Croatia – Hvar Day 3

Posted on August 4, 2021 by jmatie22

Third day in Croatia. We started the day by packing up our AirBnB and heading to the dock. We took an Uber to the dock (which only cost $6).

The boat ride to Hvar (which was by the Krilo boat company and only $15), was about an hour (a bit longer than was advertised), and for the most part pretty chill. They had a pretty good latte onboard, which helped start the day.

Once we reached the island, we went to the Hostel checkin (Helvetia hostel), which was 5 minute walk from the dock. The guy at the hostel was super chill, and actually let us check in without David (who the reservation was under), as well as didn’t ask us to pay yet.

The apartment we rented out was an 8 minute walk up hill (a bit tiring because of the heat). But the place was actually pretty good for a last minute find.

After checking in we headed near the docks and found a really awesome restaurant (so far the best food I’ve had in Croatia). The place was called BB Club. More info here:

http://food.johnmatienzo.com/2021/08/04/bb-club/

We then met up with David and Milly, we headed to hike up the highest point in Hvar, Napoleon Fortress (took about 45 minutes each way). The view was amazing.

After, we headed for dinner at a place called Restaurant Mizerola. More information can be found here:

http://food.johnmatienzo.com/2021/08/04/restaurant-mizerola/

After the restaurant David, Rob and I went to a Carpe Diem party (Carpe Diem is a restaurant, and also a close by island). We took a boat taxi there. The DJ, Lawrence Klein, played some deep house (his podcasts were basically burning man deep, so we expected that all night), but still had a good time. The venue/island also looked pretty sick. Some notes though is that credit card is only accepted for drink purchases over 500 kunas.

PS. For grocery stores here, Studenac is the main one to go to (although Tommy’s also exists).

Croatia – Split Day 2

Posted on August 3, 2021 by jmatie22

We started off today by doing brunch at a pretty sick place that had great views and food, called Caffe Bar Vidilica. You can find more info on it here:

http://food.johnmatienzo.com/2021/08/02/caffe-bar-vidilica/

After, we headed to the old part of Split (Split’s Old Town), where the Diocletian Palace is. Over there, we visited:

-Cathedral of St Dominus

-Vestibule

-Treasury (not listed below, but it does have a lot of St Dominus “relics”)

-Peristil

Afterwards, we got some supplies at mini a grocery store called Tommy’s (which is also all over Croatia). Tommy’s has alcohol, as well as sunscreen and large eaters. There are mini shops called Tisik all around, but really they are only useful for small (expensive) water (they didn’t even have sunscreen).

We stopped by our AirBnb for a quick re-charge, then headed to the west part of Split where we wakes around Marian park for 2 hours (which has some good views), then headed back to prepare for a night out.

Started the night at 8pm. We headed to Bacvice beach to check out any bar there before sunset (unfortunately the sun was hiding behind the clouds). The first bar we went to had pretty bad service since we waited 30 minutes and still didn’t get served, (it was called Museum Bar History), so we actually left and went to another place called La Playa Day and Night, which served us drinks fairly quickly. I got a strawberry monitor, and looks like in Croatia they make it with actual sugar (you can taste the crystals), not simple syrup.

Afterwards, we ate at Terminal 5. More details here:

http://food.johnmatienzo.com/2021/08/03/terminal-f/

After terminal 5, we headed to a place called Charlie’s, where they cater to the hostel crowd. It was really popular and busy. Got a drink there, and then met people that mentioned the after party is ar Bacvice beach (at this time because of COVID, everything closes at 12am with the exception of a place called Vanilla club since they implement COVID checks). When we got to the beach, it was pretty busy, but we did meet some British people, and also a guy from Italy and Amsterdam who we got some things from. Then went home at 2am.

PS. There is a noise we kept hearing, and they ended up being cicadas. There is a picture of one of them below by the tree.

PSS. One really good local beer that goes down pretty smooth (and is still 5% alcohol) is called Karlovacko. I would recommend.

