People of Croatia
After only four days in the Slovenian biosphere reserve The Karst, I cross the border to Croatia. A few kilometers behind the border, Hospitalityclub member Igor, his flatmate Danica's and their circle of friends are waiting for me in Rijeka. Time passes while we discuss about burek, sing Simon and Garfunkel, walk the dog, and cook scalloped potatoes.
One of the subjects they introduce me to is the dispute about Ante Gotovina. The International Court of Justice is looking for the Croatian general whose soldiers committed war crimes during the war in the 90's. Many Croatians admire him like a hero for his achievements. The way how the EU now exerts pressure on the Croatian government in order to find him further alienates EU-critical locals. A week later, I have yet another discussion with Tomeslav, a former Croatian soldier and ex-prisoner. For him, it's a clear-cut case: "After all, it was them who started to attack us."
Unexpected, but not less hospitable than the days in Rijeka passes the evening with the "Group" on the island of Korcula. The ferry from Split arrived late at night and I was looking for a place to pitch my tent in the pitch-black darkness as I meet Duracel and his mates. They invite me to join them in there semi-official techno disco, a decaying building of a former swimming pool: The walls dotted with graffiti, isolated with egg cartons, beer in abundance, and a sofa where I lay down after the Group has left.
One island further, on Peljesac, I ask for water at a small house. Inside, I meet Darko who introduces himself as Reiki specialist and healer. He raves about the island's untouched nature, hidden roads and graves, unhabited villages, local knowledge about medicinal herbs and asks me for advice to establish "healing tourism" on the island. After some time and cigarettes, we've defined the target group: Nature-loving and chronically ill Germans - during summer, they are everywhere along the Croatian coasts.
German, not chronically ill, but also nature-loving are the last people I spend time with in this country. Ilka travelles with "Moby", an old transporter, slowly down the Aegean coast. Joerg Pfeiffer does the same - and writes about what happens during this RoadTV Trip for the German internet magazine Spiegel Online. In Dubrovnik, for example, he follows a lorry driver in the old town and writes about his daily life. He get's paid for that, why don't I?
15.11.2005 15:57h
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