15th to 20th of February, 2020.
I cannot stop thinking that most of people would be surprised I got inside that car if they had seen Antonio, Stephen and Martin. I do not think many women hitchhikers would do that. They are really tall and big guys, like American Football players, all dressed in black, with tattoos, and there are beer in the car. I know it sounds stupid if you who are reading, as me, do not judge people for how they look, or if you, as me, has tattoos, dress in black and drink beer. But I am sure you are aware how most of the people in the world do bad judgement based in how someone one looks like. The important thing is, as soon as I look in their eyes, I knew they were sweet guys and I could trust on them. So that I did and got in the car.
The guys are going to a football match in Zagreb. They would have to drop me a bit before the town though, because at some point they will get together with all the other cars and vans, hundreds of them, to go altogether to the stadium. They are all very kind and shy. I am happy to know more about football in Croatia with them. Apparently, early in the 50’s, during the Fifa World Cup in Brazil, Croatian people who went to the games liked so much the way they saw the name of ours torcidas (crowds) all split around the stadiums, that they decided to adopt the name Torcida as the name of the crowd for one of the local football teams in Split: Hajduk Split.
We got outside of Zagreb super fast, around 2 p.m. I wish good luck to my friends and their team and they left.
About 30 minutes later, a father and his 4 children stop for me. I am very surprise for his kindness already when he say he would drive me where I had to go in the centre because: “If you have the guts to travel like that, I have to do this”. He is very political and we talk as much as possible about society, equality and politicians. He indeed drop me in front of Jelena’s address but, since I do not want to cut his speech about “right and wrong”, I could not call Jelena so she was not aware of my arrival. Well, since it is in the city centre, it should be easy for me to find a shop and ask for somebody’s phone, right? Wrong. It is Sunday.
I leave my backpack (again) behind a wall and walk for a few minutes until I find a coffee shop open. The lovely waitress Shena (yeah, like the warrior as she remembered me) calls Jelena for me and tell her I am waiting. She is very sweet indeed, so thank you so much, Shena!
It is amazing how me and Jelena get along pretty well since the beginning. Same way of thinking, same believes and wishes for the people and world. So of course we have a great time. We talk a lot all the time. To be honest, as much I liked her, sometimes I have to say she would talk even too much! She cooked a delicious vegetables risotto for us, and in the next few days we alternating who was cooking.
I go for long walks in Zagreb. The city has amazing old buildings everywhere, it is impressive! It does not matter where you go, to where you look, there is always a beautiful old building. Some of them are extraordinary! Of course most of them are located in the Upper and Lower Town. The cathedral is also amazing together with other beautiful churches (like St. Marks, for example). Most of the museums you need to pay. There is a nice old cinema, with cheaper exhibition of movies (old and new ones). There is of course the street where everybody go to eat or just for drinks. There are parks around too and big ones a bit further out of town, but still reachable by walking. I was planning go to one of them but in my last day I changed my plan to be able to see Renata, who was leaving from Vienna to Brazil. Anyway, I think Zagreb it is a great city, full of wonderful old buildings to see, well organized (including the central Tourist Info) and it is eclectic.
On my last night, me and Jelena did a Podcast talking about my trips through Africa. It was fun.
Next morning, I left not as early as I should, and I still had to grab a bus to get out of town, otherwise it would take me over two hours to get in there. Again, a gas station, but this time it is for real a shitty spot.
P.S. 1: I met Jelena’s ex-boyfriend one night when he came to join us for a while. At first sigh I thought he was charming, but then he started to talk and all vanished. I mean, he was not bad but I think because he passed through a lot of shit in his life, he became really bitter and a type of person I could not be involved in any type of relationship.
P.S. 2: We also watch a movie called Lady Bird which is not bad but it also too weird to be considered good.