This is why I'm hot!

There seems like so much to say. I'm still in Croatia and it's like 40 zillion degrees (kelvin) which is still way too hot to wear clothing. Currently I'm in Zadar but lets find out how I got here.

It seems the Croatian train system was laid down long before anyone actually settled here. This may not actually be a joke since much of the country was destroyed during WWII and then again in the early 90's during the war for independence. This might explain why most train stations are literally in the middle of nowhere.

I left Zagreb hoping to get to Zadar. Unfortunately I missed the train that would allow me to get to Zadar that day so I was forced to stop in Knin which is smack dab in the middle of the country and a place you will never read about in a guide book. Knin is to Poughkeepsie as Zagreb is to New York or some such SAT analogy. The one thing it has going for it is a massive military fortress and a few churches. I know this because I walked the entire length and width of the city before I found a place to stay. If there is a sign in Croatia that says: Hotel, ignore it. I have followed these signs in ever single city I've been in and none of them have led me to a Hotel. Luckily I found a sign that said: Beds, these are okay. As I reached the spot advertised a lovely middle aged Croatian woman came hurtling out of the cafe next door shouting 'I am here, I am here'. Never in my life has anyone been so happy to see me. She was practically falling over herself to show me the room she had available and making sure that everything was ok. The room was perfect (and air conditioned!) and I left Knin the next morning with fond memories of being an appreciated tourist as opposed to a walking wallet.

The train ride to Knin from Zagreb is beautiful. The ride from Knin to Zadar is similar to what a ride through Afghanistan is probably like. Rocky and sparsely shrubbed terain with no habitation in sight. The train would stop, literally, in the middle of nowhere except for a sign and perhaps an abandoned building. People would get off and on out of nowhere and the train would keep on going. Perhaps these people live underground to escape the heat but otherwise I have no idea where they came from. Eventually I reached Zadar.

I decided that my time in Zadar would be one of lazy relaxation. I checked into a nice hotel for three nights determined to do nothing but lie on the beach and when that became unbearable in my air conditioned room watching TV. So far everything has gone to plan. With one minor blip. I went to visit the Sea Organ which is a series of shafts cut into stone steps. As the tide comes in it pushes air through the shafts and creates a tone. It's pretty cool because you could sit there for hours and never here the same combination of notes twice. Other than that Zadar is a beautiful place and I have developed a very nice sunburn. Suntan lotion is rather useless since you sweat it off within minutes of applying but you can't fault me for trying.

I'm here until Monday when I'll begin my trek back to Germany. Thursday I fly home. It's been a long trip and thoughts of Finland seem like eons ago. I'm not sure if I'm going to post again while in Europe but I will post again when I get back to sum things up once I have more perspective. I will also post picture so those of you who won't be seeing me in the near future can see all the places I've described (often poorly).