The following morning in Kotor, after visiting a few historic structures like the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Tryphon, I intended to climb to the top of the ancient walls. These walls date back to the 9th century and have been continuously expanded and changed over the ages. It is a prominent landmark in Kotor, and it looks like a mini version of the Great Wall to me. I assumed the top vantage point would provide stunning views of the bay and the mountains in the area.
However, I underestimated how scorching and dry it was going up the steep steps without any shade. I reached the halfway point, exhausted and dehydrated. After a brief struggle between being a brave, strong girl and a coward indulging in some cold drinks at a foothill cafe, I chose the latter. Then I quickly went downhill to rest. I know I gave up far too easily, but what a relief it was to be able to enjoy some cool beverage and ice cream at that moment! :)
In the afternoon, I rushed to the bus terminal, planning to catch a coach to the famous Croatian city of Dubrovnik, but it turned out that there were no coaches departing that day in that direction. Later, I discovered that the timetable I had earlier looked at was for the peak season rather than the off-season. There was also no other public transportation available.
The problem was that I had already reserved an airbnb room in Dubrovnik for that night... Hmmm, so what should I do then? At last, I decided to give hitchhiking a shot. So I walked to the information office and borrowed a marker and a piece of A4 paper to make a sign, and then I asked where would be a good spot to wait.
After almost two hours of holding my paper sign and sweltering by the roadside, a kind truck driver from the Czech Republic picked me up. It was such a scenic ride between the beautiful mountains and the sea. What's even better, we got the golden hour too! Along the way, we chatted a little in broken German because that was the only language we could find in common. But my German was so limited that I had to rely on numerous gestures...
It was already dark when we arrived in Dubrovnik after about 2 hours of driving. We had a seafood dinner together at a local restaurant and waved goodbye to each other. I headed to my airbnb and the truck driver had to continue his journey. That was a long unforgettable day filled with fun, adventure, breathtaking views, and kindness from a stranger!
P.S. While the coastal views in Croatia are similar, the majority of the photos in this post were taken in Montenegro before I reached Croatia. After reading some comments here, I'm adding this to clear up any confusion which might be caused by my post title. :)
接着上篇在科托尔的旅行，第二天早上，我又参观了一些古建筑，比如宏伟的罗马天主教圣台丰大教堂。
沿着山体有座出名的古城墙，始建于9世纪，后来又陆续扩建，看上去有点像迷你版的长城。我本打算爬到城墙顶上，从那里俯瞰一番周围的山海港湾美景。然鹅，我完全低估了台阶的陡峭程度和没有树荫遮挡的灼热干燥程度。往上爬到一半，已经筋疲力尽口干舌燥。想着下午还要搭车去克罗地亚，我就乖乖折返下山了，跑到一家咖啡馆歇着，还是坐着喝饮料吃冰淇淋舒服呀。
下午，我走去汽车站，打算坐大巴去邻国克罗地亚的名城杜布罗夫尼克。问了一圈，结果那天并没有大巴出发去那里。我惊呆了，说好的大巴呢？后来才发现，原来我之前在旅馆看到的大巴时间表是旺季的，而淡季发车的频次和数量都大大减少。可是我已经预订了当晚在杜布罗夫尼克的民宿，如果当天赶不到那里就麻烦啦。
看了看也没有其他公共交通，最后决定试试搭便车。我跑去信息处借了纸笔，写下中转站和目的地，又去到高人建议的最优搭车点。在路边的烈日下举着那张宝贵的A4纸站了近两个小时后，终于，一位好心的捷克司机停下来。我爬上他高高的大货车，坐到旁边的副驾驶位子上。
一路上蜿蜒曲折，风光无限。一边是巍峨连绵的群山，一边是波光粼粼的亚得里亚海，又赶上夕阳西下的好时段，每个转角都是一帧别样的美景。途中，我们还用蹩脚的德语聊了一会儿，因为他不会说英语，而我当然也不会捷克语，德语是我们唯一可以讲一点的共同语言，但是我以前学的德语几乎忘光，不得不借助各种比划。
弯弯绕绕开了两个小时左右的车，等到杜布罗夫尼克的时候已经天黑黑。我们在一家餐馆吃了顿海鲜后，便挥手告别，各自上路。现在回想起来，那漫长的一天还真是充满波折和乐趣，很感激那位捷克司机的善意相助，让我安全抵达目的地。
All content by @itchyfeetdonica. Thank you for visiting! 图文 by Donica，谢谢来访！=)
For the best experience view this post on Liketu