D is for… Dubrovnik Diaries

Television series Game of Thrones put Croatia on the world map. Like true fans, we decided in 2017 to visit the country with our friends and see the street where Cercei was 'shamed'!

We started from Ljubljana in Slovenia followed by Plitvice National Park, then Split, and ending the trip with Dubrovnik. This trip had its own adventures, but those are for another time.

The gorgeous Old Town of Dubrovnik as seen from a hill top.
We have seen a few walled cities around the world, but nothing beats the charm of this one.

Dubrovnik is centred around its old town which is surrounded by walls. To get into the centre, you must climb down several steep steps from different sides. We were walking down one staircase on the first day. There were hordes of people in front of us. The Boy jokingly started in Hindi – chalo, chalo, chalo, aage badho (move, move, move, move forward) thinking everyone who is ahead of us cannot understand our language. A young man from India looked behind and started smiling and we all had a good laugh.

The steps from the bottom of the street.

We rushed people down this one!
There was a slope from an entryway as well.
We used that most of the times for ease of walking. 

Frankly, I never appreciate my language unless we have to speak it in front of someone who is unable comprehend it. There is a thrill in saying things without being understood by people! I come from a Sindhi family and the only time I have to speak my mother tongue is either when I am in front of a shopkeeper or a maid. Super fun - although I am pretty sure the way I mix my Hindi with my Sindhi, they can understand every word I say!

We spent most of our time in Dubrovnik within those walls. It was like time travel in there – you feel you are in a different world and then you hear Ed Sheeren playing in a pub. Each day within those walls was exciting and full of new discoveries.

Dubrovnik Old Town at 2 in the night.
Before this, it was always packed with people crammed in restaurants that fill the area.

One evening, we were sitting next to the waterfront. The boy and my other two friends decided to go for a walk. I was very tired by then and so I sat on a bench and just watched the world go by. Two women in their 20’s asked me if they could sit on the bench too. We started talking and I feared that they were there to snatch my bag or sell me drugs!!

They told me they lived in the city with their parents and were unemployed. Another red signal! I was hoping for the Boy to come back sooner. When I told them I was from India, they got very excited. They said they have been watching an Indian Television series which roughly translates to Something Aunt. One of them logged into YouTube to find the Teleseries. I guess it was ‘Humari Dewarani’ or something!!! I am not sure!

I was amazed that this was dubbed in their language and they had been watching this. Thankfully the Boy showed up within minutes and they left.

Dubrovnik is beautiful from whereever you see it. You can stay in the outskirts and
take a taxi to the old town every day. You will save a lot of money and miss nothing.

I still think they were there to rob me or sell me something I did not need, but who knows, maybe they were just making conversation with a friendly tourist! Maybe they had found this television series and used it amuse every brown visitor. I am paranoid, or am I? Anyway, it was a fun experience and it made for a good story to remember.

What say!?