Croatia – Split Day 1

Posted on August 2, 2021 by jmatie22

Left SFO around 7:55pm on 7/31, and took a Swiss flight from SFO to Zurich, Switzerland. The flight experience was actually really good. They served free Glenlivet (so got 4 of those), two meals (dinner and breakfast), and had blankets and pillows. They also had free snacks and bottles of water laid out for “overnight to” eating. One key decision I did also make is upgrade my seat to an exit row, where I basically had unlimited leg room. From the above, the 11 hour flight went by pretty fast (and also binge watching Below Deck season 4 while buzzed helped).

When I arrived at Switzerland, didn’t have to go through passport control. However, there was security, where they did a pretty thorough screening of my personal bag (I think because there was a good amount of electronics). One thing to call out though is that the mocha from the airport did make my stomach upset.

The flight from Zurich to Split went by fast (basically a bit over an hour). When arriving at Split, passport control had a pretty long line, but went through it after 20 minutes. After, there was a declarations control area, where it looked like they were randomly picking who went through it.

From the Airport, we took an Uber to get to our AirBnb (30 minute drive that cost about 500 Kunas). Our AirBnB is at a pretty central location (5 minute walk from the main part of town).

After settling in the AirBnb, we first had dinner at an outdoor fast food place called Fast Good 058 (where I just had fries since I wanted to stick to something basic). Then we headed to a street called Obala Hrvatskog Preporoda (translated to Coast of the Croatian Renaissance ), where they have a good amount of nightlife and restaurants/bars going on. We checked out Roof68, where they were playing some house / tech house music. Drinks were ok (not cheap though), but I did like the vibe.

Hawaii – Kona Day 14

Posted on November 30, 2020 by jmatie22

Last day in Hawaii, which was pretty packed with small stops.

Started the day going to Green Flash Coffee. Here are the details:

http://food.johnmatienzo.com/2020/11/30/green-flash/

Then headed to Kahalu’u beach to get in some last minute snorkeling. I gotta say I liked the diversity of fishes here better than Captain cook monument (but the corals at captain cook were much better, and there were dolphins there). NJ did mention though he saw a turtle in the water while snorkeling.

After the beach, we cleared out our AirBnb (will always have the memories of watching season 28 of survivor there). We then dropped our bags of at Janie’s new place which is near Da poke shack.

From there, we headed to Kona Coffee and Tea to pick up some souvenirs (got some medium roast coffee. I also wanted to get the chocolate covered espresso macadamia nuts, but they ran out :().

We then headed to Kona Brewery, where we had a late lunch. Details can be found here:

http://food.johnmatienzo.com/2020/11/30/kona-brewery/

After the brewery, we stopped by a small chocolate shop called Puna (had an art exhibition in the upstairs). Got a chocolate covered stroopwafel, which was pretty good.

We then headed to HiCo, where I got an iced mocha plus a spam musubi. Here are the details: http://food.johnmatienzo.com/2020/11/25/hico/

After, we went to costco to grab some additional souvenirs (macadamia nuts plus Kona account Crunch coffee).

After Costco, we quickly rushed to Pine Trees Beach to see a glimpse of the sunset. Afterwards, headed to ABC to get some souvenirs (a shot glass, a coaster, some chocolate covered macadamia nuts, and a shirt).

The last stop before heading to the airport was Janie’s place to eat a Sushi dinner (ordered from Sushi Cocoro & Udon, which details can be found here: http://food.johnmatienzo.com/2020/11/30/sushi-cocoro-udon/).

We then dropped off our Jeep at Hertz, and boarded our flight. Till next time Hawaii!!!

Some things to check out next time I visit Big Island:

-Narnia

-Resort area 25 miles north of Kona (where there is other types of nightlife)

Hawaii – Kona Day 13

Posted on November 29, 2020 by jmatie22

We started off this day by traveling along Alii drive. We went into town first, where I was able to try an açaí bowl at Kona Wave Cafe (recommended by several of our friends). I thought it was was really good. Here are the details:

http://food.johnmatienzo.com/2020/11/29/kona-wave-cafe/

We then meandered to this beach in Kaloko-Honokōhau national park. We were promised several turtles by the park ranger, but only found one (see the pic below).

