Rushed Ruins in Split by Jeremiah A. Gilbert
It took a little convincing at first to talk my wife into visiting Split. It should be noted that she wasn’t my wife yet or even my fiancée - that would come in a few weeks after I proposed in London. This was also our first solo trip together as a couple. We’d gone on a tour of Egypt the December prior but that was with an organized tour. This trip was also originally going to be with an organized tour as well until we decided we could do it on our own.
The breakthrough was realizing we could center ourselves out of Dubrovnik and then Sarajevo. Employing day trips from these locations, we could cover everything the tour would have except for Zagreb, which we figured we could visit on a later trip. As a plus, we’d be staying local and using public transit to get around. Along with some days on our own, we’d also be using local guides and regional tours to see some sights beyond these cities.
Before the days of Airbnb, we found an apartment in Dubrovnik through a message board owned by Boris, who I communicated with via email before our booking and before our arrival. Our first complication upon arrival is the taxi driver not knowing where Boris’s apartment was based on the address. So, I give Boris a call, knowing it will be expensive but should also be short. However, he and the driver start up a conversation the whole way to the apartment. Won’t be looking forward to seeing that cellphone bill.
Boris’s place also offers a few more challenges. First, we couldn’t figure out how to run the air conditioning till the following day when he revealed a slew of buttons concealed by a hidden cover on the remote. We’d also have to change apartments our last night as he had a returning client who always booked our apartment. This meant packing up and relocating to a room in a neighbor’s house. Apparently, they were just starting to rent out rooms and didn’t seem too thrilled to see us parading with our luggage through their living room and up the stairs. Our early morning departure should be fun.
Another complication was not Boris’s fault. One of the reasons we picked his apartment was because it was within walking distance of a hotel that local tour companies picked up passengers from. So far, we’d done two day trips this way and were there at the allotted time for our third, only this time no minivan appeared.
After fifteen minutes I again need to resort to international roaming to call the company only to be informed that they do not run the tour on Thursdays. I reply that I have a tour voucher that says they do to which I receive the reply that they do not run the tour on Thursdays. So, I arrange for them to pick us up tomorrow and set off to do tomorrow’s walking tour of Dubrovnik today.
While the original plan was to finish our trip in Sarajevo, I figured it wouldn’t be too much of a hassle to add in Split. Mind you, the only thing I knew about Split was having seen it as the setting for the film A Wonderful Night in Split at the Palm Springs Film Festival a few years before. The old town looked amazing, though I’m sure I was swayed a bit because it was filmed in black and white. Not fully convinced by my addition, my future wife wondered what more I knew about the city. Besides what it said in my travel guide, nothing.
My travel guide preference back then was Lonely Planet, and they didn’t include too many photos in those days. Unfortunately, the best way to convince her to go somewhere is through photos, so I went online to do a Google Image search. While not nearly as robust as it is today, there was enough there to persuade her to give Split a try.
The challenge when taking local transport is the communication barrier. Through miming and pointing, we were able to buy tickets for the bus from Dubrovnik to Sarajevo, though we didn’t know which of the typically short breaks we took every few hours was the lunch break, so we arrived in town famished. Before the bus from Sarajevo to Split, we hit up a grocery store, ensuring we had snacks and lunch this time around.
I’d booked what I thought was a hotel room in Split, so I was a little surprised when the taxi from the bus station dropped us off at what appeared to be a storefront in downtown. We entered to discover I’d not rented a room but an apartment. Thankfully one of the women in the office escorts us to our accommodation as it’s a twisty uphill trek to reach it. Just as I’m beginning to think I should have left some breadcrumbs to find our way back into town, we arrive. It’s a small but serviceable space, though the walls are thin and there’s an amorous couple next door that seems to like to work out their avarice around 3 a.m. each morning.
We don’t have any day trips planned in Split, just a few days to explore on our own. As if persuading my future wife to come to Split was not hard enough, I discover some nearby ruins in the town of Solin (known as Salona by the Romans) that she’s really uncertain about. As I only have my meager Lonely Planet description to go by (not even one photo to strengthen my case), I use the selling point that “at least it’s not another old town.” That works and we hop in a taxi.
Salona, a city of approximately 60,000 residents at its zenith, was a hub of commerce and culture in the Roman Empire. The ruins now spread across a serene landscape, merging history with nature. It’s a place where remnants of human ingenuity harmonize with the rugged beauty of the Dalmatian coast. Only problem is, I didn’t know any of this at the time and ask the taxi driver to pick us up in an hour.
I'm immediately drawn to the Manastirine, which served as a burial place for early Christians. To be honest, I think this is the whole site until my future wife discovers that there's far more to be seen that requires the purchase of a ticket from an office we’d so far not gone in to. Ticket purchased, and about twenty minutes already spent in the Manastirine, I'm off quickly as we only have about forty minutes left to explore. A path bordered by cypress trees takes us to ruins that include a cathedral, baptistery, and public baths. My future wife if slowed down by a friendly dog but I leave her behind as I have ruins to explore.
Part of an archaeological park, the Salona ruins are extensive, indicating the importance of this settlement under Roman rule. There are ample explanatory panels in English, which I skip in my rush. Thankfully, the paths are well-marked. It's a long, unshaded walk to the amphitheater at the park's farthest reaches but it’s a pleasant walk past olive groves, orchards, and flowering shrubs. At least it would be if I weren’t in such a rush. Furthest point reached, I then hurry back along the path, taking in a few quick stops along the way for photos and to check my watch.
At one point, a group of local women call after me as they’ve retrieved my wayward hat. Hadn’t even noticed it was missing. I recover my hat with a smile, then retrieve my future wife, who has been taking her time and enjoying the views. I rush us along the path back to the main entrance, where our taxi is waiting. It’s then back to the city center before attempting our labyrinthian accent back to our apartment that I thought was a hotel room. The neighbors are back at it around 3 a.m. but I’m too exhausted from my rushed ruins to heed much notice.
