Balkanethnoexp. Part I. CroatiaMap
June The countries of the Balkan Peninsula remained a blank spot on my map of the world for many years, which is why I decided to dedicate this next ethnographic expedition to them. A minibus dubbed “The Paksomobile,” capable of holding all of the expedition’s participants and guests, was outfitted for the journey. ![]() Croatia is a country of packaged beach vacations. There’s no arguing that it’s a hundred times more fun than the Crimea or Hurghada, of course. ![]() But the stale aftertaste of socialism still lingers here. ![]() A rest stop with a solitary cypress. ![]() No swimming for dogs. ![]() A warning for vehicles carrying hazardous materials that there’s a water conservation area ahead. ![]() A Croatian cow. ![]() The sign at the top indicates a pedestrian crossing. The sign below specifies: children. ![]() School patrol. Again the same figures of different sizes in strange poses. ![]() School. Children break the rules (almost like in Bulgaria). ![]() A bus stop. ![]() The pump on the gas station sign resembles a British telephone box. ![]() A license plate. ![]() An indicator of distance to the nearest water works manhole. ![]() A hydrant. ![]() The country still has tons of Yugoslavian post boxes. ![]() They’re gradually being replaced with new national post boxes made of plastic. ![]() A payphone. ![]() Chains which lower at the press of a button are often used instead of boom barriers. ![]() Obituary flyers can occasionally be seen in the streets. There are many more of them in neighboring countries. ![]() RovinjMapFormer Venetian colonies are easily identified by their distinctive towers. ![]() Passers by. ![]() PulaMapAll the signs in this part of the country are written in two languages: Croatian and Italian. ![]() That’s because this was once Italy. ![]() Wonderful barriers around the trees. ![]() Old manhole location indicators. ![]() A receptacle for donations of unwanted items. ![]() Trash dumpsters. ![]() OpatijaMapA local quasi-oligarchic resort. ![]() Opatijan poster displays. ![]() A trash can. ![]() RijekaMapBlack traffic lights are mounted on blue posts here. ![]() Some parts of the city are quite pleasant. ![]() The post has a trashcan attached on one side and an ashtray in the shape of a basin on the other. ![]() SplitMapThe city is rather drab. ![]() And uninteresting. ![]() Sewer (the same word as in Russian, only written in Latin letters). ![]() Dumpsters. ![]() The bus stops have blue polycarbonate roofs. ![]() A street sign. ![]() A three-story transformer vault (like in Mali and Madagascar). ![]() There’s also a small Old Town with very narrow streets here. But it’s so overcrowded with tourists that it’s completely unappealing. Enduring that many people per square meter is impossible. The photo shows how things should be. ![]() The only interesting detail is a trash can in the form of a stone bracket, the top part of which contains an ashtray. ![]() DubrovnicMapA city contained by one city wall. ![]() The wall is high in places. ![]() Half the buildings here were destroyed during the War of Independence in the early 1990s, but such a plum tourist spot couldn’t be left in ruins, so everything was rebuilt. All the buildings are in place, but the soul is gone. ![]() A porter. ![]() A street cleaner with a vacuum. ![]() A disposal bin for used batteries. ![]() A wedding procession with an orchestra, dancing guests and men with flares suddenly rushed by. For a second, it seemed as though the city was lively and interesting. And then there was nothing again. ![]() * * * Evening fell. ![]() |
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june 2012
Balkanethnoexp. Part I. Croatia
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