After the beach, we headed back to Keck, to see the sun set below the clouds, and the telescopes. Some tips about getting to the summit. First, you should drive to the visitor center and stay there for 15 minutes to acclimatize to the altitude. Second, the summit is like 1 degree Celsius, so wear winter clothes if possible. Third, you need a 4×4 to go past the visitor center. Four, park your Jeep facing the telescopes and sunset (so you can hop in and out of the car).

After Keck, we drove to Ola brewery to have dinner, and then stopped by MyBar for a quick drink. Updated Ola Brewery comments are in here: http://food.johnmatienzo.com/2020/11/22/ola-brewery/

We then headed to Dersu and Elsa’s to end the night with more drinking 🙂

Hawaii – Kona Day 12

Posted on November 28, 2020 by jmatie22

We spent this day on the east side of the Big Island, Hilo.

Started off the day driving through the two highways that cuts through the center of the island (190 and 200). Great scenic drive, where you can see the volcano mountain, and where the solidified lava stopped flowing, and the mountain where the Keck is on.

First stop when we approached Hilo was Rainbow Falls. This was an easy attraction (just needed to drive up to it). Unfortunately no rainbow as found at the falls 🙁

We then made our way to Akaka falls. There was a $5 fee per person at the entrance, but definitely worth it. The trail to the falls was a tropical rainforest. It was awesome to see so much biodiversity. It was like being in Animal Kingdom in Disney land, but it’s actually the real thing!

After the falls, we drove by the main part of town, and even saw the statue of the last King of Hawaii. We then drove along Kamehameha street (it was along the perimeter of water at Hilo and it’s actually the word used in Dragon Ball Z), leading up to the place where we had a late lunch near Carlsmith beach at a place called the ponds. Here is the info:

http://food.johnmatienzo.com/2020/11/28/ponds-hilo/

(On a side note, I definitely see how Kona is a more developed and richer part than Hilo. Also, Hilo’s older part of town is really run down).

After eating, quickly made our way to Carlsmith beaches we didn’t really get into, but the water looked pretty clean, with really no rocks or coral or waves. Would have been great to take a dip at this easy beach. Also, the greenery leading up to the beach was different.

We then headed over to the adjacent beach, Richardson. The greenery leading up to the beach was amazing. We also saw several (large) turtles, and the waves at the beach were pretty awesome.

After the beach, we quickly swung by University of Hawaii. It’s not that big, was looked like a typical University. To end the night, we quickly checked out the Keck (visitor’s center). Temperature was pretty chilly, but it was definitely noticeable you were closer to the stars. Hot chocolate plus looking through binoculars made a difference.

Hawaii – Kona Day 11

Posted on November 27, 2020 by jmatie22

This day was mainly focused on Thanksgiving.

Started off the day by going to KTA to buy groceries and alcohol for Thanksgiving dinner. Also grabbed poke for lunch / snack from KTA. You can find the details here: http://food.johnmatienzo.com/?p=1156

After KTA, we spent a couple of hours at On the Rocks, since Ben has not been before, and I definitely wanted him to check out the view. Here are the details: http://food.johnmatienzo.com/2020/11/25/on-the-rocks/

We then got back to our AirBnB to make the food for Thanksgiving dinner. I made bacon Mac and cheese, plus regular Mac and cheese (both from the “deluxe” version of Kraft Dinner). Ben made meatballs (and regular meatballs) plus spaghetti.

