
      It
      was
      plagued
      with
      war
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
      checked
      the
      Foreign
      Affairs
      Security
      profiles...
     
     
      and
      it
      all
      seemed
      fine
      so
      why
      was
      I
      so
      nervous!?
     
     
      I
      mean,
      really
      George
      Bernard
      Shaw
      (the
     
     
      famous
      writer
      and
      playwright)
      called
      this
      place
     
     
      the
      “Jewel
      of
      the
      Adriatic”!
      It
      wasn’t
      long
      after
     
     
      I
      first
      spotted
      this
      city’s
      sparkling
      teal
      waters
     
     
      that
      my
      heart
      began
      to
      beat
      faster
      in
     
     
      anticipation.
      To
      say
      this
      place
      was
      beautiful,
     
     
      was
      an
      understatement...
      it
      was
      something
     
     
      truly
      out
      of
      a
      dream!
      Mountains,
      villages,
      lush
     
     
      greenery,
      an
      endless
      coastline
      and
      a
      remarkable
     
     
      sunset...
      I
      was
      afraid
      that
      if
      I
      blinked
      I
      would
     
     
      miss
      it!
     
    

    
     
      Though
      limited
      in
      hostels,
      this
      city
      had
     
     
      no
      shortage
      of
      luxury
      hotels
      and
      resorts!
      With
     
     
      the
      weather
      dry
      and
      hot,
      I
      wasted
      no
      time
     
     
      getting
      checked
      in.
      Water
      bottle
      and
      sandals
     
     
      in
      tow,
      the
      exploring
      began.
      The
      number
      one
     
     
      destination
      in
      Dubrovnik
      (other
      than
      its
     
     
      spectacular
      beaches)
      is
      what
      is
      known
      as
      “the
     
     
      old
      city.”
      Built
      in
      the
      13%
      century,
      this
      ancient
     
     
      city
      (with
      only
      two
      entrances
      amongst
      its
      tall,
     
     
      looming
      fortress-like
      walls)
      is
      like
      a
      trip
      back
     
     
      in
      time.
      Virtually
      unchanged
      since
      its
      creation
     
     
      (besides
      the
      fact
      that
      its
      residences
      all
      seem
      to
     
     
      be
      pricey
      gift
      shops
      and
      luxury
      products)
      the
     
     
      city,
      no
      joke,
      was
      constructed
      completely
      of
     
     
      white
      marble.
      Its
      100
      feet
      walls
      allowed
      for
     
     
      curious
      tourists,
      if
      brave
      enough,
      to
      climb
     
     
      atop,
      and
      to
      walk
      the
      entire
      parameter.
      Fair
     
     
      warning
      though,
      if
      you
      decide
      to
      wear
      cute
     
     
      sandals
      with
      no
      grip
      -
      be
      advised
      that
      marble
     
    
   
   
    
     
      is
      in
      fact
      slippery
      and
      WILL
      cause
      you
      to
      fall
     
     
      flat
      on
      your
      ass
      -
      which
      I
      so
      graciously
      did.
     
     
      Though
      not
      an
      overly
      large
      city,
      it
      is
      chalked
     
     
      full
      of
      things
      to
      see
      and
      do.
      Seeing
      as
      it
      is
      a
     
     
      marine
      city
      there
      is
      seafood
      everywhere!
      I
      even
     
     
      managed
      to
      try
      a
      infamous
      dish
      there
      called
     
     
      “Black
      Risotto”
      -
      which
      come
      to
      find
      is
      colored
     
     
      blackish
      grey
      because
      of
      a
      special
      ingredient...
     
     
      squid
      ink
      (uummmmm,
      eeeeeewwwww...)
      -
      ha,
     
     
      try
      figuring
      that
      out
      in
      Croatian!
     
    

    
     
      The
      beach
      lover
      that
      I
      am,
      I
      did
      manage
     
     
      to
      get
      my
      chance
      to
      swim
      in
      the
      Adriatic!
      Cold,
     
     
      but
      unbelievably
      clear,
      I
      was
      able
      to
      swim
      with
     
     
      beautifully
      colored
      fish
      of
      all
      shapes
      and
      sizes.
     
     
      By
      afternoon
      though,
      it
      got
      unbelievably
      hot
     
     
      and
      all
      you
      could
      do
      was
      lounge
      in
      the
      shade
     
     
      by
      the
      closest
      bar
      and
      wait
      it
      out
      until
      you
     
     
      wouldn’t
      risk
      heat
      stroke!
      Not
      that
      I
      was
     
     
      complaining
      though...
      between
      Croatian
      wine,
     
     
      and
      a
      good
      book,
      I
      was
      perfectly
      content.
     
     
      Croatia
      impressed
      me,
      the
      people
      were
      so
     
     
      proud
      of
      their
      heritage
      and
      how
      far
      they
      have
     
     
      come
      -
      despite
      the
      tragedies
      that
      have
      occurred
     
     
      there
      in
      the
      past.
      They
      are
      re-building
      and
      it
      is
     
     
      that
      sense
      of
      compassion
      and
      gratitude
      in
      their
     
     
      accomplishments
      that
      blatantly
      apparent
      in
     
     
      their
      culture
      and
      way
      of
      life.
      Can
      you
      imagine
     
     
      growing
      up
      in
      a
      society
      where
      the
      screeching
     
     
      of
      emergency
      warnings
      were
      the
      norm,
      as
      was
     
     
      time
      spent
      in
      bomb
      shelters?
      For
      us,
      as
     
     
      University
      students,
      it’s
      a
      mere
      vision.
     
     
      However,
      for
      university
      student
      in
      Croatia,
      not
     
     
      all
      that
      long
      ago,
      it
      was
      a
      reality.
      Kinda
      makes
     
     
      you
      stop
      and
      think,
      eh?