Rijeka

This morning I awoke early, and got down to the lobby for breakfast. I was earlier than usual because after breakfast I'd wanted to go over to the bus station and find the earliest bus over to Dubrovnik. Upon reaching the bus station I'd learned that there was no way to get from here to Dubrovnik, I had to first go through Rijeka, then from there I could get another bus to Dubrovnik. It seemed really round about, but at least this way I'd be able to see a lot more of Croatia even than I had originally planned. I asked for the earliest time I could leave for Rijeka, and the woman behind the counter told me 10:50. This meant I still had around 2 hours, and I had already checked out of my hotel. So I sat there as it began to rain, and I found some shelter under a tarp where some tables where set up outside a bar next door. As I was waiting, I somehow bumped into the tour guide of the German tour group from the night before who remembered me and made small talk with me like he'd known me for years. I hadn't realized I had made such an impression on him in our brief encounter on the ferry ride where I'd mostly just slept through the majority of his shbeals, where I didn't understand the language anyway. However, he seemed genuinely friendly, and I told him of my plans to go on from here to Rijeka to catch a bus to Dubrovnik. He said a ferry from Rijeka might be cheaper, and would be the way he would do it. I thanked him for the advice, and he headed off with the old Germans to the next leg of their exciting adventure, and soon after, I headed off to mine.

I found my bus, and climbed on. Unfortunately, the bus driver didn't speak a word of English, so I had to get the whole rest of the bus involved in letting me know I was in the right place. It comes off as an annoyance to most people, but it's important that I make absolutely sure. So far, Croatian people seem very irritated with me. I can't speak a word of their language, and a lot less people speak English here than most places I've been so far. Needless to say, as soon as I open my mouth, I stick out like a sore thumb, and everyone gives me the "you're a tourist" attitude.

When we arrived in Rijeka, I walked straight over to where the ferries were. Luckily, it wasn't much of a walk because the bus station is like right next door. I asked around a bit, and finally found the place to book tickets. To my dismay, I was told that ferry service to Dubrovnik is only on Mondays and Fridays. However, all hope wasn't lost. I still had the bus station next door, so I walked back over there and asked for the soonest ticket to Dubrovnik. I was delighted by the fact that they had one available, however, the next bus didn't leave till 8:30pm. Which means I had 8 hours. Well, what a great opportunity for me to spend a day in Rijeka before I leave that night to Dubrovnik. The rain was reduced to a light mist, and I prayed that it would soon stop all together, and that the sun might come out for a bit while I relaxed here by the harbor and perhaps on the beach for the day. My prayers went unanswered as it began to rain even harder as the day went on. I found a tourist map, and guessed at where I might find a beach that I'd be able to walk to and began off in that direction. I walked for a long ways, and found no beach, just endless miles of industrial docks leading to a few homes build on the rocky shore line. I found a quiet little park during my walk, and stopped to watch the birds quickly feeding during the rare break in the rain. I began reading my book, "Children of Hurin" By JRR Tolkien, and throughout most of the day I alternated ducking from shelter to shelter wherever I could find it, and reading my book. It was difficult just walking into a bar or restaurant to warm up here, as I've done in other countries. They don't allow you to stay unless you buy something, and even then, as soon as your finished they usually kick you out. Even the bathrooms were all locked with a special key code, and you had to pay for something in order to receive the code. I think that's absolutely cruel. However, I cheated the system a little though, by buying a water at a local McDonalds and then just keeping the key code with me (figuring it'll work for all day), then every time I needed to go to the bathroom, I just returned to that same place and used the key code.

Although, I couldn't do much for the rain situation. It got increasingly colder, and the rain got thicker as the day progressed. There was very little shelter, and even that couldn't hide me from the bone chilling wind. All day I sat wet and shivering, praying for 8:30 but each time finding still hours between. This was not what I'd had in mind for spending my time in Croatia. I don't know what's going on. I haven't had weather this cold since the UK in early march. I was angry that the weather was so terrible, and I was stuck here unable to do anything about it, or even take shelter from it. I was just doomed to hide in allyways and under trees, and shiver until I couldn't feel the cold anymore. Finally, after what seemed like days, having walked around the whole city several times, I found my bus, barely (It was, for some reason, sitting in the wrong terminal. Thank God I had a sneaking suspicion that that bus might just be the one I'm looking for), I made it on to the bus literally 2 minutes before it would have pulled away, and I would have still been sitting there waiting for a bus what would never have come.

I'm on the bus now, and supposedly this time I should be getting to Dubrovnik, although I don't know when. This has been the hardest part of my journey. I'm having such a hard time. I'm wet and cold, and tired, and weary of travel and of feeling like a fish out of water. Still, I'm no where near giving up. This journey was meant to be difficult from the beginning, and I'm thankful that God's provided the way thus far. Even now I'm on my way somewhere, even if I don't know where. God's also never left me wanting yet for food or a place to stay for the night, which I'd expected would be the first to go. Even if he does allow me to do without that too, I'll still be thankful that I've had it. I just have to keep going, even though I'm spiritually at my lowest right now. Pray for me please. I feel I need help, a friend, something.

It'd be easy for me to say I miss home, in truth I miss a lot about home, but my heart has never been happier than it's been to see the world these months. What would the Glory of this time be, without an epic struggle for it. True Glory is not for the faint of heart.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T