Red Roofs in Dubrovnik
After six fabulous days in Split we took a 4.5 hour bus ride to Dubrovnik, which cost us about $23 per person. Even though the bus was not very comfortable, the scenic ride along the Adriatic Coast was a great distraction and made the time go by fast. The coolest attraction was driving through Bosnia and Herzegovina as it cuts Croatia into two separate parts with a nearly 30 km access to the sea. The bus made a stop in BiH and we had a chance to check out a local store. Much to Gabi's disappointment, they did not sell any Bosnian magnets to add to her collection, so instead, she got some local honey. Upon arriving to Dubrovnik we took a short cab ride to an apartment we rented using airbnb.com (so far we have been using this site for every single booking and we have been very satisfied). With heavy backpacks strapped to our backs, we climbed 140 stairs to a small house where we would spend the next five days. The view from the apartment was spectacular, and as we were settling in, the sky greeted us with some wonderful colors created by the sunset. Since Dubrovnik is more touristy than Split, our budget did not allow us an apartment in a central location. The one we rented was a 20 min walk from the main attraction Stari Grad (Old City), which is a very well preserved medieval walled city. The walk was a stroll down hundreds of steps. Coming back home was quite a workout as we had to climb all these steps back up (at least it made us feel better after indulging in some delicious ice cream). Stari Grad occupies a small city area which is surrounded by medieval ramparts. Inside is a maze of tiny streets, houses where people still live, little shops, restaurants, churches, squares, ports, and of course, more stairs. We loved the architecture of the Old City and explored various parts of it. We all agreed that the beauty of the Old Town was overshadowed a bit by pushy restaurant hosts, persistent tour guides and an overflow of tourists. The authenticity of the palace was lost in the hustle and bustle of touristy business. For a day trip we headed out to a small island of Lapad, only 15 min ferry ride from the Old Town. A post on this trip is coming next. We also did a morning hike to the top of Mount Srd, a steep hill to which you can take a cable car. We opted to take it only on our way down as we wanted to get a workout. And boy did we get one! Our buns were burning and sweat droplets were falling down our faces as we were climbing up the steep cliff. However we had lots of fun and the views were well worth it. Two days before our flight out we decided to venture out north west of our apartment and, after walking for over an hour, we came across Lapad. It it a lovely area with many outdoor restaurants, live music, and small rocky beaches. We spent the entire last day there chilling on the rocks, bathing in the choppy waters (no floating possible here), reading, chatting and snacking. We ended the night with a drink at Cave Bar at Hotel More. We loved it there. The atmosphere was great and the drinks were delicious and not too expensive when converted to US Dollars. Actually Croatia is quite budget friendly when it comes to food, whether it's groceries or eating out. Six drinks (espresso & wine) cost a total of $18. Not too shabby. We really enjoyed our stay in Croatia and were a bit sad to leave this sunny and happy country which exceeded all of our expectations. People were very friendly, almost everyone spoke english, the scenery was amazing and the weather was great. Most things were not too expensive for someone traveling from the US (although there were plenty of restaurants that were priced similarly to NYC). After coming from the uber pricey Norway, Croatia was a pleasant surprise to our wallets. We all liked Split more than Dubrovnik as we found it less touristy (even though we visited during the popular Ultra Music Festival) and more authentic. Nice beaches were easier to access and there were also more islands to visit for day trips. It was also cheaper than Dubrovnik. Croatia is now a popular European vacation destination as people not only fly but also drive there. We saw lots of Polish people and cars with Polish license plates. Europe is small enough that it's possible to drive across a few countries without major difficulties. We all loved Croatia and would recommend anyone to visit; families, friends, newlyweds, and larger groups. See for yourself - photos below and some more in the Gallery tab.
Geography: Dubrovnik is located in the Dalmatia region on the coast of Adriatic Sea, 226 km South of Split Population: 46 thousand in Dubrovnik, making it the 13th most populated city in Croatia Best Known for: picturesque Old Town (Stari Grad), orange roofs, cable car, cliffs, ancient sites, sailing, olives, lavender, wine, seafood. What We Noticed: Lots of stairs as the city is built on a steep cliff, fewer beaches as compared to Split, some fancy hotels, great coffee, men in menpris, ladies with long legs. When compared to Split, Dubrovnik's crowd was much older and the city was more expensive; lots of fancy restaurants aggressively offered their menu on every corner in Stari Grad making it a less authentic experience.
Walking down from our apartment there were 140 stairs leading to the main street. Then hundreds more to get to Stari Grad. Dubrovnik should be renamed Stairovnik. Or StairmasterTown.
 
Behind us you can see the small beach where we spent some time as well as a little cave we swam to.
View of Stari Grad from our hike. You can see the ramparts surrounding the town.
Part of the hike up Mount Srg was in a wooded and shaded area.
However, the vast majority was in open air; a series of switchbacks which we walked in a blazing sun. Also, you may not be able to tell by this photo but at the end of each switchback there was a sculpture of one of 12 Stations of the Cross. Croatians are very religious.
Taking a much needed selfie break.
In the evening we came back to the Old City to get lost in the maze of its tiny streets.
We loved exploring little nooks and corners.
One of the funnest things in Stari Grad was just observing how people lived today in this medieval city. Here are two boys playing soccer. Well, one is playing and showing off his soccer skills in his manpris, the other just feels left out.
Here are some restaurants in Stari Grad. The ones in large squares tend to be pretty expensive, even for US travelers.
Looking for some relaxing time, we ordered local beer in one of the cafes in Stari Grad. As you can tell by our faces, it was not too bad.
Every evening, we saw lots of cialo (swallow like) birds flying around Stari Grad. I bet Vanessa T. would love them ;-)
Evening diners in Stari Grad. What a lovely scene.
On our 3rd day in Dubrovnik we ventured out towards the area known as Lapad.
Look what we found there - an old Fiat 126p! Back in the 80s this baby was my ride (my parents had a red one).
Gabi scoping out Cave Bar at Hotel More in Lapad where we returned to the next day for our last evening outing. This bar was built in a natural cave and it has three levels. Since the weather was nice we opted to sit outside. 
Getting to Lapad was a very long walk but it proved to be a very rewarding one. We loved it so much that we spent our entire last day there. Sometimes the waves were very strong so floating wasn't possible but we still had lots of fun.
In case you are wondering how we maintain our spectacular physiques on the road, here is a glimpse of our beach body diet - some local beer and weird flavored chips. Ice cream (not pictured here although I am sure it was on Gabi and Vlad's mind at this moment) was also an essential daily supplement in our diets while in Croatia.
This was our rock but we were nice so we shared it with strangers.
At times waves were so strong that we had to move our belongings to higher rocks so they wouldn't get wet. Thank God for our super quick ninja moves. 
Here we are looking as fancy as we could after changing from our bathing suits to our best backpacker clothes at a restaurant bathroom. To end our Croatian adventure we visited Cave Bar at Hotel More. It was a super fun night with some delicious coffee and wine. To top it all off, we met a very interesting and extremely overdressed couple there (in black tie attire) who turned out to be from the Upper West Side in NYC and only 8 blocks from where we lived! Talk about a small world. So far it's been pretty cool talking to strangers and hearing their stories. 
Inside the Cave Bar
This was our coffee. So delish. Who knew Croatians were so good at it.
No tripod, no problem. I used a rock. Just like the cavemen used to do it when taking their photos.
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