For Thanksgiving dinner, we headed to Brittany’s place. Pictures can speak for themselves 🙂

http://travel.johnmatienzo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/img_7272-1.mov

Hawaii – Kona Day 10

Posted on November 26, 2020 by jmatie22

Started off the day by visiting Da Poke Shack for lunch. Here are the details:

http://food.johnmatienzo.com/2020/11/26/da-poke-shack/

After lunch, we headed off to Kealakekua Bay to pick up kayaks for visiting the Captain Cook monument. Used this rental company: https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/ehuandkai/items/?flow=19754&full-items=yes

Kayaking took about 30 minutes to the monument. The waters for kayaking and snorkeling were not too bad. This bay I supposed to have the best views for snorkeling in Hawaii. I thought the view under the water for snorkeling was ok. The view closer to the edges of the rock walls and shore were better than ones further out. I also added some more snorkeling tips after this trip here:

http://lessons.awesomenessoflife.com/2020/11/24/snorkeling-tips/

After snorkeling, we headed to a hotel bar in the Royal Kona Resort to watch the sunset while drinking pina coladas. You can find the details here:

http://food.johnmatienzo.com/2020/11/26/royal-kona-hotel-bar-don-the-beachcomber/

Ended off the day having dinner at Janie’s where Sam made a veggie pizza (starter kit from Costco, and NJ brought the fake sausage and vegetables), plus lobster pasta.

Hawaii – Kona Day 9

Posted on November 25, 2020 by jmatie22

This day was used to explore the eateries / bars in Holualoa.

Started off by going to a “dive” bar called Humpy’s Big Island Alehous, which has a really good view of the water. Of course I ordered the Pina Colada. Here are the details: http://food.johnmatienzo.com/2020/11/25/humpys-big-island-alehous/

Next, we stopped by a place with an even more dope view, a place called On the Rocks. Had lunch there, with a mai tai. Here are the details: http://food.johnmatienzo.com/2020/11/25/on-the-rocks/

Needed to get some orange juice and tide detergent, so ended up going to a Hawaii convenient store chain called “ABC”.

After some solid morning/lunch drinking, decided to get some coffee at a HiCo. Got an iced mocha, which was really delicious. Here are the details: http://food.johnmatienzo.com/2020/11/25/hico/

We then chilled at Janie’s place for a bit (which is where the sunset picture is from), and then had dinner / tried Kava at Kanaka Kava: http://food.johnmatienzo.com/2020/11/25/kanaka-kava/

After drinking kava, we chilled at the volleyball courts for a bit at the same complex the Kava and Island Lava Java places were at.

Ended off the night drinking back at Janie’s place, where we played a game called Therapist (basically two rules are made up and two people designated as the therapists have to try and guess the rules). Great game.

Hawaii – Kona Day 8

Posted on November 24, 2020 by jmatie22

This day was a day of snorkeling.

Started off the day going to Costco to pick up some snorkeling gear. Decided to get the full face mask, but also had to buy the set with flippers.

We headed off to two-step beach at Captain cook, where I basically learned how to use the snorkeling face mask (key part is to make sure the face mask is tight enough using the straps at the back, and just breath with your nose normally. Admittedly it is difficult to breathe with it, and don’t really like to use it longer than 30 minutes), and got comfortable with the flippers. To finally get out there, as Dersu said “don’t think”. Another tip (but I think this is for the goggle type snorkels), to have no fog, you spit in your goggles (need to figure if this works for the full face mask).

The ocean floor had very few sea urchins. There were a good amount of fish. At the time I didn’t know this, but there were sea urchins between some holes in the rocks on the steps coming out of the water (although I had my flippers on, so my feet would have been ok regardless. I was using those holes with my hands though).

After two-step, we headed to Honokohau Harbor for our night time manta ray snorkeling adventure.

First time wearing a wet suite. Definitely see how it warms you up, and would consider buying one if I did more water sports (but would get between a small and a medium size).

To get to the snorkeling spot, we spent 30 minutes getting there. The boat ride was definitely bumpy. While we were there, we spent 45 minutes attached to this surfboard looking device, that shines light down the water to attract plankton, which attract the mantarays. I was fortunate enough to get a manta ray kiss (it’s bottom part touched my right hand). Gotta say it felt pretty rough lol.

The last 10 minutes I did start to feel light headed. Didn’t think I needed to throw up, but my stomach was also not super settled. Might have been a good idea not to drink a seltzer beforehand.

The ride back it started raining, but covering myself with a towel plus the wet suite helped.

We ended off the day having dinner at a ramen place, which you can catch the details here:

http://food.johnmatienzo.com/2020/11/24/daichi-ramen/